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After the visit last year to Poland, it became apparent that the touring bug had bitten hard and it was decided to visit some new countries and tick off some more entries on the Country Checklist

Based on the poor level of service experienced on the return journey from the last trip, the decision was made to try another tour operator. After consultation with the local independant travel agents, a tour with Travelsphere to the Baltic States was selected. As well as visiting the three ex-Soviet states, the trip has the added benefit of the inclusion of Finland in the itinery, making a total of four new countries to be visited in a single trip.

It was obvious that a fair amount of coach travel would be required given the distances between the cities and the fact that the trip was only 10 days long. However, the inclusion of all evening meals in the price was welcomed as it would save having to find sustenance in a local restaurant at the end of a long day travelling.

Each of the three ex-Soviet capitals were found to be very good places to visit. The selected hotels were all fairly central, and being June the lighter evenings provided ample opportunity to wander out and explorer after dinner.

The evening stroll in Riga proved to be very rewarding when an unusual animal was spotted in the undergrowth of the city canal close to the National Opera. After several minutes of observation and discounting the possibility of it being a dog or cat based on what is what eating, the creature finally decided to move down to the water and swim away. At this point, its broad, flat tail was clearly seen identifying it as a wild beaver.

Other highlights of the trip included visits to Druskininkai and the display of Soviet sculptures in Grutas Park, the spectacular and very popular Trakai Castle, Turaida Castle and Kadriorg Palace.

One of the more unusual sites visited was the Hill of Crosses in northern Lithuania. Here there are estimated to be over 400,000 crosses, giant crucifixes, carvings, statues, effigies and rosaries that have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims since the mid 1800s. From a distance it is not possible to see the full extent of the site, or begin to comprehend the vastness of its contents. However, from the path at the top of the hill it is possible to see the masses of religious articles that have been, and continue to be, brought here every year.

The final destination of Helsinki was reached after a two hour ferry crossing from Tallinn. Thankfully the good weather prevented any occurrence of sea-sickness in the group. Unlike the three Baltic states, Finland was never under Soviet occupation, but it does have a Russian hertiage. Strangely, it gave the appearance of being the least "western" of the cities we visited with its numerous rather plain and less colourful examples of architecture, though the proliferation of familiar brands of retail outlets gave it a homely feel.

Helsinki was also the location for the best lunch experienced on the trip. In a quiet side street off the Senate Square it is possible to find the Bryggeri Helsinki brewery and restaurant. The Pulled Pork Burger and recommended house beer, Midnight Sun Bavarian Wheat Ale, were chosen. The addition of a free salad bar and coffee after dinner came as a total surprise. Despite being told how expensive Finland can be, this lunch for two cost less than €40. A real bargain.

A couple of years had passed since the last touring holiday, so it was decided to visit Poland. Such a large country is hard to see in a single visit so the trip concentrated on the sourthern portion.

Looking at the organised offerings from the various tour companies, it was obvious that there were a number of different ways to see the area. Rather than visit a number of locations for just a single night, the choice was made to concentrate on a small number of cities for a number of days. An appropriate tour by coach was found with a company that had been used before. This would have time available to see the capital as the flights arrived and departed from Warsaw. Thankfully the majority of the other places to see could easily be reached from the other two locations in Krakov and Wroclaw.

Highlights of the trip included city tours of the three cities as well as visits to the Pauline Monastery in Jasna Gora, the spectacular Wieliczka salt mine and the Oskar Schindler factory made famous in the film Scindler's List.

The trip also included visits to Auschwitz and Birkenau. As they are today, it is hard to image the horror of these places when they were in use, but it is still possible to feel a chill along the spine walking through the gates and under the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign. Seeing the displays of belongings including suitcases, brushes and shoes really begins to focus the mind and provide an idea of what happened. Then it must be remembered that what is here is only what was left when the camp was liberated. It is not possible to imagine how many more items were collected and dispatched during the time the camps were operating. Thoughts then turn to the numbers of people who owned these items and their fate. On a sunny September afternoon it is hard to come to terms with the scale of what happened in these two places less that 80 years ago.

