Monmouth

In keeping with the 'staycation' idea that is becoming increasingly popular in these frugal times, I have rarely ventured far from my own corner of the world in recent times.

Our latest family trip was to Monmouth a border town between England and Wales - one of those like Chepstow that has been Welsh and English at various times, it is currently Welsh (and as far as I know intends to stay that way!). We were lucky with the weather, and Monmouth has some lovely outdoor spaces. From the river to the parks, the church and a good selection of shops..

Monmouth is small, but can take it's fair share of visitors with ample car-parking, and plenty of choice places to grab a bite to eat. Once you have ambled around the town, and sampled some of the delights, you could treat yourself to the 'pretty way' home as we did, and take in the beautiful countryside which surrounds this historic town.
[Pictured: the historic Monnow Tower Bridge, and the High Street]

2012 in the UK

Despite European monetary difficulties, there is  generally positive mood throughout the UK at the moment - this picture shows bunting in the street a week after the special Bank Holiday to commemorate 60 years of Queen Elizabeth's reign.
This year not only celebrates UK monarchy, but also the coming of the Summer Olympics. The UK is arguably fortunate to be cushioned a little from the Euro crisis by being outside the Euro currency, but the consequences of the Euro-crisis will not entirely pass us by.
The interesting fact about this positive photo is that it was not taken in what might be regarded as royalist heartland of the home counties of England, but in the Welsh Capital Cardiff (Caerdydd in the native tongue). The truth is that the celebrations have reverberated around the commonwealth and touched the rest of the world too. Now is a good time to visit the UK, London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast and see what this kingdom has to offer.

Jimmy Spices

If I may be allowed to extend travel to include eating experiences (I may because it is my blog..!), I wanted to just report what a great night was had by friends and Family at Jimmy Spices in Sutton Coldfield a few weeks back.
On offer was a £15 all you can eat buffet of Chinese, Indian and Italian food - This alone sounds like pure heaven for a foodie, but you wonder if the Chinese and Indian in particular will be authentic (At least that was what I was thinking), by which I mean would the Chinese be as good as if it were in a Chinese restaurant? etc..
I am very keen on all these cooking styles, so was a little sceptical.
On arrival, I was staggered by the floor-space of the upstairs rooms of this restaurant - it was huge.. tables wre in rows seating between about 20 to 30 per table - which was ideal for large family parties. If you weren't with a party, maybe you would meet some new people - but I wasn't intending to write a review so I didn't pay a lot of attention to the seating arrangements. After sitting and chatting for a while, I went to check out the food. Each style of cooking had it's own open kitchen section in the centre of the room where specialist chefs were openly preparing and cooking food, one for Indian food, one for Chinese and one for Italian. I began with Chinese - it was really superb, some of the best Chinese cooking I have ever tasted. Just to check that this wasn't a fluke, I then moved on to Indian, and yes, this was as good as the Chinese - really expertly done. Sadly I didn't have chance to try the Italian as I was persuaded by my daughter to get some ice-cream after which I did not really feel like eating more savoury dishes. (Still a bit gutted that I didn't have a go at the Italian - although most people seemed to be going for pizzas which quite frankly are NOT my idea of fine dining... I would hope that there were also pasta dishes, maybe some seafood?? I'll have to wait 'til next time to find out - I would certainly without a doubt visit again, it's a great place to take a crowd because there truly is something for everyone.
You don't have to travel to The Midlands to get the same experience however, as well as restaurants in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham and Stratford on Avon, they also have places in Staines, Epsom and Bath.

Calgary Apartments

There are a wide variety of Calgary Apartments for Rent either on long or short-term lease, ranging from city apartments to sprawling country residences. Deep in the East of Canada lies Calgary, home of the 1988 Winter Olympics, one of the earliest homes of the 'Mounties' (Fort Calgary) and home to various museums and other attractions.

Canada is especially appealing to British travellers because of the fact that we have a common language and heritage. It is the kind of destination that a Brit is likely to adopt as a second (or even first) home.

Working in Canada is a real prospect for UK residents that want to spread their wings a bit, and whilst Canada is certainly 'across the pond', the culture shock is not so great as may be presented by many European cultures, and having the language and similar standards of education helps.

In fact there are many students who start their Canadian adventure with a study scheme that sees them exchange places with a Canadian university student.

