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EuroDisney with Derek, Colin, Mags & Pat - May 2011

We started our week on yet another lovely sunny day and crossing the channel once again on the P&O ferry "Spirit of Britain". We hardly had time to have something to eat and drink on board before we cruised into Calais. We arrived at out accommodation "The Cheyenne Hotel" in time to check out our rooms and head off to dinner in the "Chuck Wagon Cafe".

We started the next day by having a ccontinental breakfast back in the restaurant and then it was time to head to the Park for the day's activities. With temperatures in the high 20s we spent the day enjoying many of the rides and were lucky to obtain several autographs from the characters including, of course, the main man "Mickey Mouse". The day was completed by watching the Disney Parade and then it was off to the Disney Park for dinner.

The next day was spent in the Disney Film Studios where we yet again experienced a number of the rides, several shows including the excellent 'Stunt Display' and we still found time to go shopping and enjoy our customary ice-cream. We stayed in the Disney Park for dinner and all enjoyed a lovely buffet meal at "Billy Bob's" restaurant.

When it was time to return home everyone was a little upset as we had enjoyed a fabulous stay in EuroDisney!!


Arriving at the Disney Park...



Mickey meets and greets...



Justin holds on tight...



Becks is ready for Jumbo to take off...



Smiles all round...



Any more for tea?



Jack asks for a telephone number...



Stephen only has eyes for Minnie...



There's a new girl group in town...



Flying high...



Best of friends...



Becks takes to the skies...



What a great stunt show!



Lily and Rachel enjoy the ride...



Our final meal on our way home...

Greek Islands - Cyprus May 2011 with Derek & Roni

We had a great start with a fantastic flight on Cyprus airways.
Our hotel was really very nice with a brilliant, safe pool. We managed to spend a lot of time swimming and playing volleyball. It was great fun and Grahame managed to play a good game. Richard braved the water and allowed Derek to help him enjoy a supported swim. His face was a picture! He was very brave.
The food was excellent and we all thoroughly enjoyed the evening’s entertainment. The two shows that stood out were the karaoke evening, which got Mark a standing ovation after his performance, and also Grahame after his impression of Bob Marley, which was quite brilliant!! The fire show was very impressive and amazed us all. Grahame joined in the bingo session one evening and he won the jackpot of the night....that paid for a few more presents!
The hotel was very near the beach and we walked along the prom and enjoyed the sunshine. The main entertainment strip was within a couple of minutes and you could find us there in another karaoke bar or dance club on other nights. Wendy & Mary joined in the fun and gave us all a lesson in singing & dancing. We enjoyed late nights and found time to relax during the day.
We took a day trip to the Troodos Mountains and enjoyed the beautiful sights. It was a long day but worth the effort. We especially liked the village of Omodos, which is in the wine growing area. We sampled some local fortified wine and bought some presents, including some lovely lace work.
Shopping gave us a good excuse to go to Ayia Napa. It actually is a very nice place, even though it is known as the party capital of the island. We had a lovely ice cream there too.
It was very hard to leave our hotel, along with all the friends we made there. I don’t think we managed to walk very far before getting into conversations with other holiday makers (mainly due to Grahame’s friendly manner). It was always two steps forward and one step back hahaha.
Our thanks go to Mary, Wendy, Mark, Grahame and Richard for helping make the holiday special.

Derek & Roni


Karaoke (1)

Karaoke (2)

Bob Marley

It's my ball......

Night fever

More karaoke

Fantastic fire show!

Wine tasting

Local art work

A beautiful church

Bread tasting

Don't look down

Hotel dining

Swimming session

Relaxing by the pool

Any one for volleyball

Our lovely beach

Zoo & Countryside with Pat & Jim - May 2011

We began the holiday with a trip to the impressive Marks Hall, where we walked around the beautiful grounds, admiring the house and its gardens. A highlight was seeing a family of geese waddle past us.

Sunday was a special day, as it was Ray and Gillian’s wedding anniversary – so we started it off with a cooked breakfast with Bucks Fizz! Then off to the Primill Lock for a trip on the river, where we saw baby moor-hens and ducklings. This was followed by a leisurely drive through the countryside, visiting villages along the way to Tiptree, where we enjoyed jam making and got to taste some of the jams on scones.

At Colchester zoo we took a trip on the zoo train, where we saw lots of different animals on our journey. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and ice-creams at the zoo before exploring the rest of the enclosures in the afternoon.

A day was spent at Wimpole Hall, where we were treated to a tour of the house, which included a particularly impressive dining room. Another picnic today, in the magnificent grounds of the Hall.

We also managed to fit in a visit to a local craft shop, where we bought some gifts, as well as a trip to a horse sanctuary where we were lucky enough to be able to pet the horses, donkeys and ponies.

Thanks to Gillian, Raymond and Pamela for making the holiday so much fun!


Geese going for a walk...



Enjoying the sunshine in the park...



On the canal...



Tucking into a pub dinner...



With a new friend...



Posing with the elephants...



Doing a royal wave on the balcony...



The beautiful gardens of Wimpole Hall...



Enjoying a delicious meal...



Looking for a sugar cube...



Meeting the horses...

Norfolk Broads with Colin & Derek - May 2011

We all met at the Brandon High Lodge. The weather was great when we stopped off for lunch. We then had just a short drive to our accommodation on the Norfolk Broads where we immediately started our boat trips.

During the week we enjoyed everything that the Broads have to offer......relaxing ventures out on the cruise boats and rowing boats or, for the more adventurous among us there was the chance to work hard in the rowing boat.

Once again the weather was really good all week and this not only allowed us to travel out every day but also to enjoy much of the wildlife that lives around the Broads.

During the week we visited a couple of pubs for lavish dinners and we all enjoyed the night that Derek slaved over the BBQ.

We even managed to fit in a trip on a Steam Train, walks along the Sea front and our customary evening of tenpin bowling.

At the end of the week on our way home we stopped off at Ely to enjoy the magnificent Minster and to fit in a very nice cream tea.

Thanks to Patricia, Stuart, Wendy, Tony, Graham and Mark for making the holiday so much fun!

And we hope to see you all again soon...


Mark takes control...



All ready to row...



Where is my horse?



Time for a BBQ...



Lining up the ball...



A relaxing time on the steam train...



Boy that tastes good...



A quick stop for an ice-cream...



Our stroll along the sea front...



Tony offers to drive the train...



We all arrive safely...



Wendy waits patiently...



Time for a rest...



Cream teas take a lot of concentration...