After almost twelve months without travelling abroad, the time came to find somewhere to spend a few weeks soaking up some sun and generally chilling out. Having enjoyed a visit in 2012, the decision was made to return to the Oceanis Beach & Spa Resort on the Greek island of Kos.

As had been the case on the previous stay, a room upgrade was selected that would include a private swimming pool facing onto the large gardens that surround the complex. This pool was certainly deep enough at 1.4m and just long enough to allow for a few strokes of gentle breast stroke. However, unlike the previous visit which had been in May, the October weather was not quite sufficient to allow the pool to be used as much as was hoped. Even so, the secluded patio area with two private sunbeds created a sheltered sun trap that was enjoyable for most of the day. When the sun got too strong it was a simple matter to sit on the edge and dangle legs into the cool water for some relief from the heat.

The restaurants at the Oceanis were as good as usual with plenty of different food to ensure that no one ever left hungry. The staff are all very friendly and efficient, even when having to cope with part of the seating area being closed because of the strong winds on a few of the days.

The maid service in the room was excellent. Due to the time of the return flight, a late check-out was booked in advance to cover the time until the journey to the airport. Surprisingly, on the last day the room was made up with fresh towels and additional bottled water during the morning even though it would only be occupied for a few hours before needing to be serviced again. Also, the maids showed off their exceptional towel folding skills during the fortnight by creating various animals on the bed including a rabbit, a swan, an elephant and a peacock. However, on one day they created something extraordinary, a small man made of towels and some of the clothing in the room. This was a first and proved highly entertaining.

One addition that hadn't been expected was access to the VIP lounge and terrace. This was not present last year and is only open to certain guests, though its not exactly obvious how this privilege is obtained. It provided a small seating area above the main reception with a range of self-service drinks and snacks. This came in very handy during the poorer weather when most guests came indoors and the general seating areas were very full.

20 years of marriage is something worth a celebration. What better way to do so than take a trip that you both know you will enjoy as it will be exactly what you expect. For this reason, it was decided that another cruise with Viking River Cruises would fit the bill to perfection.

In order to ensure everything would be just right the booking was made 18 months in advance. This time the trip would be from Budapest in Hungary down the Danube as far as Bucharest in Romania, visiting Croatia, Serbia and Romania along the way. As an extra, a three night post-cruise extension, that involved a trip into Transylvania, was added to the itinery. This would include a day at Bran Castle, the home of the infamous vampire in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Though not listed in the cruise itinery as essential items, a couple of wooden stakes and cloves of garlic were included in the baggage as a little extra 'travel insurance'.

Previous cruises with Viking have started and ended on the ship. This time, the holiday would begin and end with nights in hotels. This does somewhat negate one of the great advantages of crusing, being able to unpack on arrival and not having to re-pack until the return home. However, some thinking ahead and careful arrangement of contents ensured that those nights spent away from the ship only required a single case or hand baggage to be opened.

After a couple of enjoyable days and nights in Budapest, the time came to board our ship, the Viking Primadonna. This is unique within the Viking fleet being the only catamaran-like vessel. The stateroom came with a floor-to-ceiling window and small private veranda that provided access to the open air while crusing. The central atrium was also something unusual and provided a light airy interior to the ship. Despite all these unique features, it appears that the ship is in its last year of operation by Viking. With so few cruises left in the season its probably understandable why some of the fixtures and fittings in the common areas are obviously in need of some TLC that won't be forthcoming.

Given the short duration of the cruise, its amazing to be able to visit five countries. Each time the ship moves further east, the legacy of Communist rule in the architecture and monuments of the towns becomes more prominent. Also, the aftermath of the Croatian War of Independence of the early 1990's is clear to see on the road between Vukovar and Osijek and in the twons themselves. Its amazing to think that not so long ago these countries would have been very low on any list of top holiday destinations.

