What does the name Grenadines conjure up for you? Exotic islands? Of course. Long, sandy beaches and the deep blue sea? That, too. In the early 90s, you’d also find deserted islands. Sailing along, there they were – beaches so white it hurt your eyes, and not a soul in sight. So utterly romantic.

That was then. I suspect the chance of finding deserted islands in the Grenadines now might be somewhat slimmer. But then again, you might stumble upon Johnny Depp, which isn’t a bad trade-off.

Pirates of the Caribbean (The Curse of the Black Pearl) was filmed here. Not that these islands aren’t used to pirates. A few centuries ago, they were among the last bastions of the Caribe Indians, as more and more Caribbean islands were taken over by the French and the British.

Contrary to what one might think, the 32 islands of the Grenadines do not belong to Grenada. Rather, they form part of the neighbouring country St Vincent and the Grenadines. Back then, we never reached St Vincent. Sailing among the Grenadines, particularly the Tobago Cays, was enough. No further exploration felt necessary. Who knows – perhaps treasures are buried beneath the sand here… I didn’t search. The beach, the sapphire sea, the sail boat and everything on it was more than enough.

The island-hopping days of my youth are long gone, but the Grenadines remain firmly rooted in my mind’s eye.

I’ve played with Aviary again, flickr’s new, extremely easy-to-use photo editing tool. For these photos, I particularly liked this green vintage effect. Want more travel photo fun? Then visitTravel Photo Thursday at Budget Travers Sandbox.

Have you been in the Grenadines? Did you love it?

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Postcard from the Grenadines is a post from Sophie's World

Recently, while visiting Umbria, I had several choices of things to see and do: there was wine and handicraft and medieval towns and nature and sports and history and art and food and chocolate and more wine and…

Wait a minute! Chocolate? Mmm…. chocolate! From then on, that was my only focus. In fact, I’ve forgotten everything else I did in Umbria. Nah, kidding! I remember… I think.

Perugina Chocolate Factory

Ten blogger colleagues and I were given a tour of Perugina Chocolate Factory. You may be familiar with Baci – Perugina’s delectable chocolate kisses!

“Say I love you the Italian way!”

We saw a very interesting video of the history of the factory and the history of chocolate, then we got down to business at the Scuola del Cioccolato. The words sound good enough to eat, don’t they? Say it with me: Scuola del Cioccolato. Nom nom!

We were each handed an apron, then two slightly intimidating chefs quickly showed us the ropes. It didn’t look too difficult. It really didn’t. But it was.

See how clean my apron is? Well, not for long...

How to make chocolate

First we’re told to slice the chocolate. No problemo. Then we melt the chocolate. OK. Mix the filling: cream, butter, lemon peel, white chocolate and Limoncello… mmm… Limoncello…

Enter difficult bit number one: It is very important that the chocolate has the right temperature when you pour it into the mould. A mere one degree off, and it won’t work, the chocolate will then get a white covering and taste bad. To cool off the chocolate, you pour it onto the table and spread it around using a machete/spatula-thingy, which looks awfully professional.

After a bit of spreading, me and my chocolate making partner-in-crime, Jai (see Jai’s fun and fabulous video of the whole process), are told our chocolate is too cold. Back into the pan and onto the stove. But we leave it too long and now it’s too warm. A “pah!” from the chef.

Finally reaching optimal temperature, the chocolate goes into the mould. Then we pour it out again.

Wait,… what? Pour it out?

Since we’re making chocolates with a filling, we first need to create the outer shell. After filling the forty little holes in the mould, we simply tip the whole thing upside down. Extreme mess and chocolate everywhere – table, apron, shoes, floor, hands, face, you name it. The chef comes over to examine. I hear him tell another blogger hers are “very perfect”. Like a toddler showing off a drawing, I show him mine. He says “meh… is OK”. Sad Alex.

After leaving the chocolate to sit comfortably in the fridge for 15 minutes, it’s time for the filling. Mmm… filling! We squeeze it into the chocolate shell, and again the chef comes over for a look. “Very good” is the verdict this time, and I feel my heart swell. Then another feeling rears its head: competitiveness. I want “very perfect”. I need it!

We slap on more chocolate to cover the base and pop it back into the fridge for another 15 minutes. All that is left to do now, is get the finished chocolates out of the mould by quickly turning it upside down and banging it on the table, ice cube style.

I’m amazed. It’s even more beautiful than I had imagined. It’s perfect. It must be!

The guy next to us has messed up; there are air bubbles in his chocolate, they look termite-infested. He won’t get a “perfect”-verdict, I think to myself, with just a touch of schadenfreude. The chef inspects our work with the concentration of a jeweller examining a fine gem. He beams at us and says those longed for words: “Very perfect!” Insane sensation of pride!

Is it completely ridiculous that I feel prouder of these chocolates than of my Masters degree?

What is that I hear? You want to make chocolate, too, you say? You can, my sweet, you can. Have a look at Perugina’s chocolate school for courses. Or try it at home – my friend Michael Turtle, choc full of it, wrote it all down for you. Let me know if yours come out very perfect!

Disclosure: I was a guest of Umbria Regional Tourism Board. As ever, all opinions and chocolaty mess are deliciously mine.

Alex and the Chocolate Factory: how to make chocolate is a post from Sophie's World

Here’s Annie:
I always make spontaneous decisions. If I were not that angry on that day in Georgia, when I had so seriously argued with my boyfriend, I would probably have never visited Armenia. He and I always travel together. We usually focus on larger countries, so the next country on our travel list was definitely not Armenia. Nevertheless, my unplanned trip turned out to be amazing.

I traveled from Georgia to Armenia by train and noticed the number of people visiting Georgia from Armenia greatly prevailed over the Georgian visitors to Armenia. I was among the few.

The two are neighboring countries, yet with obvious differences. Georgia seems to be more developed and have much more to offer. But that doesn’t make Armenia less attractive. I had only five days, so I had to enjoy them to the full. Since I am never a passive person, I needed some action – but first, a place to stay. I stopped an Armenian girl and she advised I stay at the favourably priced Envoy hostel. It was simple, but the hostel staff treated me very kindly and warmly. We made friends.

Since my time in Armenia was limited, I asked the girl to show me some fun places. She gladly agreed.

Yerevan pubs and restaurants

First off we decided to eat. There are Italian and Chinese restaurants in Yerevan, but I wasn’t much impressed. However, Armenian national cuisine is excellent. In Yerevan, I recommend Dolmama restaurant on Pushkin Street. Their local meat-based dolma is one of the tastiest dishes I have ever eaten.

Another restaurant worth visiting is Urartu on Proshyan Street, where you’ll enjoy not only local food, but also Armenian music and song, popular with some Armenians and ignored by the rest. For traveler me, it was an interesting experience. I even danced.

Among other things to do in Yerevan is visiting pubs. They are all very different. I loved Eco Pub, ideal if you hate smoke and cigarettes. It’s rather small, I doubt the pub could host a group of 30 people even. This is not a pub where you go to dance the night away. Instead, you go for a drink and a nice talk or, if you’re alone, just to enjoy the music, which is neither too loud nor too low, but just right.

