markandtrish

[markandtrish]

Tuesday June 24th

On the road again

Up this morning for a last breakfast in the hotel before bidding farewell to Washington. A driver from the car hire company picked us up at the hotel for the short drive to pick up our Chevrolet Malibu for a week.

After a small problem getting the car to start we were soon off on the road south to Fredericksburg, childhood home of George Washington. We had a wander round the historic district, a look in a few overpriced antique shops and a welcome drink of iced tea as the temperatures are still in the high 30s.

We had a look at the Rappahannock river but decided it was too much of a steep scramble today.

A last look at Mary Washington’s house before driving out of town a bit to our motel for the night. We stopped on the way for some supplies of cold drinks and snacks before a quiet afternoon in the motel.

Spent the evening wandering round the corner to the Park House Tavern for a drink and a meal of corned beef burger for Mark and a chicken sandwich for Trish. This was the second place we’ve been in designed to look like an old London pub, lots of wood and glass panels and Fullers labels on the beer pumps.

A nice restful day before we head off to the skyline drive tomorrow.

[markandtrish]

The tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington

[markandtrish]

Monday June 23rd

Washington DC

Another absolutely sweltering day with temperatures of 37C but the humidity making it feel 43C (109F). We spent the day continually refilling our water bottles and buying iced drinks wherever we could find them.

Today was our visit to the Capitol, which proved to be an incredibly ornate building, based largely on classic Italian architecture. We started with a tour of the crypt and then the base of the dome with its amazing ceiling painting of Washington surrounded by angels. All around the exterior were statues - 100 in all, with each of the states providing two of their choice.

As well as many Presidents, they included Martin Luther King, Billy Graham and Johnny Cash.

We got passes to the House of Representatives, where we saw a Florida congressman making an impassioned speech praising President Trump for saving the world in the weekend air strikes on Iran.

Headed out of the Capitol and crossed the road for a look inside the Supreme Court before taking a slow stroll to the National Museum of Air and Space. We had timed tickets but they were letting people in early because of the extreme weather conditions.

Saw the capsule in which the crew of Apollo 11 returned to earth and the aeroplane in which the Wright brothers made the world's first powered flight.

Headed back to the Capitol because we had tickets to watch the Senate in session. It was all very relaxed and again, people were making speeches to an almost empty chamber.

Found the strength to walk to the Metro to return to the hotel for a much-needed cool shower before heading out for a couple of drinks and delicious flatbreads at a fast food store.

[markandtrish]

Sunday June 22nd

Washington

A special day today - Trish's birthday

Up for breakfast again, exactly the same but sausages instead of bacon, then we set off to wahington again.

Plenty of time so we stopped off at the old post office again which was open today and went up in the lifts to see the view from the bell tower, great views over D.C..

The lift goes up over the lobby and bar of the Waldorf Astoria which now occupies the site. It was originally converted to a hotel by Trump and his architect did a great job. It looked so nice we decided to pop to the bar for a cold drink. Very nice but not sure the surroundings justify a $22 bill for 2 sparkling waters!!

On to the Ford's theatre, the site of Lincoln's assassination. It is a good museum and a very interesting talk in the theatre by a ranger.

We had access to Petersen house, where Lincoln died after being taken there following the shooting but the queue was very long and slow moving so we decided to move on to the White House visitor centre, another well laid out museum. After a walk round we decided to try and at least glimpse the White House but it was hard to get near. The people's park in front of the house is closed for building work so instead we headed for the back view on the north side. it was a a beautiful building but we had imagined it with much more space around it.

A stop for another ice lolly, the temperatures here are in the 30s, before walking on to the Vietnam memorial - a horrifying number of names on it.

Then a wander back through the park, during which we managed to see the front of the White House from a distance, to catch the Metro back to the hotel for a bit of a rest and cool down fefore heading out locally for something to eat.

We found a lovely rooftop bar where we both had chicken and shrimp pasta followed by blueberry bread pudding for Trish (in lieu of birthday cake) before slowly wandering back.

A good day and a lovely birthday.