For the final few days, 32 of the original 146 passengers continued their journey into the heart of Romania with a visit to Brasov and Bran. It soon became obvious that this was vampire country. At Peleș Castle the group stumbled upon a number of cars from the Morgan Sports Car Club of Yorkshire and the Morgan Club Romania. These were proudly displaying their Dracula MOG event signs and were adorned with various forms of symbolic bats. Amazingly this small group of cars attracted almost as much attention as the magnificent interior of the castle.

As always on a Viking cruise, the whole trip was fantastic. The crew on the ship, the representatives in the hotels and the local guides all did an excellent job. Plans are already being made to travel with them again, maybe for a very special silver wedding anniversary.

Managed to spend a few extra leisure days in Berlin after being asked to attend the 3rd International SOA Symposium being held in the city. One of the hotels recommended by the conference organisers was the Park Inn in Alexanderplatz. This turned out to be an excellent choice due to its proximity to the Berliner Congress Center and its central location in the city. From the double aspect room on the 31st floor it was possible to get an excellent view across the whole of the East, South and West of Berlin.

The quality of the room was reasonable for the price which included breakfast and free internet. The only downside was the fact that the en-suite bathroom was separated from the rest of the room by an opaque glass wall which afforded little privacy! Another strange feature was the base flying station positioned on the 37th floor. This allowed those with the desire the chance to be secured into a harness and "free fall" down the side of the building, directly past one of the windows in the room! Hearing a loud scream and seeing a shadow pass across the opposite wall brought back memories of the famous "People Falling Out of High Buildings" sketch from Monty Python's "And Now for Something Completely Different". The final unusual feature was the old fashioned bus parked outside the main bar that was used by those patrons wishing to smoke.

The first free day after the conference was spent walking to as many of the typical tourist haunts as possible. This included the Television Tower, the Neptune Fountain, St Nicholas Church, Checkpoint Charlie, the Sony Center at Potsdamer Platz, the Holocaust Memorial, the Soviet War Memorial in the Tiergarten, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Unter Den Linden, Berlin Cathedral and along the banks of the River Spree.

As one might imagine, this took more than a few hours and highlighted one of the issues for tourists in the city, a severe lack of public toilets. These were extremely difficult to find and seemed to either be non-existent or hidden extremely well in many of the locations you would expect to find them, such a train stations. On the rare occasions that they could be found it seemed the norm to pay anything between 30 cents and 1 Euro for the pleasure.

By mid afternoon it was time to find something to eat. Close to the Radisson Blu hotel and the AquaDom Sea Life Centre there is a small courtyard containing some restaurants including Andy's Diner & Bar. This serves excellent beer and giant portions of typical American food in a great atmosphere with really friendly staff.

After a straightforward journey from Alexanderplatz on the U2 U-Bahn, the following day was spent at the Berlin Zoological Garden and the Aquarium. The zoo covers a large area and has many interesting residents including lions, tigers, elephant, giraffe and a giant panda. However, the main reason people visit is to see the world's most famous polar bear, Knut.

On leaving the zoo at the end of the day, it became apparent that a major sporting event was taking place in Berlin that evening. In the open spaces of the Kurfurstendamm, running alongside the zoo, hundreds of people had gathered wearing Turkish flags. Apparently, these were all waiting until later to travel along the U-Bahn to the Olympic Stadium to watch Turkey play Germany in a qualifying match for Euro 2012.

The final day was spent walking along various sections of the River Spree, taking in sights such as the lock and Berlin Historic Port Museum close to the Märkisches Ufer, as well as watching the numerous city tour boats cruising back and forth. In an attempt to find something typical of Berlin to bring home, a visit was paid to the Ampelmann Shop close to Andy's Diner & Bar. Ampelmännchen are the symbolic person shown on traffic lights at pedestrian crossings in parts of the city. They are one of the few remaining symbols kept over from the days of the former German Democratic Republic. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Ampelmännchen acquired cult status. They are seen today on a whole range of goods from jelly sweets and drinks coasters to lamps and deck chairs. Four Ampelmännchen fridge magnets now sit proudly in the kitchen at home.

