The Living Rainforest

You are wondering if I’m still having adventures in the UK with a beginning like this, eh?

Yellow-billed Toucan

Fischer's Turaco

The answer is simply yes. The Living Rainforest is a small tropical escape located in Berkshire between Newbury and Theale. The rainforest café and gift shop are free to get in however the green house/visitor centre costs just under £10 to get in. A bit steep in my book to see monkeys; but the ticket is good for as many trips as you can squeeze in to a year. Lots of free parking if you’re looking for a bonus…

Goeldi's monkey (South America)

As the title suggests, it is a tropical rainforest enclosure. Some of the birds and lizards you will see running around the forest with you; so be careful where you step! Don’t worry, the monkeys are behind glass so they won’t pinch your belongings. However keep your eyes open for Cinnamon, the sloth. She’s usually hanging around in the trees above the python (who IS in a glass enclosure, so you can stop sweating now)…Sloth’s are very slow moving and sleep up to 20 hours a day! O, to be a sloth.  Don’t miss the toucans – mind your fingers-- and the pygmy monkeys. Buzz past the butterfly enclosure to watch them hatch from their cocoons. It’s great fun for kids & a good opportunity to warm thy self in the winter time.  

Free roaming lizard- this guy "walks" across the water

There are over 700 plants and animals including rare and endangered species of from all over the globe. The centre is opening daily from 10 am – 5pm (save Christmas and Boxing Day). So go, get feeling tropical this winter!

Emerald Isle - The Journey Continues

This excursion leads me to Ireland or as the English like to refer to it, the Republic of Ireland. Okay…whatever, the south bit.  This story picks up on the twelve day tour from Cork to Killarney to Galway and back to Dublin with many others stops along the way.

Drombeg stones are found at the most southern tip of Ireland. In fact you can see the sea from these stone circles. Drombeg is the largest stone circle on the island of Eire (*ahem, that means Ireland) and quite possibly the tallest as well, even though it’s no Stonehenge…

During the winter solstice many druids attend the festivals to perform ancient dances at the stones. Just for fun I tried my own dance and pushed on a boulder to see if I might have luck traveling through time on the Autumn Equinox (Outlander fans will understand this). I’m still here...

Drombeg Stone Circle

 To the other side of the country now! Killarney National Park is roughly three times the size of Wicklow so give yourself plenty of time to explore. Torc falls is a nice hike in the park and only about a five minute walk from the car park, easily accessible and a great photo opportunity.

Torc Falls

 Do the day trip through the Gap of Dunloe viewing majestic mountains and valleys with lakes and streams on horseback. For those less adventurous try the horse drawn carriage ride. This trip leaves daily and runs from 10 -4pm. If horseback riding be prepared to do it English style. Cheeky buggers. 

Gap of Dunloe

Holly the horse takes us through the mountains

The carriage ride ends at the lake and drops you by a cottage which is a great little spot to have a cuppa or lunch before boarding the boat to Ross Castle.

Ross Castle

 As luck would have it, (mentioned in previous Ireland post -PS.I Love You) we set out across the five miles of lakes until the boat motored no more and we were literally dead in the water, bobbing along and awaiting a rescue boat. Unlike the film, we had atleast one oar. To which some Yankee in the boat hollered, “This MUST be an Irish boat. It only has one oar. If we paddled, we’d be going in circles!”

But alas, we were rescued and continued on our journey. After visiting Ross Castle (for a small fee), we caught the bus back to the car park in which we started the Gap of Dunloe tour and went home to laugh about our excursion over a cup of tea. 

A trip to Killarney wouldn’t be complete without seeing the Ring of Kerry which is about 200 mile loop at the most westward sticky-outie bit of Ireland. Said to be the most beautiful scenic drive in all of Ireland and the closest you will get to New York without being on a ship. We started anti-clockwise to reach the beaches near Rossbeigh. Nice sandy beach near a very small village and great place for walking the pooch.

