4pages ofholidays · 2011. 3. 20. · use them in europe as it is an easy and...

TURKEY is25˚C. Seven

nights’ all-inc atthe 4* Monachus ParkHotel in Colakli is from£281 per personincluding flights onApril 18. See tho-mascook.com.

4PAGESOF HOLIDAYS

IT’S 30˚C inKENYA. Sevennights’ half-board

at the 5* Sarova White-sands Beach Resort &Spa is from £749. Seeafricasky.co.uk orcall 0870 9040925.

WE HUD EAST – BY TRAIN

EIGHTIES

STARSAT

PARKGIG

TOUR THE

HOUSES

OFPOWER

A WEEK at Balmoral house is from£900 in low season to £1,400 in highseason. Off-peak short breaks alsoavailable. Call 01947 841401 or seestaithescottages.com. Also go toyorkshiremoorsandcoast.com.

PARLIAMENT is dissolvedon Monday but you canensure your place in the newHouse, whoever is voted in.

And you’ll get the chanceto tramp the corridors ofpower without bumping intoany vote-hungry politicians.

Usually available only inthe August and Septemberrecess, tours of Parliamentbegin on summer Saturdaysfor the first time this year.

The Blue Badge toursstart July 3, and take in theLords and Commons cham-bers, Westminster Hall, theQueen’s Robing Room, theRoyal Gallery, Peers’ Lobby,Central Lobby, Members’Lobby and St Stephen’s Hall.

Tickets are £14, (£9 OAPs,students and Armed Forces)or £6 under-16s. See ticket-master.co.uk/housesofparlia-ment or call 0844 847 2527.

SRI LANKA is33˚C. Fortnight’s

B&B at the 4* EdenResort & Spa includ-ing flights from Heath-row is from £699. Seethomsontai lormade.com.

Go:StaithesEIGHTIES legends Bananar-ama, Kim Wilde, Midge Ure,Curiosity Killed The Cat, TheChristians and Rick Astleyare all on the bill for AltonTowers’ 30th birthday party.

The Staffordshire themepark launched in 1980 withthe Corkscrew Roller-coaster. And now it seemsthe park’s new Th13rteenride wasn’t scary enough asthey want to send us back toa time before fashion sense.The concert is from 1-6pmon May 23 and is included inthe entrance fee. Seealtontowers.com.n BUDGET hotel chain Trave-lodge are holding a sale ofautumn dates.

It sees 250,000 rooms upfor grabs from just £9 to £25at almost 400 hotels in theUK, Ireland and Spain. Datesare from August 28 toNovember 28 an can bebooked from 6am on Thurs-day. See travelodge.co.uk.

CHART star Mr Hudson enjoys the high-life,regularly mixing with superstars Jay-Z andKanye West as he tours the globe.But the Supernova singer has gone eco-

friendly and swapped his jet for a train –and I tagged along for the ride.The singer, real name Ben McIldowie,

was keen to get involved when climatechange charity Global Cool invited him on athree-day mini-break to Munich.He said: “It was a no-brainer. I like trains

and have a keen interest in global warmingand the environment. Pollution is gettingworse and it is something that concernsme. It’s nice to have a cleaner alternative.“It’s just about raising awareness, I don’t

want to tell people what to do.”I joined Ben on the trip, kicking off with a

seven-hour trip from London to Munich, viaParis and Frankfurt. We then took a tour ofthe German city, soaking up art at the Pina-

kothek Der Moderne, visiting the city’s fam-ous markets and taking a tandem bike ride.The activities helped work up an appetite

for dinner and drinks at Munich’s world-renowned inn, The Hofbrauhaus.Ben, from Birmingham, said: “I will look

back at the trip as one of the most memora-ble journeys I’ve ever had.“Planes don’t have bars, that is a very

positive point. We drank the bar dry. Wealso played games and saw the country-side. That is nicer than clouds.”He added: “Munich is such a beautiful

city, too. I’ve not toured here yet but woulddefinitely like to go back.”The return journey to London took seven

hours and went via Brussels.Ben said: “It was nice stopping off at vari-

ous cities across Europe.“In my job I understand that planes are a

necessity, but having my eyes opened to

the option of travelling by train acrossEurope has been great. I use trains a lotwhen touring in the UK but will now try anduse them in Europe as it is an easy andstress-free option. I get tired of airports andthe lengthy security checks.“It’s a positive move if it’s good for the

environment. Plus you can move aroundand stretch your legs and it’s a fun way tocatch up with friends.“I would travel across the States by train.