Another pub my new good friend advised was That place. When she first said ‘let’s go to That place’, I thought she said Dead place. I didn’t want to go to Dead place, I was kind of scared. Can you imagine how relieved I felt when I saw it was That place? The pub is a good one, with loud music – sometimes 80s pop, which I love. It seemed men and women visit That place for different reasons: men to listen to music and drink whiskey, women to dance.

In Yerevan, don’t miss…

The singing fountains

Day- and nighttime Yerevan feel like two different cities. I prefer nighttime Yerevan, when the city is full of lights and riddles to solve. At Republic Square, I simply loved the singing and dancing fountains. The songs varied greatly; one moment I found myself quietly standing in the square, enjoying the beautiful melody, the next, I danced even crazier than the fountains. It was great!

Shopping

One of the most crowded streets in Yerevan is the newly built Northern Avenue. With shops, businesses and expensive-looking houses along both sides, I’d say it’s one of the busiest places in the city.

The National Gallery

I also visited the National Gallery, which is a seven story building, housing paintings and sculptures of both Armenian and international artists. There I got acquainted with the art of Armenian sea painter Ivan Aivazovsky. I had never heard of this painter but I was greatly impressed by his work; I’d even say the paintings looked alive.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to explore other parts of Armenia, but judging by what I saw in Yerevan, I concluded that Armenia is a rather rich country. When I told my friend, she said the picture is deceiving, and that I should visit at least three other cities to get a clearer idea of the country. My fifth day was on the doorstep, so I didn’t have time neither to go to bicycle riding, which I’d love to try, nor visit other cities. I promised to come back with my boyfriend, and this fall he and I will visit Armenia during our one month travel in the Caucasus.

Annie is a travel blogger who owns TravelVivi.com, where she regularly shares travel experiences and travel stories.
 

 
Photo credits: GoGap, Hovic Armenia Album, ninastoessinger, 517design

These are Annie’s suggestions for a fun few days in Yerevan. Have you been in Armenia? Any other recommendations?

Things to do in Yerevan, Armenia is a post from Sophie's World

May is Italy month here on Sophie’s World. And while the focus will be mainly on Umbria, we’ll have a few other little goodies here as well.

Last July, I spent a week in la bella Venezia, (and two weeks on a Mediterranean cruise – more on that in later posts). In Venice, the tiny, colourful island of Burano was one of our favourite places.

Burano lies just a stone’s throw from Venice’s Ponte Rialto. And while big brother Murano is certainly more prosperous, not to mention famous, Burano has a quirkiness to it that I have yet to see anywhere else. The island boasts exquisite lace making, fresh seafood and yummy lemon biscuits known as bussole, but is perhaps best known for its vibrant colours.

Houses generally have two or three storeys, with kitchen, breakfast nook and toilet on the ground floor and bedrooms further up. An ancient legend says the local fishermen painted their houses in bright colours to better see them from far out in the lagoon. Today, if you wish to paint your house, the government must first approve the colour.

Venice skyline on the horizon

The leaning tower of Burano

Burano has its very own leaning tower – the Campanile of the church of San Martino

Trattoria al Gatto Nero da Ruggero…

…complete with a gorgeous real life gatto nero

Have you seen Burano? What’s your favourite spot in la bella Venezia?
Can’t get enough travel photos? The head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox for this week’s TravelPhotoThursday

Venice

Burano – a photo story is a post from Sophie's World

It’s early Friday morning in Tornandrea, a small village close to Assisi in Umbria. The Travel Bloggers Unite conference is about to start, and the day will include photo walks and a gala reception. But we are in for a surprise – the owner of the Valle di Assisi Hotel & Resort has kindly made a helicopter available for the guests.

We’re offered a ten minute ride, three people at a time. But notice the storm clouds on the horizon? Soon, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and I’m one of the lucky few who gets the opportunity to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Assisi.

It’s my first time in a helicopter

Up, up and away! Valle di Assisi seen from above

Santa Maria degli Angeli

And of course… Assisi!

In case you’re wondering, I’ve been playing with flickr’s new photo editing toy, Aviary. Like it?

My helicopter trip was generously provided by Valle di Assisi Hotel & Resort, however any reflections and opinions offered will always be mine, all mine.

Assisi from a bird’s perspective… is a post from Sophie's World

Grenada

Today’s travel photo is from St George´s, Grenada.

Grenada was virtually an unknown country to me before I went to uni in the USA in the 80s. Then, two things made me aware of the tiny Caribbean country. One: many of my American fellow pre-med students planned to do their post-graduate studies at the medical school in Grenada, (while I decided not to go to any medical school at all – and changed fields to economics instead).

And two: Ronald Reagan was worried about Grenada’s pro-communist government and Cuban connections, and decided to invade the little island nation in what was secretly known as Operation Urgent Fury. Queen Elizabeth was none too pleased. Neither was the UN. The General Assembly deeply deplored the armed intervention in Grenada, calling it a flagrant violation of international law.

I sailed to Grenada in the early 90s and remember a green, verdant island full of spice. I also remember being slightly concerned about two guys we hired to take us around the island who giggled like little girls whenever they heard the Norwegian word for nutmeg. Muskat isn’t that funny a word, but then they were both high as kites.

Grenada rarely makes the headlines here in Europe. In fact, I only remember hearing about it twice in the last ten or fifteen years: when Hurricane Ivan hit the island in 2004, and when Grenada co-hosted the World Cricket Cup in 2007.

Harbour, St. George's, Grenada

 
Want to see more travel photos? Then visit Nancie’s Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox!
 

Have you been in Grenada?

St Georges

Travel photo: St George´s, Grenada is a post from Sophie's World

This post is the first in A Taste of Italy, a series of Italian restaurant reviews, done over the course of my stay in Rome and Umbria for the TBU conference in April 2012.

First up is a small restaurant called Napoletano’s Italian style pizza and steakhouse New York City at Piazza della Rotonda. Apart from the unsuitable name – it’s neither reminicent of a steakhouse nor of NYC – this little place is quintessentially Italian. And you get a great view of the Pantheon (pictured above) while you eat.

The lunch menu, which is served until 7 pm (it seems you can’t have dinner before 8 pm in Italy), starts with a bruschetta topped with fresh pomodoro and ruccola. A choice of pasta or pizza as a main, and a drink (soft drinks, water or wine) sets you back 12 euros. Not too bad!

Margherita – the simple pizza

I chose the pizza margherita with a glass of red wine, as I always do when I have Italian pizza. A native Roman friend of mine told me that the best way to judge a restaurant in Italy is to have the margherita, as it’s so simple. Apparently, if you have lots of toppings on your pizza you can’t really taste it, whereas with a simple margherita you will know at once if this is good or bad pizza. This was definitely a good pizza.

The service was great, the price was unbeatable and the food heavenly. Add an amazing location and season with a couple of street musicians playing cheesy love songs – what’s not to like about this place?

