Re: London v Hull at Gillingham : Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:50 pm  

McLaren_Field wrote: I'm booking a few days in September in Staithes, a slightly cheaper but almost identikit village to Robin Hoods Bay - I almost, almost bought a building with house above and shop at street level halfway down the village in Robin Hood Bay a few years ago, its now a holiday rental and the shop has no tenant - every time I see it in the adverts I kick my own booty, very hard, this is it, could have had the whole lot for the same price as our house was valued at the time http://www.robinhoodsbaycottages.co.uk/html/gilroyd_house_images.htm I've stayed in that very rental above the shop. Pub virtually opposite, just to the left. Very short staggering distance back to room.

McLaren_Field wrote: I'm booking a few days in September in Staithes, a slightly cheaper but almost identikit village to Robin Hoods Bay - I almost, almost bought a building with house above and shop at street level halfway down the village in Robin Hood Bay a few years ago, its now a holiday rental and the shop has no tenant - every time I see it in the adverts I kick my own booty, very hard, this is it, could have had the whole lot for the same price as our house was valued at the time http://www.robinhoodsbaycottages.co.uk/html/gilroyd_house_images.htm I've stayed in that very rental above the shop. Pub virtually opposite, just to the left. Very short staggering distance back to room.

Re: I'm thinking of going to/ has anyone ever been to (Holid : Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:06 pm  

Thinking of going to Alcudia with the mrs, anyone ever been? what did you think?

Re: I'm thinking of going to/ has anyone ever been to (Holid : Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:15 pm  

Robbo wrote:

Thinking of going to Alcudia with the mrs, anyone ever been? what did you think?

All depends what you want. Personally if I was looking at the Balearics, I'd be concentrating on Menorca and Formentera.

Re: London v Hull at Gillingham : Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:47 am  

Catalancs wrote:

Tossa's nice but if you're looking at the Costa Brava I'd recommend Cadaqués, Calella de Palafrugell an Begur.

Calella de Palafrugell is a good shout. Stayed in a little coastal town called Llafranc, which is within walking distance, about 25 years ago. Always wanted to return but not got round to it as yet.. Built around a cove with a small but beautiful crescent shaped beach. Used to be a favourite haunt of Dali and Hemingway and still wasn't that over commercialised when we visited. It's now meant to be very expensive. Second home territory for the rich and beautiful....Just got back from the Dalmatian coast. Some fantastic little coastal towns interlinked and within walking disance and surrounded by the Biovo National Park if you want to get up into the mountains.

Re: I'm thinking of going to/ has anyone ever been to (Holid : Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:03 am  

Llafranc is just up the coast from me and is indeed a lovely little place. A short bike ride takes you up to Tamariu, which is really nice. I've been here for five years now and in that limited time I've seen the cost of living increase. This, coupled with wage cuts, means that tourist towns along the Costa Brava and throughout Spain are relying heavily on foreign tourism, noticebaly Russian.
I've always wanted to go to the Dalmatian coast and very nearly did when I was working in Ancona, Italy. Due to (happy) circumstances it's not going to happen for a year or so. Where exactly did you stay?

Re: I'm thinking of going to/ has anyone ever been to (Holid : Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:10 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

All depends what you want. Personally if I was looking at the Balearics, I'd be concentrating on Menorca and Formentera.

I wouldn't mind going to Menorca again, the last time I went I stayed at S'algar out of season which was like a ghost town with very little around. Just having a look at Cala n Bosch which looks like a nice place

Re: I'm thinking of going to/ has anyone ever been to (Holid : Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:22 pm  

Robbo wrote:

I wouldn't mind going to Menorca again, the last time I went I stayed at S'algar out of season which was like a ghost town with very little around. Just having a look at Cala n Bosch which looks like a nice place

Have been lots of times to Menorca but mainly to Es Castell (next to the main town Mahon) and to Son Bou which we went to several times - have also travelled all over the island as I'm not a "lie around the pool" sort of person but prefer hiring a car and pottering around, driving around Menorca is really easy and I defy even an idiot to get lost

Cala n Bosch is a place I have visited as the son of a friend of mine was a Thompsons rep there and we went to see him one day, it is nice place but like a lot of the resort towns on the island its very much a tourist-only place, has bars and restaurants a-plenty, has a very nice looking four star hotel that seems to cater for the more wealthy Spanish clients (couldn't see any UK operator using it a few years ago), its close to Ciutadella which is the sort of place that I like mooching around in being that its a former main town and still retains lots of original buildings - you are up the far end of the island though and a car is necessary if you want to go further afield, if you're happy with a one resort holiday then Cala n Bosch would be fine.

