Our experience in Copenhagen

Accommodation - Air BnB.
Perfect location and although small the apartment proved to be the most pleasant so far. Having a Nespresso was a big plus for us and even inspired us to take a trip to the closest Nespresso store (10-minute walk). The bathroom was fine and the shower system worked great; providing shower body wash and shampoo was a nice touch. The bed was incredibly comfortable and even though the building fronted a busy side-street, we were set way back beyond an interior courtyard so even with windows open it was still very peaceful.

Food.
When eating out we tend to focus on fresh foods for supper so we often gravitate to Asian venues, particularly Vietnamese.

Transportation.
Metro fast, modern, virtually all escalators. Note that Uber was not available in Denmark.

Attractions. 
Harbor cruise, Tivoli Amusement Park, daytrip to Roskilde to see the Viking Museum and the burial sites of the Danish monarchy, Museum of Danish Resistance, The National Gallery.

Currency and money.
Nearly all transactions were be done with credit cards although Amex is rarely accepted.

canal cruise

Our Experience in Prague

Accommodation - Air BnB.
Our host Michal was very accommodating especially as we arrived an hour and a half later than planned. He was also helpful and explained the apartment details fully. 

The appliances worked well and the shower was very nice. 

There were a few issues as we were to discover: some of the lights did not work, a couple of outlets were non-functioning, the outside noise could be distracting for some (fortunately it didn't bother us too much), and there were a couple of unstable slider doors that rendered that space unusable. Also the wifi was extremely slow. 

Food.
We used a nearby Tesco market for groceries but ended up eating at home only once. Our neighborhood was packed with great dining venues. We can strongly recommend Pilsnerka Narodni, Monarch and Pho Bar.

Public Transport. A big thumbs up for Prague on transport. First off all trams, busses and the metro are free for seniors (65+) with proof of age. Second, the trams go everywhere and are easy to find and use. 

The metro was fast, smooth and a great way to cross the city quickly; also it was nearly all esclalators and elevators.

Our one experience with Uber was OK but we opted to rely on the tram system which was extensive and for us (over 65) free.

Attractions. 
There is plenty to see and do in Prague but you knew this already. The Charles Bridge, the Jewish quarter and especially the old Cemetery (a feee to enter), and of course the Prague Castle. 

We were a bit disappointed in the complexity of the various ticketing systems: rather than an attraction with multiple elements (such as the Jewish quarter or the Castle) having just one ticket you're required to pick and choose the various elements you want to see and then find the right bundle. Quite awkward. 

Communication.
No landline phone so relying on mobile is the only option. A smartphone is a big plus for texting and occasionally checking maps. It's also possible to get tickets to some attractions right on your phone..

Currency.
You can use euros with confidence but we found taking local currency out of a bank ATM (NOT     Euronet) worked well. While many places take credit cards it's always nice having local currency on hand for incidentals (ice cream, the odd aperitif, tipping). Note that Prague is quite inexpensive.

Masking and vaccination.
Neither seemed to be an issue. No one asked for proof of vaccination let alone booster and masking mandates were gone, left to the individual's preference.

2019 UK Trip Wrap-up

Princes Street, Edinburgh

Accommodations.

We used Sawday's Special Places. They put you in touch with the owner of the home or hotel and you take it from there. We used Sawday for our stay in Paris in the fall of 2016 and had a simply fantastic experience. We weren't disappointed this time, either. Beats Air BnB, hands down. A strong recommendation.

Edinburgh. 2 Cambridge Square, AKA the Dynamite Club.
Notwithstanding the wonderfully and yes quirky space itself, three things the traveler will most likely find important in considering a stay at the Dynamite Club: (1) The breakfasts by Virginia were as good as any meal we ate in Edinburgh;.(2) Our breakfast companions -- there are only two rooms -- were fascinating and a genuine pleasure to spend an hour with in the morning.  (3) And last but by no means least is the location. I mean, you are right at the base of the castle and within walking distance to just about everything and anything of interest in Edinburgh.

Bath. The Queensberry Hotel.
Three things to bear in mind here: (1) The hotel itself is wonderful; four Georgian townhomes wedded together, the original space once being the home of the marquess of Queensberry, yes that's right the guy who codified the rules for boxing; and our room (no. 14) was lovely with an enormous bathroom and two sinks, which was a nice touch. Also there was a Nespresso machine right outside our door. (2) The food was superb -- we ate at the bar for dinner the night we arrived (fish pie was scrumptious) and in the restaurant for breakfast, which was delicious: pitchers of smoothies next to the orange juice. I can only imagine what dinner must be like. (3) The staff were incredibly friendly and always willing and available to be helpful and of assistance. (4) And lastly is the location. The hotel is a ten-minute walk from the Roman Baths and the abbey and almost around the corner from the Circus and the Royal Crescent.

