Impulsive Christmas Trip

Daver6 · Feb 11, 2019

Having not really had that much desire to visit Spain previously, this TR has certainly changed my mind.

JohnM · Feb 11, 2019

Daver6 said:
Having not really had that much desire to visit Spain previously, this TR has certainly changed my mind.

It is an awesome place and @amaroo has nailed it in this TR.

amaroo · Feb 12, 2019

Some nice views approaching LHR

Kensington Palace

Second visit to London this trip and we decided to stay somewhere a little more traditional this time - The Goring.

Our room - Most Splendid Garden Room. Yes, that’s what they call it .... I didn’t make that one up.

The kids room - Deluxe Twin Room

amaroo · Feb 12, 2019

The Goring has an impressive history...

Opened by Otto Goring in 1910 - first hotel in the world where every room had a private bathroom and central heating.

1914 it became the command centre for the Chief of Allied Forces.... it was passed back to the family in 1919.

The hotel is the only remaining London hotel still owned and operated by the family that built it.

Was a fav hangout for the Queen and her Mother, and it’s where Kate and her family stayed in the lead up to her wedding.

Welcome bottle in the room

coughtail hour - delivered to your room every evening ..... selection changed everyday.

Virtuoso benefits provided breakfast for the four of us .... which was quite lovely.

This place is all class!

RooFlyer · Feb 12, 2019

Great TR, thanks.

amaroo said:
We came to Cordoba for one reason - Mezquita or more formally Mosque-Catherdral of Cordoba

I never got there, so curse you!!! I'm going to have to go there, and back to Spain. Bugger.

amaroo said:
We had a great couple of weeks exploring Spain - it’s such a fantastic country.

Can’t wait to come back....

I never had any attraction or desire to visit Spain. I went there first on a work job, based in Salamanca, out west.

Talk about a trip to Damascus! I returned within 6 months and did my first tourist trip. Just happened to stop at Burgos and noticed the Cathedral. I later described it to friends as making Westminster Abbey look like a parish church!!

Went back for work the next year and did the wow! main tourist trip afterwards. A third work trip after that, and another sightseeing tail to it. Still haven't been to Barcelona.

One thing I might suggest for your next trip ( I might have mentioned it already). Look at the Paradores hotel chain. It needs a bit of explanation, but the high end places are sublime.

VPS · Feb 12, 2019

Love the Goring hotel. I had a wonderful dinner there a few years ago which ended with the young Mr Goring and I trading barbs and eventually a bet about cricket. Damn it he won so I trotted over some very nice Australian wines next time for which he was very grateful and magnanimous

amaroo · Feb 13, 2019

The Goring is located just behind the Palace, it’s well located for getting around London.

London prices....

The Goring

amaroo · Feb 13, 2019

A wrong needed to be righted! We love our Chinese cuisine and just couldn’t live with memories of our last one in Madrid

There are many fine dining Chinese options in London, but we needed a break and wanted something casual.

Concierge recommendation - Duck & Rice. He was quite detailed in his appraisal - Soho, pub on the ground floor, all sorts crowd, good food, great beer!

It was perfect. Not the place for fine dining or an intimate dinner ... the place was packed (both floors) with the mood overwhelmingly casual and cheerful. The food was pretty good....

Alan Yau owns the place ... he is a big force in the restaurant game having started a couple of world wide brands.... both casual and Michelin***

I would happily eat here again.

Parked out the front .... number plate would have cost some.

LadyC · Feb 14, 2019

Just catching up on this again. Looks like some delicious food has been eaten. I loved Cordoba (and Spain in general) although I didn't get across to the west and north. I love the cross over of the Muslim and Christian influences in the old cathedrals. I would love to go back and explore more. How did you find the driving in Spain? I went by train last time and i was a great way to get around.

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JohnM · Feb 14, 2019

Driving is easy in Spain. As @amaroo pointed out, the Spanish still seem to avoid the magnificent toll roads, which I have also noticed over quite a few visits and almost always driving over the last 20 years or so.

