On 14 November 1940 the launched 'Coventrate'. The target was to destroy the city of Coventry. As well as killing over 800 people it destroyed various areas of the city. The most famous building destroyed was the Cathedral Church of St. Michael. Dating from the 14th century all that remained was the shell of the cathedral.
The new cathedral was designed by Basil Spence. He decided against rebuilding the destroyed cathedral but build the new one along side. The new cathedral was consecrated on 25 May 1962.
Walking around the ruins on a cold Sunday morning gave off a eerie atmosphere. However, rather than left feeling sad I was left feeling hopeful. The theme of the ruins is reconciliation. Did you know that during World War II Coventry became a twin city with Stalingrad in solidarity with the Red Army defending the city. One of the items worth seeing inside the ruins is the wooden cross.
Originally constructed from two wooden beams that were found lying on the floor a replica is now on permanent display. There is another cross made from three nails from the original roof. Another cross of nails was sent to the Kaiser Wihelm Memorial Church in Berlin as a act of reconciliaton.
Overall the cathedral is worth spending time to visit. A good place to come and gather your thoughts.
In terms of travel 2013 was an excellent year for me. I felt that I had become a proper traveller. This gave me a sense of achievement which was added to the growth of the blog.
2013 saw me undertake two trips in Europe. In March I visited Vienna and Budapest. Despite the weather being cold I had an amazing time. While both cities had come up to my expectations, I was particually taken by Budapest. The city had a faded charm to it and I was left wanting more.
Zentralfriedhoff, Vienna
National Day, Budapest
However, the main highlight of 2013 was the trip to the Balkans in September. I was lucky that work allowed me to take three weeks off work. It was also my first multi-country trip too. I enjoyed the constant travelling and experiencing different hostels. The people I met along the way was also a bonus. For the first time I felt like a traveller. This trip changed me and the smile has still to leave my face.
SplitDubrovnik
Mostar Sarajevo BelgradeLjubljana Zagreb
I am looking forward to 2014. In my head I have more trips planned which I will announce soon in a future post. If it is half as good as 2013 I will be a happy man.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
At the start of the year I set myself a target of 10 things that I wanted to do in 2013. So, how did it go for me?
Purchase the domain name for the blog – this did not happen. A must for 2014.
Take better photographs – I have received positive comments about some of my photos. I also feel that my photography has improved.
Spend at least two hours a day on the blog or travel planning – To be honest I did tend to drop in and out of the blog. Need to spend more time on the blog in order to get more out of it. Better time management is in order.
Start making contact with my fellow bloggers – I did manage to make contact with some of my fellow bloggers and have established some good relationships with them. Of course, I need to put myself out more by offering to put out guest post.
Start introducing myself to the travel industry – Simply put it did not happen this year. Maybe, it was a case of holding myself back in case fear of refusal. More courage is needed.
Attend a trade show – This did not happen though I did attend the Destinations Show courtesy of Tucan Travel.
Explore my local area more – Started to do this more. Also visited more of the UK as well. Will continue to do this more in 2014.
Make more contact with local people – This has been a success as I have been staying in smaller hostels. These are tended to be run by local people. They give you the places to go away from the tourist crowds. The kindest people I encountered was in Belgrade.
Sort out my travel finances – I did not save regularly though I had enough money for my travels. I do however, need to budget more.
Upgrade my travel tech – I did upgrade my iPad to the iPad 4 64GB. I am not a full time travel blogger so it is more than enough for my needs. I will add a keyboard in the new year. I have also just recently purchased the iPhone 5C, blue 32GB.
I think I will give myself 5 out 10. I will be publishing my 10 things to do in 2014 before the year is out.
Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
I have to say that I loved my time in Split. There is so much to see and do there. It is not just the history or architecture, it is also about the people as well.
Split was the first stop on my trip so I was looking forward to going there. It has been over 25 years since I had visited the old Yugoslavia so I was interested to see how it compared today.
I was lucky that my hostel was a ten minute walk from the old town. Split dates back to Roman times with Diocletian's Palace being the main highlight. This is something that is played especially at midday with the parade of the Roman Guards through the Peristyle.
Crowds waiting for the parade to start.
One of the best ways to explore Split and the surrounding areas is to hire a bicycle for the afternoon. It was so relaxing going at your own pace. It is a excellent way of getting to the beach.
When you have had enough of the history one of the other pleasures I found was to walk along the marina. Split is used as the starting point for sailing around the islands that surround Croatia. I also noticed that along the path the plagues dedicated to all the Olympic Medalists from Croatia.
I only eaten at one restaurant in Split and that was the Fife (pronounced fi-fe). It had been recommended by the hostel owner Josko and also by Trip Advisor. It is popular because the food is excellent and is of good value too. The nightlife in Split is also excellent with plenty of small bars that open to late. You cannot fail to have a good time in Split.
To sum up, Split is a great place to visit for a weekend or a starting point to tour the rest of Croatia. I am already looking forward to returning back there soon.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep on smiling.
Today I felt like a real traveller as I was leaving for Dubrovnik. I had enjoyed my time in Split and the hostel. I felt sad not being able to say goodbye to Josko. Having arrived at the coach station I was greeted by a scene of organised chaos. So many people looking to leave by coach. Got on my coach though was shocked to having to pay to put my luggage in the hold.
