Blogs from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Sometimes you just strike lucky! The weather turned out to be perfect and the Cleethorpes air show was fantastic. The Battle of Britain Memorial flight were, of course, wonderful but as usual, the Red Arrows stole the show!!... read more

Nipping to Cleethorpes is not traveling, in the wider sense but taking a trip out of a land-locked city to the nearest north east coastal town. It’s about taking a chance – on weather, light, emotions, friendships, whether your boots are water proof, if you are hungry – quite possibly anything but the biggest factor is being open to the possibility of feeling free. If all these things come together – the result is pure gold. Cleethorpes now signifies that possibility for one friend and I – it’s a chance of soul-rinsing. You see, you never know what you will find when you get there and – in the fading English Winter light, you can find it all. It’s all there. On the platform at Sheffield station, slipping in with the crowds waiting for the same ... read more

Last week, we talked about needing to see the sea and the big sky of a coastline and to feel the open elements. We have been feeling land-locked. So, we talked about the nearest coastal place to travel to by train and came up with Cleethorpes. Which is how we arrived here today on a whim, through a brief five minute conversation, a thought, an idea - a choice. Cleethorpes is all new to me. And, the surprise on exiting the small train station, crossing the road, walking straight onto the long expanse of barren beach, faced by 4 old donkeys, a pier, the sea in the distance and a long long horizon against a porcelain blus sky poured great joy into me and I knew instantly the day was going to be good. May I ... read more

So it is getting really close now, 3 weeks and 6 days!! The nerves are kicking in but thankfully the excitement overpowers it. I had a little panic a few days ago after going through my papers. I realised that the flight times overlapped on the journey home. I called the Cosmos and they said it was a massive mistake and that they will sort it out for me. I wanted to doublecheck my flight to Heathrow was ok so i called BMI only to be told it had been cancelled in April!!! I wasnt happy, when were they going to let me know???! So after about 45 mins of panicking anf worrying whether my dream holiday would even happen, Cosmos called back. The lovely lady told me that everything was all sorted. I was now ... read more

So a little update to tell you that my trips are booked! There are a couple of other short trips i am thinking of taking but i am still unsure about them at the moment. I arrive in San Fracisco on the Wednesday so figured i would spend the next 2 days exploring. On the FridayI have booked to do the night tour of Alcatraz, i hear it is the most complete tour and the views of the bay will be amazing. I leave San Fran Sunday afternoon so I have plenty of time to see the sealion on Pier 39 and perhaps visit the Aquarium. I would like to sample Dim Sum in Chinatown and maybe brave an oyster in one of the famous Oyster bars on Fishermans wharf...just one though and chased with a ... read more