Six of us flew into London and took a cruise out of Dover in August ’12. Having never been to London, I spent quite a bit of time researching transportation.
My wife, Paula, and another couple and I visited the Republic of Ireland, June 14-25, 2012. I have a few tips on topics that did not receive sufficient coverage in the guidebooks and Internet resources which we consulted pre-trip.
Self-playing pianos, a wind-up banjo, an automatic xylophone and an enormous gramophone are among items on display at Keith Harding’s World of Mechanical Music (The Oak House, High St., Northleach, Glos., GL54 3ET, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 1451 860181).
In Portsmouth, England, the Spinnaker Tower (Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3TT, U.K.; phone +44 0 23 9285 7520), a 557-foot-tall observation tower, offers 360-degree views, including Portsmouth Harbor, the coast and the Isle of Wight.
My husband, Ed, and I love learning about the history and culture of a country so tend to gravitate toward natural history and folk or open-air museums. In April 2012 in Arnhem, the Netherlands, we toured the Openluchtmuseum (Sept. ’12, pg.