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Travel

Taste of the great outdoors

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Campervan by Bill McCarthy

VW campervan parked at the Lynton campsite in Devon 

As someone who has some experience of motorhome holidays it was with some curiosity that we decided to go smaller and try our hand with a camper van.

The campervan made famous by Volkswagen in fact. 

This latest version is a million miles away from the original, boasting all the latest creature comforts and hi-tech gizmos, but no amount of technology can do anything about lack of space. Or can it? 

From a maximum 28ft on our first motorhome, this VW offered something a little more compact. Compact, but still ingenious in its practicality and the big advantage over the larger vehicle, is that you are more mobile.

You can stow stuff away in no time and be on the road, even down to the local shops. 

Exceedingly difficult with the motorhome. 

VW campervans have plenty of storage areas for holiday paraphernalia in what appears to be a limited space 

We were invited to test all of this by a motorhome and campervan company which has recently opened a new branch in the Midlands, at Beoley near Redditch. 

Taking advantage of the surge in popularity of caravanning and camping staycations, Rockin’ Vans has opened this 8,000 sq ft facility early last year and has a wide range of vehicles to choose from. 

On arrival, it didn’t look like there would enough space to store all our holiday paraphernalia, but with ingenious hidden cubby holes and storage areas under seating and overhead, an awful lot can be stored in what appears to be a limited amount of space. 

So we loaded up and headed south west to beautiful north Devon and into Somerset where we stayed at a couple of Camping and Caravanning Club sites. 

Spectacular views over Minehead 

These are usually set in picturesque surroundings, with enough facilities to be comfortable, but secluded enough to be away from the madding crowd. 

We chose one in Lynton in Devon, above the cliffs and overlooking the beautiful the combined town of Lynton and Lynmouth and the other at Minehead in Somerset – again a spectacular view over the town from high on a hill with an incredible panoramic view. 

Both offer peace and tranquility with all the basic facilities required for camping and caravanning as well as close proximity to nearby tourist centres. Daily rates at both began for us at around £22 and included electricity points and water and disposal facilities as well as clean and tidy shower blocks and a small shop for essentials and a friendly welcome and helping hand if needed. 

A spectacular sunset a Brean Sands in Somerset 

Here we were able to explore the van properly. Space is at a premium but the rear seats and table are used to create a double bed, which features individual lights, while the two front chairs are captain style, which means they swivel around. 

Also the fabric roof can be raised to accommodate a couple of, usually children, above the main bed. It is worthwhile taking an extra foldaway mattress, because without it, unless you like sleeping on a board, the bed conversion can be uncomfortable. We used the mattress from the overhead bed for extra comfort as there was only two of us. 

The kitchen facilities offer a cooker and fridge, which is just about enough, otherwise, weather and site permitting, portable barbecues offer a rustic cooking alternative. 

As said earlier, the size is an advantage as packing up takes minutes and allows for plenty of sight seeing. 

VW campervan 

A trip on the water-powered funicular cliff railway down from Lynton to Lynmouth is a must. Lynton is 700 feet above Lynmouth, which was the only place to expand to once all available space in Lynmouth had been built on. 

From there we moved to Minehead, again a picturesque town with its own miniature railway, which offers 20 miles of heritage railway and typically British seaside welcome, 

For those who want wall to wall entertainment the vast Butlins sight can be entered with day passes. 

A new level of motorhome for us, and we loved the freedom. Cheaper too, as the smaller VW uses much less fuel. Rockin’ Vans has a fleet of campervans and motorhomes to hire with a week’s hire of a VW campervan, prices start at £413. 

VW campervan 

If you want creature comforts, then maybe hotel is for you but if you want a taste of the great outdoors with freedom to move at will, try the camper van.

Travel

Athens: A city steeped in history and culture

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The heritage of the classical era is still evident with ancient monuments, the most famous of all being the Acropolis 

Travel by Bill McCarthy

It’s the city that never sleeps, the home of modern civilisation, home of the Acropolis and Parthenon and the home of a million taxis. 