Rossbeigh Beach

There is a lot to see and do on the Ring of Kerry, so give plenty of time (days) to explore. We drove it in one day but were still able to see quite a bit. Hop the ferry to Valentia Island (this is a five minute ferry and by all rights you could probably swim across but you want to take your car/ bike to drive around the island) to see the Grotto and the lighthouse. Note there is a fee to see the lighthouse, but you can take plenty of photos from the narrow, windy, steep, you-get-the picture,  dirt road up above. 

Valentia Island Lighthouse

Travel the island loop and take the bridge back to the mainland to continue on the Ring of Kerry (this avoids paying the ferry fee and also I think I broke the car trying to get on my first ferry- there was lots of noise from under the bonnet and a horrid burning smell- I think I drove off with the hand brake still on. Not to worry, we just parked the car for a wee bit and had lunch til the smell went away and all was well).  

Head next to Sneem via the N70. This is a good place to stop for ice cream and admire the art in the park (don’t forget the gift shops) then onwards to Kenmare and finally to where you began in Killarney. 

Now running the West coast of the Emerald Isle; we were off to Galway which I found very different than in the pictures. Imagine my surprise when I expected sleepy, green, rolling hills with lines of stone walls and came to a lively seaside town.

County Galway

Town of Galway

Since it’s a long way to Galway we broke up the drive with a quick stop at Kinvara. Find the free car park across the road and walk less than ten minutes to the entrance of the Dunguaire Castle. Better viewed when the tide is in. Pay a small fee to see the feudal castle in all its glory and learn of the bitter history inside. They still have medieval banquets that visitors can book and dress to play the part. No corsets for me thank you! 

Dunguaire Castle low tide

And what’s a trip to Ireland with stopping at the Cliffs of Moher? No entrance fee but you must pay to park in the vast car park/parking lot. Pardon me, I can’t remember if the Cliffs are wheelchair accessible, I just remember lots of stairs! A large tourist building houses cafés, restaurants, a museum and gift shops for all your COM memorabilia. On a side note, if you walk the dirt path along the cliffs avoid contact with the wire fence. My sidekick learned the hard way that the fence has an electric current running through it to keep the wandering cows at bay. 

Cliffs of Moher

Back to Dublin to finish this tour with proper Irish ending…a pint of Guinness and shot of Jameson. Whilst driving in the city of Dublin is not advisable (horrible traffic), driving with any alcohol in your system is not tolerated at all! Take the bus around the city or walk as the Jameson distillery and Guinness Storehouse are only a short distance apart. Learn how to pour your own pint of Guinness and then take it to the sky bar to enjoy whilst overlooking the city of Dubs in 360 degrees like the rich and famous have (Tom Cruise was there among others).

  Learn about the process of brewing and about early day hazing as a cooper (they stuffed them in their new casks filled with wood shavings and stout and rolled them through the city til they thought the newbies were initiated!)

Mr. Guinness and his wife had 21 children! Twenty-one! *shakes head* No way José! Ten children survived and carried on the legacy. Interesting fact: Guinness bought the rights to Wicklow National Park water supply for his stout as he said the water was a very important ingredient in the brew. Remember that if you also visit Wicklow.

Jameson distillery is much less commercial and quieter than the Guinness plant, but just as enlightening and if you’re lucky you can get invited to take a whiskey taste test and become a Certified Whiskey Taster at the end of the tour!

Emerald Isle- Getting there

Perhaps a better title for this blog would be Adventures in Europe or better yet Euro trips? I’ll start considering other suggestions. This excursion leads me to Ireland or as the English like to refer to it, the Republic of Ireland. Okay…whatever, the south bit.  A twelve day tour from Dublin to Cork, to Killarney to Galway and back to Dublin with many others stops along the way. I will try to keep this blog as short as one can writing about a 12 day journey with friends. *Cue music for The Lord of the Rings.*

