Hotel in Paris, close to Gare De Lyon train station.

I booked myself into Hotel Logis Terminus Lyon because it was recommended by a friend. I had a traumatic evening, my train arrived late and despite having a map I couldn’t find the hotel so I had to call reception twice to ask for directions. (Yes, it was only across the road, but it was dark and there were more than one exit at the station! :-) ) Luckily for me the guy at reception spoke good English and was helpful and courteous.
My room was on the 5th floor and didn’t have much of a view, but was cosy, clean and tastefully decorated.
It was exceptionally cold in Paris that night and having a lovely warm room to rest in felt very pleasant. My bed was comfy too with a lovely soft, long pillow.
The shower was compact but powerful and sparkling white. The TV had a small range of channels in English, two of which were news channels.
In the morning breakfast was rather good with some croissants (plain and chocolate), ham, cheese, hard boiled eggs and some fruit. Coffee was served in medium sized coffee pots and tasted delicious. Orange juice was from a packet, but tasted okay.
The hotel staff were friendly and helpful at every point and were able to provide additional extras that I forgot as well as advice on various travel points. Having an internet centre was a bonus, as for once I didn’t have my laptop.
Overall, it was a bit pricy but a charming hotel in a good location – right across from Gare De Lyon train station and close to a number of interesting historical sites.

Quirky Prague

Prague is beautiful in any weather!

I first travelled to Prague in 1984 and it has captured my heart for ever. There are few cities in the world where you can feel magic of the past so vividly while wondering around its narrow cobblestone streets.

Prague has changed a lot, especially in the last 10 years. It has grown, it has evolved and it has lost some of the peaceful charm that I still remember so well. But the magic is still alive in this architecturally majestic city.

Wonder around the streets, watch the sun rise from the famous Charles Bridge and don’t forget to stop for coffee and a traditional honey cake in one of the atmospheric coffee shops.

The most amazing thing about Prague is that it looks beautiful in any weather!

Eating out in London. Indian Buffet for under £10 per person.

SALAAM NAMASTE
(Camden Town tube station, 64 Parkway NW1)

It was not very busy when we arrived and we were welcomed and served immediately. The staff were friendly and professional and we were brought some hot naan bread to our table, which was nice.
The place itself is clean and elegantly decorated with fresh flowers on the tables, the kind of place you want for a romantic date.
The buffet itself was small (two meat dishes – chicken and lamb, 3 vegetable dishes, two salads and some desserts) but well prepared. Unfortunately it was rather bland. Not sure if they just played it safe or what, but I struggled to have a second plate. Salads did not seem to have any dressings either.
On the positive side the desserts were great.
Overall a good place, but maybe more suitable for those who like mild flavours.

Driving through Nevada. The storm is coming.

We have just crossed the border into Nevada when the sky suddenly went dark and we saw a thick wall of dust coming towards us. We were by the lake at the time and we run for the car, making it in time to avoid being pelted by sand and small rocks. Amazing experience!

And then the rain has started.....

Bridge Street Inn. Where to stay in Baker City. Oregon.

Most of the motels in Baker City offer a good value and a great standard of accommodation, but one place really stood out.
Bridge Street Inn (134 Bridge Street) had spacious and well decorated rooms with the comfiest beds one can hope for and the quietest air-conditioning units we have ever found on our travels. On the low setting you could not hear it at all.
All of this ensured that our stay was comfortable and, having had a good night sleep, we felt great in the morning.
The staff at the reception were unfailingly friendly and professional. They were also able to offer us tons of information on what to do in the area.
They were equally warm and welcoming when we arrived for a second visit in the middle of the night, even offered us some very tasty chocolate biscuits!
A free continental breakfast is provided as well as some good coffee and we found the food fresh and tasty.
Overall, a good quality friendly motel at the very reasonable price.

Baker City, Oregon. What a lovely place to visit!

With 11 National Forests, 10 scenic byways, and 8 scenic bikeways it is easy to appreciate the beauty of Oregon.
While travelling in the North East corner do not forget to visit Baker City, situated in a valley between the Wallowa Mountains and Elkhorn Mountains.
As well as being one of the most visitor friendly and picturesque places in the area Baker City is a host to a number of annual festivals, including the Miner’s Jubilee on 3rd weekend of July, which celebrates the mining history of the area and the filming of Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood’s film “Paint Your Wagon”. In was filmed in the city area.
Baker City also has annual Car Memory Cruise featuring classic cars, hot rods and other vintage automobiles from the Northwest.
The show is held at the Geiser Pollman Park and is followed by a barbeque and another car display at Quail Ridge Golf Course.
The following afternoon the drivers held a small (and free!) car display for the locals and tourist alike by driving up and down the main street. We were lucky enough to see this event.
People were lining up the streets, some sitting on the chairs, they brought from home with bottles of bear and video cameras. Families were mingling and laughing. Groups of kids were sitting on the pavements, applauding and waving at the passing cars. The atmosphere was amazing and if you walked down the street with a smile on your face people immediately smiled back.
At the end of this display some drivers picked up the smaller kids and were driving them up and down the main street also. Well into the night the locals stayed on the streets socialising, laughing and eating ice cream, whose seller was obviously doing a great trade that night. What a wicked event, wish we could come and visit every year!

PS If you want to know more about Memory Cruise check out this website. Some good pictures can be found HERE.