European locations we've travelled to

World Cruise, Bay of Isles, Nz, 15th Feb 2019

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Map of the Europe, covering the countries we've visited.


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This map shows all of the European countries we have visited over the years. Click your mouse on the flags or ships for a quick summary of the trips. For more details and slideshows visit the links in the left panel which will be populated over the coming months.

Andorra	6^th Jul. 2024, Ordino
	We tagged a trip to Andorra on to our Spanish tour - just because we could and to visit another country. I had heard it was quite beautiful as well but it rained the afternoon we arrived.

Austria
(Without Alison) When I went to grammar school I joined the Chemistry club only because they arranged skiing trips to Austria. For my first 3 years, 1969-1971 we went to Niederau in the Tyrol. The first year we had to bus up the valley from Worgl and I remember I had string gloves which were freezing once I'd fallen in the snow. The following 2 years we were actually based in Niederau. The second year I remember I spent much of the first evening in hospital as I banged my head on a bedpost - I had been reaching down for a cup of grog - we had collected all the small bottles of spirits on the 'plane and mixed them together as one bottle wasn't enough to share. We took a train on the third visit to Innsbuck. Dec, 1985, Zurl (Without Alison): Again I went skiing after I left SSL. I recall we saw Anneka Rice (from 'Challenge Anneka' on the BBC) on the flight to Innsbruck. Dec. '22, the Danube River Cruise.: We visited Vienna and Melk.

Belgium
	Work, 1986-1989 (Without Alison): I made many a trip to Belgium while with this employer. On one occasion I had to represent them in legal proceedings between a distributor and a client. Oct. 1998, Antwerp: I was going to a trade show in Utecht with my 10^th employer and we tagged a long weekend break before it in Antwerp. 2000, Bruges (Without John): Alsion went on a works training conference as a delegate. European River Cruise, May 2024: We visited Ghent and travelled to Ypres to visit the Menin Gate and watch the daily memorial ceremony. The next stop was in Brussels.

Cyprus	Agios, Jul. 2015
After our 2^nd trip to Marrakesh Alison suggested we try Tunisia but I suggested Cyprus instead which was lucky because we may have been caught up in the shooting that year. We had a pleasant holiday on the coast with a few trips: to the hills, Mount Olympus and the tomb of Archbishop Makarios III; Famagusta and Salamis Amphitheatre.

Denmark
	Work, 1986-1989 (Without Alison): I made a few trips to Denmark over this period. One was just passing through to take the hydrafoil from Copenhagen to Malmo (before the bridge was built). On another I went to see a site installed by a cable manufacturer. I hadn't seen a 24 VAC distributed power circuit before - I think this was to reduce the reliance on qualified electricians. I realised they hadn't used our specified Belden cables (they were a competitor after all). I selected a few from their range and left them to re-install the site, which they did 10 days later when all their problems were resolved. The Baltic Cruise, Sept. 2018. 14^th Sept., Copenhagen: Many a time we've had people on walking tours who aren't able to keep up. On this occasion the guide suggested getting a taxi for one person, but they declined. They were left in a square and told to wait for us to complete a museum tour. When the guide went back it took 15-20 minutes to find them in the opposite corner of the square to where they were left, taking coffee. 23^rd Sept., Aarhus: We had a pleasant wander around the city, seeing much interesting architecture and seeing many works of art.

Estonia	Baltic Cruise, Tallinn, 17^th Sept. 2018
It was a pity it rained most of the time we were in Talinn, as it was a very interesting place. We said we might take a long weekend here sometime in the future. Some people missed the ship sailing time, and could only get a connection to Helsinki. Therefore they also missed St. Petersburg - the jewel of this trip.

Finland	Baltic Cruise, Helsinki, 20^th Sept. 2018
	We had quite a boring walking tour of Helsinki. The most interesting thing we saw was circular church - but then it was after 2 days in St. Petersburg.