Following another generous discount offer from Viking River Cruises, a seven day cruise along the River Seine from Paris to Rouen and back was chosen as this year's touring holiday. This would include tours of both Paris and Rouen, as well as stops in Vernon, Les Andleys and Conflan, an afternoon at the Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny and a whole day visiting the sites relating to the D-Day Invasion of June 6th, 1944. The visit to the Normandy beaches was expected to be the highlight of the trip. The ship being used, the Viking Spirit, would be familiar it being a sister ship of the one used for a Danube cruise in 2008.

Travel to Paris would be on the Eurostar service in a Leisure Select carriage. This had been used on other holidays, but it would be the first time that the journey started from St Pancras International in London.With the train leaving reasonably early on Sunday morning, it seemed prudent to spend the Saturday night in the Hotel Novotel adjacent to the station. Arriving in the early afternoon allowed for a quick exploration of some of the sights including Green Park, the Ritz Hotel, Buckingham Palace, the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye.

On arrival in the Eurostar departure lounge it became obvious that the school holidays had just started. Hundreds of children, many sporting Mickey Mouse ears, were waiting with their families for the train to Disneyland Paris. Once this had boarded, a tranquil peace returned and the number of available seats increased dramatically.

The only other concern was the arrival in Paris. Unwittingly, this coincided with the final day of the Tour de France which was due to pass close to the location of the ship before finishing along the Champs-Elysees. As it turned out, the transfer from the station was uneventful, even if the traffic was a little more than usual owing to some road closures, and it was not long before the ship was seen. In fact, arrival was early enough to allow for a quick crossing of the Pont de Grenelle to see the peloton pass under the bridge as it headed into the centre of the city.

The cruise itself was to the usual high standards expected of Viking River Cruises. In fact, some aspects were even better than previous experiences. This included the beverage package which provided a range of all-inclusive drinks that proved to be great value for money.

The day spent visiting the D-Day beaches proved to be very memorable. With the vast majority of the passengers being from the USA, it was obvious that the trip would visit sites more relevent to Americans. This included the Normandy American Cemetery and Omaha Beach. What made it more memorable was the two veterans among the passengers. The married couple had met in Normandy after the invasion. He was one of the troops who landed on Omaha Beach and she was a nurse that came to Normandy following the successful landing. Both received medals at the Arromanches Debarkment Museum.

The crew working on the ship were all very friendly and did an excellent job. They soon became more like friends than staff. Having had the good fortune to be invited to the Captain's table for the farewell dinner, it came as a bit of a shock to find our usual waitress coming over during the meal and asking us why we had deserted her. Lets hope the Captain didn't take this the wrong way.

This fortnight trip to Lanzarote happened in October 2009, a mere three weeks after the visit to St Lucia. In the wake of such an "active" holiday, the idea was to spend two weeks sitting in the sun and chilling out. No expense was spared in trying to get the most luxurious accommodation affordable. For this reason, an all-inclusive Privilege Junior Suite was booked at the H10 Rubicón Palace, on the outskirts of Playa Blanca, through First Choice.

Sadly, on arrival things didn't turn out to be quite as relaxing as anticipated. However, after they had been resolved, the holiday turned out to be exactly what was expected.

The Rubicón Palace is a large complex with many different types of accommodation. The Junior Suites were situated in various smaller villas around the grounds. Each villa contained a couple of suites along with about a dozen other types of room on two floors. The suite itself comprised a bedroom, lounge, large bathroom, walk in closet and terrace with sun-loungers, a table and chairs.