Arriving in Dublin airport, not bad. Finding friends at airport check! Getting rental car..eek! After waiting in the queue for what seemed like hours we finally get a car (only to learn they lost our reservation & I did pre-book. Top tip: NEVER use SIXT car hire!) Behind the wheel, my American mates can appreciate this, on the right side and ready to go; mind in Ireland they drive on the left side of the road like in England. This now comes naturally to me but not so natural to my American co-pilot who is hanging on dearly for her life as we round the corners in roundabouts whilst traffic comes at us “from the wrong direction”. She also enjoyed the little windy country lanes where you can’t see five feet in front of you going around the curves at 80 kph with eight foot hedges on either side of the road. NOT! Even if you wanted to, you can’t pull over when a lorry (tractor trailer) or farm tractor comes at you head on. I advise if you’re not ready for this, please stick to the boring motorways (Interstates).  

About motorways, leaving Dublin to head south you only have one option - the M50 (this is a toll road). Tolls are paid online within 24 hours. SIXT car hire told us to blow through these and they would pay them (first time I should’ve known something was amiss with this company). Second was the broken cigarette lighter/car charger which we discovered half way into a forested national park with no phone reception and a dead GPS. Oh yes, the Garmin came from the car company too and for a fee of almost $120! With no way to charge the Sat nav or find my way (driving and reading a map not advisable- how did folks do this before technology?) I ventured to the nearest Tesco (Wal*mart of the UK) to find a home charger for the Garmin but not before spending some time at Ireland’s tallest waterfall in Powerscourt. This little stop is just outside Dublin in county Wicklow.

Powerscourt Falls

Powerscourt Falls are part of larger grounds that include a posh hotel and golf course. Follow the infamous brown tourist signs to the falls (especially if your GPS is broken) and park in the large car park which is free however, there is a small admission fee upon entering the falls area.

Powerscourt Hotel sits up high and you can relax in the restaurant having tea whilst feeling like you are in the clouds. Cool.

Next stop is Wicklow National Park. If you have seen the movie PS. I love You, you will recognize some of the scenery as part of the film set. (Keep reading to learn how this trip became more and more like the film. I pulled the Irish band leader, we got stuck on a boat in the middle of a lake....)

 Be sure to check out the old monstatic settlement near Glendough!

Headed south to Waterford (this is a great little stopping point to have lunch and then onwards to Cork. Waterford is the oldest medieval city in Ireland. You can tell by all the Vikings displays. Wander around the town (reminds me of Newport, Wales –see story Casnewydd, Wales Dec 2011) and check out all the gothic and medieval architecture. Learn the role the Vikings played in the history of Waterford. 

Blarney castle was next on the list. Climbing the castle in pursuit of the Gift of Gab. Make your way to the top of Blarney Castle up the winding stone staircase (not for the faint of heart or claustrophobics) and reach the famous Blarney Stone. You can queue up to kiss it for the gift of gab but this requires you lay on your back whilst someone holds your feet and you hang upside to pucker up. Personally, I went through the motions for a picture but didn’t care to get my lips anywhere near that overly slobbery slab of limestone. Just hanging upside down a hundred feet in the air was enough for me! The castle has many rooms to explore on your way up and great views of the town of Blarney from the top. Want a darker adventure? To the bat cave then! Blarney castle was built on a cliff to ward off enemies and has a secret passage that runs underneath the castle and leads out to Badger’s Cave. Don’t leave without seeing the rest of the castle grounds. There is much to see and do from the Round tower, to the poison garden (who knew rhubarb was toxic?) and even the rock path- lookout for the Witches Stone. Don't worry the witch only comes out at night and the castle is closed after dark!

"Kissing" the Blarney Stone

Blarney Castle

Have fun stormin' the Castle!

Forest of Dean

Want to be one with Mother Nature? Looking for some quiet and peaceful time amongst the flora and fauna? Then the Forest of Dean is the place to be!