France
Spring 1972, Bergerac (without Alison): School had an exchange programme to help students getting through their 'O' Levels - I doubt I would have passed French otherwise. We didn't get as much out of it as we could because the French students wanted to practice their English. Summer 1980, Brittany (without Alison): We had a good holiday touring the Normandy beaches and Loire region. When we got back to Honfleur (it was a tiny, sleepy fishing village at the time - not the large sprawling town it is now, since they built the bridge linking it to Le Harve), we thought the activity in the harbour was a little unusual. We found out when we got to the ferry in Le Harve the following morning - the French fishermen were starting to blockage the ports. The ferry company had a last ferry leaving Cherbourg in 3 hours - it was a 3 hour journey we had spent the last few days coming back from. As we came into the port we saw a lot of English plate cars queuing, which we found out were for the duty free shops when we got to the head of the queue. Minutes after we got to the terminal the gates closed behind us and one other vehicle. We only just got out of the harbour before the blockade was effected. Those duty free shoppers were stuck in France for another 2 weeks! Spring 1984, Paris (without Alison): We stopped off for a few days in Paris when we returned from Egypt. Work, 2012, Paris (without Alison): I visited France looking for partners for a project we wanted to bid on. Work, 2013, Paris (without Alison): I surveyed a site for an upgrade to an installation.
	Work, 2014, Paris (without Alison): I visited a different site for a new system we were deploying and returned later to correct a fault. EU Cruise, 5^th Oct. 2017: We took a horse drawn trolley bus tour of La Rochelle and visited the harbour. Rhine River Cruise, 28^th Dec. 1923: We did a cruise around Strasbourg taking in: the EU Parliament Building; the historical museum; La Petite France; Barrage Vauben; before, wandering the narrow streets of the old town. French tour, Jul. 2025 Courseulles-sur-Mer, 5-8^th Jul.: We spent a few days touring the Normandy beaches, museums and memorials as well as taking in the Bayeux Tapistry. Saulges, 8-12^th Jul.: We intended to do Le Mans racing circuit until Alison noted it was closed that week and the Serpent, the other side of Nantes until we thought it was a bit far. So we settled for: a visit to Le Mans town (a little disappointing); Sainte Suzanne (a pleasant surprise); Moulin de Thévalles, a historic mill. Chartres, 12-15^th Jul.: While here we visited: Orleans; Versailles. Rouen, 15-16^th Jul.: Again the old town was a pleasant surprise. Orbec and Honfleur, 16^th Jul.: We had time to spare on our last day as the ferry didn't leave until late, so we decided to take a little tour. Unfortunately, it rained for much of the day so we were stuck in the car.