The Privilege option included amenities such as bathrobes, slippers, free newspapers, premium brand drinks and bottled wines, a dedicated lounge with bar, TV and free internet access, a segregated seating area in the main restaurants for lunch, and a reserved table at the on-site, a-la-carte restaurant for breakfast and dinner.

The hotel had five pools, none of which ever seemed to be full, and an abundance of sun-loungers. There was also plenty of additional seating in the public areas and bars. The food was excellent, with enough choices to ensure that the same meal didn't get eaten twice in a fortnight. The downside of this was not being able to have a second taste of the wonderful steak chosen on the very first night.

An additional benefit of staying at the Rubicón Palace was the ability to join the H10 hotels loyalty scheme, Club H10, and start collecting points. This can be used at any of the H10 properties around the world.

In early 2009, the decision was made to have a holiday in the Caribbean. St Lucia was selected based on reports from friends who had either been there recently or who had family living on the island.

The original intention was to stay at the couples only Rendezvous in Castries. Virgin Holidays had a brochure covering the resort, so an attempt was made to book with them. This turned out to be a complete fiasco, so alternative providers were researched and the booking was eventually made with Kuoni for what amounted to around £100 more in total. With hindsight, apart from taking a passport to the dealership when purchasing a new car in April, this was probably the second best choice made all year.

As it turned out, a few weeks before departure a letter arrived from Kuoni stating that the booking at the Rendezvous had been cancelled by the hotel as it was closed for substantial renovation. Instead, an offer was made to transfer the booking to the sister property, The BodyHoliday, LeSPORT on Cariblue Beach at the northern tip of the island, at no extra cost. This is one of the most spectacular resorts anywhere in the world and comes at a price to match. The transfer offer amounted to a reduction in price of around 30% of the normal cost for a booking in this resort at that time of year. There really was no choice to make.

Having paid for Premium Economy flight upgrades and selecting upper deck seats on the outward journey, the arrival was expected to be stress free and simple. In actual fact, the more than 80 minutes spent waiting in a minibus for a hotel transfer, in weather that flipped between humid sunshine and heavy showers, proved to be very frustrating. Luckily, the choice of switching to Kuoni did mean that we knew our final destination before leaving London. Those travelling with Virgin Holidays to the Rendezvous did not find out that their accommodation had been changed until getting out of the terminal at Hewanorra International Airport. Those who had booked to return to the accommodation they had used on their wedding 10 years previously were deeply upset.

After a 90 minute transfer over what seemed like some of the worst roads in the Western world, the entrance to the hotel was reached. Immediately, porters were on hand to whisk baggage to reception and cooling cocktails and ice cold towels offered to welcome the weary visitor. This was more like it. The level of service and attention to detail continued at this high standard, with only a number of minor lapses, until the end of the stay.

One of the many benefits of a stay at this resort is the inclusion of all sporting activities. Having been looking for a relaxing fortnight, the only ones taken up were the golfing lessons and the snorkeling. Being able to swim only a few meters from the beach in crystal clear water with exotic fish all around is exhilarating. To then find what appeared to be a highly venomous stonefish sitting on the bottom waiting for an unsuspecting foot got the pulse racing a little faster. Sadly, subsequent research showed that such fish aren't normally found in the Caribbean, but that wasn't known at the time. Hopefully, at some future date a return trip can be arranged where the full range of water sports can be enjoyed.

Another unique aspect of the all inclusive package are the daily on-site spa therapies. The opportunity was taken to attend each of these sessions which had been scheduled by the hotel prior to arrival. These turned out to be a real surprise and contributed to a very relaxing experience.

The food at the hotel is excellent. Most nights the menu in the Cariblue Restaurant was perfect. However, making at least one reservation for Tao is essential as not only is the food excellent but the view of the moonlit beach, the gentle sound of the waves and the size of the after dinner liquers make it a night to remember forever.