Do you like Italian food? Silly question… of course you do!

A Taste of Italy: pizza in Rome is a post from Sophie's World

Today’s guest post comes from freelance writer Tom Armenante. I’ve asked Tom to share his best five camping tips.

Getting back in touch with nature can be an eye-opening and rewarding experience.

The most experienced of campers will have their own list of must-haves, derived from years of experience in the field. The novice camper on the other hand, may not have as much insight. To that end, here is a list of the top 5 must-have items for the best camping experience.

Wind-up Head Torch

A torch in general is always crucial when camping for those late night saunters. The beauty of a wind-up torch means you don’t have to worry about the batteries running out. A head torch has even more of an advantage so your hands are free to make fires, set up tents and cook food.

Portable Gas Stove

Portable gas stoves are a god-send. If your camp fire isn’t going the way you hoped and your camping buddies are on the hungry side, a portable gas stove is the perfect cooking companion. They run for a long time on small cartridges from your local DIY store, costing only a couple of pounds. Lightweight stoves sell for under £20.

Knife

Invest in a good knife. Knives can be so helpful on camping trips, for cooking, cutting small twigs for fire kindling, clearing a space for camp, and much more. Always take either a pocket knife – whose other components may come in just as handy, or a knife with a sheath. Safety is paramount when camping and you don’t want to slash your fingers open when fumbling through your rucksack for your head torch!

First-Aid Kit

Just in case you do end up slicing your finger or hurting yourself in any other way, you must have a full first-aid kit available. Your basic kit should consist of plasters, gauze pads, scissors, bandage, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes and instant cold pack.

Insect Repellent

Depending on where in the world you are camping, insect repellent is of varying necessity. But even in most British camping sites, especially at the height of summer, you find little biters who would have a field day without some strong repellent to keep them at bay.

There you have it! Are you a happy camper? Do you have any other camping advice?

Photo credits: Wye Valley camping site: most uncool, head torch by tj. blackwell, gas stove by AA7JC, knife by CapCase, first-aid box by C_Knaus, and insect by Gravitywave.

This article is brought to you in partnership with PitchUp.com.

Top 5 Camping Survival Essentials is a post from Sophie's World

Sagas

Have you been to the Faroes? If not, maybe you have an idea of what you will find on these Viking isles? Perhaps you’re thinking steep green hills, wooden houses, grass roofs…? You would be right.

The photo above shows Kirkjubøargarður, once the home of a Viking king. The oldest part of the building is 1000 years old, so it’s actually one of the oldest inhabited wooden houses in the world. The Patursson family has lived here since 1557, now on the 17th generation.

Sagas abound in the Faroes. Tórshavn, the tiny island capital, is home to the world’s first parliament, established by Vikings in 850 CE. However, the islands are older than that. When the Norwegians stopped by for the first time in 795, they stumbled upon hermit Irish monks. The monks probably arrived in 625, hoping to find natives to save. No such luck! Instead, they occupied themselves with keeping sheep and growing oat. The monks are said to have moved on towards Iceland about the time the Norwegians came along.

So much for sagas. Perhaps more surprisingly, Tórshavn is also home to a fabulous sushi restaurant and some colourful street art.

Sushi in the Faroe Islands – North Atlantic fish meets Japan

Perhaps you thought the Faroese mostly ate puffin and whale meat? Not so.

With funky decor, location in the heart of Tórshavn, excellent food, and a sleek wine bar, Etika is a local highlight. As you might guess from the name, Etika is also an ethically and environmentally aware establishment, offering locally sourced fish and green gift items for sale. Freshly caught North Atlantic fish meets Japanese philosophy.

I’m hardly a raw fish connoisseur, but my daughters adore sushi above all else. During our three days in the Faroes, they visited Etika four times!

Faroe Islands public art

So you thought street art was a big city phenomenon? The 13 000 residents of Tórshavn might disagree. Here’s a small selection.

To see more travel photos, visit Budget Travelers Sandbox

Torshavn

Faroe Islands: Sagas, sushi and street art is a post from Sophie's World

Do bears… shalalala in the woods?

Most of you may not know the Kate Bush/ Rowan Atkinson song “Do Bears” and it really has nothing to do with bears at all, but I love Kate Bush and I love bears so it felt natural to combine the two. The only thing missing is Kate Bush singing a song about bears and chocolate, and we’d have the whole shebang.

Participants at Travel Bloggers Unite Umbria ’12 have an amazing opportunity to win a trip to volunteer at a bear sanctuary in Transylvania, Romania, courtesy of Oyster Worldwide. How amazing is that? Combining travel with altruism is the best thing in the world (only thing missing is… Kate Bush and chocolate)!

Romania has had a special place in my heart for a while now. I was lucky enough to adopt a dog from a small town in Romania called Botosani – she is the light of my life and I cannot imagine life without her. Since adopting her, I’ve become more and more immersed into the Romanian animal welfare groups on places like facebook, and some may say I may care about this just a little bit too much – I’m one of those people that go on and on and on about animals like people who talk about their babies all the time.

If I got the opportunity to go to Romania to volunteer with bears I think my passion for helping animals would just keep growing, and it would be incredible to meet people with the same ideas about animal welfare as me. Besides – who doesn’t want to go to Transylvania? I’ve been lucky enough to go there before, and to see places like Bran Castle is truly magical (perhaps not as magical as Kate Bush, but really really close).

Do bears… is a post from Sophie's World

This week’s edition of Cornwall Sunday takes us to the westernmost point on the British mainland: Land’s End – or Penn an Wlas in Cornish. If you’re British you know all about walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats, right? For non-Brits, it means traversing the length of the British mainland – from the southwest to the northeast. It’s a long walk – 1 350 kilometres, or 874 miles.

Land’s End is one of those extreme points to check off an “I’ve been there”-list. Luckily, that isn’t all it is. The dramatic cliffs, the wind and the waves, and the stunning coastal landscape make this a worthwhile stop.

There’s a tourist centre and little theme park on the spot. We were there in early evening, after everything was closed, and had Land’s End all to ourselves. I think we were probably lucky.

Lands End

Sunday snapshot: Land’s End is a post from Sophie's World

The skis have long since been packed away, yet winter decided to make a quick reappearance in Oslo this morning: snow! As if that isn’t enough, I’m heading north tomorrow, past the Arctic Circle!

Today’s mystery location is found on warmer shores. 21 years ago, I stumbled over this grave stone (literally).

Where in the world can you read these cryptic words? (Bonus points if you can solve the riddle).

She was a mother without knowing it – and a wife without letting her husband know it, except by her kind indulgences to him.

No worries about giving away the answer. Moderation is switched on, and all comments will be published simultaneously.

Tobago

Update 21 April 2012:

As many of you knew, guessed or googled, this mystery grave is found on the Caribbean island of Tobago, in Plymouth, the island’s oldest settlement. As for the riddle, well, if you expected a clear-cut answer, I’m sorry I have to disappoint you. Various theories have been put forth, and many of the comments below touch upon them. Sadly, it’s all speculation. No one knows why young Betty Stivens (23 when she died) was a mother without knowing it – or even a wife without her husband knowing it.