Food.

Ripon. 
Royal Oak Inn. Fish n chips x 2, ham and eggs x 2, wine and beer for four £45.

Edinburgh.
Wagamama, noodle bowls x 2 £31.00
Balmoral Hotel, tea x 2 £110
Cafe Andaluz patatas gratinadas, albondagas and pollo rebozado, 2 glasses wine £31,00
Royal Yacht Britannia, cream tea x 1, cheese and chutney sand, 2 glasses rosé £43.00
the Grainstore, scallops, beef, fish 2 glasses wine £91.00
Amarone, pennette pomodorino, linguine polpettine, insalata, 1btl wine £54.00

St. Andrews. Nando's, sand x 2

Bath.
Pump Room, tea x 1, fishcakes, 2 glasses wine £71.00
The Chequers, fish n chips, burger, wine £56.00
The Circus, 2 x fish of the day, veggie starter, creme brulé, glass dessert wine Samos, 1 btl Assyrtiko £93.00
Queensberry Hotel Bar, £35.00

London.
Dorchester Hotel, tea x 2 £171.00
Le Pain Quotidian (St. Pancras Station), 2 tarts, 1 half soup-tartine, 2 glasses wine £46.00
Trafalgar Tavern (Greenwich), whitebait large, 2 sand of the day, bangers n mash, beer/wine for four, £68.00

St. Albans.
Chez Momtaj, 2 lamb shank, 2 seafood biryani, btle chablis £126
DavVero,
Prae Wood Arms, £67.00

Things seen and done.

Edinburgh. National Gallery, Princes Street Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh Castle, Rabbie's Day Tours, Scotch Whiskey Experience.
St. Andrews. Castle and abbey.
Falkland. Palace and gardens.
Bath. Royal Crescent, The Circus, Jane Austen Centre, Abbey, Roman Baths, Bertinet Cookery School.
London. Cruise on the Thames, Greenwich, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
St. Albans, Saturday market, the Old Town Hall.

General

Use the city tour buses to get a feel of the space.
Use your iphone  or buy a local SIM card when you first arrive. SIMLocal is a chain that's in all the terminals at Heathrow.
Check your CC to see if you have the swipe 'n go feature -- if so, using the Tube is a breeze.

Off to Scotland 24 September

It rained today, all day; it rained when we left St. Albans at about 9:30am and it was raining when we arrived in Edinburgh some ten hours later. In fact, it rained the entire time we were on the road. Even when we stopped for lunch in Ripon, about midway, it continued to rain.

The drive up the A1, the Great North Road, clearly fit into that category of trying men's souls. Richard did a stellar job of piloting and Pauline navigating -- with the help of their SATNAV system when it came time to skirt traffic snarls, particularly around Newcastle.

Oh, and about that lunch in Ripon -- another curious twist of events. Pauline had booked lunch for us at the Royal Oak and yet no one said anything about the village being one of the major stages of the (then) upcoming World Cycle Championships. We learned the hard way, of course. When we arrived at Ripon in the driving rain we discovered the entire city center was closed for the races -- naturally that's where our restaurant was located. And when we tried to park in the one-and-only car park it turned out to be flooded and thus unusable. We had no sooner cancelled our reservations -- the restaurant was no help in suggesting alternative parking -- anyway we had no sooner cancelled than we snagged a parking spot on the street near the edge of town.

A short walk into town past the cycling and racing stalls and we soon found ourselves in a dry, quiet corner of the Royal Oak Inn, Ale & Dining House.

The hassles aside, the place was quite nice, good service and the food very tasty; Susie and I had fish-and-chips with mashed peas, which were really quite tasty; Richard and Pauline had the ham-and-eggs. It was a much-needed rest stop, particularly for our driver and navigator.

After lunch it was back to the car and off to the A1 heading north. Once we hit the greater Newcastle area, traffic began slowing and our driving crew opted to get off the major motorway and head in a more direct fashion to Edinburgh by taking the A696.

The highway was a nice change from the major motorway of the A1 and a lovely drive through a part of the country we had visited some five years before with R & P when we took on Hadrian's Wall. Unfortunately, the weather was the same then as well: rainy and a bit chilly.

It was dark and yes, still raining by the time Richard piloted us all into Edinburgh's city center, and after correcting one wrong turn we found our room for the next four nights: The Dynamite Club at 2 Cambridge Street, in the shadow of the Edinburgh Castle.

Standing in the street in the rain we said our farewells to R & P -- we'll meet up with them sometime Saturday morning for the return drive back south.

After settling in we made our way back outside, around the corner and grabbed a rice bowl and a glass of wine at Wagamama's for dinner. Then it was back to the room and to bed.

Tomorrow it's the heart of Edinburgh and tea at the Balmoral. Stay tuned!