The journey itself started with no problems. However, by the afternoon the weather had turned. I could see the lightning hovering above the coach and soon after the heavens opened. I had not seen rain like this in a long while. It was that bad the local police closed the main road and the coach was diverted through a single track village. This delayed the coach. I arrived into Dubrovnik nearly two hours late. The journey though did have some highlights, namely the stunning views when the weather was good.
View from the coach
When I arrived into the hostel I think Neno the owner was a little annoyed with me arriving so late. However, he did not show it. The hostel itself was underground which meant it felt cool and it was only about 200 metres from the old town.
I went into the old town for a bite to eat. Back at the hostel I was enjoying the company of the the other travellers. We were listening to music and playing games. It was like the United Nations with America, Belgium, UK, Germany and Uruguay being represented. I was enjoying myself. This is why against my better judgement I was persuaded to go clubbing. It was an experience that ultimately left me cold. The night had started out alright. We were drinking in the Irish bars. I noticed that the menu in one bar was offering Chicken Nuggets. In a town full of restaurants they appeared not to be trying.
The night started to turn with the introduction of vodka. One of the party had smuggled in a bottle and proceeded to empty into our glasses. Fortunately someone brought some 7up to dilute the taste. We made our way to the nightclub. There one of the party (not me) seemed to lose control of themself. The atmosphere inside the club did not feel right. I was glad to leave.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
An early start to the trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park. The highlight of this trip for me will be going under a waterfall. I am not sure about jumping into a pool. All of this I believe is strictly illegal. However, Josko knows a way of doing this without getting caught.
The weather looked beautiful as we pulled away from the hostel. The scenery looked stunning. I was looking forward to this despite worrying about the cost. To reach the park it will take about three hours so I took the opportunity to get forty winks.
As I woke up the van was about to enter a tunnel. Once we came out the other side the weather had changed. It looked colder and it was now raining. We were climbing into the mountains. Wearing a t-shirt and shorts does not seem a good idea anymore. Once we arrived it was obvious that the group were looking like a bunch of unprepared tourists. I was fortunate to purchase a waterproof poncho from Poundland before I left the UK. While it felt cold once we started to move it soon started to warm up.
Me & my poncho
The park itself is beautiful. With all the waterfalls and mountains it simply took my breath away. There were plenty of photo opportunities. Even if we looked a little foolish with our posing. The park itself was popular with visitors despite the weather. So progress along the paths was slow. There was a crossing of the lake by boat which gave us the chance to rest our legs.
Natural Posing
When we reached the other side Josko took us to one side. Our fun was about to start here. First stop was the waterfall. There were no park rangers around which Josko saw as a good sign. We then reached the waterfall. The instruction was to remove your shoes and run into the waterfall where Josko would take a photo and we would run straight out. It was too cold to remove the shirt. It was a experience to tick off the bucket list. Sadly, no photo ever turned up.
Next up was the jump into the lake. I declined due to not being a good enough swimmer. Last thing I wanted was to drown especially as we were technically breaking the law.
After everybody had dried off we took a bus that took us to the caves. Every time I have travelled I always pack a torch but never felt the need to use it. That is until now. The cave experience was good. We carried on walking where we had one last chance for a photo opportunity that took my breath away.
Inside the caves
We left the park in mid-afternoon. After a hearty weel deserved lunch we made our way to the town of Knin. The main sight is the castle which was held by the Serbs during the war. Josko's mood changed when we got there. He was not as jolly. It was the reminder I needed that while the war had finished nearly twenty years ago, the scars will take a long time to heal.
The walls of Knin Castle
We arrived back at the hostel at around 7pm. The weather had turned, you could feel the thunder and lightning in the air. A group of us wanted some beer and snacks to enjoy back at the hostel. As we were on our way to the store the heavens opened. It rained hard and I was soon looking like a drowned rat. The things I will do for a beer. Overall, it was an excellent final day in Split. Tomorrow I leave for Dubrovnik.
Beautiful. The backdrop, not me.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
This week's photo is another one taken on my visit to Split.
One of the greatest pleasures I have in travel just wandering around a new town. Sometimes it leads me nowhere, other times I end up in small alleyways like this. As you can see there is nothing particular happening in the photo. However, I just felt the need to take the photo.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
There was a late start to the day. The past couple of days have been hectic. The hostel served breakfast which consisted of scrambled eggs and zucchini fritters. It was tasty and well worth the wait. My plan was to explore the town and make my way towards the market.
The sun was still out so it was right to enjoy the day. Split is a small city so it was easy to explore. There were plenty of opportunities to take photos.
The edge of the market.Outside of the palace wallThe Croatian National TheaterThe Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace
Off course it was the perfect opportunity to enjoy the first gelato of the trip. Today I had Jaffa flavour. That's chocolate and orange to you and me.
Umm, Jaffa flavour
By the mid-afternoon I was starting to flag. Time to get back to the hostel for a quick nap. After waking up I decided I was going to stay in for the night. Josko was cooking a meal for us so it felt right to take things easy. Josko also mentioned that he was planning to take a group of us to the national park. I had heard so much about this from both Josko and Charles. Without too much thought I said yes. I knew I was going to look forward to this. Roll on tomorrow.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
This waterfall is one of many that can be found in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. It is the largest national park in Croatia. It is a beautiful place and I will be writing more about this place in a future post. All I can say is enjoy the photo.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep on smiling.
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