Calgary itself in within easy reach of some northerly American cities such Seattle and Washington, and therefore offers experiences uniquely Canadian alongside the possibilities of the chance to experience some American culture at the same time.

Travel History

My own travel plans have been on hold for some time since family is our priority at the moment. Hence more recent posts are concerned with 'local' traveling rather than that of a more exotic type. Not that I have ever been anywhere very exotic, but my travel destinations include:

Austria, Germany, France, Greece, Malta, US, Canada, Eire and a few places in between. I have not been on a plane for a good many years (apart from a 'domestic' flight to Edinburgh), and to my shame, I do not even own a valid passport at the moment, my old one lapsed and I didn't want to waste money getting it renewed when I know I would not need it for a while. Our recent travel includes sights around the UK, mainly Wales and specifically West Wales. I guess that narrows the wide niche of 'travel' for this blog down to one that concentrates mainly on the places within easy reach of my home - which is probably no bad thing.

Recently I have been posting information and opinion on places such as The Wild Welsh Zoo and St Davids in West Wales. Our very next vacation is planned in a similar region, so expect more of the same.

Cars Sales Milan

Travelling around the world (as I would very much LIKE to do a lot more of...) brings you into contact with great characters, and as a traveller, it is businessmen/women of one type of another that you are coming into contact with. Whether it be your hotelier, a shopkeeper or maybe a car mechanic. Often you will find (especially in Southern Europe) a proliferation of small and medium-sized family businesses. Whilst many people you will come into contact with during your travels will have some grasp of the English language, it is likely that a good proportion will have little or no English at all.
In general terms, having a fundamental grasp of the local language is more important in say France or Italy, than it would be in Germany or Switzerland.
In Milan for instance you may see the sign: vendita auto usate (used cars for sale), or you may see auto usate milano (Milan used cars). Local knowledge will probably guide you towards 'GarageDelParco' as the best place in Milan for personal service when it comes to purchasing vehicles. If you are planning a long visit to Milan, purchasing a used vehicle could prove less costly than a long term hire, especially as GarageDelParco will also compro auto usate (buy used cars) from you after you have finished with them, and refurbish them before selling them on again.

Having a skilled workforce allows them to be able to buy cars and get them into pristine condition before selling them again. Being a family-run business means that they take special pride in their work and reputation as a solid and trustworthy company. A quick look at the history of this company tells you that it has been operating since it was opened in the 1960's by the father of the current manager, and the daughter is also still involved in running the financial side of the company.

The company seeks to maintain the old values of customer care within the physical confines of thoroughly modernised premises.

Dan Yr Ogof

We took a trip to Dan Yr Ogof caves recently, having lived relatively close to the attraction for many years, but never having visited it myself. The drive to the site itself is quite enjoyable if you have decent weather, the attraction is located in beautiful countryside and a little of the 'beaten track'.

The caves were originally discovered in the early 20th century when some locals stumbled upon them by accident. Since that time they have been developed as a tourist attraction, but it is the caves themselves that remain the star of the 'show'.

Over the years, other attractions and exhibitions have been added to the site such that they now boast '10 attractions on one ticket' - but at best this is a bit of an overstatement of the facts - three of the 10 attractions are the three sets of caves, and I wouldn't consider much of the rest of the exhibits as 'stand-alone' attractions.

On the way out, there is a shire horse farm yard with some play areas and a variety of animals such as goats and alpacas etc.. of all the additional features, this was probably the only one that merited any more than a few minutes time to explore. The entrance to the site was quite expensive costing around £30 for two adults and a child, and if you had intended to make a day of it (as I originally intended) you may be struggling for something to do especially if the weather decides to get particularly 'Welsh'...

That said, the caves themselves are a spectacular natural phenomenon, well worth a visit, and a great place to get some stunning photographs. There is a commentary throughout the caves that has to be quite loud to rise above the noise of rushing water, for me it was a bit too loud, and I would have preferred to have placards to read or something along those lines. I came away with the feeling that if you were to overhaul the site today, you would probably do it very differently and probably focus on different aspects of the cave such as the environmental/geographical aspects. To sum up then, visit the caves - they are a sight worth seeing, but don't expect to find endless entertainment with the boast of 10 attractions - finish up with a visit to the shire horses/farm - somehow you will have seen seven of the ten attractions already...