Iron Ore Clearwell Caves are said to be 4,000 years old! These natural caves cover 600 acres with miles of passageways so (put on good sturdy shoes or wellies, as some of the caverns might be slippery) and explore! It’s MIGHTY big so claustrophobia should not be too bad for those who suffer but it is still a cave. They do offer a deep tour if pre-booked. The regular tour is a self-guided so take your time and enjoy. Lights in the caverns are motion detective but if you want to bring your own torch (flashlight for the Americans reading this), I recommend so to see in the little nooks and crannies. The deep tours go 600 feet below the earth, the regular tour only goes about 100 feet below surface. It took approximately one hour to walk through (and by George, we didn’t lose anyone!)

 Begin by visiting the Miner's museum first, then make your way to the cool (get it?  50°F/10 °C) caverns. Temperature is the same all year round (like the rest of England-cold and damp). Check out the frozen waterfall and the human “skeleton” at the underground lake. Open from 10-5pm Feb- November. The cost is £6.50 per person. FREE parking in large carpark. Be sure to stay on the pathways as er….well, um…let’s just say it’s safer…Do look out for Ol’ Mon, the ghost of the caverns. I poked my head in everywhere I could, but never saw him…

If after you visit the Clearwell Caves, pop across the road for FREE admittance (if show your Cave tickets) to the Secret Gardens. Entry here is £3 and on an honour system if no one at the ticket window. Frolic through the magical woods that gave Tolkien inspiration for The Hobbit  and Lord of the Rings. Keep your eye out for the forest creatures as you’ll see miniature doors and houses all along the moss covered rocks, tangled vines and gorgeous untamed scenery. You’ll believe you left Earth as you know it and entered Fangorn itself.

Emerging from the eerie forest, don’t pass on the Iron Village. Here you can see how people lived in round houses those centuries ago. Watch out for wild boars!

Another great place in the Forest of Dean is Puzzlewood . Doctor Who, Arthur and Merlin were filmed here. This too, is a place of magical woodlands and mazes. www.puzzlewood.net

Where to stay? That’s easy. A quick ride from all this excitement brings you to Bracelands Campsites. Where you can pitch a tent, park an RV or for those of you who don’t like to camp (*raises hand*) prebook the log cabins (some even come with a hot tub). What better way to relax after trekking through forests and dusty caves all day? If you're wanting a quick jaunt near the camp; try the River Wye tour. You'll be surprised just how close you are to Wales when crossing the river!

Getting Lost in the Gardens

Cornwall ~ Looking for an adventure in an ancient forest? Who wouldn’t want to get lost in a woodland that looks like it has been kissed by fairies? Dinna fash (Don’t fret), you don’t have to travel far. You don’t even have to leave England! Where is this you ask? Why, The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall of course.

Both the Lost Gardens of Heligan and The Eden Project were developed (or redeveloped as in the case of the lost gardens) by the same man.

The lost gardens have been around before the USA was officially a country, the lady of the house we stayed in told us. Locals had been walking through it for over 200 years, but wasn’t until Sir Timothy Smit reconstructed parts that it became open to the public to stroll around in. (In my opinion, the Lost Gardens were waaaaaay better than Eden and worth the long trip).

The Mud Maid on Woodland Walk

Giant's Head on the Woodland Walk

The fee for the Lost Gardens and much of its history can be found here on the website with its opening hours as they change throughout the year:
http://heligan.com/the-story

100 acres of woodlands, meadows and gardens to see; will take you quite a while to conquer. Plan to spend at least one full day there or more to see everything. Take the Georgian Ride to the Lost Valley...

 and find adventures in places that still look like when dinosaurs roamed the earth...

The Jungle

Happy Adventures in the Lost Gardens!

Norfolk, UK

No not in Virginia but rather the United Kingdom- England to be exact. Not far from my birth place is a place called Norfolk. Interesting sorts up that way and sights to see (if you can get the locals to understand your accent and give you directions).

Happisburgh Lighthouse in Happisburgh on the North Norfolk coast is the only independently operated lighthouse in Great Britain. It is also the oldest working lighthouse in East Anglia.