[markandtrish]

Saturday June 21st

Washington DC

Up after a good night's sleep for a filling breakfast at the Clarion Collection hotel, our home for the next three days.

Strolled for 20 minutes in very warm morning weather to reach the Arlington National Cemetery, stopping as we got there to see the US Marine Corps memorial with its impressive statue of the raising of the Stars and Stripes at Iwo Jima. The cemetery itself is a huge area of 600+ acres containing more than 400,000 graves. It's a military cemetery, with most of the graves those of servicemen who survived combat and died of natural causes. In many cases the serviceman's wife is buried in the same plot. We walked in sweltering heat to the Service women's memorial and then on to the eternal flame marking the grave of President Kennedy. He is buried alongside his wife Jackie and two of their children who did not survive infancy. Nearby, marked by simple white crosses, are the graves of his brothers Bobby and Ted as well as the gravestone of his older brother Joe.

From there we walked the grave of the Unknown Soldier to watch the precise military ceremony in which wreaths are laid at the tomb every 30 minutes. Many people watching, but all very quiet and respectful.

With the temperature now in the 30s we headed back to the hotel for a much-needed siesta.

We headed back out later for our first visit to Washington D.C. We started near to the Capitol building and walked along to the Lincoln memorial, passing the Smithsonian museums, the Washington monument, the World War II memorial and the reflecting pool.

A great walk with so much to see. We put our feet in the rainbow pool at the World War II Memorial, it was allowed in honour of soldiers who had celebrated the end of the war by jumping in the fountains in Europe.

A nice stop on the way for a lolly to cool down before climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to see the huge statue of the president. We took a long walk to the Metro to Federal Triangle to try to go in the Old Post Office but sadly it was closed so we decided to head back to Arlington for a meal in our local pub, The Ragtime - pasta for Mark and jambalaya for Trish - before calling it a night.

[markandtrish]

USA, Friday 20th June 2025

Not much to say about today other than a long day of travelling but it all went smoothly.

We’d travelled up to Heathrow the day before so that we weren’t rushing and planned to go into a lounge for breakfast. Discovered that while looking at the different lounges in terminal 5, Trish had hit return and unwittingly defaulted back to terminal 2, but Mark managed to sweet talk us in anyway so we had our peaceful start.

The flight was fine and our arrival in Washington went much more smoothly than we had feared. We were anticipating lots of questions but just had a couple about our plans and whether we had any money and we were on our way. A 30 minute ride on the subway and a short walk saw us at our hotel in Arlington in a lovely room by 6pm local time (11pm to our bodies).

A quick shower then a pop out for a beer and a pizza before heading back for bed.

[markandtrish]

Malaga, February 28th

Our last full day in Malaga. Had a lie in and then up for a stroll to the part of the city on the other side of the river. Stopped for breakfast in a cafe - toast with jam for Trish and tomato and olive oil on toast for Mark. Wandered on to the sea and then began to make our way back to the old town.

Decided to try a cafe called 100M in the city centre - we'd seen its equivalent in the marina on a travel blog. Very busy selling little bites at €1-2 - managed to find a couple of stools and enjoyed our snack.

Left the cafe to discover it was pouring with rain. No sign of it letting up, so we braved it and walked home, arriving soaking wet.

After resting up we headed out for our final meal of the holiday. Ended up in a little bar where we had lovely dishes of tapas - garlic prawns, roasted peppers, chorizo and black pudding, spicy chicken and salmon and roquefort buns. Very nice and a great way to finish our break. A final drink of sherry in a little bodega before we called it a night at about 8pm!

[markandtrish]

Malaga, 27th February

A lovely but long day today. Up early to get down to catch our coach at 7.40 (how was it we used to regularly get up earlier than this and go to work!)

We set off with just one more stop, on a 90 minute journey into the hills to a town called Ronda. Really nice place built on the cliffs, or tacos, and added on to at various stages. We saw the new bridge, which was actually a few hundred years old and a very informative guided walk.