Germany
Spring 1980, ? (without Alison): While living in Chatham I took a volleyball weekend to Germany - I don't recall where. I can't remember much about it but we were seen off by the local mayor who presented us with a bottle of schnapps which was polished off on the trip home. Work, Essen, Nov. 1998 (without Alison): I attended an Essen show with an employer this year. I drove the stand over and had a long weekend (with Alison) in Antwerp before travelling on. After the show we packed as much up as we could before the others had to catch a flight. I was left waiting to get the van in before driving back to Calais early the following morning. I had to get back because we were hosting a party on that night. Work, Berlin, Nov. 1999 (without Alison): I attended another exhibition. We travelled out the weekend before and took the time to see: the Brandenburg Gate; the German parliament building; museum dedicated to the Berlin Wall - how an escapee tucked up in the passenger seat of a Trabant, I really don't know. Work, Hamburg, 2000 (without Alison): We were courting a new distributor and spent a few days in Hamburg. The Germans are good hosts and although we had breakfast in the hotel that morning, they had a working breakfast brought in about 10:30, where everyone in the office was invited. The only other thing I remember of that trip was after a meal we went back to the director's penthouse flat in the middle of town. We were popping champagne corks into the open top tourist buses late into the night. Baltic Cruise, Rostock, 15^th Sept. 2018: We had a pleasant walk around the town seeing, interesting architecture (including an automatic underground car park) and pieces of art. The local authority gave us a splendid send-off shared by 2 other cruise ships, with a firework display. Hamburg Cruise, Hamburg, 22^nd Apr. 2022: We visited a concentration camp from the 2^nd World War. What they put the inmates through and living conditions were horrendous - and they still worked in their factories.
	Danube Cruise, Dec. 2022 25^th Dec., Passau: We walked around the tiny cobbled streets of the old town and noticed the gauge on the wall showing the height of the water from different floods through the ages. 26^th Dec., Deggendorf: Again we walked the streets by ourselves looking at the architecture and interesting church. 27^th Dec., Regensburg: We had a short walk around the town. 28^th Dec., Nuremberg: Here we did a coach trip to see the area of the Nazi rallies in the '30s and a quick tour of the town. 29^th Dec., Bamberg: We took a walking tour around the old town, saw the church and synagogue. 1^st Jan. 2023, Koblenz: We walked around Koblenz by ourselves keeping close to the two riverfronts, Rhine and Moselle, taking in: Ludwig museum; the Kaiser Wilhelm monument; three sections of the Berlin Wall erected here; the main square; the Church of Our Lady; the Jewish Square; and, had a gluhwein at one of the riverside cafes. 2^nd Jan, 2023, Cologne: We joined a city tour until the bulk was of the cathedral, which the guide said it would not. So we walked back to the ship ourselves walking along the riverfront.
Rhine Cruise, Dec. 2023 20^th Dec., Dusseldorf: We flew into Dusseldorf and picked up the Saga's Spirit of the Rhine. 21^st Dec., Bonn: We strolled around Bonn on our own, using the printed guide taking in: Stadtbefestigung Alter Zoll; the archaelogical museum; the Evangelical church; the Catholic church; the market square; the Beethoven museum. 22^nd Dec., Andernach: Again we took the printed guide and walked the town by ourselves, taking in: Andernach Bollwerk; Rhine Gate; Andernach Round Tower; Mariendom Catholic church; Schlossgarten; Koblenz Gate; heritage museum; Evangelical church; the market place. 23^rd Dec., Mainz: Taking in the sights on our own appears to be the theme on this trip. We took in: the Evangelical church; government offices; St. Peters Catholic church; Mainz State Theatre; Gutenbergplatz; the market; Mainz Catholic Cathedral; Holzturm. All this before taking another gluhwein in a cafe. 24^th Dec., Mannheim for Heidlburg: We were bussed up to Heidelberg Castle before doing a short tour around the town, finishing with the mandatory gluhwein - the day was a bit of a wash-out. 26^th Dec., Breissach for the Black Forest: We had a treat today - we got away from the river and travelled through the Black Forest, finishing off at a Cuckoo Clock factory, another gluhwein and a presentation on making a Black Forest gateau. 29^th Dec., Boppard: In the afternoon we wandered along the riverbank, enjoying the different coloured buildings, including: Villa Belgrano; Kameliterkirche Catholic church; museum; Basilika St. Severus Catholic church; Christuskirche Evengelical church. 30^th Dec., Boppard for Cochem: Today we were bussed to Cochem to see the Reichsburg Castle and magnificent views across the valley, before sampling some wine from their vineyards. 31^st Dec., Koblenz: We toured the town on our own as we thought we knew it. We took a similar route to the year before.
	EU River Cruise, May 2024 8^th May, Dusseldorf: This afternoon we had a quick coach tour of the city with time to ourselves to enjoy the city and have a beer. 10^th May, Koblenz: In the morning we queued until the cable car ticket office opened, then toured Ehrenbreitstein Fortress which we hadn't visited before. 11^th May, Speyer: In the morning, while most of the passengers went on a tour, we decided to visit the Technology museum with its aircraft and other vehicles. As it happened they had a classic car meet on the same day, so we were in our element. After lunch we wandered the town taking in the cathedral and central market area. 12^th May, Kehl: Today we skipped the tours and walked into Kehl. We were glad we did as they had a carnival on and we sat in the central square enjoying the sun, a beer and listening to the bands.

Gibraltar
EU Cruise, 9^th Oct. 2017: This was the furthest we travelled on the EU Cruise. We had a good tour of Gibraltar, covering: King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Mosque & Europa Point Lighthouse; Gibraltar viewing platform after, taking the cable car; the Great Siege Tunnels and Farrington battery, overlooking the airport - it is strange seeing an aircraft coming in to land below you; the Sacred Heart church. World Cruise, 1^st May 2019 (without John): Alison stopped here again on the World Cruise, taking in a harbour cruise - hadn't she had enough of boats by then?

Greece
	Sept. 1982, Corfu (without Alison): The Summer I was in Libya I booked a last minute holiday to Corfu - we didn't even know where we were staying until we got off the flight to Corfu. Luckily we were placed in a quiet resort on the West coast away from all the rowdy bars. It was a pleasant week where we hired a Scooter and toured the island. We found a nudist beach at the bottom of the island and had a water fight with another boat as we left a beach, actually in Albania. Jun. 1983, mainland (without John): Alison took one of her first holidays abroad on mainland Greece before we got together. Jul. 1987, Preveza (mainland): We took our first holiday together in Preveza. When Alison saw the room she wanted to leave until I pointed out we wouldn't be in it very much. As it happened the hotel was full of French, who I played volleyball with. Our last morning was on Bastille Day and some of my friends expected me to join their team in a day of sports - unfortunately I was leaving mid-morning. Then at the airport we waited an age on the apron for a slot to take off. The captain opened all the doors and turned the 'plane to get some air-flow in it was so hot. Alison swore not to smoke on a 'plane again after that. Apr. 1990, Rhodes: We booked a car and toured the island that year, including: Rhodes town; Lindos. Unfortunately, we passed some roadworks and I had to return the car with tar covering the sills and wheel arches. When we weren't touring we would walk down to the local village for a traditional Greek lunch. Jun. 1992, Agios Gordios, Corfu: This was a Thomson's resort where I remember we had an interpretation of 'Grease' on one evening. On another night we went for a traditional Greek evening, but I wasn't impressed with the coach driver - he was continually turning round and talking to the Thomson guide on winding steep coastal lanes - they weren't roads.

