The lighthouse at the entrance to the historic Venetian harbour, Rethymon
This was our first visit to Crete. We chose to stay in Rethymno as we like basing ourselves within walking distance of larger towns that we can explore on foot. We booked a package deal through TUI for a half board stay at the Aquila Porto Rethymnon Hotel and flew into Chania airport from Birmingham, UK.
The Needles, Isle of Wight. Two of the three huge, white chalk rocks, guarded by a 19th-century lighthouse.
The first time I visited the Isle of Wight was back in 1973, when I was taken there on a day trip with my Mums, Marks and Spencer’s works outing – remember those? I don’t remember much about that trip other than buying a souvenir keyring – remember doing that?
In August 2022 we made a return trip to Disneyland Paris with Jo, Bel and Ted after having really enjoyed a previous visit in 2019. We decided to stay at the Davy Crockett Ranch, a Disney resort, which is just a short car ride from the Disney Parc.
This stall holder was happy to pose for me when I asked. This was taken on our first visit in 2023 so I took out an A3 print of this image to give to the guy on this trip. Somehow we found his stall, and gave him the print. He was really pleased and insisted we take a few free cakes away with us.
Away from the bustle of the Medina, a short walk from our hotel, was Nouvelle Ville or New Town. Leaving the Medina through the northern exit in the Medina wall brings you straight into modern Morocco. It’s a smart area with all the outlets you’d expect to see in the UK. McDonald’s, Starbucks, KFC, they’re all here. There’s also a really smart shopping area with the usual designer outlets as well as some expensive looking hotels. We’d walk through in the evening and it’s busy, buzzy and a nice break from the bustle in the Medina.