Summer 2010

Again this Summer its off to Switzerland for a weeks holiday. Stayed in Zurich last time and going back to Zurich and staying again in an Apartment. Switzerland has a reputation of being a bit expensive but the organised Swiss has a useful website of small Guesthouse and Apartments. Some of the accomodation is in the most beautiful Swiss Chalets. We will be staying in a modern Apartment just a tram ride to the City Centre and Train Station. www.bnb.ch is the useful website if you want to stay in Switzerland and get great value. We havnt decided where to go on day trips and there are so many to choose from anyhow. Have said it before but Switzerland has a fantastic integrated transport network of modern and old trains, buses, trams, cable cars and boats. The best value is getting a weekly Swiss Pass and then you can hop on and off and you can travel the entire country in about 2 hours. The best places to visit are often the tiny little villages and mountain resorts. The travelling is nearly as enjoyable as the final destination.

Tibidabo

This is the Amusment Park in Barcelona. its over 100 years old. It has a great view of Barcelona. And for the transport enthusiast its a delightful way to spend an afternoon. If you are in Barcelona on the right day the park is reached by Bus, then the old fashioned Blue tram, them a Funicular and then the amusements are ll quite old and one ride in particular looks like a very old plane from the 1920's. Even at the park there is another extra viewing point. The church at the top of this hill has a tower and they have installed a lift for an even better view. All these lifts and trams add up. To go on all 4 would cost about 10 euro, well worth it for the transport buff and then its another 20 euro in to the amusements. I imagine in Summer it would be packed full of children and adults having a great day on the rides, eating and drinking. One day I hope to return and go on some of the rides and particularly the blue Tram.

Barcelona

Just back a week from 5 days in Spain. Stayed in a resort, Santa Susanna. This was the first package holiday I've been on in a while. The package included a few Coach trips to Barcelona, Gerona and Montserrat. Also went on the train twice into Barcelona, it was a pleasant trip along the coast and took just over an hour and brought us straight into the centre of Barcelona near Las Ramblas. The tours went O.K. but they were all rushed and we found ourselves home very early and it would have been better to do our own trips by train. Went by coach to Montserrat and here the coach driver and guide told us we had to return home at 3.00 and we were back in the hotel at 4.30. We could have spent a few more hours going down on thr rack railway to the town a few km away.
In Barcelona found another Restaurant with a great view of the City. Its in the very Centre at Place de a Cataluna on the top floor of Cortez de Ingles Department Store. They had 3 Cafes and Restaurants to choose from with fantastic views and reasonable food. Pity there was no open air Cafe.
There was another great viewing place at the Amusment Park up on the hills of Barcelona at Parc d'Atracciones Tibidabo.
We hopped on a bus no. 58 I think which brought us up to where the Blue Tram runs at week ends and in Summer. Unfortunately it was not running so I had to get a bus up to another old Funicular which speeds you up to the park. In Winter the parks amusments are mostly closed but you could get something to eat and take in the great views of the whole of Barcelona below.
(First photo is the rack Railway at Montserrat. Second is one of the Funiculars in the same mountain top, and finally the Roof top Restuarant in the centre of Barcelona. )