Guernsey
St. Samson, Summer 1971: Our Scout troop had a week's break in Guernsey in 1971. We stayed at Mont Crevelt fort, which was the base for Guernsey's Sea Scout. I recall we did a study of graves, attended a fete, had a treasure hunt (navigation skills) and visited Sark, where they don't have any cars. ?, Oct. 1990: During a short employment I attended a sales conference in Guernsey, Where - I don't know and I don't recall going anywhere other than the hotel. So why the expense of travelling all the way to Guernsey?

Hungary	Danube Cruise, Budapest, 21^st Dec. 2022
	We did a coach tour of the city, including: the ethnic museum; Heroes' square & Millennium monument; Opera House; the concert hall; Erzsebet bridge; the funicular. Then we took a walk around: Golden Eagle pharmacy museum; St. Stephen I statue; Fisherman's bastion; Buda castle, with magnificent views across the city. We finished with refreshments at the Hilton Budapest.

Ireland
2001, Dublin (without John): Alison went out on business to Dublin this year. Jun. 2006, Dublin: I went out on business to Dublin on a Friday and tagged a short weekend break on to it. I recall we had dinner in a wine bar the first night and should have been warned when the waiter asked if I wanted my wine decanted into a ship's decanter. At the end of the meal Alison exclaimed 'How much was that wine?' I didn't look at the price only recognised the label as a winery I had been to in Australia. Later in the weekend we realised the European Union was expanding and they were have the ceremony in Dublin. Security at the airport was a nightmare. Apr. 2024, Dublin We booked a week's tour with the MG Owners Club, which took us to Druid's Glen Golf Club, outside Dublin. 23^rd Apr., Dublin: Rather than keep to the plan we went into Dublin to rekindle our long weekend from a few years ago, before driving to the golf club. 24^th Apr., Wicklow Mountains: We had a long run around the mountains planned for today, but we diverted off the route to meet my old boss for lunch at Kilkenny (about 50 miles off the track). 25^th Apr., Avondale House & Forest Park: Today we kept to the script and had about 2 hours in the park. 26^th Apr., Arklow: We did a longer tour taking in the maritime museum in Arklow, Fitzgerald's pub in the Avoca, where Ballykissangel from the BBC was filmed and coming back across country. 27^th Apr., Bray: We travelled to Bray as we'd missed it on the first day and spent a few hours relaxing and having a hot chocolate. We thought we'd left plenty of time to get to the port but hadn't counted on all the traffic in Dublin on a Saturday or the traffic lights - I swear someone was planning against us. We made it to the port 5 minutes before they closed the gate.
	Apr/May 2025, Donegal We enjoyed our first trip to Ireland with the MG Owners Club so much that we booked the following year which took us to Harvey's Point Hotel, outside Donegal. 28^th Apr.: We spent the afternoon travelling from Dublin to Donegal and had a welcome party. 29^th Apr.: We toured around Crocknamurrin Mountains today and had a hot chocolate at Slieve League Cliffs Centre. We didn't take the bus to the cliffs. 30^th Apr.: Today we drove through Glenveagh Park and visited the castle. As we left I heard a graunching from the front suspension and pulled over, but couldn't see anything. A few miles further on it was so bad I had to stop and removed the front wheel to look more carefully but again couldn't see anything. When we got back on the road it had stopped, never to return. I concluded as I turned in the car park I must have picked up some gravel which was resting against the bump stop which must have cleared as I removed the wheel. 1^st May: We drove down part of the Atlantic Way today, before turning North and into Northern Ireland. It was noticeable because of the pot holes, roads were narrower and the signage was different. 2^nd May: Todays job was getting back to Dublin in plenty of time for the ferry. We stopped for lunch at Applegreen services North of Dublin where we saw a few of our fellow travellers.