To see more travel photos – or to submit one of your own – head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox for this week’s edition of Travel Photo Thursday.

Scarborough

Where in the World: Tobago – and a riddle! is a post from Sophie's World

Welcome to this week´s edition of Cornwall Sunday.

Along the Cornish coast are Looe and Polperro. Once known for shipping, fishing and piracy, today they are merely two enchanting little villages with narrow, winding streets, lively harbours and picturesque cottages, many with those delightfully ancient low doors and windows.

Looe

Looe is actually two: East and West Looe, connected by a cool Victorian footbridge. There´s a small beach, sandcastle-building gear for sale and heaps of quirky shops and tea-rooms.

As we walked along East Looe harbour eating ice cream, a particularly aggressive sea gull honed in on my oldest daughter, Alexandra. He dived, slapped her face with a wing, pinched the entire ice cream cone and flew off triumphantly. When the cheeky bird was spotted by his brothers, an airborne battle over ice cream ensued. He lost!

Back on the ground, that was small comfort to Alex. She normally talks a mile a minute. Now she was stunned into silence. The look on her face… priceless! Like a good mum, I suppose I should have shown concern. But li´l sis and I just couldn’t help laughing our heads off. She hasn’t looked at sea gulls in the same way since.

Mugshots of possible culprits:

Looe. And Alex, pre-trauma:

In Looe, this is probably a safer bet:

Polperro

We adored Polperro at first sight. Like Looe. it’s a pretty village with a bustling harbour and adorably quirky, old houses. But Polperro also seemed to offer a more vivid picture of interesting Cornish smuggling history.

In the late 1700s, Britain had wars to fight – with France and with the pesky American colonies, you know. These wars were financed in the normal way, by raising taxes.

Feeling taxed half to death, the local fishermen had to make a living somehow. Smuggling and privateering seem to have been especially prolific in Polperro, perhaps because of its isolated location and the opportunity to stack the goods in the numerous secluded coves along the sea shore.

It wasn’t as frowned upon as one would think either. In the late 1700s, seafaring smugglers even had their own banker in town, a Mr. Zephaniah Job. Today, there’s a Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing. Unless you´re a customs officer, how can you not love a place like that?

From Polperro’s beaches, the contraband was quickly dispersed, much of it brought inland across Bodmin Moor, where smugglers often stopped off at Jamaica Inn.

Next time, I´ll have a look at the smuggler museum. And I hear Polperro have the most terrific sunsets! I can easily see myself hiring a cottage and staying a while. There was even a job opening…

Have you been in Polperro? Or Looe?

Looe and Polperro: two Cornish villages is a post from Sophie's World

Caracas

Today’s travel photo is of Venezuela’s busy capital.

Rumour has it (or even statistics), this is one of the most crime-ridden cities anywhere. It’s even dubbed the world’s murder capital.

In 1991, I walked all around a city with friendly people everywhere, with nothing remotely threatening or unpleasant happening to me. Would Caracas feel different today?

Have you been to Caracas? What did you think?

Travel photo: Caracas skyline is a post from Sophie's World

Today’s guest post comes from freelance writer Anna Dewinter. I’ve asked Anna to find some fun and unusual things to do when travelling with children in New York, both Upstate and in New York City. She has certainly given me some ideas. Enjoy!

Visiting ‘The Big Apple’ is always a treat. From the natural wilderness areas Upstate to the hustle and bustle of the City, there’s something for everyone in the Empire State. However, traveling with kids will always present special challenges wherever you go in the world. Keeping them occupied and interested can be difficult. Luckily, New York has some wild and wooly attractions that are perfect for the whole family.

Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen, located near Elmira, NY is a hidden wonderland for family travelers. Within the Glen is Watkins Glen State Park, one of the few places where visitors can enter the world of waterfalls and get a stunning up-close view of the gorge. A mile and a half long trail winds through areas with enchanting names such as Jacob’s Ladder and Rainbow Falls. Stone stairways cut into the edge of the gorge provide wide, safe walkways through the breathtaking scenery.

For younger hikers or families who prefer an easier stroll, there is the option of riding a shuttle bus up to the top of the gorge and walking back down to the parking area. Be sure not to miss a sweet treat from the nearby Great Escape Ice-cream Parlor after the hike.

Adults will appreciate the proximity to New York’s famous Wine Trail and NASCAR racing is a popular local attraction. Nearby Elmira has several luxurious family-friendly hotels to retire to at the end of the day. This all makes Watkins Glen a perfect family-friendly New York destination.

Niagara

While the Falls may be one of the biggest attractions in the state, families with children may find that one day is enough to exhaust the traditional activities of riding the Maid of the Mist boat into the spray of the mighty cataract.

Visiting the Butterfly Preserve on the Canadian side is also a great day out.

Martin’s Fantasy Island is an amusement park on Grand Island, just outside of Niagara, NY. Martin’s water park and amusement rides offer a welcome distraction that will also keep the kids entertained for an entire day. Admission charge to the park is reasonable, and covers as many rides as you wish to enjoy.

In the City

Visitors to New York City will quickly discover a cultural extravaganza. There’s more to do with kids in the City than you could accomplish in a lifetime. A highlight is the Toys R Us Times Square store, a veritable wonderland that includes a ride on an indoor Ferris wheel.

Catch-and-release fishing is permitted in Central Park’s Harlem Meer. Poles can be borrowed from the Charles. E. Dana Center, located on the North Shore. Bait is also provided. Visitors over sixteen will need to purchase a fishing license, but kids under 16 may fish without one.

Families shouldn’t miss a chance to see the Blue Man Group on Broadway, touted as one of the most family-friendly shows. The audience interaction and sensory aspects of the show make it an excellent choice for families traveling with children.

No matter where you travel in New York, there are attractions that are sure to please the entire family.

Photo credits: Watkins Glen Falls by Mandana (on and off), Butterfly Conservatory – Niagara Falls by Edith Maracle, Harlem Meer fishermen by 1hr photo.

This article is brought to you in partnership with expedia.com

Off the beaten track with kids in New York is a post from Sophie's World

Last week on Cornwall Sunday, Tintagel was the headline act, the place where the legendary King Arthur was conceived. Only right then, to also feature the place where his life ended (or did it?).

On our way from Bodmin Moor to Port Isaac, we drove along a small Cornish road, the B3314. Between the villages of Camelford and Tintagel, we happened to pass a sign for the Arthurian Centre. It seemed like a fun stop, particularly for a restless 8-year-old, so I did a quick U-turn.

That turned out to be a good decision, she enjoyed it heaps. Of course, she would have enjoyed any stop – she finds road trips quite boring. But the Arthurian Centre has a large playground with a castle (of course), tea and cakes for sale, brasses to rub, and a children´s Grail Trail.

