CARAVAN PARKBrean Somerset TA8 2QYQuiet select family retreat

Private beach accessModern Caravans. Personal Welcome.

www.dolphinpark.co.uk

01278751258

WOODLANDSNEW QUAY, WALES

Pet friendly CHALETSfrom £285 per week. Also LodgesDelightful wooded ppaarrkk MMiinnuutteessfrom harbour and saandy beaches

Gilfachreda, New Quaay, Ceredigion,Wales, SA455 9ST

Tel: 01545 580 239www.woodlandsnewquay.co.uk

PETSWELCOMEMrs Evans01341 247474

BarmouthWales

Farm house, cottageand chalet by the sea

Meadow FarmCampsite

SAME PRICE ALL YEARFantastic views overTenby/Caldey IslandFREE Showers, Toilets.

Hook ups, Families/Couples

NOW TAKING BOOKINGSFOR IRON MAN

OpenUntilEndOf October5 Minute Walk to Beach - No Dogs

Brochure - Tel: 01834 844829meadowfarmtenby@gmail.comwww.meadowfarmtenby.co.uk

LLANDUDNOBromwell Court, Seafront Hotel

ANY 3 NIGHTS £72Excellent accommodation, bar, en suite rooms

01492 878416www.bromwellcourt.co.uk

Visit us on Trip Advisor

HOLIDAYS 2015

HOTEL VIRGINIALuxury Coach Holidays

Wolverhampton, Cannock,Walsall, Dudley & West

Bromwich - Torquay Return

LAST MINUTE VACANCIESDeparts 19th July For 7 days 6 nights

Was £265 now £200Other Dates Available

Inclusive of en suite rooms, choice of breakfast and 3 course evening meal

Entertainment, Dancing and BingoNo single room supplement BOOK NOW

Falkland Road, Torquay TQ2 5JH Telephone 01803 294967

The Lady HamiltonBLACKPOOL

Licensed5* Food Hygiene Rating

Mon-Fri £87.50ppFri-Mon £75pp

Delicious home cookingSmall pets welcome01253 344713

35ft 2 bed BK Holiday Home on quiet park near Tenbury Wells

£7,000www.wigleyorchard.co.uk

with timber deck and parking, inc 2015 site feesOpen for ten months/year

01885 410331 or 07968 701625www.wigleyorchard.co.uk

Caravan For SaleAbsolute bargain, perfectcondition, double glazed

& central heating, twobedrooms, fully sited on acountry park with fantastic

views, no fees to pay tillMarch 2016

Call 07590 124226

GREAT YARMOUTHBLUE RIBAND

BUNGALOWS & CHALETSNear beach Hemsby and Caister on Sea

Pets welcome

Free Linen, Sat TV & Club House01493 730445

www.hemsby-chalets.co.ukwww.blueribandholidays.co.uk

Static CaravanVictory Vision 35x12

Cambrian Coast Caravan ParkBorth

Pool/Bar/Beach£22,995

07462 343 698

Explore the BordersTry Before You Buy

Caravans for Sale from £6,995www.goetreretreatcaravanpark.co.uk

MID WALES MINI BREAKSLuxury Caravan, sleeps 63 Day Weekend4 Day Mid Week £14001686 670408

ROWEN HOLIDAY PARKTalybont, BarmouthGwynedd LL43 2AD

Top quality lodges and caravansfor hire/sale on our small award

winning family park.Also luxury Cottage

Free Colour Brochure:Tel (01341) 242626

www.rowenpark.com

Arbour Hotel, BarmouthSUMMER BARGAIN BREAKS

SUMMER SPECIALANY

3 NIGHTS B&B£109pp pb

2 NIGHTS DINNERBED & BREAKFAST

£99pp per break*

3 NIGHTS DINNER,BED & BREAKFAST£135pp per break*

CHILDREN HALF PRICE ON ALL OFFERSSEAFRONT HOTEL INDOOR POOL LIFT & CAR PARK

CALL FOR BROCHURE & OTHER OFFERS Tel. 01341 280 459*Excludes Bank holidays

OR OR

BRIG Y DONHOTEL

LlandudnoBeach front hotel

OFFER NOW ONPay 2 nightsGet 3rd FreeSunday to Friday until

20/07/201501492 877319

info@4saintshotels.co.uk

LOVELY COUNTRY PARK SET IN MID WALESLOTS OF FACILITIES. FISHING AVAILABLE

Please Call 01938 820 516

Heated swimming pool, Tennis Court, Bowling green,CCTV, Private fishing, childrens play area,

