The photo of us on the 'Front Room' page was taken by the Niagara Falls while on holiday in Canada. A fantastic country to visit.
We enjoy travelling when finances permit!
So lets get packed and go....to a few places (Venice, Amsterdam, The Gambia & Budapest) we feel need to be seen.
Our notes are brief and could never do justice to the places we'll mention!

Venice is a city of beauty and wonders galore. Its most amazing aspect to me is the fact that all roads are water. Everything you would expect to see on the road has its equivalent
You can walk nearly everywhere and jump on a vaporetto (water bus) if you want to visit the islands (especially Murano for the glass). San Marco seems to be the real centre of Venice with its great square, basisilica and the Bridge of Sighs just behind it. A coffee in the square is an experience - an expensive one! From there it is a pleasing walk to the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal. There is a lovely market area designed to please shopaholics. A little further on is the old covered fish market (Mercato del Pesce), with a fruit & veg market next to it.
Hotels are not cheap but we found that eating out could could be be done for a reasonable sum. The seafood can be recommended.
It is worth going off the main paths. Sometimes you just come across grotty little side canals with worn buildings overlooking them, the seamier side, but occasionally you can find little squares with a just few locals and an amazing quietness.
Early in the morning deliveries rumble over the cobbles and in the evening the little squares come to life with people relaxing over a couple of Grappas.
Worth a visit. We are going back!

We try to visit Amsterdam every couple of years. Why? It is so relaxed and the Dutch are so welcoming. There is so much to see, that each time we go we pick out one item we haven't seen, see it and mellow out for the rest of our time.
Accommodation & flights range from very cheap to very expensive. Food is plentiful, international and reasonably priced.
Things we feel are worth making the effort to see -
The Nightwatch in the Rijksmuseum (awesome!) followed by a jenever(dutch gin) in the Nightwatch Bar. The Nightwatch bar is attached to the American hotel. The hotel is an Art Deco delight with a preservation order on the interior decor.The bar overlooks the Leidseplein which is usually alive with street performances. A great place for whiling away the time, people watching.
The Ann Frank house in the Jordaan area (from the French Jardin meaning garden) A sobering experience.
Canal Cruise. A different way to see the town but the best way to enjoy the canals is to get a canal bus pass and jump on and off visiting places as you go.
Markets. The flower market, next to the Singel canal by the Muntplein is lovely to see, just a couple of minutes from the Ann Frank house is the Westerstraat market and the Waterlooplein Market is quite near the centre.
Watch out for the street art that is all over Amsterdam - make of it what you will, but there is something for everyone if you keep looking .
Bicycles. They have to be mentioned! They think they have right of way everywhere, so keep your eyes open. You could hire one but if you are staying for a while and have somewhere to store one, buying a seconhand boneshaker is a lot cheaper!
The secret to enjoying Amsterdam is to walk and sit & relax in equal amounts.

We were lucky to stay with a Hungarian family in Bajot, about 50km from Budapest. Their hospitality was fantastic.

Budapest - "Taking the waters" at the natural hot spas was a feature of life for many of Europe's monied classes at the turn of the century and between the wars. The spa hotels are still there, with their original architecture, and used for their original purpose. The interior decoration is magnificent, with the Hotel Gellert a particularly fine example of art nouveau. The Chain Bridge was the first permanent connection between Buda and Pest. Destroyed by the Wehrmacht, it was rebuilt after WWII and re-opened on 21st Nov 1949, the exact centenary of the original bridge's inauguration. It is a beautiful piece of engineering. Crossing the bridge from Pest to Buda, you are confronted with Castle Hill. A natural stronghold, the buildings have been subject to damage and rebuilding through numerous sieges and battles, but much of the Gothic and baroque survives. The Matyas Church (which, prior to 1686, was a mosque!) is one of the many gorgeous buildings open to the public, while still used for daily worship. The roof tiles on the outside are typical of the attractive diamond-patterning seen on many Hungarian buildings, and the frescos and artwork inside are awe-inspiring. Continuing up the hill, there are numerous statues and museums, and the palace contains the Ludwig Collection, the National Gallery and Library and the Budapest History Museum. Hungarian people are friendly, and particularly fond of children, so it's a good place for a family holiday so long as the kids don't demand theme parks! Not everyone speaks English: German is the preferred second language. Any attempt to speak Magyar is very much appreciated.

The Gambia - Coming soon

When we travel we try to take The Rough Guide with us for information and the Berlitz phrase books for some basic language.

When we eventually update this page, that will be when we have more web space, we will try to add what we think of Dublin, Athens and Prague!