For grown-ups, there´s an exhibition room with panels, photos and texts covering the 1 500 years of history surrounding the elusive king – a nice mixture of legends and historical facts. And best of all, there´s a nature trail, leading to Slaughterbridge and King Arthur´s Stone.

Slaughterbridge

Difficult to imagine this peaceful field was once the setting of a fierce battle, isn´t it? There´s historical evidence suggesting battles have been fought here in ancient times, but was it the legendary Battle of Camlann in 537?

Our friend, Geoffrey of Monmouth (the 12th century author of History of the Kings of Britain), thinks so. This is what he has to say about the Battle of Camlann:

Arthur was filled with great mental anguish by the fact that Mordred had escaped him so often. Without losing a moment, he followed him to that same locality, the River Camlann, where Mordred was awaiting his arrival.

Accounts of the battle talks of the little river turning red with blood, of Arthur and Mordred fighting hand-to-hand on a bridge across the river. Arthur slew Mordred but was already fatally wounded by Mordred´s poisonous sword. From here, various endings are offered. In one, Arthur staggers to his death right here. In another, he is brought to Avalon, a place with healing properties (possibly the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast).

By some accounts, Mordred was Arthur´s nephew. Others have claimed he was Arthur’s illegitimate son by his half-sister, the sorceress Morgana. Today´s family relationships can be bad enough, but those of old seem somehow more dramatic, don´t you think?

Arthur´s Stone

Continuing past the battlefield, across the grounds of Worthyvale Manor (mentioned in the Domesday Book), we arrive at Lady Falmouth´s Secret Garden, created about 250 years ago, around the pièce de résistance: Arthur´s Stone.

Arthur’s stone, seen from the bridge above the creek

Well, a memorial stone from his era, at any rate. It´s a large stone, almost 3 metres long, and it´s inscribed in Latin. The incomplete inscription reads something like LA (TI) NI IC IACIT FILIUS MA (…) RI, and its meaning has been hotly debated through the centuries. Is it merely “Latinus lies here, son of Ma (…) ri”? Or is it LATIN HIC JACET FILIUS MAGNI ARTURI – here lies Latin the son of Arthur the Great?

Interestingly, the stone is also inscribed in Ogham, an ancient Celtic script, dating it to 6th century, the time of Arthur. Irish archaeologist, Robert Macalister, suggested Ogham may have been a gesture alphabet for secret communication between Druids. Here´s the vertical version of the Ogham alphabet:

It reminds me of the Viking era runes we have up here.

Geoffrey of Monmouth isn´t the only one to wax lyrical about this place. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote this on a visit here on 7 June 1848:

Camelford, Slaughterbridge, clear brook among elders. Sought for King Arthur´s Stone, found it at last by a rock under two or three sycamores. The Stone, a nine foot pillar lies in a dank and picturesque setting by a stream. It is an inscribed memorial stone of the sixth century.

Travel tips

If you´re in Cornwall this summer, see if you can time your visit to July, when the Festival of British Archaeology 2012 takes place. Archaeology students and lecturers from Winchester University will be digging at Slaughterbridge all through July, and you can join them. At the Arthurian Centre, there will be two Living History Weekends this summer – 28/29 July and 11/12 August – complete with battle re-enactments, archery competitions, falconry and much more.

Have a great photo (or set of photos) to share, or do you just want to have a look at cool travel photos from around the world? Come join @LadyExpat and many others at Travel Photo Thursday over on Budget Travelers Sandbox and PhotoFriday at Deliciousbaby

Camelford

Slaughterbridge and King Arthur’s Stone is a post from Sophie's World

Go with Oh is running a competition to be their autumn blogger in four European cities. Sadly, I haven’t a whole month available this autumn, at least not in one go. However, I’m happy to join in to talk about one of my favourite cities, Vienna. Perhaps you would like to Go with Oh as well? Or at least, have a go at winning fantastic prizes with a minimum of effort?

Five faves in Vienna

I’ve been in Vienna many times. Most often for work, during my civil servant days. While I sometimes managed to sneak in a few hours or even a day to look around, I haven’t seen half as much of this beautiful city as I would have liked. Here’s what I’ll do next time I’m in town:

1. Spend a lazy afternoon strolling through the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace…

…imagining how it would have been growing up here 250 years ago. Especially if I were a young princess named Maria Antonia, about to be married off to the French crown prince, move to Versailles and have my name Frenchified to Marie Antoinette. Had she but known her fate, she might have preferred to remain at Schönbrunn, the poor girl.

2. Take the metro out to Prater

Vienna’s famous amusement park was opened to the public in 1766. You may have seen the Wiener Riesenrad, it’s a movie star! The park’s giant wheel has played parts in The Third Man, a cool 1940s film noir, in the James Bond flick The Living Daylights, and many more.

3. Cross a border or three

Like James Bond, I’ll just pop across the border. In Vienna, you see, you can easily get 4 countries for the price of 1. Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are all next door, and chock full of quaint towns, villages, lakes and castles.

A few favourites:

• In Hungary, I like to stop in Sopron or Györ to gawk at the artistic medieval architecture, eat a hearty Goulash and drink Egri Bikaver, ox blood from Eger. (Don’t worry, it’s red wine. Nom nom!)
• In the Czech republic, I enjoy exploring the Moravian castles outside Breclav. Or I might take the slow local train to Mikulov, a sweet medieval hill town. Mikulov is also part of the Moravian Karst with its caves and canyons, of the UNESCO-protected Pálava biosphere reserve, and, not least, of the Mikulov Wine Trail.
• In Slovakia, Bratislava is a given. Arriving by boat along the Danube is simply wonderful. And on the old market square, there’s a sweet shop with a fabulous four-tiered chocolate fountain.

25 years ago, these were all behind the Iron Curtain – so close, yet so far away. Today, it’s all within the EU. All are about an hour away from Vienna – by bus, train or boat. No visas, no red tape, no border control, no hassle.

4. Baden bei Wien

Baden is a more personal quest. After a fire at the University of Oslo in 1943, the German occupying forces wanted revenge. They rounded up the male students and sent them off to Buchenwald concentration camp. A few were medical students in surgical training. They were sent to work in SS hospitals.

My father was one of these doctors and his involuntary sojourn was in Baden. He died when I was two, so I never heard his war time stories. His diary, however, details various horrific experiences, such as having to perform surgeries with a gun to his head. Today, Baden is an elegant city in Wienerwald, a thermal forest outside Vienna. I’d like to amble about here for a bit, trying to imagine what his life here must have been like.

5. Christmas Markets

I’ll time my visit to the six weeks before Christmas. During Advent, Vienna has the most gorgeous Christmas markets: at Schönbrunn Palace, in the deliciously spooky narrow alleys at Spittelberg and at City Hall. This time, I’ll take my youngest daughter along. She’ll be 11 by then, so it’s probably the last chance to see her rosy-cheeked at Christkindlwerkstatt, the children’s Christmas workshop in City Hall. 80 000 kids stop by every year, to make all kinds of wonderful homemade Christmas presents.