That still left us time to sit down for a drink and a couple of tapas for lunch before heading back to the bus for the 30 minute drive to Sentenil, another small town cut into the cliffs so that the houses were built with the cliff as a roof and back wall.

Only two main streets, the street of sun and the street of shade and we stopped off for a look in an old man’s house, he was charging€1 each for people to walk round while he watched the tv. We thought we couldn’t get lost but realised we were on a road that was heading up into the mountain and it was a bit hard to find our way back but we made it with time for mark to have a beer before eating on the little tourist train that would take us back to the coach as the streets were too small for it.

Back on the coach for the drive back then a quick shower before we headed out to a local bar for some very nice food.

[markandtrish]

Malaga, 26th February

A lovely sunny day wandering around Malaga. Started by strolling down to the marina and enjoying a breakfast of tomato on toast for Mark and jam on toast for Trish. Walked on to look at the lighthouse before making our way to the music museum. Great to see all the different instruments and, in the red rooms, try our hands at some. Did a little ukulele duet together, which was great fun.

Back to the flat for a lovely lunch on the balcony before walking all of 20 yards to the museum of wine next door. Had a look around before enjoying the two drinks that were included in the entrance ticket - a red and a white wine. Then set off to the Il Pimpi sherry bar for a drink in the sun.

Headed back to Il Guardia sherry bar to be served by surly waiters who chalked our bill on the bar.

Headed home via a tapas bar where we had a lovely meal at the end of a lovely day.

[markandtrish]

Malaga, 25th February

Quite a long travelling day yesterday although everything was on time. We had an easy trip into Malaga on the train but quite a long walk to get hold of the keys and then find our flat.

A lovely flat though with a little rooftop terrace on a quiet backstreet on the edge of the historic district.

We settled in and had a cold drink up on the roof before changing and heading out to try a couple of local sherry bars and some tapas. We finished up back at the flat with some cheese and crackers.

Up this morning fora walk down to the big covered market.

Loads of fish, meat and cheeses. We got ourselves a breakfast of goat cheese empanadas and a fruit smoothie for Mark and a cup of fresh fruit for Trish. After that, it was a lovely day so we decided to walk along the seafront for a couple of miles to an area with lots of seafront restaurants where they barbecue fish on the beach in old fishing boats. We found a lovely place selling sticks of 4 sardines for€2 and had one stick each with a big bowl of salad and a dish of spicy potatoes.

A lovely meal that we walked off with a stroll back along the beach paddling in the cool water. Lots of people on the beach and some having a swim.

Back to the flat for a bit of a rest before popping out again for a couple of drinks but heading back to the flat for a light supper.

[markandtrish]

Thursday November 28th

Well we’re back home now after 2 days of travelling and losing most of a day somewhere.

Back to the reality of unpacking and washing but we’ve had a wonderful time and have lots of great memories.

We drove about 500 miles on the North Island and about 1000 on the South as well as all our flights and our coach trips out. We’ve walked miles and eaten some lovely meals.

Here’s the map of our rough route in the south.

[markandtrish]

Tuesday November 26th

Auckland

Our last day in New Zealand after a wonderful holiday. Breakfast at the hotel and then off on a scenic walk chosen by Mark.

First half was fine enough - up a lovely park walk to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. A really interesting place full of Maori artefacts.

Then headed down the hill for a walk to Auckland Harbour that was not particularly scenic. Had a look in some souvenir shops before heading back to the hotel to pack and for a rest up.

Headed back to the harbour in the evening for a last meal. A couple of beers along the way before we settled on Danny Doolans. Joined lots of runners whose $NZ14 fee included a free pint at the pub. Trish had a massive chicken pie, Mark had green lipped mussels in a very spicy tomato and wine sauce.

Back to the hotel for a last bevvy out on the balcony. A perfect end to a perfect holiday.

[markandtrish]

Monday November 25th

Auckland

We’ve had a brilliant day today. It was a lovely, sunny day so we decided to catch a ferry from the harbour to Waiheke Island, a pleasant 40 minute ride across the harbour.