The only aspect of the trip that wasn't enjoyed was the heat and humidity. In September, temperatures were around the 30°C mark day and night and humidity no less than 70%. Having a shower and changing into fresh clothes was fine until 2 minutes after leaving the air conditioned room at which point everything was dripping wet again.

Sea sickness is not a pleasant experience. When someone suffers so badly that they can feel nauseous watching Titanic, crusing on the open ocean probably isn't the best choice of holiday destination. Partnering someone on such a holiday is likely to be only slightly better than a visit to hell. However, river cruises offer all of the luxuries expected of a cruise without the thought of never seeing land for days on end.

A seven day cruise along the Rhine in 2005 had been part of a previous touring holiday with a tour operator specialising in rail travel. During this it was noticeable that from the moment the Viking River Cruises staff took over from the accompanying tour manager, the level of service, luxury and enjoyment increased exponentially, even for those passengers who had booked through the third party operator. It wasn't possible to imagine how much better things could be if the booking had been made directly. Hence, at the end of the cruise, the opportunity was taken to sign up to the company loyalty scheme, the Viking Explorer Society.

In the middle of 2008, when a letter arrived from Viking River Cruises offering late availability on an eight day cruise along the Danube at a 30% discount, there was no hesitation in booking. The cruise started in Budapest and made its way west along the Danube visiting the likes of Vienna, Melk, Linz and Passau before reaching its final destination in Nuremberg.

As seems to be normal, getting to the destination turned out to be another case of better late than never. On arriving at Budapest airport, all passengers were left waiting in the baggage hall for well over an hour for their suitcases to appear. Staff in the baggage hall knew nothing and seemed totally unwilling to help. When cases did finally start to appear, they were deposited on completely the wrong carousel, causing total confusion. During the transfer to the ship, the Viking Europe, the guide on the bus explained that things were now running over 90 minutes later than scheduled and that the other passengers already on the ship were being kept waiting for their evening meal. On arrival, after a minimal check-in procedure, it was straight to the dining room to sit down and eat.

Due to the size of the discount received, it had been possible to upgrade to a Cateogry B cabin. This was more like a normal hotel room with proper beds, rather than a Pullman or sofa bed, and a panoramic window. For obvious reasons. the only smaller part of the cabin is the en-suite bathroom.

The on-board experience was like being in a 5 star hotel. Rooms were made up in the morning and then refreshed, including beds being turned down, while the occupants were having their evening meal. The food was of the highest quality and often tied to the region being visited. A good selection of wines were available at very reasonable prices, especially considering the captivity of the audience. Tea, coffee and iced water were available all day just outside the well provisioned bar. All of the staff, from the cruise manager and tour guides to the waiters and chambermaids were very friendly, heighly efficient and a credit to the company. No wonder these crusies seem to be so poular with North American visitors.

Despite it being late October, the weather was kind with no rain and even some late autumn sunshine. Some mornings it was possible to stand on the upper deck in the bright sunlight watching the overnight frost melt off the railings. Each of the places visited was interesting, but the highlight was the optional day spent in Nuremberg visiting the sites often seen in old news reels showing Nazi party rallies. Standing in front of the main podium at the Zeppelinfeld and thinking about what happened because of what took place their sends shivers up the spine.

The journey home once again showed that plans never quite follow their expected course. After a reasonably early breakfast, a bus was provided for the hour long transfer to Munich airport. On arrival, the electronic check-in devices provided by British Airways were used and, it being a Sunday morning, security was negotiated in minutes. There was ample time for a browse around the airport shops before the incoming flight was seen approaching the stand. The expected boarding time arrived and went, along with the expected flight time. An announcement then informed those waiting to board that a large dent had been found in the fuselage close to one of the plane's doors. This would need to be investigated, using specialist equipment that would need to be brought to Munich, before the flight could leave. It was even possible that the flight would be cancelled and that everyone who couldn't be accommodated on other flights would need to remain in Germany for another evening. Eventually, it was discovered that the dent had been there on the outward flight and that it was safe to fly, so five hours later than scheduled the return flight to the UK departed.