That’s it! Only five faves. Of course, the list could very easily have been twice or even three times as long. I’d love to have a look at some of Vienna’s quirky museums, like the Sigmund Freud Museum or any of the strange little museums dedicated to tobacco, undertakers, chimneysweepers, contraception or torture. Or the more palatable Demel’s Marzipan Museum. And of course, there’s the Lippizaner Museum, all about Vienna’s beautiful dancing horses.

I’d also love to do a Third Man movie walk, and find Mozart’s unnamed grave. And I’d adore a closer look at the houses created by eccentric architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, where the floors are wavy, where, in fact, there are no straight lines, and where trees grow inside.

Photo credits:
Schönbrunn: Wojciech, Wienerrad: davus, Along the Danube near Bratislava: Author, Autumn in Baden: atopisches_ekzem, Vienna Christkindlmarkt: Author, Children’s Christmas workshop: Author, Hundertwasser House: twicepix

I want to ‘Go with Oh’ to Vienna is a post from Sophie's World

In today’s chapter of Cornwall Sunday, we’ll go to Tintagel and meet King Arthur for the first time. It surely comes as no surprise the legendary leader was conceived in Cornwall, land of magic and mysteries.

King Arthur and Tintagel

The tales of King Arthur first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain, written in the early 1100s. Have you heard the story of Arthur’s conception? It’s a tale of passion and deceit. (Clearly, nothing is new in the world).

King Uther Pendragon lusts after Igerna, wife of Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, who lives at Tintagel. To have his wicked way with her, he enlists the help of the wizard Merlin, who gives him a drug that makes him look exactly like Gorlois. Uther then goes to Tintagel, where, Geoffrey relates, he

‘… spent the night with Igerna and satisfied himself with the lovemaking he had longed for, for he had deceived her by the guise he had assumed.’

‘Believing him, therefore, she denied nothing that he asked. That night also she conceived the most renowned of men, Arthur…’

Did King Arthur exist? Historians disagree. Many believe he’s completely mythical, others think he’s based on a 5th or 6th century leader of the Britons who fought against the Anglo-Saxons.

Meanwhile, a drug that makes you look exactly like someone else … intriguing, no? Just imagine what you could do. I think I might change into a Muslim – probably a man – so I could visit the Kaba’a in Mecca. Or into just any ol’ man – to have a look at Greece’s Mount Athos. It irks me no end, that there are still places in the world off limits to one gender. But I digress.

Tintagel

Arthur or no Arthur, Tintagel Castle did indeed exist. Arthur wasn’t conceived in the castle, however, because it was built in 1233, seven centuries after Arthur’s time. Interestingly, though, lots of high-quality glass and pottery from the 5th and 6th centuries have been excavated here, and there’s evidence of a settlement from Roman times.

Tintagel is one of the most famous properties under the care of English Heritage, and owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, i.e. Camilla, Prince Charles’ wife.

The castle (or ruin) is about a 30-minute walk from Tintagel village, down a steep hill. There is a Land Rover shuttle for a small fee, a nice option for going back up afterwards.

From the bottom of the hill, there’s a good climb up the cliff to the ruins. Watch your footing! Not a climb for sufferers of severe vertigo, and not exactly wheel-chair accessible. My 8-year-old complained out loud all through the climb up the long, narrow stone stairways. But once on top, she adored running around, climbing and, of course, doing cartwheels on the castle grounds.

Back home in Port Isaac that night (more on Port Isaac in a later post), we were recognised by a Faroese man who remembered her well (not that many Chinese-looking girls yelling loudly in Norwegian at Tintagel that day, apparently). He and his wife are now our friends; we’ve met up later in the Faroe Islands.

Tintagel is a fascinating ruin to explore, on top of steep cliffs with crashing waves, caves, grottos and fantastic views. There isn’t much left of the castle; a vivid imagination is a bonus. The ruins lie on two sides of a rocky outcrop facing the forceful Celtic Sea. One part is on a huge rock, separated from the mainland, and connected by a somewhat unnerving bridge.

We were there in early July, before the British school holidays, so it wasn’t very crowded. Just a few weeks later, and it would have been a different story, I was told.

For a completely different feel, I think I might like to visit in say November. The bleakness of late autumn, windy, misty, maybe even a cold drizzle… in short, a bit of pain and suffering. (Definitely sans kids).

Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel village, seen from the castle ruins

The little village of Tintagel has quite a few pleasant cafes and pubs, and, unsurprisingly, heaps of little shops selling all things Celtic and all things hippie. (Yes, we bought some crystals and … things.)

Tristan & Isolde – and Tintagel

King Arthur isn’t the only one associated with Tintagel. The tragic ending to Tristan and Isolde’s love story also takes place here.

Tristan is a Cornish knight who is entrusted to go to Ireland and fetch his uncle’s wife to be. The lovely Irish Princess Isolde (also known as Iseult or Yseult) has a love potion meant for her coming husband, King Mark. But Isolde, you see, gives it to Tristan instead (the jury is out as to whether she did this on purpose or by accident – although a middle-aged king vs a young, brave, probably dashing knight… what do you think?).

Isolde marries the king and Tristan marries another, but they continue to love each other. Mark discovers the affair, and stabs Tristan with a poisoned lance. Isolde is the only one who can heal him so he sends a friend to bring her to him. If the friend returns with Isolde, he’s to raise a white sail on his boat; if not, a black sail. Of course Isolde says yes, but Tristan’s jealous wife tells the mortally wounded knight the sail is black. Thinking Isolde betrayed him, Tristan dies of grief. Minutes later, Isolde appears, discovers Tristan’s dead body, then dies of grief, too. This all takes place at Tintagel.

Familiar story?

Tintagel – or King Arthur, part I is a post from Sophie's World

Another Wednesday, another travel quiz. I’ve been playing with PhotoShop and ended up with this slightly distorted image of a famous structure.

Where in the world is it?

I’m in a good mood today, for no particular reason, so I’ll give you a first hint right away.

1. It’s in one of the world’s casino capitals.

Think you know the answer?
The winner will be featured here on Sophie’s World and on Sophie’s World facebook page – with a link back to your site if you’re a blogger.

Moderation is switched on, so don’t worry about giving away the answer if you know it. All comments will be published simultaneously. So go on, have a guess!

More guessing games? Head over to Struxtravel. Want pretty pictures without having to guess at anything? Then Travel photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox is for you.

Macau

Update 31 March 2012:
I very rarely say Oh my god! But I’m completely overwhelmed by y’all. Here I had planned heaps of clues: one about how it was a colony of a European country (Portugal) until fairly recently (1999). About how it’s now a special administrative region of a very large country (China), about how another place just down the road was in the same position (Hong Kong). One clue was going to contain just the word ‘handover’. Another was about how its name is spelled 澳門 in the local lingo, one was about how it’s one of the founding members of the WTO – and another about how it has, interestingly, the highest life expectancy in the world.

