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Seville in September is no longer furnace hot and is perfect for wandering around the city with all its orange trees. Gothic architecture dominates in the cathedral but the art of the Saracen's wins the day in the Real Alcazar. Early 20th century Spanish splendour to impress others in Europe abounds in the Plaza de Espana and the latest offering of the Metropol Parasol brings us up to date.

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The need for warmer weather and some sunshine was behind our January 2023 escape to Lanzarote. A relaxing week at Hotel Fariones, Puerto del Carmen, was just the medicine required. It’s situated in lovely gardens and next to the sandy Playa Grande, perfect for long walks and lots of Lanzarote wine.  

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During 2022, Chatsworth displayed a range of sculptures/installations across the open parkland. It was titled ‘Radical Horizons’ and was based on exhibits from the Burning Man Festival in Nevada desert plus some locally produced works.

The first works were installed in March and others joined them through the summer, with the last one being the above 9 metre high wooden structure called Releve. It was inspired by Derbyshire folklore that says a bronze age stone circle near Chatsworth was formed from the remains of nine ladies turned into stone for dancing on the Sabbath.

The symbolic event finale on 1st October included the burning of this structure  following the tradition set by the Burning Man event in Nevada.

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In July 2022 we were finally able to travel around Bangkok without Covid restrictions. Staying at the Peninsula Hotel (The Pen!) we were able to look down, across the River, on the Mandarin Oriental and the city centre. Being on the 30th floor gives great views, but don’t look down if you have a problem with heights.

Road traffic is horrendous in Bangkok so the way to get around is by boat along the Chao Phraya River. This takes you to Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and the Grand Palace for an overload of temples and Buddhas.

All amazing!!

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We escaped to the Yorkshire coast for a couple of days as soon as hotels opened and even got some sunshine. Robin Hoods Bay was not too crowded and the walk back up from the beach as challenging as ever. Whitby is fish and chips central although still an active fishing industry base. There is a great view from the pier across the beach down towards Sandsend. We stayed at the nearby Raithwaite Estate, hidden just inland within lots of greenery.

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Lockdown has limited the places we can ‘exercise’ so thank heavens for the gardens at Chatsworth that have stayed open for locals in January and February when they would normally be closed. This last week in February is the time for snowdrops and no crowds.

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Chatsworth gardens are quieter due to the November lockdown. Trees are gradually losing all their leaves and gaining some Christmas decorations. The low sunlight adds a warm glow to the stonework of the House and there are still salad leaves thriving in the kitchen garden, although demand must be on the decline.

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Some welcome and rare morning sunshine brought out the autumn colours on a walk through Baslow into Chatsworth parkland

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With overseas options wiped out this year we spent a couple of days away in the Lakes for a change of scenery. We stayed in Linthwaite House which overlooks Lake Windermere. It is owned by a South African company with a love for artwork and the gardens are scattered with bronze sculptures. The springboks were keeping their distance from the prowling tiger. The lake was relatively quiet although Bowness was packed with trippers. The old steamers still plough up and down the lake but now with socially distanced and masked passengers.

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It had been a while since we had been to France so we decided on a week in historic Carcassonne. The fortified town walls are a formidable and commanding presence in the Languedoc countryside. The Canal du Midi runs at a leisurely pace by the lower town on its way to the Mediterranean. An hour’s train trip to the north took us to Toulouse and a visit to the romanesque Basilique St Sernin with its wedding cake bell tower. The River Aude runs down from the Pyrenees and passes through Carcassonne. Further upstream is Limoux, with a bridge dating from the middle ages, and home to the sparkling wine blanquette de Limoux, first produced 100 years before fizz popped in Champagne.

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RHS Flower Show, Chatsworth. Third year, this time with more interesting small gardens and fewer big show gardens which makes it easier to see the detail. Foxgloves and lupins are as popular as ever and some stunning dahlias.

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We went to Amsterdam for a few days to see the special Rembrandt exhibition at the Rijksmuseum plus lots of canals, the Zuiderkerk tower, the skinny bridge over the Amstel river and lots of wonky houses.

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Santa Cruz is a different Tenerife. Spanish city rather than beach resort, it has flowers in the streets, a verdant city park with art deco fountains, old churches and a mind-blowing modern auditorium.

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Stanage Edge in the Derbyshire Peak District, once a source of millstones, and with some still waiting to be delivered! Stunning views in very windy autumn sunshine.

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Autumn colours at Chatsworth

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Summer carries on into September in Lombardy, northern Italy. We based ourselves in Bergamo for a week at this spot on the edge of the Orobie Alps. The historic upper town  sits on a hilltop surrounded by five kilometres of walls built by the Venetians when they controlled this part of the world. Milan was just a fifty minute train trip from Bergamo and our visit to the cathedral included a vertiginous walk on the roof terraces, (accessed by a lift!) before we then visited the shopping and fashion cathedral of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

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We have had a relaxing week in beautiful Dubrovnik on Croatia’s stunning Adriatic coast. We hoped late May would enable us to avoid the crowds and the temperature would not be scorching. We were right on the crowds, apart from South Korean tours and a few cruise ships! There were lots of references to something called Game of Thrones, never heard of it.