Excursions

PEDAS Excursions

Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels
Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15 October 2023

As usual we were not disappointed with the places we visited in Belgium due to John Biggs and his hard work researching the museums and galleries.
Day 1 - This was spent on the coach travelling to Dover and across the ferry to Calais. Another couple of hours and we arrived it our hotel in Antwerp. The hotel was situated in a super location so we had numerous restaurants to chose from all within walking distance.
Day 2 - We walked to the KMSKA in Antwerp and studied the Modern Masters and the Old Masters as well as drawings and sculptures on 5 levels. It featured the work of James Ensor which was definitely down to personal choice! The building itself inside was magnificent with amazing floors which looked like marble, we had no problem filling our time.
Day 3 – The coach took us to Brussels, only just over an hour away where we visited the Royal Museum of Brussels and the Magritte Exhibition. Here again there was so much to see, we even went down 8 floors to different exhibitions. Again lots of Old Masters but also some works of Van Gogh, Charles Hermans, Paul Gauguin, Agusta Rodin, Xavier Mellery, Emile Galle and Victor Horte to name a few. Some people stayed in there all day but Roy and I went walk-about and explored all the back streets. Having got totally lost we found a cab to bring us back to the hotel.
Day 4 – We travelled by coach to Ghent, only about 45 minutes away. We walked in from the coach park along the canals which made me think I was in Holland rather than Belgium. The weather threatened to be awful but we were quite lucky and were able to dodge showers. What a lovely city, the Cathedral sits in the centre of the city and most of us were able to visit the Altar Piece – Jan Van Eyck’s Mystic Lamb which is finally on display after years of restoration. We didn’t venture any further but went to the Castle which was very interesting and walked round the ramparts and down in the dungeons. A really lovely day.
We decided to try and eat together in the evening and with the help of Margaret and John we did a ‘reccy’ and found The Big Chef who said YES to all our demands, however the paying of the bills was a bit stressful. We realised although they spoke English they did not have much understanding of the language, hence separate bills was not a possibility. Nevertheless we had a lovely last evening altogether.
Now where to next year for our 100th Anniversary???

Carole Gadesby

DUBLIN TRIP 2022
Wednesday 28 September to Sunday 2 October 2022

Dublin showed itself to be a vibrant, bustling city full of young people very willing to help elderly English tourists. The city has become almost continental with its cafes and bars and side streets full of restaurants spilling out onto the street with tables and umbrellas.

Visits were made to the National Gallery of Ireland with many amazing works, notably Jack B Yeats and many old Masters, also a much more modern exhibition of work by Hughie O’Donohue. The Hugh Lane Gallery included Frances Bacon’s studio and Harry Clarke’s stained glass. Then there was a trip to Belfast, a city with a very different vibe, where it was soon realised the good old British Pound was the legal tender. The Titanic experience was experienced along with the Ulster Museum and the Botanic Gardens.

Guinness was sunk, cocktails sipped and vast quantities of food eaten. On Saturday music seemed to be at every street corner and was enjoyed thoroughly. Carole our leader solved all our problems even one that threatened to stop us before we got started and John was ever helpful with the itinerary and nuggets of information about things to see.

A personal favourite was seeing the statue of Oscar Wilde a native of Dublin, in his smoking jacket, languishing in a louche manner on a rock surrounded by his witty sayings. We managed to persuade a Brazilian tourist to take a group photo to remind us of this.
Then of course there was the shopping, the whiskey tasting, St Stephens Green, the Botanic Gardens, The Chester Beatty Museum, the Book of Kells, each one being visited by some or all.

We were all sad to say goodbye but we did it in style with a final meal at the Grafton Hotel situated handily very close to the Premier Inn so we could make the most of our final hours in Dublin’s fair city.