Once we reached the island we caught a hop on- hop off bus across the island, which has an area of about 36 square miles and around 9000 permanent residents. It’s a beautiful island, quite hilly with some lovely houses, lots of holiday lets and is mainly covered with vines. There are about 12 vineyards based there, all offering tours and tastings.

We started with a trip to the longest beach on the island, nearly 2km of lovely sand. Trish decided to go for a swim although Mark stuck with just having a paddle.

Then we caught the bus back a bit, getting off at the Soho vineyard. We chose 2 tasting menus, one of wines local to Waiheke and the other covering a larger area including wines from Marlborough.

We enjoyed all the wines, but both decided our favourite was a Pinot Gris. We helped the wines down with a plate of spicy Thai prawns.

Then it was back on the bus to go to the largest village and a walk back through the woods to the ferry and we were back in Auckland for about 5.

We had a quick beer on the way back to the hotel and bought some snacks to have back in our room.

[markandtrish]

A little video from the lift coming down from the Sky Tower in Auckland.

[markandtrish]

Sunday November 24th

Auckland

Dropped off the car before making the short hop flight from Blenheim to Auckland. Quite strange to not have to go through security at an airport and then be able to sit and see your luggage being loaded onto the plane.

Nice smooth flight across the Cook Strait with good views on the way.

Took a pre-booked taxi to our hotel where we were greeted to a double bonus. The room was ready despite our arrival 90 minutes ahead of check-in, and we had been upgraded to a lovely suite on the 16th floor with superb views across the harbour.

Rested up before heading into town. First stop was the Auckland Skytower - all 1,076 feet of it. Mark overcame his vertigo-induced misgivings to join Trish to a trip to the top for an amazing 360° panoramic view of Auckland and its harbour.

Trish had promised a drink in the SkyBar for this bravery - unfortunately it was closed!

Instead we headed back to ground level for a drink at the small Irish bar across the road and another at The Shakespeare, said to be the oldest food-serving pub in New Zealand.

From there walked along the harbour road for a delicious pub meal - fish and chips for Mark, chicken schnitzel for Trish - before heading back to our hotel for some lovely views of the sun setting over the harbour.

[markandtrish]

Saturday November 23rd

Blenheim

A bit of a lie in today before having some scrambled egg for breakfast then we wandered off to the local craft market. Not a lot there so we headed back to the motel to pack a lunch and pick up the car.

We drove 10 mins down the road to park next to the Wairau salt lagoons. It was a lovely walk for a couple of hours across the salt lagoons on a well kept path. We hardly saw any other people and for most of the walk we could just hear the birds around us. There was a handy picnic table at the end of the walk next to the remains of an old ship, the Waverley.

A quick stop for lunch before heading back to the car and then the motel.

Then it was time for a walk across town to the Small Town Winery for a wine tasting. Mark chose the flight of 4 Sauvignons while Trish went for a mixed flight, 2 Pinot Gris, an Albariño and a dry Riesling. All lovely wines and a very enjoyable time.

Back to the motel again. We had planned to go and listen to a French band in a cafe tonight but when we got there they were playing outside but it was a really cold evening and we didn’t feel up to joining their audience of 2 so instead we ordered a Chinese takeaway to have in the motel. Very tasty end to a good day.

[markandtrish]

Friday November 22nd

Blenheim

A travelling day today. We’d known it was going to be a long drive today but had been expecting a long, flat, fairly boring drive. Instead we were treated to a drive with amazing scenery at every turn.

Lots of windy roads but such beautiful views with the coast on one side and the Southern Alps on the other. As we drove north we saw more and more huge plantations of grape vines - this is New Zealand's premier wine region.

We stopped for lunch at Kaikoura, the home of boat trips to see whales and dolphins. Beautiful coastline but very touristy so we just stopped long enough for a small portion of fish and chips, delicious.

We drove on for a while then stopped at a cove where there were loads of seals, some with babies. We stayed to watch them jumping over the rocks and playing in the pools.

We travelled on to Blenheim to find our stop for a couple of nights, a nice motel. Time for a rest and a shower before heading out for a before heading out for a couple of drinks then back for some supper.