Or so it seems, I don’t think I have seen so many taxis, even in New York 

Athens is a wonderful city, steeped in history, alive with culture and with a diverse and as it seemed to us, young, population. 

The birthplace of democracy, it is often referred to as the cradle of western civilisation and is one of world’s oldest cities, its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years. 

A stunning night view of the Acropolis from Athens city centre 

Classical Athens was a centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum. 

It seems hard to believe Greece itself was in such dire straits and needing a bailout just a few short years ago. 

In the teeming thriving metropolis sitting on the edge of the Mediterranean and Aegean sea, that seems a distant memory. 

The bustling Monastiraki Square is a busy shopping and leisure centre 

We spent two memorable days the heart of the city at the Athens Tiare Hotel, on historic Omonia Square, a central as you can get in Athens and the oldest square in the city 

The hotel stands proudly overlooking Omonia, also known as Concord Square. The hotel is within easy reach of landmarks, museums, cultural centres, wining and dining, shopping and anything you may desire. 

A two-minute walk from the city’s subway, you can buy a 10 Euro ticket from the airport and arrive at the square via one change on metro in around 40 minutes. 

From here most of the major attractions are within easy reach, even walking distance for this wishing burn off the excess calories from the excellent Greek street food. 

The 10-storey hotel dominates the square and offers various accommodation, from comfort through to family and executive quality rooms. All have been refurbished and our deluxe room featured comfortable king-size bed, huge wall mounted flat-screen TV, drink making facilities and a state of the art bathroom with high end power shower with massaging jets. 

Exceptional comfort. 

A De-luxe room with city view is comprehensively equipped 

We stayed on B&B basis, with breakfast served in the cafe-style Artensis restaurant on the mezzanine floor. It offers a comfortable ambiance, offering a chic, modern dining area, with a fantastic view over the square. 

Other facilities include free computer and printer use at the business centre, small library and fitness centre as well as a ground floor lobby lounge and bar with outside area, that also proved popular with passers-by, stopping off for a coffee or early evening tipple. 

Importantly the whole building was spotlessly clean for our visit with the staff courteous and helpful. You can see why it would be equally popular with tourists and business users. 

The cafe-style restaurant overlooking the main square 

Within minutes you can take a journey through ancient civilisation to the modern days, and enjoy landmarks, museums, cultural and government centres, shopping and an impressive flea market. 

The heritage of the classical era is still evident seemingly everywhere in the city, represented by ancient monuments and works of art, the most famous of all being the Acropolis and Parthenon, considered a key landmark of early Western civilisation. Other archaeologically important sites such as the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch and the Tower of the Winds are nearby. 

An informative and comprehensive view of the city can be had on one of the many open top city tour buses. A multi-lingual commentary gives passengers all the information about the city and its origins. 

A spectacular view of Athens from the Acropolis 

The metro also takes you in two stops to Syntagma Square with many cultural and civic buildings nearby the very heart of Athens, and to Monastiraki Square, the historic core of the city, which is jam packed with shops, open air stalls and that flea market. This station also features ancient Greek ruins, while the metro itself can take you even further afield to the historic Port of Piraeus, one of the trading hubs linking Europe with Africa and Asia. 

Be prepared for a real hike however if you decide to visit the Acropolis of Athens on foot. The word acropolis means the highest point and there are many others in Greece. 

It is the home of several ancient ruins, including the most famous of all, the Parthenon, a former temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, who the people of Athens considered their patron. Construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the peak of its power. 

Hugely popular, even in early May literally thousands were queuing to see the iconic landmark. At 20 euro, it is a price worth paying for surely must be one of the wonders of the ancient world.

As said earlier, it is quite a hike up the hill from the city centre, but buses and taxis, would cut that journey by two thirds. 

A fantastic thriving capital city with a terrific transport infrastructure. Everything is near at hand and one of the most important historical and archaeologically important sites in the world. I would go again.