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Category: FEATURED CONTENT

England Grand Tour (2021): Day 10: A London Sunday ‘Wellcome’

9 July 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

Today began with a well executed and Covid-compliant breakfast at the ‘Hilton Ken’, as we had taken to calling it. Bruce and I both opted for a slimmed-down cooked option.

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 9: And so to London

8 July 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

We hit the jackpot with this morning’s breakfast, which was at The Coffee Shop in tiny Sherfield on Loddon. The venue turned out to be a lovely, welcoming place attached

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 8: When visiting Surrey, best not be in a hurry

6 July 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

Off to Guildford We drove into Hook and had breakfast at an independent coffee shop there, agreeing afterwards that it had been nothing special. After briefly returning to Tylney Hall

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 7: G & Tea

2 July 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

Off to Bombay Once again, the day started with an inclusive breakfast at the Hilton. Today’s plan was to have it at 9am and to eat something closer to a

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 6: Portsmouth

30 June 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

The day started with an inclusive breakfast at the Hilton, which made a nice change from coffee-shop fare. We had beautifully clear blue skies for our day trip to Portsmouth,

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 5: Winchester and More

29 June 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

Onwards to Winchester Today’s breakfast was at Caffè Nero on Marlborough’s High Street, after which it was back to the Premier Inn for showers and packing. Our next destination was

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 4: All Change!

29 June 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

I’m flying – I remember this! We had our Covid-style Holiday Inn Express breakfast, then packed, checked out and caught a Tyne & Wear Metro train to Newcastle Airport. Today

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 3: From Durham back to Newcastle

17 June 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

Farewell walk in Durham Sunday started with another ‘Nero’ breakfast, following which we returned to the hotel for showers and packing. When ready, we headed out for a final Durham

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 2: Getting Reacquainted with Durham

17 June 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, UK

Before lunch We had breakfast at the local branch of Caffè Nero, a few minutes’ walk away via Elvet Bridge and the Market Place. In due course, we set out

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England Grand Tour (2021): Day 1: First Border Crossing and Hotel Stay of the Year!

17 June 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, England, Europe, Scotland, UK

Edinburgh – Newcastle – Durham I left my flat shortly before 1130, bound initially for Edinburgh’s West End tram stop. I had my rollaboard in tow, unbelievably out for its

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England Grand Tour (2021): Introduction

17 June 2021 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Intro, England, Europe, UK

For a pair of committed globetrotters such as myself and my Bristol-based friend Bruce, the first four months of 2021 constituted a horrible period. We may not have realised at

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Featured Flight BA633 (ATH-LHR)

30 January 2021 RandR.scot Featured Flight

FLIGHT DATA for BA633 Date: 09 Oct 2020 Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 ‘Dreamliner’ (G-STBH) From: Athens (ATH) To: London Heathrow (LHR) Scheduled departure: 1955 (EEST) Actual departure: 1947 Scheduled arrival: 2145

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September 2020: Return to the Skies

1 November 2020 RandR.scot Miscellaneous

You might well think that my successful North of England jaunt would have satsfied my travel addiction for a few weeks to come, but you’d be wrong. With a successful

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July 2020: Back on Track

16 September 2020 RandR.scot Miscellaneous

As Scotland began a staged transition into Lockdown Easing (Phase 3) from the middle of July, my first travel priority was to venture outside my own local area of Edinburgh

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Lounge decor

Japan in Winter (2020): Diary Epilogue

9 August 2020 RandR.scot Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry

While the main part of the trip was over at this point, it would take another four days for me to make my fairly leisurely way back to Edinburgh. Saturday

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Ice sculpture

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 6: Last full day in Sapporo

8 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Today, like Thursday before it, was neatly subdivided into three sections. After sampling a McDonalds breakfast (which, if anything, was marginally better than the previous day’s Starbucks experience), we set

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Sapporo Beer Museum

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 5: Getting to know Sapporo

5 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Morning … Today started with breakfast at a local Starbucks – the coffee was nice enough, but the food wasn’t so great. After a brief return to the room to

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A temple in Sapporo

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 4: Onwards to Sapporo

3 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Morning relocation Today began with another fabulous, private-dining breakfast – just as good as the previous day’s, but tinged with a feeling of regret that we were about to leave

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