Isle of Man
MGOC, Jul. 2023 17^th Jul., Ferry: We were early to catch the ferry, which took about 4 hours. On leaving the port we made our way to the Comis hotel & golf course, just outside Douglas, where we had a welcome reception. 18^th Jul.: Today we toured the south of the island, taking a coffee at the Sound Cafe, before the rain started and visited the Manx military museum in the afternoon. 19^th Jul.: The tour was of the north of the island today, when the weather was much better, taking in: some local MG owners came to wave us on; the Isle of Man Motor Museum at Jurby; Point of Ayre and the lighthouse; along Ramsey waterfront; a tour round the North East coast; ending up at the Laxey Wheel. One of the MGs was short of brake fluid so I gave them my spare. 20^th Jul., The TT Course: This tour allowed us to drive the TT course and end at the finishing line and pits. We took time out at Bride to see Norman Wisdom's grave. In later life he did a few shows in Douglas, fell in love with island and retired out here. 21^st Jul.: Today was all about catching the ferry back to Heysham.
	Scenic Car Tours, Sept. 2024 We enjoyed our first trip to the Isle of Man and I saw a good tour offered by Scenic Car Tours the following year, so we booked it. The theme was Best of British Classics. 18^th Sept.: Again the focus for today was catching the ferry and settling in to the Sefton Hotel, on Douglas seafront. 19^th Sept.: Today we time to ourselves and took in the south of the island. We had a coffee at The Sound (we brought our own in a flask), where the weather was much better than the year before. We travelled on to Peel where many of the MGs were parked around the harbour. We had lunch at a waterfront cafe. 20^th Sept.: Scenic Car Tours arranged for the road across the mountain road between Criot e Caley and Ballakilpheric to be closed to traffic and we had a timed run up the hill, leaving at 30 second intervals. We had 2 runs at this. One of the marshalls pointed some oil in front of my car before the 1^st run but I said it wasn't mine - I hadn't driven that far yet. He didn't bother to wave the car in front down and we saw oil spilled out under the car when we got to the top of the hill. Afterwards we drove on to the motor museum at Jurby and watched some of the MGs on track. 21^st Sept.: Today the cars were presented all day on the seafront for everyone to see. In the evening we had a pie and drink at the Victory Cafe on Snaefell. We drove to Laxey and then caught the railway from there to the Bungalow. 22^nd Sept.: Today we had another parade of cars escorted around the TT track. We had lunch at Creg-Ny-Baa pub, before completing the route and a photo session in the pits. In the evening we had a grand gala. 23^rd Sept.: Today was all about catching the ferry back to Liverpool.

Italy
Bormio (or thereabouts), Dec. 1981 (without Alison): On my first break from Libya we did a skiing trip to Bormio (or thereabouts - I don't recall the village). I was surprised to see the Germans naked in the spa of the hotel. During one apres ski we had a boozy night, where we played a few party games and I ended up with a black eye. With my unkemp beard (I grew my first beard when I went to Libya and didn't know what to do with it) and a black eye the Italian immigration officer didn't know what to make of it and waved me through. I recall our return flight was delayed so we landed in the UK after midnight. Had we not I would have paid UK taxes on the time I spent in Libya. Venice, Apr. 1982 (without Alison): On my second break from Libya we booked a holiday to Yugoslavia (as it was then) and we did a day's trip to Venice, where we visited a glass factory as well as seeing the sights.

Jersey	St. Helier, Oct. 1992
	Alisons market research company rewarded their employees for a good year, taking their partners to St. Helier, Jersey.