And Asia has that option.”Ben hopes other musicians will follow his

lead in Europe.He said: “I don’t want to preach, I just

want people to know there is anotheroption. And it can be incredibly fun, too.”

BECI WOODl For more info on travelling by train go toGlobalCool.org. See thesun.co.uk for exclu-sive video of Beci and Mr Hudson’s trip.

PORT IS GREAT FORWALKINGHOLIDAYSIT’S like a scenefrom a Harry Potterfilm – fishermen’scottages clinging tothe last few inchesof land around asea-lashed harbour.Welcome to Staithes inNorth Yorkshire, one ofthe most dramatic sea-side villages in Britainand the perfect getaway.Surrounded by hillsand cliffs, just north ofWhitby, its 800 inhabit-ants are served by just afew pubs and tiny shops.Staithes was a substan-tial fishing port untilwell into the 19thcentury, employing morethan 300 men, and isfamous for its links to18th century seadogCaptain James Cook,who worked in a localshop before moving toWhitby then sailing offto explore the world.It’s said the villagegave Cook his passionfor the sea and you canlearn about him at aheritage centre in theHigh Street.Its beauty was recog-nised at the end of theVictorian era as artistsflocked to the village tocapture its seascapes.The cliffs are alsofamed for their Jurassicfossils, which haveattracted experts andenthusiasts for morethan 200 years. Afterstorms, some rocks areloosened to reveal ammo-nites on the beaches.But we were here tohike, having heard thisis a rambler’s paradise.

FieldsMany visitors toStaithes, after checkingthe tide, walk aroundthe rocks to the next vil-lage of Port Mulgrave,before turning backacross farmers’ fields tosee the sea from ahigher vantage point.We were moreambitious, planning totackle sections of the110-mile Cleveland Way,which forms a loopbetween the North Yorkstowns of Helmsley andFiley and takes in about60 miles of coast. At onepoint it passes throughStaithes. Our first billetduring our week in

Staithes was a four-bedroom Georgian prop-erty called Balmoral,recently renovated andwith many originalfeatures includingpolished wooden floorsand real fires.This former seacaptain’s house sleepsten and is the perfectbase for walkers.We hiked about 100miles in nine days sowere glad of a spotwhere we could washand dry clothes, self-cater and relax withplenty of room.

AbbeyThe house also has asmall garden where youcan eat.Our second home dur-ing our break wasStaithes’ Cod AndLobster pub, as close tothe harbour as it couldbe without falling intothe water.There was always awarm welcome here, aswell as good ale and barfood and seats outsidewhere you could breathein the sea air whileenjoying a pint.And if you’re not

visiting Staithes to walk,there’s no shortage ofother things to do.Whitby is only eightmiles away, and RobinHood’s Bay is just southof Whitby and wellworth a visit — anotherpicture-postcard fishingvillage squeezed on tothe Jurassic coastline.Further south there’sthe Victorian grandeur ofScarborough, once thejewel of Yorkshire’scoast. And close by arethe North YorkshireMoors.Head inland to Helms-ley for shops and anaward-winning ice creamshop, and to Thirskwhich is the centre ofJames Herriot country.Pickering is a great basefor cycling and walkingin Dalby Forest.Last words should goto Aelred, who wasabbot of the localRievaulx Abbey in the12th century.He said of this area:“Everywhere peace, every-where serenity, and amarvellous freedom fromthe tumult of the world.”Hear, hear!

MANDY APPLEYARD

56 Saturday, April 10, 2010