Barbara Davis

RECOLLECTIONS of EDINBURGH 2019

Groggily, we stepped aboard the Angela coach at 6.30 am on Wednesday. Our driver, Jamie, was a cheerful chap who joked with many a merry quip until we reached the Bowes Museum in time for the 2 pm automation of the Silver Swan to be switched on, arch its beautiful metal neck and delicately pick up a fish from the shining ‘water’. We toured the museum eagerly and enjoyed the sight of many a masterpiece.
We drove our perilous way between foolishly parked vehicles and set off for our hotel in Carlisle. Once there, we could wash and unwind before meeting in the special restaurant room set aside for us where we enjoyed a three course meal and chattered happily about our expectations of the days to follow.
Thursday morning we set off again and Jamie told us of his hopes of romance with a delightful woman from Torbay. He told us to look out for ‘summer’ cows and when we questioned him, he said “Well, some are brown and some are black and white” (I will not share any more of his jokes).
On our way to Edinburgh, we went passed hills and valleys before ending up at “The Kelpies” . Amazing, huge sculptures of horses’ heads made of metal that dwarfed the surrounding countryside. A handsome Scotsman in a kilt took a group photo of us and off we went again.
We saw the landscape change as purple and green hills loomed ahead of us and we arrived in Portobello to stay at the Best Western hotel Portobello. Having unpacked in our delightful airy rooms, we caught a bus into Edinburgh to “tourist” in earnest.
I accompanied my PEDAS friend to the Scottish National Gallery where we saw the amazing ‘Monarch of the Glen’ and the ‘Skating Minister’ and other marvels of the art world. Unfortunately, renovations were being made and many artworks were in storage, so we consoled ourselves with scones and salt beef sandwiches. Back at the hotel, we had time for ablutions, rest and calm, before setting out for a delicious three course dinner in the hotel. Again we had time for a chat and discuss the day’s events and the friendly sound of plates rattling and laughter. We all quizzed Jamie about his plans for meeting up with his Welshwoman and wished him well for his weekend meeting.
After a good night’s sleep we congregated in the entrance to journey to our various places of interest. Some took a taxi to the Royal Yacht Britannia, some to catch the coach to ….. We travelled to the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, where we were dropped off, whilst others ventured on to Jupiter Artland and Rosslyn Chapel.

A green mound stood in front of the museum which had tiers of smooth, velvety grass that led down to a gleaming lake reflecting the cloudless sky. Signs warned us sternly not to roll off the tempting hills – which of course, I wanted to do. Inside the gallery there was a feast of art to delight our eyes. There was a wealth of children’s art in response to a competition which lined some of the walls. A charming elderly lady proudly showed us her granddaughter’s painting of brown legs in wellingtons splashing in a puddle! Next we went across the road to the other building which was exhibiting an historic display of collage. Dainty cut-outs by Victorian ladies, ironic political statements, Matisse patterns in blue, pink and yellow met our astonished eyes. Monty Python album covers were there too, also some nourishing soup and rolls!!

We then caught the shuttle bus to Edinburgh, and continued our sightseeing by visiting the National Museum of Scotland. Once there, we saw science inventions, Natural History, Pottery, masks and almost everything you could imagine – glorious sights. We fortified ourselves with tea and lemon drizzle cake as we gazed up at the glass roof and winding balconies. Alas, we were too late for the Millennium Clock to activate, so we caught our bus home to Portobello and our three course supper.
Our last morning, there was a choice to visit the V and A in Dundee or exploring Edinburgh I opted for the latter and caught the bus into toon. Once there, I headed once more for the museum and was in time for the Millennium Clock to strike eleven! It was most exciting; gradually, it lit up from the bottom, illuminating dismal scenes depicting the mistakes of the twentieth century. Gradually, coloured lights made their way up the clock, characters moved slowly and a rather jolly hurdy gurdy tune played until the whole clock was filled with movement and stained glass eyes and suns stared down, and lights glowed right up to the pinnacle which boasted a Pieta. So, after more cake and tea, I ventured into the delights of the Old Town. Past Greyfriars where faithful Bobby slept on his Master’s grave, into Grassmarket with stalls and food, round the foot of the castle, down tiny alleys and past tall buildings, turrets and stone carvings. On I went, down the Royal Mile and many interesting nooks and crannies. Back to Princes Street where I caught an open top bus and toured like a proper tourist. I passed many places where I had already walked, but saw Holyrood palace and the weird architecture of the New Scottish Parliament building, King Arthur’s Mount and a historic exhibition marking the Moon landing. Thoroughly exhausted by so many sights and sounds, I tried with difficulty to find a bus stop where I could catch the number 44 back to Portobello.
On Saturday our coach took us to Dundee and a chance to visit the MacManus Gallery housed in a churchlike building with a statue of Robbie Burns outside. Then on to the V and A Scotland, designed by Kenga Kuma in the shape of a ship, which is next to The Discovery ‘berthed in dry dock. A fabulous building and everything you would expect to see in the V and A … textiles; furniture etcetera. A restored reconstruction of Charles Rennie Macintosh’s Oak Room, originally designed in 1908 as a tearoom in Glasgow. An amusing animated contraption for ‘Blowing Bubbles’ about five feet high pumping bubbles from a container kept many people entertained … but it was a scientific experiment.

Sunday came all too quickly and we all clambered aboard the coach to Tebay Service Station and later The Potteries Museum Art Gallery at Stoke on Trent. A few Lowrys and an eyeful of lovely ceramics greeted us and sadly at long last, we were on our final stretch. What a wonderful experience! Romance in the air on our coach, and the beauty of a fine, elegant city behind us. Many, many thanks to John and Carole for their impeccable organisation and hard work. We all had a lovely time.

Anne Hartman

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