Netherlands
Sept. 1981, Amsterdam (without Alison): I took my first honeymoon in Amsterdam. I had to take out a loan from the bank to pay for it. Work, 1986-89 (without Alison): I did many trips to the Netherlands with my 4^th employer. Work, Oct. 1990, Amsterdam (without Alison): I was considered an expert in a particular field with my 5^th employer and went to look for another product, which we took up. Apr. 1993, Amsterdam: I had an inteview with a company in Amsterdam, so we took a long weekend here. While I was interviewed Alison took a train to see the tulips in Keukenhof. Afterwards we spent the weekend walking the streets of Amsterdam. Aug. 1995, Amsterdam: This weekend we spent with Colin & Bee (who we met on our first safari to Kenya) viewing the Tall Ships which were about to start their world race. EU Cruise, 3^rd Oct. 2017, Amsterdam: On this stop to pick up further guests we took a boat trip around the canals to see the sights. World Cruise, 6^th Jan. 2019: On this occasion we walked to the main train station, had a coffee in a roadside cafe and then took a tram to the Rijksmuseum which we had never been to before.
	EU River Cruise, May 2024 1st May, Amsterdam: We simply flew into Schipol and were transferred to the Spirit of the Rhine (again). Dordrecht, 2^nd May: We walked the Groenmarkt (the main street) until we got to Church of Our Lady where we climbed the many steps to the viewing platform. Although it was walled I still felt vertigo but managed to get some good photos across the town. Rotterdam, 6^th May: We used the printed guide to tour the city ourselves, taking in: the Eastern Orthodox church; the museum park; the art museum; Sonneveld House (a museum); a series of sculptures along Westersingel; concert hall; the World Trade Centre; Marchtal (an indoor market); Kijk-Kubus Museum-house - an unusual architecure of cubes on their side. We had a beer at Vader Kleinjan before returning to the ship. Utrecht, 7^th May: Today we relaxed on the ship as the staff took on board stock, as the only guests staying on for a 2^nd tour. In the afternoon we walked along the canal.

Portugal
Albufeira, Jul. 1988: After a few years in Greece we booked a holiday to the Algarve, only to find a new colleague was staying in the hotel's apartments, so we had lunch with them one day. The only other recollection was the UK guys pushing timeshare apartments as we walked down to the beach. EU Cruise, 8^th Oct. 2017, Lisbon: On our early cruises we tended to take the ship's tours. On this occasion we had a short coach tour, taking in: Ponte 25 de Abril bridge; Sanctuary of Christ the King; we missed the tour of Church of Saint Mary of Bethlehem because the queues were so long; Belém Tower and gardens. World Cruise, 2^nd May 2019, Lisbon (without John): (We also took in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores - see World map, which is strictly Portuguese). Alison took a different tour this time, to: Church of Saint Dominic, a Catholic church; performing arts theatre; Monumento dos Restauradores; avenue Liberdade & Great War monument; Marques De Pombal statue; Eduardo VII Park viewpoint; St. Bento arch; Ponte 25 de Abril bridge; Sanctuary of Christ the King

Russia	Baltic Cruise, St. Petersburg, Sept. 2018
	At this stop we could only get off the ship if we were on an official escorted tour. We had been advised to use a particular tour operator, rather than the ship's. 18^th Sept.: Our tour today took in: St. Izaacs cathedral; Palace Square & Alexander Column; Hermitage Theatre; Winter Palace; Hermitage Museum; Hermitage Bridge; Savior on the Spilled Blood church; Troitskiy bridge; Dom S Bashnyami. We had a traditional Russian lunch in a restaurant - very greasy. The tour continued: Knyaz'-Vladimirskiy Sobor - Russian Orthodox church; Birzhevoy bridge; Literary Museum; Palace bridge; Alexander Garden; Senate Square & courthouse; National Boris Yeltsin Library; Central Exhibition Hall; St. Nicholas I monument; Russian State museum and exhibition centre; Zelonyy Most bridge; Stroganov Palace; Kazanskaya Square; concert hall; Philharmonic hall; Bol'shoy Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gosudarstvennyy Tsirk circus; Faberge Museum; Anichkov Bridge; Yekaterininskiy park; Krasnyy Most - Bridge; St. Izaacs square; Blagoveshchenskiy bridge. 19^th Sept.: Today's tour included: Knyaz'-Vladimirskiy Sobor - Russian Orthodox church; Birzhevoy bridge; Palace bridge; Palace Square; Bazilika Svyatoy Yekateriny Aleksandriyskoy - Catholic church. At Fontanka River we joined a boat to take us to: The First Sadovyy Bridge; Rossi Bridge; Malo - Konyushennyy Most - bridge; Hermitage Bridge; Neva River; Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace; Troitskiy bridge; Peter the Great Summer Palace; Inzhenernyy Zamok - castle; Bol'shoy Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gosudarstvennyy Tsirk - circus. We changed to a coach to cover: Nikolo-Bogoyavlenskiy Morskoy Sobor - Russian Orthodox church; Peterhof - museum & the botanical gardens, where we were left to roam on our own. We were then taken to Solen'ya Varen'ya Restaurant where we had another traditional Russain lunch. Afterwards we went to Catherine Palace, where we bypassed all the waiting tourists and went to the head of the queue. We returned to the ship via Korabelny bridge.