We drove around for ages trying to locate this lighthouse and the shopkeeper took the mickey out of me American accent for mispronouncing the name of it but still figured out what I was looking for because I pointed to it on a map in his shop and surprised him.

Me: We're trying to find HAPPYS - BURGH Lighthouse
Male shopkeeper (raises his eyebrow): You mean HAYS- BROUGH Lighthouse
Me: Um, okay whatever, yeah..this one (points to it on map)
Male shopkeeper (rolls eyes at tourist): Well to get to HAYS-BOUGH  (he over pronounces this for effect I still think he's saying HAYS BRA) is three miles up the road. Good luck (and I'm sure he meant get out of my shop if you're no going to buy this map).
Me: thank ye and good day. (Clicks heels together and leaves shop.)

**This post is dedicated especially to my mum because she loves lighthouses. I hope she appreciates the trouble I've gone to. LOL. Now I understand why my mum had such a difficult time communicating with the northern folks when she and my Da lived here.

Eden

Cornwall - lands’end...or rather the ends of the island for England (the southwestern part anyway). Looking for an adventure in a tropical jungle? Or perhaps Mediterranean experience? Who wouldn’t want to get lost in a woodland that looks like it has be kissed by fairies? Dinna fash (Don’t fret), you dinna have to travel far. You don’t even have to leave England! Where is this you ask? Why, The Lost Gardens and Eden Project in Cornwall of course.

Both the Lost Gardens of Heligan and The Eden Project were developed (or redeveloped as in the case of the lost gardens) by the same man. (See Getting Lost in the Gardens blog post).

Eden Project http://www.edenproject.com/ was constructed in the late 20th century and remains to this day a conservation project which they constantly add to, by gifts donated to the charity. If you were there in 1999 then there will most definitely be something you have missed and need to see. Whether it’s the beautiful Mediterranean biome (these remind me of the film BioDome with actor Pauly Shore), or the hot and humid Tropical Rainforest Biome that’s about 85-90°F (don’t worry there is cooling hut for those who overheat); you’ll enjoy a walk through the wild side. Keep an eye out for the frogs and other insects (dinna fash there isn’t anything harmful inside- except the jaguar)…

Spotted the jaguar yet?

A great place to learn about the Eco system and just how fragile our Earth really is. For children there is a learning centre (hosts the world’s largest nut cracker inside- totally fun to play with). Meet the Mud Lady, a giant bumble bee and other garden sculptures dotted around the park. You’ll see plenty of flowers and herb gardens and learn what common medicines are made from if you pay attention to the descriptions near the plants.

Approximately 30 acres of gardens and biomes; whilst I planned for an entire day, you should be able to cover Eden in half a day. Don’t miss out on the train ride through Eden, you can see from the very top of Eden the entire quarry turned into gardens.

Want more excitement? Try riding the zip line over a rainforest Superman style. The zip line course is open 15 minutes after Eden itself opens. The last ride is 30 minutes before Eden closes. Fee is about £15 in addition to the cost of £24 to enter Eden. However, if you choose to stay nearby and walk in to the park, you get £4 off for walking and not parking- Go Green!

Places to eat: 
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g528862-d2392559-r219530129-The_Britannia_Inn_Waves_Restaurant-Par_St_Austell_Cornwall_England.html#REVIEWS

Thrills and chills

The "cattle shoots" behind me show you how long the queues can be!

Thorpe Park- one of England's finest rollar coaster theme parks. Located about an hour from Reading/London it's easy to access by car. The cost to get into the park is an Arm and a Leg (£50 per person!) but the cost to leave the park (car parking fee) is £5. Surely, you would think that after paying £100 per couple they would let you leave for free, but no.There isn't any money making scheme in that. I would highly advise you purchase your ticket online a few days before going. It will save you money (£35) and then you won't have to que for an hour to get in the park!

Once in the park, enjoy several large coasters. My favourite was the Stealth. This seated coaster goes from 0- 80 mph in less than 2 seconds then loops you around and brings you back to where you started. Keep your eyes open when you reach the top of the loop and look straight down 200 feet into the water nearby..YIKES!

