Travel Photos of the Week: Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show for 2011 has just wound up and a close English friend of mine was fortunate enought to attend with her husband.

The features include show gardens, floral marquees, pavilions, talks and demonstrations. It is the second major national show after the Chelsea Flower Show but has a different character, focusing more on environmental issues, growing your own and cookery, while also opportunities to buy a whole range of gardening accessories, plants and flowers.

Being a keen gardener, I had the photos shared with me and decided to brighten up my blog by adding these splendidly, colourful photos.

A splash of colour!

The cottage garden

Weird and wonderful designs

Photos courtesy of Lavinia from Dorset.

Where is Ibiza?

Ibiza’s size – just 45km by 25km – belies its diversity. Famed for its party scene, many imagine the entire island to resemble San Antonio; capital of nightclub culture and home to the bulk of large Ibiza hotels and bars. But a short boat ride out of San Antonio harbour takes you to a different world and the peaceful Cala d’Hort.  This romantic little bay offers spectacular views of towering cliffs behind and the mystical island of Es Vedrá just across the sea.  Few islands have as many legends attached to them as this volcanic rock, which is claimed to be the birthplace of Hannibal, the tip of Atlantis and a sacrificial altar for the goddess Tanit.

Head east from here and you reach Ibiza town, the island’s capital.  The town is home to the ancient Punic necropolis Puig des Molins, which has been listed by UNESCO for its historical importance.  Criss-crossed by winding cobbled streets that are lined with quaint little restaurants, Dalt Vila – the old town – offers some superb dining and is the perfect place to sample local seafood.  This is particularly handy if you’re making the long climb to the 14^th century cathedral of Santa Maria d’Eivissa at the top of the hill.

Figueretas, just outside Ibiza town, is home to some of the quietest coastal hotels in Ibiza, making it an ideal base for a relaxing stay. On Wednesday mornings, a boat arrives at a small jetty jutting out from the town’s beach and transports passengers up Ibiza’s east coast to Es Cana.  Here you get to experience the island’s original hippy market, Punta Arabi, where you can browse stalls to the sound of tabla drums and sitars, and perhaps leave with a henna tattoo to commemorate your visit.

It’s easy to dodge Ibiza’s revelry in favour of a peaceful sight-seeing break on this gorgeous Balearic Island if you want to relax and unwind.  But one of the most exciting things about Ibiza is its diversity, from pretty beaches in the south to leafy almond groves in the north, with world-famous nightclubs in between.  So if you’re looking for a holiday that offers everything, this pint-sized Balearic gem really is the perfect destination.

This post is part of a monthly Spanish Series sponsored by www.hotels4u.com, where you’ll find plenty of Ibiza hotels, suitable for all tastes and budgets.

Mallorca, Menorca & Ibiza (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

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One Great Reason to Visit Ibiza

One great reason to visit this travel destination is it really has something for everyone!

Ibiza!

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Where is the Giant’s Causeway?

The Giant’s Causeway is located on the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland. I visited the area during 1988 when visiting Northern Ireland where my maternal Grandmother came from.

I was taken by the Giant’s Causeway, with its rugged landscape and the tops of the columns forming stepping stones which are hexagonal in shape. The area is made up of approximately 40,000 of these interlocking, hexagonal basalt columns, which resulted from an ancient volcanic eruption. The Giant’s Causeway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO during 1986 and is today owned and managed by the National Trust. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

A Companion to the Causeway Coast Way

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One Great Reason to Visit the Giant’s Causeway

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to enjoy the rugged stepping stone landscape.

Giant’s Causeway

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Where is Gallipoli?

Anzac Cove, Gallipoli

The Gallipoli peninsula is a slender peninsula across the water from Canakkale in Turkey. The narrow strait is the gateway to Istanbul. Winston Churchill organised a naval assault in order to capture the Ottoman capital and Allied troops were sent in during April 1915. After 9 months of fierce combat and little progress, the Allied forces withdrew. The number of casualties was extremely high and memorials are dotted around this moving landscape.

I visited Gallipoli during August of 1996. It was a travelling experience filled with lots of mixed emotions. I was travelling alone, going solo for the first time, and probably under circumstances which made me slightly vulnerable to feel awfully alone and isolated. This was never truer, than the visit to the quiet, secluded area of Gallipoli.

I wanted to experience Gallipoli by myself. To hear and feel the Aussie soldiers that were there and what they would have been confronted with as they arrived on the very shore I stood on in this photo. I didn’t want to hear tourists accents; English, American, German, etc complaining of the heat. I wanted to fully take in the harsh surrounds and … pay my respects!

Lonely Planet Turkey

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One Great Reason to Visit Gallipoli

One great reason to visit this travel destination iespecially if you are an Australian or New Zealander, is that it is part of our history. The rugged landscape and steep cliffs, are a reminder of what the young officers were confronted with on arrival to that beach. It’s an extremely moving experience.

Gallipoli – ANZAC Legend – Free Heroes Remembrance Song

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