But nothing was needed. Not only did so many of you know this is Macau – and specifically the ruins of St Paul’s, but many have been there! Without further ado, the honours go to:

• Ana of Ana Travels
• Michael of StruxTravel
• Mary of the world is a book
• Michael of easy hiker
• Bob of piran café
• Vera Marie of A Traveler’s Library
• Arabesque of Mon Journal de Voyage
• Sabrina of Country Skipper
• Laurel of Monkeys, Mountains and Maultaschen
• Eduard
• Kurt of Wanderlusting
• Nancie of Budget Travelers Sandbox
• Ryan of Average Traveller
• Nate of Yomadic
• Vi of Travel tips
• Louise

Congratulations, all!

Where in the world: Macau is a post from Sophie's World

Welcome to this week’s episode of Cornwall Sunday.

Ever seen The Inspector Lynley Mysteries? Then, this may look familiar to you.

That tall, dark and dashing Scotland Yard sleuth is also the 8th Earl of Asherton, and this is his ancestral home. On TV, that is.

And that’s why we went in search of it. My oldest daughter, you see, is weirdly drawn to impressive stone mansions. And I, well, it’s not that I expected Nathaniel Parker to be around exactly, but you never know, do you…

Trerice Manor House

In the real world, this is Trerice, a Tudor mansion owned by the National Trust. If you’re ever in Newquay and want to get away from it all, Trerice is an excellent outing. I’d advice getting a ticket for the garden only, though. Inside, furniture from various eras seem to be haphazardly thrown together. The exterior and the gardens, however, are simply glorious and worth every penny.

This is Cornwall, so Trerice is naturally frequented by otherworldly beings. In this case, it’s the ghost of a servant girl who was seduced by the lord of the manor, then cruelly tossed aside when she became pregnant. The lass committed suicide but her spirit remains. She is invisible, but you know her by a sudden scent of lilacs and a chill in the air. Especially in the library.

There’s another ghost roaming about as well: a stable boy who was trampled to death by bolting horses. I imagine being a ghost is a bit lonely, so I hope the two get together every once in a while.

Sunday snapshots: Trerice Manor is a post from Sophie's World

Much can be said about cruise ships and their impact on ports in small countries, environmentally and visually. Sitting at a cafe in Devonport in 2003, all of a sudden a huge, white monster wall appeared before us, above the house tops. It was The World, then the world’s largest cruise ship, passing through the Gulf of Hauraki for the America’s Cup. For a moment, it felt as our lovely little Kiwi village was to be invaded by giants. Nine years later, that image still makes me a bit jittery.

St Lucia

However, I don’t think it’s always bad. Browsing through an old album, I stumbled upon this photo of a much less obtrusive cruise liner in the Caribbean port of Castries, St Lucia.

What are your thoughts on cruise ships?

Castries

Travel photo: Cruise ship at Castries, St Lucia is a post from Sophie's World

Devil’s Bridge

Pontafyrnach, the bridge over the River Mynach, is a funny place. It’s enchanting and eerie, and an absolute must if you’re in the Aberystwyth area. There are actually three bridges, one on top of the other.

Not unexpectedly, summer is the best – and easiest – time to visit. The Vale of Rheidol steam train travels from Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge from Easter until the end of October (adult return fares £14), and is a gorgeous journey. The train takes about one hour (with a brief stop halfway to refill coal). You can sit out in the open air or in a closed carriage. Either way, it’s a scenic and very enjoyable ride.

Scenic train views

At Devil’s Bridge, there’s a small hotel and a couple of nondescript diners; that’s about it. The hotel was built in the last century to accommodate all the tourists who came to see the bridges, and has a very cosy country-feel to it. Great place to stop for sandwiches after the nature walk!

You can see the bridges from the road, but the best way to see the surrounding woodlands and the wonderful bridges is to do the one-hour nature trail. Sensible shoes, please!

Walking the nature trail, you will see:

Friendly birds

Ruins of Iron Age fortresses

Robber’s Cave (post coming up)

Pretty waterfalls

‘Jacob’s Ladder’ – a set of very steep stairs leading down into the valley

And of course the three bridges. (The top one is out of view, it was covered up for maintenance work when we were there)

So why is it called Devil’s Bridge?

There are several legends, but the most popular one goes as follows:

Many centuries ago, an old woman was walking in the woods, looking for her cow. Seeing it on the other side of a deep ravine, she had no way to retrieve it. Suddenly the Devil appeared, and told her he could build a bridge so she could go get it.

In return, he wanted the first soul that crossed the bridge. The Devil was sneaky, thinking he’d get the old woman’s soul, but she was too clever for him.

The next morning, the bridge was built. The old woman came to have a look, then threw a piece of bread onto the bridge. Her dog ran to get it, thereby becoming the first soul to cross the bridge. The Devil was furious, because he didn’t want the dog. He disappeared in a rage and has never again been seen in Wales.

The bottom bridge, supposedly the Devil’s work, was actually built in 1070 – 1200 by monks of the Strata Florida Abbey (now in ruins). The second bridge was built in 1753, and the last one, an iron bridge, in 1901.

It’s all water under the bridge now anyway…

Alexandra Redisch is a citizen of the world, as Ibsen’s Peer Gynt said, but hails from Norway. She’s a published short story author, old-fashioned mystery fanatic, avid traveller and intense tea drinker. Alex has a BSc in psychology and an MA in creative writing.
She is currently working on a book about the ‘Germany students’, who were taken by force from the University of Oslo in November 1943, then brought to Germany. A few were medical students in the last half hour of their last exam. Alex’ s grandfather was one of these students.

For more fun travel photos, head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox and DeliciousBaby.

Devil’s Bridge is a post from Sophie's World

Welcome to the third part of Cornwall on Sunday, an episode a little less rosy than the rest.

According to my slightly aged Lonely Planet Great Britain, Newquay is the kind of place you either love or loathe. Loathe is much too strong a word. That said, Newquay didn’t really appeal to me.

Sure, Newquay has its pretty spots, there are flowers, hills, bluffs and white-sand beaches. But humans have put some grotty marks on nature’s groundwork here. Newquay, you see, is Cornwall’s surfing mecca and party town numero uno. It’s full of pubs, bars, drunks and surf bums, who apparently live to surf. Some, I think, even live on the beach and have for the last 20 years. Then there’s the traffic.

On a somewhat irrelevant note: it’s difficult to dislike anyone who drives a Citroën.

Newquay for kids. Really!

So why on earth have I called this post Newquay for kids? Did I really mean Newquay for kids – not!?

No, not at all! My then 8-year-old didn’t notice any of Newquay’s dodgier bits. She remembers doing cartwheels on the beach.

She remembers the penny arcade. She loves the blasted things, and I, well… I always try to divert her attention somewhere else, usually without success. I think I can safely say I loathe penny arcades.

And she remembers lions, zebras and lemurs. She remembers being deliciously frightened by creepy crawlies and getting up close with penguins. In short, she remembers Newquay Zoo.

It’s a nice, responsible little zoo, and part of the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Have you been to Newquay? Thoughts?

Newquay for kids is a post from Sophie's World

Wait a minute! Cats? Hemingway’s cats?