They've just recently opened Angry Birds park at Thorpe Park, so if that's your thing (or not- as I personally am not a fan) try it out; you'll probably have a good time. The 4D adventure was great, but it scared several little kiddies. So do beware.

There are three major water rides at this park, but also a sandy "beach" and wave rider if you want to try your hand at surfing. So pack your swimsuit or keep it handy for these activities. Should you forget or don't want to spend the day wet? The park offers giant dryers for £1. You just hop in the stall, get blown away and come out dry! Good for chilly days.

Don't forget to ride the carousel!

There are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat so no need to pack a picnic. In fact, you will find a massive food court upon first entering the park. There are several other places dotted around the park to munch as well. Most take credit/debt cards, some cash only. You'll find something to eat I promise, should you want pizza, BBQ or even Mexican. Let's not forget the day isn't completed until you've had a waffle with ice cream. Now don't toss your cookies, but go enjoy the park!

Next on the list, Alton Towers. The UK's LARGEST theme park! Stay tuned...

Holland

Okay, so I get that this blog is known as Adventures in the UK and this post is about Holland (clearly not in the UK unless your geography is as poor as my friend JD's...you already know that) but as I'm having these adventures whilst living in the UK; I thought it suitable enough to add.

Reviews from Amsterdam:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/members-citypage/VawnK/g227906

Stormin' the Castle

Perhaps storm at the castle is a better description of the trip to Warwick castle experienced. Round about tea time a hail storm moved upon the castle but didn't dampen our spirits. This was apparently very odd weather for England, so onward men! 

Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from an original built by William the Conqueror in 914 A.D. and is situated on a bend of the River Avon in Warwickshire. The castle and grounds have now been open to tourists which flock there in great numbers. Are you ready for Dungeons and Dragons? Warwick has both. Just purchase tickets at the door upon arrival.

 The dungeon tour is just under an hour and well worth it. It's not for the faint of heart, or those with epilepsy or expectant mothers..no one wants to deliver a baby in the dark, dank prisons. Interact with the actors and actresses as they tell you of all the gory details down in the depths of the dungeon.

Seek out Merlin in the Dragon Tower. But don't be late or your tour guide will start without you! Be transported to the heart of Camelot to discover the secrets that are hidden deep inside the Tower before your encounter with the Great Dragon himself. 

Not up for the additional costs? No worries, there is plenty of free stuff to see once inside the castle. Watch the world's largest working trebuchet launch REAL fireballs! Wander around the courtyard seeking out the flocks of peacocks. Or perhaps you've always wanted to fly a bird? If falconry is your thing, then catch the Flight of the Eagles show (every day from 5^th April). If quiet is more your style, check out the 64 acres of landscaped gardens ie. The Peacock and Rose gardens. Wander through the Great Hall and lavish stately rooms.

Climb the 500 steps that walk you around the castle walls to the highest towers of the castle! Enjoy overlooking the city of Warwick from the castle top. (Be mindful the castle walls are closed during the falconry show- as those birds fly to the tops of the towers).

Still haven't had enough? Right. What's a castle trip with out a jousting match? Go down to the Pageant fields to watch silly boys on horseback with sticks running at each other at full speed.

(“It's called a lance ...Hellooo”-A Knight's Tale).

Hear the thunder of hooves and the crack of the lance as the UK's fastest and most skilled brave knights battle live every day in the summer from mid- July to 31^st of August.

Bow man shows everyday. Try your luck with arrows and fire a real bow along the outer walls.

Too much to squeeze into one day or perhaps you want to stay longer? Only kings and queens get to live in the castle all peasants must camp outside the walls. Extend your adventure with Medieval Glamping, the tents are huge!

http://www.warwick-castle.com/

Whatever you're into, there's bound to be a little something for everyone. This year the castle celebrates it's 1100^th Anniversary and they are certainly celebrating! Go and join in on the fun!