Geo: 54.2801, -0.402401Scarborough was always a resort we came to for a day trip when I was a child. Later when my parents retired there, we used to take both our kids there too. My daughter still thinks of Scarborough whenever she hears seagulls as here they must be the loudest in the world. The hotel we stayed in was surprisingly good and had a lovely large modern bedroom with a huge bathroom ( Londesborough room). Breakfast was freshly cooked to order and there was no microwave or tinned mushrooms involved, but instead a huge plate of everything you could think of. The fried bread which I never get at home was particularly good. The waitress also remembered that we like lemon and honey with our tea. It was so nice to once more be able ... read more

Geo: 53.1896, -1.61355For the first 2 days of our "staycation", we returned to the Peacock hotel in Rowsley. This was our third visit, the reason being that we were having a reunion of retired medical friends we had known for a long time. As people were coming from all over the country this was a central meeting place. Also the hotel has two private dining rooms as well as the main dining room and this suited our need for seating 10 on the first night and 14 on the second. The rooms are nicely furnished but the bathrooms are small. However it is an old inn set in lovely countryside and the owners are very friendly and helpful. We were greeted with a pot of complimentary tea which we took in the garden. The food is ... read more

Geo: 42.5245, 3.08232The drive from Rognonas to Collioure takes approx 3 hours. We were staying at the villa of friends Ann & Ian whom we picked up 2 days later from Perpignan airport. Collioure is a very attractive seaside town which once was a major attraction for Matisse and Derain because of it's light and picturesque views. Our first foray was around the harbour and by the Royal Palace. In the main square there were crowds of people and we ended up watching several lively dances by people in local costume, which was an unexpected surprise. There are many little side streets in Collioure full of art and gift shops and a multitude of restaurants , many overlooking the sea. Our first meal was at the Amphyteriyon. The food was good and we had a view ... read more

Geo: 44.0563, 4.83163A trip to Chateauneuf-du-pape is a must for wine lovers. Most of the town is given over to caves for the sampling thereof. First we visited the Chateau after which it is named but this is just a remnant of old wall so not much to see. Sometimes they have exhibitions on but not when we visited. There is ample free carparking so it is possible to park there and walk down into town, where it is difficult to park. Having purchased our wine we drove out of town to the Hostellerie du Chateau des Fines Roches, a beautiful hotel set up among the vineyards. Here we had a magnificent lunch out on the terrace with very good service. There were 22 and 27 euro menus and the wine was also not expensive.Once again ... read more

Geo: 43.7885, 4.83167St.Remy is always worth a visit because of it's nice shops and side streets. I tried to find the house that Van Gogh painted but am not sure whether I did as the buildings have changed somewhat since his day. After lunch in the Cafe de la Place which serves huge salads and a very good rose wine we drove a short distance out of town to the Cloitre St.Paul. This was the Mental hospital to which Van Gogh voluntarily committed himself. There are lots of reproductions of his paintings but also some original photos and descriptions of the daily life of the hospital, which was very regimented and not too pleasant for the in mates. However Van Gogh was allowed a spare room to use as a studio while he was there and ... read more