Runnymede ( London) June 25

 

Having seen a copy of  Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral I spent two blissful and sunny days in  the Runnymede national trust park, learning more about the importance of the document. 

It was at Runnymede in 1215 the English Barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. This document limited the monarch’s powers and gave legal rights to all, thus the first English constitution was written. 

In recognition of the Magna Carta’s importance as a basis for the American of Independence, the American Bar Association built the Magna Carta Memorial in 1957 and later John F. Kennedy Memorial placed nearby on an acre of land to USA in the memory of the President’s work on Civil Rights.

Magna Carta marked the beginning of what are now called Human Rights.

Oman in April 25

 

A snapshot of peace loving and peace making little Oman where I went to experience great Omani hospitality at friend’s home who had once shared my house in Coventry.

Oman’s economy is largely driven by oil however the government is actively diversifying into other sectors such as tourism which is sadly suffering due to the wars in the surrounding regions! Once you pluck up courage to make the journey to Oman you are welcomed with the smile by friendly and helpful Omani people dressed up in their native costumes. 

Oman prides itself on building its cities based on low lying traditional architecture ( no skyscrapers in sight) so that the surrounding mountains are visible. Oman is absolute monarchy, with ruling Sultan Qaboos ( whose portrait is proudly displayed in every establishment) exercising ultimate power over all major decisions of state. The Omani police patrol the streets especially in the tourist areas. The country on the whole is a safe place for tourists including the single women travelling around alone. Newspapers or world news is not readily available!

The local Omani population are not keen on working in the service sector so it relies heavily on the labour force from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Africa and surprisingly Myanmar! With very little public transport available, fuel guzzling , air conditioning cars domain the major roads. Plastic bags are handed out freely at the supermarkets and plastic bottles of water are freely available in the hotels and used in homes too! 

A week in Oman has left me feeling that they are all ( five million of them) living in an ivory tower and I wonder when the impact of heat and climate change will reach the shores of stunning landscape of friendly Oman?

Studley Castle in January 2025

The festive season of last year came and went very quickly. To welcome the New Year 2025 I spent few days in Studley Castle,  where I was able to chill out in beautiful swimming pool, sauna and steam bath. 

The castle is in the county of Warwickshire surrounded by idyllic country farms with lots of wild birds and walking trails. The food at the restaurant was excellent. 

Must make a note to visit the Studley Castle in January 2026 ! 

Short Visit to Tenby November 24

Over ten years ago I visited Caldey Island and stayed in a lighthouse for three nights with an eccentric Welsh lady! Great experience but I failed to see much of little Tenby other than the bus stop and a night at the nearby B&B. Few weeks ago I fulfilled my goal and travelled to little Tenby which is one of the most popular tourist destinations for the people living in the Midlands. 

Tenby, in Welsh language is called ” Dinbych-y-Pysgod “ translated in English as the “ Little Fortress of the Fish “. I was pleasantly surprised by it’s charming beauty. The little town is surrounded by medieval wall and cobblestones narrow alleys run through the town walls. There are independent shops and hotels on the seafront are painted in pastel colours. There was only one shop in the town which sold the chocolate made by the monks from the Caldey Island however I was pleased to learn that the monastery on the Island is still thriving today. 

Nearby market town of Arberth ( Narberth in Welsh) and further south St. Davids were two delightful places I managed to fit into my short stay in little Tenby.

Autumn in Cornwall 2024

I have happy memories of growing up in seaside town of Mombasa (Kenya) and dreaming of similar seaside resorts when I moved to Midlands with my family in 1963. I finally made to the Cornish coastline numerous times during my early years of  growing up and working in London. 

Last week, I decided to go down the memory lane and visit some of the  popular sites. Though the county of Cornwall is going through some rough times ( unemployment, drug addiction, closure of mines etc) the county is still very much alive for the tourists. Charlestown is popular with the film industry, Rick Stein with his famous restaurants has helped to put Padstow on the map of England and Newquay is haven for sea suffers. Little coastal town of Mevagissey welcomes everyone with car park where you are served by a car park attendant rather than by a machine! 

Lovely memories and beautiful coastlines. 

Post card from Emerald Island…Ireland

 

 I visited county Wicklow in Ireland last week in hope of finding some traces of my past during my first ever solo trip there 5O years ago! Nothing much I saw brought back any memories of my past experience. At the age of 24 I remember I was given a room for a night by complete Irish stranger in Dublin!  I remember hitching a ride having lost myself and staying in B&B somewhere in County Wicklow with a family of visitors from Belgium. 

Fifty years later I found the Emerald Island continues to look green however its green land has been broken up by massive network of highways which are mostly empty ! The food and goods are expensive and the ferries are bigger and modern than the ones I had sailed in before. 

Huge amounts of investments by the big tech companies such as Microsoft, Apple , Google and Amazon over 20 years have helped drive the economic growth. Ireland is still a member of E.E.U. which brings in more European travellers than ever before! 

Before returning home to England , my last stop was in Dublin. The city is known for its long literary tradition, its culture and I found lots of art etched on the streets of Dublin to make me feel very nostalgic about my whole short trip! 

Postcard from sea around Britain September 2023

 

Experiencing the sea life around Britain has been on my wish list since I had seen the famous White Cliffs of Dover. In September 23 I finally took the plunge and embarked on eleven days cruise journey from port of Southampton. 

The day after the ship sailed, we arrived at St. Peters ( Guernsey). It was hot and I couldn’t wait to go offshore to feel the earth underneath my feet! Very impressed with the welcome by the local people and as I walked through the town, it’s life unfolded infront of me like children’s pop up book! The journey continued to St. Mary’s ( Isles of Silly), Belfast ( Northern Ireland) and slowly through scenic Scottish Isles towards the port of Stornaway. Unfortunately due to very bad weather conditions, our trip to the most Northern destination, Lerwick ( Orkney ) was cancelled! 

Disappointment for all of us, we all returned home to Southampton via Kirkwall and Invergorden.

 The best experience of the whole journey was waking up at dawn to watch the sun rise and see the dolphins accompanying our ship. There were wildlife experts on board to help understand the bird and sea creatures.  I was full of nostalgia when I returned back to all the ports where I have been before many moons ago. ( by road) There was some brilliant evening entertainers on the ship which I shall not forget for a long time. The journey was worth it even though I am not keen on cruising!