Re: London v Hull at Gillingham : Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:47 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Llafranc is just up the coast from me and is indeed a lovely little place. A short bike ride takes you up to Tamariu, which is really nice. I've been here for five years now and in that limited time I've seen the cost of living increase. This, coupled with wage cuts, means that tourist towns along the Costa Brava and throughout Spain are relying heavily on foreign tourism, noticebaly Russian.
I've always wanted to go to the Dalmatian coast and very nearly did when I was working in Ancona, Italy. Due to (happy) circumstances it's not going to happen for a year or so. Where exactly did you stay?

A place called Makarska which is in Split-Dalmatia county on the Adriatic. Been a few times, and it's about 60km from Split airport. I'm a non-driver so just jump on a bus for pennies and it delivers you at destination, easy-peasy. The bluest sea I've ever seen and some great coastal walks through pine forests either way from Makarska. Lack of Brits as well, which is another bonus.

Re: London v Hull at Gillingham : Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:24 pm  

WIZEB wrote:

A place called Makarska which is in Split-Dalmatia county on the Adriatic. Been a few times, and it's about 60km from Split airport. I'm a non-driver so just jump on a bus for pennies and it delivers you at destination, easy-peasy. The bluest sea I've ever seen and some great coastal walks through pine forests either way from Makarska. Lack of Brits as well, which is another bonus.

We started at Trogir, which is like a tiny Venice and we took two weeks moving down the Dalmatian coast bit-by-bit as far as Dubrovnik, where we stayed in the Old Town.
The very Venetian-style architecture, the limestone mountains, the blue sea and Diocletian's palace in Split stick in my memory.
Makarska is a lovely place, I can well understand why you've been back.
All the way down the coast there are opportunities to visit many, many islands for a day (or longer?) of peace and quiet.
One of the places we stayed at on the coast was a small village called Mali Ston where the seafood is absolutely unbeatable.

This was just after the war was over and there were still enough places un-rebuilt and new tombstones with lit candles in the cemeteries to remind you just how recent it all was.
Walking around the walls of Old Town Dubrovnik, you only need to notice the number of buildings (the majority in fact) with replacement new orange tiled-roofs to realise just how much ordnance was lobbed onto them from the top of the hill.

Re: London v Hull at Gillingham : Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:36 pm  

El Barbudo wrote:

We started at Trogir, which is like a tiny Venice and we took two weeks moving down the Dalmatian coast bit-by-bit as far as Dubrovnik, where we stayed in the Old Town.
The very Venetian-style architecture, the limestone mountains, the blue sea and Diocletian's palace in Split stick in my memory.
Makarska is a lovely place, I can well understand why you've been back.
All the way down the coast there are opportunities to visit many, many islands for a day (or longer?) of peace and quiet.
One of the places we stayed at on the coast was a small village called Mali Ston where the seafood is absolutely unbeatable.

This was just after the war was over and there were still enough places un-rebuilt and new tombstones with lit candles in the cemeteries to remind you just how recent it all was.
Walking around the walls of Old Town Dubrovnik, you only need to notice the number of buildings (the majority in fact) with replacement new orange tiled-roofs to realise just how much ordnance was lobbed onto them from the top of the hill.

Strange as it seems, I was actually recommended the country by a mate of mine who was over there just after the war. He is a 360 digger driver and he was over there tidying up, digging mass graves for the deceased being one of his more horrific duties. Managed to do a bit of exploring during his time off and was still suitably impressed with the beauty of the place excluding the extenuating circumstances of his reason for being there. Went for the duration of the whole World Cup in 2006 (5 weeks), sitting in bars with Croatians watching their team compete in the finals. Friendly as you like, sending me bottles of beer over...Nice people, cheap beer and fantastic scenery.