All inclusive resorts have been a favourite type of destination on more than one occasion. The most frequently visited being a popular resort in Paphos on the island of Cyprus. This would have been an obvious choice for a return visit had it not been a little disappointing during the last stay. Large groups of visitors, who appeared to return to the hotel more than once a year, had taken over and forced those who were not part of the familiar group to feel somewhat excluded. This led to a search for a similar sort of resort elsewhere in Europe.

Following a reasonably extensive search, the Duni Royal Resort in Bulgaria caught the eye. This appeared to have everything expected on an all inclusive break, but at half the price found anywhere else. The resort boasts a total of five hotels of different categories and a room in the premier Marina Royal Palace was chosen. The only remaining question was, what was wrong with this resort to make it so inexpensive?

The visit in September 2008 followed a previous visit the year before. This had proved to be such good value it wasn't possible to resist returning so quickly. The outward journey for the second visit proved to be much less traumatic than the first and a cold beer was soon being enjoyed.

On both visits, a room upgrade to a suite had been selected. This turned out to be a fantastic choice with rooms almost the size of a squash court. Fortune had also meant that both rooms had been on different floors of the main building.

The resort appeared to be very popular with German tourists and had not really been found by the English. This was evident by the fact that many of the local Bulgarian staff, including the all important waitresses, spoke little English but were fluent in German. The ability to recall sufficient schoolboy German prevented this becoming an issue.

As part of the all inclusive package, guests are permitted to eat in any of the restaurants on site apart from the restaurant in the Marina Royal Palace. This is only open to guests in that hotel. After experimenting with different restaurants during the first few days, it became apparent that this was the worst of the restaurants to use in the evening. Queues began forming at least 15 minutes before the doors opened. Some guests also made a habit of staying at a table simply to continue drinking long after finishing their meal. Given that there were not enough tables for everyone to sit down at the same time, especially when the terrace was closed due to poor weather, it was often the case that groups of people were seen wandering round with plates of food trying to find somewhere to sit. Aware of this fact, full use was made of the other restaurants on site which were often less than half full. The only disadvantage of these was the fact that drinks were self-service. Given that the waitresses in the Marina Royal Palace restaurant were often far too busy re-laying tables to serve drinks, this proved to be no bad thing.

There are two speciality restaurants on site that can only be used once per week each and require reservations. From experience of the Italian restaurant, this turned out to be disappointing and not really worth the effort involved in getting a table.

During the first visit twelve months previously, the chance was taken to experience a couple of the local excursions. The best of these was the jeep safari, conducted in what should be considered vintage, ex-Russian army vehicles. The day long event travelled around a fairly extensive portion of the local area visiting charcoal producing forests, villages being decimated due to the exodus of young people and private estates once used as royal hunting lodges. An excellent meal in a local winery was also included.

Being late in the season, the last few days of both visits saw the weather become more autumnal. Occasional rain and grey skies were evident, but in some ways this is preferrable to the unbearably hot temperatures found here during high summer.

On a few previous occasions, the choice had been made to celebrate Christmas away from home. Normally somewhere in mainland UK had been selected to ensure that there are no travel difficulties. The previous attempt to spend Christmas overseas was hampered by an atrocious outbound flight that resulted in an 8 hour journey to the Canary Islands, rather than the usual 4 hours. This was taken into account when selected Jersey as the destination. Sadly, this time around the delays were even more horrendous.

A four day, organised tour had been selected with the Titan HiTours. The same company had organised the highly enjoyable trip to Iceland earlier in the year. The package included full board accommodation, with all the usual Christmas options, at the Hotel Revere in the center of St Helier. There was also a half day excursion planned for Boxing Day.

The disruption suffered on the outbound journey meant that the transfer from Jersey Airport did not arrive at the hotel until early evening on Christmas Eve. There was just enough time to complete guest registration and go through to eat before the restaurant closed