Slovakia	Danube River Cruise, Bratislavia, 22^ndDec. 2022
We did a walking tour of the city - probably with a guide, taking in: Cumil - a sculpture; Maximilian's fountain; old town hall; Primacial Palace - museum; Mirbach Palace; Michael's Gate; Church of St. Stephan of Hungary; Equestrian statue of Svatopluk; Presidential Palace; Bratislava Castle; Hradna zahrada; Slovak National Gallery.

Spain
	Summer 1968, Salou (without Alison): This was my first holiday abroad after my grandfather died, so it was with my Grandma Boothy. We did a trip to a playfull bullring, where I acted as the matador against a man with a make believe bull and where I excelled at drinking from a poran - difficult to do. We also had a trip to Barcelona visiting the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. Jun. 1986, Ibiza (without John): Alison had her first holiday abroad here with Dee and Steve. Apparently many guests were confused who Steve was with as Dee was laid up with sunstoke. 2003, Cartegana (without John): Alison had a conference with work this year. Eu Cruise, Oct. 2017 6^th Oct., Getxo for Bilbao: We took a coach into Bilbao and did a short walking tour with a guide, taking in: San Nikolas eliza - church; Arriaga Theatre; Bilboko Donejakue Katedrala - Catholic cathedral; Antxon Deunaren Eliza - Catholic church; Erriberako merkatua - market. We got back on the coach to taking us past the museum of modern arts to the Bizkaia Bridge, which raises the whole of the middle section to allow boats to pass underneath. 11^th Oct., La Coruna: Today we had an escorted tour of the town on foot, visiting: tomb of John Moore; Convent of Santo Domingo; Colexiata de Santa María do Campo - Catholic church; city hall. We were transported to Castelo de Santo Antón and Torre de Hércules before having tea in a restaurant.
Driving tour, Jun. 2024 27^th Jun., Zierbena to Madrid 28^th Jun., Madrid: I had researched this trip and found there was a railway station within walking distance which would take us into the city centre - or so I thought. The route to the train station was along and over dual carriageways with no pedestrain path! We struggled on and got off at Sol station. We then walked to/around: Church of Saint Genesius - Catholic church; Mayor Plaza; Pontifical Basilica of Saint Michael - Catholic church; Church of Corpus Christi - Catholic church; Statue of Don Alvaro de Bazan; Israeli cultural centre; Plaza de la Armeria, Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena and the Royal Palace; Monument to Felipe IV. By this time the heat got to us and we stopped in a side street cafe for lunch. We didn't feel must like touring after that and took a taxi back to our hotel. 29^th Jun., Madrid to Valencia: On arrival in Valencia we took a stroll down to Science museum, park and gardens, where they were having an open air concert - we didn't try and get tickets. We had a beer on the way back to the hotel and evening meal in a cafe opposite.
	30^th Jun., Valencia: This morning we walked down the Avenua del Port to Placa de Saragossa, across the park and under Pont d'Arago. From there we went to: Mercat de Colon an indoor market; Basílica Sant Vicent Ferrer - Catholic church; Placa de l'Ajuntament and the post office; La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia; Place de la Reina and El Micalet - Cathedral with a Gothic-style octagonal bell tower. By this time we were a little tired, so we went back to Mercat de Colon and a lunch of freshly cooked paella. Afterwards we went back to the hotel, stopping off to get a picnic dinner at a supermarket. In the evening we strolled to the park where we had our 'dinner' shading under trees. 1^st Jul., Valencia to Tortosa. 2^nd Jul., Tortosa: In the morning we relaxed and in the afternoon we went to our friends' wedding reception. 3^rd Jul., Tortosa: Again we took this as a rest day, relaxing by the pool and eating in the hotel.
4^th Jul., Tortosa to Barcelona: In the afternoon we walked down to the Columbus Monument at the port/marina and then almost the length of La Rambla, getting as far as Placa de Catalunya. We diverted to the Placita de la Seu and the Cathedral of Barcelona and then back to La Rambla for dinner. 5^th Jul., Barcelona: Today we walked up to the cable car (what a climb, I thought the cable car was at the bottom of the hill) and took it to Montjuic Castle and viewpoint. We retraced our steps and onto La Rambla where we had lunch, watching people go by. We then had a short tour to: Esglesia de Sant Jaume - Catholic church; Roman city wall; Museu de la Catedral de Barcelona; Mercat de Santa Caterina - a covered market; Torre del palau reial; Plaza de Sant Jaume; Placa Reial. 6^th Jul., Barcelona to Ordino, Andorra: It was raining when we arrived, so we stayed in the hotel and had a meal. 7^th Jul., Ordino, Andorra to Jaca: When we arrived the hotel told us we were a no show from yesterday, but they had a room. Without asking we were given a full credit for the missed night. We simply had a meal in the restaurant across the street. 8^th Jul., Jaca to Bilbao: We did a short walk around Bilbao when we arrived, taking in: Parque Dona Casilda Iturrizar; Guggenheim Museum; Zubizuri bridge; had an ice cream along the Nierviaon River; La Concordia train station. We looked for a restaurant on the way back to the hotel but Alison didn't see anything she liked, so we had a meal in the hotel. There were a couple of UK workers in the bar and we spent a little time with them. 9^th Jul., Bilbao to Zierbena: On arrival at the port we checked in, where we found I had somehow booked 2x four berth cabins back to the UK. We couldn't get a refund so had a very relaxed trip back in separate cabins.

