Tag Archives: tourism

Our holiday in Alanya

We took a last-minute break to Turkey, and stayed at the Sunprime C-lounge in Alanya, which was a great hotel for not many pennies. Turkey has had its fair share of unrest recently, but down on the coast there were no signs of this at all. The city and neighbouring hotels were quiet for day one, but then the Eid-al-Adha holiday arrived and there were plenty of Turkish tourists around, to complement the Brits, Germans, Russians, and the rest, (there were at least 10 nationalities shouted out during the pool activities).

Judging by the old photographs in the hotel, Alanya has grown a lot in the last 50 years, becoming a popular retirement destination, but the old fortress and tower dominate the skyline and were well worth the trek up the hill (though sharing a taxi is defintely recommended). Not recommended, walking backwards while taking a selfie at the top of the cliffs.

The Deep, Hull

The morning after Cathy and Nick’s wedding, surprisingly hangover-less, we took the scenic route through the North Yorkshire Moors to meet Adam in Hull, and visit The Deep. While the “submarium” branding is a little pointless, and some of the interactive exhibits are showing their age, the collection of fish are impressive and it was an interesting afternoon out.

A week in Wroxham

Many thanks to Ian and Finola for organising a week in the Norfolk Broads to celebrate New Year. Finding a cottage with a free boat within 4 miles of the Woodforde’s was inspired, although you can’t prove that we ever visited the brewery since we managed to drink all 72 pints of the evidence.

New Year’s Eve also gave us a chance to dress up and polish our french accents, as we took part in “The Brie, The Bullet and The Black Cat”. While I won’t spoil the surprises, you can be reassured that no-one was exactly as the seemed… It also gave me a chance to play with my new flashgun, which really made a difference for indoor portraits.

Other highlights included tens of herons, thousands of seagulls and a beachful of mating, pupping and nursing seals (well worth a visit).