CategoryTourism

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Uji, Kyoto – Tea and Temples

A Short Train Journey from Kyoto JR Station

On a recent visit to Japan, my wife suggested that we visit Uji, near Kyoto. Although I’ve been to Kyoto a few times before, Uji was not a place that rang any bells. A quick Google search revealed that it is renowned throughout Japan for the very high quality of its locally grown tea and it has two temple complexes which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

We were staying in the port city of Kobe, so to get to Uji we took a JR “Rapid Express” train from Ashiya Station via Osaka to the main JR Station in Kyoto. We changed there to the JR Nara Line for the 30-minute local train journey to Uji. The local train was very crowded indeed, full of tourists, mainly from China. Fortunately, Japanese trains are well air-conditioned.

Great Days Out – the Harvest Experience at Yotes Court Vineyard

For vineyards across Kent, the arrival of October means it is time to start the grape harvest. Now grape picking is one of those activities that sounds rather lovely in theory, but if you have to do it all day you quickly realise it is actually pretty tiring work. Fortunately, some of Kent’s vineyards now offer members of the public an opportunity to try their hand at grape-picking for just a few hours at a “Harvest Experience” day.

Yotes Court Vineyard in early October.

What is a “Harvest Experience?”

A Harvest Experience is essentially an opportunity to come along and help pick grapes at a vineyard, but without having to commit to doing it all day! Typically, this means 2-3 hours spent among the vines doing the actual picking, followed by a hearty lunch, washed down with a few glasses of the vineyard’s own wines.

The Lavender Walk: Shoreham to Castle Farm

One of the loveliest walks in Kent takes you through the beautiful village of Shoreham to the lavender fields at Castle Farm in the Darent Valley. The ideal month to do this walk is July when the lavender is in full bloom and there’s a sea of vivid purple in the valley.

Starting Point

Most people will probably arrive in Shoreham by car, but the village is very accessible by train as well. Shoreham Station is only 200 yards or so from the starting-point of this walk. The narrow lanes of Shoreham mean that it isn’t the easiest place to find parking. If you’re coming by car, my suggestion would be to park along Station Road, down the hill from Shoreham Station.

Ermoupoli, Syros

Ermoupoli, Syros – a Great Place to Chill

A few weeks ago a Greek friend had recommended to us Ermoupoli on the island of Syros in the Cyclades as a really nice spot to spend a few days. He said it’s more popular with Greeks than with foreign tourists and is beautiful but much less frenetic than islands like Mykonos and Santorini.

So, after a few very hot days in Athens recently, we found ourselves at the port of Piraeus looking at “Thunder,” the boat which would take us to Syros.

Thunder at Ermoupoli, Syros

Thunder is operated by Fast Ferries and it’s a magnificent and very well-appointed vessel. It took us to Ermoupoli, the main port on Syros, in just over 2 hours. As the boat approached the port, there was bit of a scramble as people headed down to the lower deck to retrieve their bags, but we were soon walking off the boat and along the seafront promenade. Time to find our hotel.

Chartwell

Exploring Chartwell – the Home of Sir Winston Churchill

I’m fortunate to live near Chartwell in Kent, the former home of Sir Winston Churchill. I’m a frequent visitor to Chartwell because…well it’s just a rather special place.

Even now, more than 50 years since his death, you can still sense Churchill’s spirit all around you whenever you visit. It’s well known that he loved the place very much, once famously remarking: “A day away from Chartwell is a day wasted.”

It’s said that when Churchill first visited Chartwell in 1921, it was the view overlooking the Weald of Kent that he fell in love with. It subsequently became his home from 1922 until his death in 1965. Churchill was a talented artist and over the years Chartwell was the source of inspiration for many of his paintings. It was also a source of solace for him during the darkest days of World War II and at other difficult times in his life.

Sussex – Kingscote Vineyard and the Gravetye Circular Walk

If you follow my blog, you’ll know that I take a keen interest in the Kent vineyard scene. I recently broke ranks and slipped unnoticed across the county border into Sussex to check out the Kingscote Estate and Vineyard.

Some friends in London had organised a walking day in West Sussex last week, loosely following the bucolic route of the “Gravetye Circular” in the High Weald. The route takes you past historic houses, lakes and vineyards and through lots of natural woodland. Knowing of my interest in local vineyards they kindly invited me along. The opportunity to call in at the Kingscote Estate was not to be missed, even if it meant a 7 mile walk on a hot June day! Our walking route actually took us through Kingscote twice.