clubhouse, laundry facilitywww.twinriversholidaypark.co.uktwinriversandyou@gmail.com

Open 11 months Caravans from £5995available

BUY YOUR CARAVANWITH 0% FINANCE!Up to THREE years interest free credit for the

purchase of a new or used caravan holiday home,with minimum deposit from £3,500.

We use our own finance facilities, terms andconditions apply, written quotations upon request.

Extended finance also available over 4, 5 and 6years from rates as low as 1% APR.

Caravan Parks in Worcestershire, Shropshire,Mid Wales and Welsh Coast.

Visit out website:

www.hillandale.co.ukor request our stock list and brochure on

FREEPHONE (24 hours) 0800 389 3565

Peace and seclusion in beautifulcountryside, ideal for couples who

value a restful environment.New holiday homes with

double glazing & central heatingfrom £26,929

Quality pre-owned holiday homesfrom £10,470

Prices include fees & insurance to1st April 2016

0% Finance available,written quotations on request.

TheGlenCaravanParkCleobury Mortimer

Shropshire DY14 8EL01299 270473

www.hillandale.co.uk

HOLIDAY HOME FOR SALE

On 5 star park. Sleeps 6.Wifi & children’s play area on site.

Less than 10 minute walk to beach.Stunning views.

01766 780286

NEW & USED CARAVANSFOR SALE

FROM £8995!Quiet 5 Star Park, Mid Wales

10 minutes from beach.Child en & Dogs Welcome

Fishing, WiFi, Gym Call

01654 781473

PAIGNTON HOBOURNE DEVON BAY2/3 Bed caravans in/outdoor pools

Kids club & Adult entertainmentAUGUST WEEKS AVAILABLE

FOR GREAT DISCOUNTS CALL 01765 601762

STATIC CARAVANFOR SALEPrivately Owned Sited At

GOLDEN SANDS HOLIDAY PARK(NORTH WALES)12 Month or 10.5

Month Season

£10,9952015 Site Fees Paid

CALL07595 711381

Savoy HotelWeston Super Mare Sea Front

Bed & Breakfastunder new managment

SPECIAL OPENING OFFER£35pppn

BOOK NOW01934 629559

WWW.SAVOYWSM.CO.UK

TENBY4 Star Holiday Park

10 minutes walk to Tenby/BeachesIdeal choice for mature couples/

small familiesPerfect base for Pembrokeshire coast

walks2 to 4 night breaks availableCAR PARKING NO CLUBHOUSE

Tel: 01834 842157www.salterncaravanpark.co.uk

Think of Holland for a break and the first place that comes to mind is bustling Amsterdam renowned for discovering all about Rembrandt or for its ‘nightlife’ and cafe culture!

It may be you think of Delft and its beautiful pottery. But what about Utrecht? Yes Utrecht, not necessarily known as a tourist magnet for UK visitors, but one which will steal your heart away if you ever visit.

Museums, wonderful architecture, spectac-ular churches, music – and this year also the start of the Tour de France 2015. And don’t forget the friendly folk who live and work there.

Utrecht’s inner city is small enough to ex-plore on foot quite comfortably, with beautiful canals lined with wharf cellars once used as warehouses for goods carried by water and now offices, shops and cafes and bars. There is also superb shopping in its medieval streets which escaped the bombing damage of so many places during the S econd World War.