Put it this way - it's less congested and has better roads than driving in Italy.

Flying mermaid · Feb 14, 2019

I think I have put on a few kgs just looking at the food photos. Don’t know how you manage to do a degustation lunch and then dinner as well

must be youthfulness

amaroo · Feb 14, 2019

Flashback said:
Did you find the wine wall/wine bar in the back corner of the lounge? That's pretty cool.

Thanks for the TR, has given me a few new places to visit in Spain. We normally head over at least once or so a year.

Pretty sure I saw it... it's a nice lounge.

Thanks. Spain is somewhere I'd like to go once a year

amaroo · Feb 14, 2019

Daver6 said:
Having not really had that much desire to visit Spain previously, this TR has certainly changed my mind.

You won't be disappointed.... but you've got to really like food and wine

JohnM said:
It is an awesome place and @amaroo has nailed it in this TR.

JohnM · Feb 14, 2019

amaroo said:
You won't be disappointed.... but you've got to really like food and wine

That rubs @Daver6 out immediately...

.

Daver6 · Feb 14, 2019

I'll just have to force myself to eat and drink. The things we have to do in order to enjoy travel

amaroo · Feb 14, 2019

VPS said:
Love the Goring hotel. I had a wonderful dinner there a few years ago which ended with the young Mr Goring and I trading barbs and eventually a bet about cricket. Damn it he won so I trotted over some very nice Australian wines next time for which he was very grateful and magnanimous

It's a very special place. The amount of staff = exceptional service. Not stuffy (as you might expect) but relaxed and comfortable.... you can tell it's a family run hotel, not a cookie cutter chain.

LadyC said:
Just catching up on this again. Looks like some delicious food has been eaten. I loved Cordoba (and Spain in general) although I didn't get across to the west and north. I love the cross over of the Muslim and Christian influences in the old cathedrals. I would love to go back and explore more. How did you find the driving in Spain? I went by train last time and i was a great way to get around.

Driving was a pleasure. We did something like 1,600 kms and found other road uses to be respectful and patience. Depending on the trip I would recommend driving .... great way to see the country.

JohnM said:
Driving is easy in Spain. As @amaroo pointed out, the Spanish still seem to avoid the magnificent toll roads, which I have also noticed over quite a few visits and almost always driving over the last 20 years or so.

Put it this way - it's less congested and has better roads than driving in Italy.

100% agree.

amaroo · Feb 15, 2019

RooFlyer said:
Great TR, thanks.

I never got there, so curse you!!! I'm going to have to go there, and back to Spain. Bugger.

I never had any attraction or desire to visit Spain. I went there first on a work job, based in Salamanca, out west.

Talk about a trip to Damascus! I returned within 6 months and did my first tourist trip. Just happened to stop at Burgos and noticed the Cathedral. I later described it to friends as making Westminster Abbey look like a parish church!!

Went back for work the next year and did the wow! main tourist trip afterwards. A third work trip after that, and another sightseeing tail to it. Still haven't been to Barcelona.

One thing I might suggest for your next trip ( I might have mentioned it already). Look at the Paradores hotel chain. It needs a bit of explanation, but the high end places are sublime.

You'll love the Meqzuita!

We stopped and had a look around Lerma (just south of Burgos) including the Parador de Lerma.... looked very nice.

Flashback · Feb 15, 2019

amaroo said:
Pretty sure I saw it... it's a nice lounge.

Thanks. Spain is somewhere I'd like to go once a year

Trip for this year booked now, F1 GP in May. Might try and head up to Andorra too, tick another country off the list!

amaroo · Feb 16, 2019

A day in London...

Walk down to Westminster and take the kids through a 1000 years of history at Westminster Abbey.... we’ve all been before, but it’s one of those places you can go again and again.

No photos in the Abbey. We did get to see a recent addition to the Abbey - memorial/ gravestone of Stephen Hawking. Appropriately located with Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and many others.