Day out in Cambridge today. Delayed start while we waited for the rain to stop and when we headed out it was with raincoats and an umbrella. We had decided to use the Park and Ride into the city as parking costs at £25+ prohibitive. We discovered later that the area round the main, Grand Parade carpark was gridlocked with queues of cars entering and leaving so a great decision. Instead we drove a couple of miles to the Park and Ride into the city and left Smart Arse in the carpark there. Did hesitate to take the bus as after all we have been avoiding close contact with people for last 18 months but most passengers on the bus were wearing masks. Lets hope the lady sitting across from Bob who was not was not ... read more

Had to get up a little earlier today as taxi driver was picking us up outside reception so after a superb breakfast (The Sahara Star does a wonderful selection) we wandered outside and he appeared as if by magic. We had to head right down to the Gateway of India which we visited last time as that’s where the boats go to the island. So along the fantastic road built out into the bay on stilts to get clear of the main city traffic. As the road is 4 lanes and then goes to 2 it does have a bit of a traffic jam at either end but undoubtedly quicker than the stop, start clog of traffic by any other route. Then across to the other side of the pointy bit at the bottom of Mumbai ... read more

A leisurely start to the day as our flight to Mumbai was not until mid-afternoon so plenty of time for breakfast and to pack. We’ve got quite good at packing having had two room moves in the 3 hotels we’ve stopped in. As a result my suitcase in particular really is a pretty dreadful mess. This not helped by a small spillage of Douwe Egberts coffee grains out of our emergency drink supply pot. Hope everything doesn’t get stained coffee coloured when I put the washing in when we get home. It is unusual to have coffee grains on one’s knickers but at least none have landed on my white suntops. As it happens we haven’t needed the hot drink supplies at all this trip as all the hotels have been generous with drink supplies but ... read more

oday we had a plan. To scooter down the coast to where there is a big river inlet at Betul. We were wondering if this is the part of Goa we stayed in 1997 as I have a distinct memory of stepping outside the hotel on the last day and realising there was a very new and smart “cottages” in the grounds sort of hotel next door and a river with signs about water sports. Which we had had no idea of while we were staying there. As Betul is on one side of a river estuary it looked like a good place to look but we have since concluded it was most probably somewhere in North Goa where we stayed before as can find nothing we remember. Not helped by the fact I know our ... read more

Another pre-crack of dawn start checking out of the hotel at 5am for our flight at 6.50 to Mumbai, The drive to the airport was much quicker than coming in when we were held up in a couple of places by big trucks. Straight through on the super dual carriageway / highway to the airport. Well it would be super if it were not half under construction most of the way. The sort of road that will quite probably never be finished. Seem so many like it in Asia ! Easy check-in and arrived on time in Mumbai. As senior looking citizens we were offered a lift on the ‘golf buggy’ at arrivals and accepted as we know how far one has to walk through Mumbai and walkways are few and far between. We had 3 ... read more