Sweden
	Work, 1986-1989 (without Alison): I only recall going to Sweden once while with this employer. I did a week's tour across country from Malmo to Stockholm, doing software upgrades for a distributor. Baltic Cruise, Stockholm, 21^st Sept. 2018: We caught a local bus from the port to the Abba Museum - Alison is a fan and I don't think they're bad either. After this we were at a bit of a loose end and we noticed the Vasa Museum quite close by, so we went in. This was built as a flagship for the Swedish King. Unfortunately they got the design wrong, put in too many portholes for guns and couldn't pack enough ballast in to make it stable. It sank shortly after it was launched. It was salvaged in the 1960s very much like the Marie Rose in England.

Switzerland
Work, 1986, Basel (without Alison): I was sent to sort out an installation using a product from a previous employer. I recall having the 1^st night to myself and wandering around Basel. Work, 1999 (without Alison): I can't recall where I went but it must have been close to an international airport, as I went there and back in a day. I had a meeting in the morning and the client took me to lunch where I was encouraged to eat rabbit which I hadn't had before. Rhine Cruise, 27^th Dec. 2023, Basel: We were bussed into the city and then took a leisurely walk around the old town, taking in: the cathedral; the banquet hall; Münsterplatz; the cultural museum; Augustiner Brunnen; Martinskirche - Reformed church. We had a coffee at the cultural museum cafe before we were driven back to the ship. EU River Cruise, 14^th May 2024, Basel: We simply ended up in Basel and were transferred to the airport.

Yugoslavia
Apr. 1982 (without Alison): After my 2^nd tour of Libya I took another holiday (better that than give it to the taxman) to Yugoslavia - I don't know why there - maybe because it was the only place we could get at the last minute. At the time they only catered for German holidaymakers and so every morning the rep. would translate the menu for us. She also broke the news that we had sunk the Belgrano - the Falklands War was on at the time. During the time here we took a day's visit to Venice and hired a car for a few days. We only had local maps at the time (no GPS or satnav) and once we ended up in a farmers back yard!

Sept 2018	Baltic Cruise
The Baltic cruise took us to: Copenhagen (Dk); Rostock (De); Tallinn (Ee); St Petersburg (Ru); Helsinki (Fi); Stockholm (Se); Aarhus (Dk).

Oct. 2017	European Cruise
	This cruise took us to: Amsterdam (Nl); La Rochelle (Fr); Getxo (Es); Lisbon (Pt); Gibraltar (Gi); La Coruna (Es).

Apr. 2022	Hamburg Cruise
As this was the maiden voyage (for the ship registered to Ambassador) it only took us to Hamburg, De.

Dec. 2022	Danube River Cruise
	This cruise took us to: Budapest, Hu; Bratislava, Sk; Vienna, At; Melk, At; Passau, De; Regensburg, De; Bamberg, De; Frankfurt, De; Koblenz, De; Cologne, De.

Dec. 2023	Rhine River Cruise
This mainly German cruise took us to: Dusseldorf; Andernach; Koblenz; Cochem; Boppard; Mainz; Mannheim for Heidelberg; Speyer; Kehl for Strasbourg, Fr; Breisach; Basel, Ch.

May 2024	EU River Cruise
	This river cruise took us to: Amsterdam, Nl; Dordrecht, Nl; Ghent, Be; Brussels, Be; Rotterdam, Nl; Utrecht, Nl; Dusseldorf, De; Speyer, De; Kehl for Strasbourg, Fr; Breisach, De; Basel, Ch.