That’s right. Papa had cats – and heaps of them. Unexpected? Perhaps at first. But when you think about it, wasn’t Hemingway a bit like a cat himself? Independent, self-absorbed, charming. He roamed around, came and went as he pleased…

When Hemingway lived in Key West, he was given a cat, Snowball, by a ship’s captain. Soon he had a house full. As he so eloquently put it:

One cat just leads to another.

That might sound a bit resigned. But I get the feeling he loved, even admired, the lovely little fur balls. Another famous Hemingway quote:

A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.

Ernest with cats and kids in Finca Vigia, Cuba – image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Hemingway House

50 years after his death, 40 – 50 cats still roam his house in Key West, Florida. Some are descendants of Snowball.

The Hemingway Home on Whitehead Street in Old Town, Key West

The Hemingway cats are not just any cats. Oh no, these are mitten cats – or more scientifically, polydactyls, six-toed cats. As you can see from the photos below, they’re not one particular breed. The sixth toe is simply a genetic mutation, quite common on the east coast of North America.

Pauline’s pool

Aside from the cats, the house comes with plenty of interesting stories of the temperamental philanderer.

Our guide (a Hemingway look-alike, naturally) points to a penny in the ground.

During his Key West years, Hemingway was away much of the time, covering the Spanish Civil War – and Martha Gellhorn. His wife Pauline, tired of Ernest gallivanting about in war zones with his girl-friend, got this sweet revenge:

In Hemingway’s day, a swimming pool was an extraordinary luxury and this was the only one within a 100-mile radius. No wonder; in 1938, this cost 20 000 dollars. In comparison, the house itself cost 8 000 dollars.

Why so expensive? At the time, there was no fresh running water in Key West. The builders had to drill through solid coral down to salt water, then set up a pump to fill the pool. A daunting task, no doubt.

Ernest was none too pleased about the expenses. One day, he flung a penny onto the patio, saying:

Pauline, you’ve spent all but my last penny, so you might as well have that!

Pauline, in turn, had the penny embedded in cement for eternity.

As I wander around the pool and the pretty garden, it’s easy to picture the scene. But is it a true story? We can only guess. Soon after, Pauline and Ernest were divorced and he married Martha.

Are you an avid Hemingway fan? Have you been in Key West?

Key West

Want more photos? Have a look at Spring time in Korea and other great takes over at Budget Travelers Sandbox.

Pets, pools and pennies at the Hemingway House, Key West is a post from Sophie's World

On this Cornwall Sunday, I’m going to share a fabulous hotel with you. It’s not going to be a hotel review as such. Not that there’s anything wrong with the facilities, they are more than adequate, but that’s not the main issue here.

What makes Jamaica Inn stand out is its interesting location and its history. Situated on Cornwall’s deliciously eerie Bodmin Moor (more on this spooky windswept moor in a later post), this is a coaching inn from 1750.

The girls and I had this wonderful place as our base for nearly a week while we explored Cornwall. We enjoyed every minute here and looked forward to ‘going home’ every night.

Have you read Jamaica Inn?

When I was a young girl, I devoured mysteries and thrillers. If they were set in another era, so much the better. Daphne du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn was a fave of my 12-year-old self.

The book is set in the early 1800s and revolves around a young girl, Mary Yellan, who is sent to live with her aunt after her parents die. Auntie turns out to be married to a cruel and murderous innkeeper, Joss Merlyn. Together with his blood-thirsty band of smugglers, Merlyn lures ships to shore with a fake beacon light, runs them aground, kills everyone on board and takes off with the loot.

Of course, the evil man gets his comeuppance. One day Mary finds him stabbed to death.

Odd then, that I had no idea the inn really existed. First when researching interesting and curious things we could do in Cornwall, did I come upon the real Jamaica Inn.

You might think the inn was named after the book (and later film and TV series), but it’s quite the contrary! The story goes that one day in the 1930s, Daphne du Maurier and friends got lost in bad weather riding on Bodmin Moor. The group let their horses lead them and ended up at Jamaica Inn where they stayed and heard all the stories – fertile grounds for anyone’s imagination.

Today, a turnpike road bisects the moor. Not so long ago, however, this was but a packhorse track and travellers arrived at Jamaica Inn on foot or on horse. In fact, the stables were converted to a bar as late as 1953. It is said travellers in the old days made out their wills before setting off across the treacherous moor. We, well, we just pulled off the A30 in our little hired Audi. (It’s with a touch of melancholy I note that.)

The A30 seen from room 10 at Jamaica Inn

Cornwall was always one of the poorer parts of Britain (still is) with an economy based on mining. The miners and their families lead hard lives with meager income. Smuggling was rife and the isolated Jamaica Inn was used as a stopover for smugglers as they brought their contraband from the ocean – both from Tintagel in the north and Polperro in the south – into Devon and onwards.

Of course, Bodmin Moor and Jamaica Inn are both overflowing with ghost stories: conversations heard in a foreign language (Ancient Cornish?) by people unseen, horses and carts are heard but not seen, footsteps in the corridors in the middle of the night, a man in old-fashioned clothes has been seen walking through walls, an old woman has been spotted in room 5…

Unfortunately, I hadn’t thought to request room 5 (note to self: better research beforehand). Others had, however. We read an enticing description in the guest book from a family who had stayed in the infamous room. The gist of the entry was that while two teenage daughters were out and about after hours, looking for ghosts, their younger brother was left alone in room 5. In the bathroom, getting ready for the night, the boy looked in the mirror – and saw an old woman standing behind him staring right at him.

The popular British TV programme Most Haunted featured Jamaica Inn in an episode and said it was one of the spookiest programmes they had ever recorded.

Like most of my fellow Scandinavians, I tend to treat questions of belief and superstition with a good dose of cynicism. However, I’m the first to admit history would probably be much less interesting without them.

A bit of Norwegian history here as well: the 100 kroner note pinned on the wall hasn’t been in use in 20 years.

The Smuggler’s Museum at Jamaica Inn

Jamaica Inn offers various ghostly events (have a look at ghost hunt events for 2012) and has an on site Smuggler’s Museum and shop. It is a business, after all.

Smugglers at night

One haunting exhibit is of a skull found 50 years ago in a cave under the foundations of an old house known to have been frequented by smugglers. Stores of spirits were found, as was the skeleton of a man in chains. Who was this man who had been left to die? A smuggler? Customs agent? Informant?

Why Jamaica Inn?

Rumour has it, the inn was named for Jamaican rum, smuggled into England and stored there. However, it appears reality is slightly less romantic, if no less Jamaican: a large landowning family in the area, the Trelawneys, had two family members serving as Governors of Jamaica in the 18th century.

You’d think a haunted hotel would have a resident cat. Not here. This friendly stray was from the tiny village Bolventor nearby and just stopped by whenever she felt like it.

The bar was stables until 1953

After hours, when the ghosts come out

Have you ever stayed in a haunted house or hotel?

Bodmin

Head to DeliciousBaby for more Friday photos.

Jamaica Inn is a post from Sophie's World