There are many museums and my favourite has to be Museum Speelklok its collection contains carillon clocks, musical boxes, Flötenuhren, pianolas, an amazing singing

nightingale, and street, fairground and dance organs which thunder out when demonstrat-ed. Guided tours set out through Museum Speelklok (www.museumspeelklok.nl) every hour.

A very different museum is that of Dick Bruna House (www.centraalmuseum.nl), completely dedicated to author and illustrator, Dick Bruna and his creation Miffy. The stories about the little rabbit have been translated into 40 languages and over 85 million copies of the books have been sold worldwide. Perfect for, but not exclusively for, children!

At the city’s heart is the Dom Tower, which you can see from any point in Utrecht and is an easy way of checking just where you are and not getting lost. It is the highest and oldest church tower in Holland. You can combine a

visit to the Dom Tower with the Gothic-style ca-thedral with 15th century wall paintings. Dom is 367 feet high and open to the public offering excellent views of Utrecht and the surrounding area. But before you can enjoy the view you have to climb 465 stairs! If going all that way without oxygen seems too much try to get up to the bell tower. The centuries-old bells are so big they can only be rung once a year to prevent the tower from being damaged. But a modern magic set of bells, played a little like a piano, ring out the chimes instead. Apparently a woman who plays them rang out a medley of the hits by the Rolling Stones when they toured Holland.

Whatever you do don’t miss going ‘under-ground’ – a museum under the square outside the tower, the Dom Under (domunder.nl) which reveals the Roman foundation of the city, dating back to 47AD. This was another place I could have stayed in for at least a couple of hours. It is a superb exhibition where you use smart torches to shine lights on sensors to start up a commentary in headphones to guide you round what appears to be an archaeolog-ical dig, complete with images of what the city

used to look like, pottery pieces and skeletons.There are plenty of cafes and restaurants

but a must visit is Graaf Floris (www.graafflo-ris.nl) in Vismarkt if only to sample the home made apple dumplings with a mug of hot chocolate. Others worth a visit include Den Draeck (www.den-draeck.nl) for traditional food on an historical wharf, Stan and Co for more American-style eating and for the healthy eating option Sector3 (www.sector-3.nl).

A short taxi ride outside is Castle de Haar (kasteeldehaar.nl) – think of Downton but at its heyday in the 1960s and 70s.

One thing to watch out for though, are the cyclists. Forget the cyclists in Amsterdam who will generally try and avoid you – in Utrecht they never stop. The Dutch love of cycling is appropriate for Utrecht as the Tour de France starts tomorrow in the city.

So how do you get there? Start your trip with a mini overnight cruise from Harwich to the Hook of Holland and then take the train on to Utrecht if you don’t fancy taking the car. The Stena Line superferries on the route are the best. Stena Hollandica and its sister Stena Britannica, are the biggest ferries currently

operating anywhere in the world. There are 1,376 beds in 538 luxury state-of-the-art cab-ins, more like a cruise ship than a basic ferry. You have to have a cabin for the overnight crossings but they are extremely good value for money, spacious and very well equipped.

Start your cruise with a meal, as I did in the Hollandica’s Metropolitan Restaurant, and dine very well indeed for £30 for three courses.

Travel

Sharon Walters heads underground in cultural Utrecht

Saddle up for best kept secretUtrecht boasts beautiful canals with wharf cellars housing cafes by the water Explore in a different way via the 465 steps of the Dom tower (there’s no lift) Stena Line superferries are the best way to sail

l Stena Line www.stenaline.co.uk. ‘Rail and Sail’ prices start from £45pp one way. Sailings with a car start from £59pp one way for an adult and car. Cabins (required on overnight sailings) start from £15pp each way, based on two sharing. l For more information on Utrecht and Hol-land visit www.holland.com l The Court Hotel, located in the former Utrecht Courthouse, central, close to the Dom Tower and in the museum quarter of the city. Doubles from £90 per night room only. Address: Korte Nieuwstraat 14, Utrecht visit the website at www.courthotel.nl

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