Things to Do in St John's

This historic Madrid structure was once home to one of Spain’s most celebrated writers, Félix Lope de Vega Carpio, who spent the last 25 years of his life here. Lope de Vega is Spain’s most famous playwright, sometimes referred to as ‘the Shakespeare of Spanish literature.’ In his lifetime he wrote over 2,000 plays. It is also one of the few three-story houses that still remains from the 16th century. The home now functions as a museum, telling not only the story of Lope de Vega’s life and work but also of everyday life in Spain’s Golden Age of Literature. Period features such as whale-oil lamps and historic furniture bring the past to life. The bedrooms, his study, kitchen, and prayer room have been carefully preserved restored. Visitors can also see the courtyard and gardens where he would often sit to write.

Harwich is a small town with a large port. Its positioning where England’s east coast juts out towards Europe makes it an excellent travel and goods hub and it has a large container terminal, a busy ferry terminal, a small cruise ship terminal and an even smaller but pretty historic center.

Three lines used the cruise ship terminal: Holland America, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and they use it for embarkation and disembarkation. This results in Harwich being a place people tend to travel through rather than a place to linger. Nearby Colchester and Ipswich offer more sightseeing opportunities although none of them really the peak sites people travel to England to see.  

How to Get to London

Harwich is well-served by transport links to London and the cruise lines themselves organize transfers from many of the airports: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted which is the closest. The trip is around two hours from Heathrow and Gatwick so the transfer is the simplest and quickest way. The train is the best way to travel from London to Harwich and back and they run about every hour taking around an hour to reach London Liverpool Street Station.

The port station at Harwich is called Harwich International and is very close to where the ships tie up. The cruise lines often organize a special rail service also. Taxis are readily available but expensive. There is no private car hire office in Harwich so these must be booked ahead. The ferry terminal is also close to the cruise dock and from here ferries go to The Netherlands and Scandinavia.

One Day in London

London has so much to see it’s good to have a list of priorities before you set out. London Liverpool Street Station is in the East End and connects you with many parts of the city by Underground train (Tube). If you have one day, buy a Day Travel Card which means you can use all train and bus routes. Pick up a tube map at the station. Bus routes can be more of a mystery although the view from the top of a double decker bus is wonderful.

For a good overview of London’s iconic sights head for the Thames River’s Victoria Embankment (Embankment Station) and walk across one of the bridges. Waterloo Bridge gives wonderful views from Big Ben to the Tower Bridge. The London Eye also gives great views.

There are open top bus tours you can do and if you like walking you can head from the river, past the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, across to The Mall and St James’s Palace, to Buckingham Palace and on to Hyde Park. Or reverse this order (start from Green Park tube station) to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, which happens every other day (check the schedule) at 11.30am.

Port Information

The language is English and the currency is the British Pound (or quid in local slang). There is a currency exchange at Harwich Port and ATMs (which take only 4 digit numeric PINs). Some shops in the West End of London accept euros but very few so it’s best to change your money. Harwich itself is small and has no internet points or tourist facilities outside the port area.

About 12km down a dirt road and tucked into a corner of the Dominican Republic lies one of the country’s most spectacular hidden gems: Los Haitises National Park. Extravagant landscapes and postcard-worthy waters make this place one of the Hispaniola’s most hallowed (and protected) sites. Untouched virgin rainforests house untold pleasures, while the unforgettable waters of shimmering Lorenzo Bay, the petroglyphs of the caverns, and the wilds of the mangrove swamps will deeply impress visitors.

Any trip to Los Haitises is special, but for bird-watchers, the park is a treasure trove of frigate birds, parrots, owls, brown pelicans, and royal terns. Winged wildlife flock by the hundreds around the bay’s transparent waters, and the mangrove swamps provide a safe home for all sorts of small sea creatures. Trails lead into the subtropical forest for 4x4ing, biking, hiking, and horseback riding adventures. In January, the park opens up to whale-watching tourists hoping to spot these oceanic giants mid-migration.

In the romantic Rhine Valley near the town of St. Goarshausen, a siren named Loreley was said to bewitch sailors from upon her granite rock, causing them to ground their boats or lose control of them and sink. The area around the massive granite outcrop which rises vertically 433 ft (132 m) about the river, is indeed dangerous - the narrowest part of the Rhine between Switzerland and the North Sea surrounded by reefs and rapids which are a major threat to shipping. These days a safe channel is marked by buoys and no one admits to hearing the siren song of Loreley. (The translation of the name Loreley is 'murmuring rock')

The area is also important for wine-making. Since 1395, the Counts of Katzenelnbogen have had vineyards here and it was this dynasty of winemakers who invented Riesling. The whole Rhine River area, of course, became famous for Rieslings but they were first developed here, under the siren spell of Loreley. These days, due to the noise of modern life, it is hard to hear the murmuring of Loreley, but we can still drink the Riesling!

Dover is famous for its white cliffs and when approaching England by ship they are a lovely, iconic greeting to the United Kingdom. While a busy ferry port connecting England with France, Dover is a relatively quiet cruise ship port, used for embarkation and disembarkation.

Once a chic seaside resort, Dover has never really recovered from being bombed during World War II and these days most people choose to stay further along the lovely south-east coast in the pretty Georgian town of Brighton or in medieval Rye or in Canterbury with its famous cathedral, or to head up to London which is a couple of hours travel north.

Within Dover the main attraction is the castle built by Henry II in the 12th century, one of the oldest in England. In 1539, Henry VIII built nearby moated Walmer Castle, also worth a visit.

How to Get to London

Dover is very well-served by links with London. By train the trip is around two hours and from Dover Priory Station you can choose to go to either London Victoria – the closest for Buckingham Palace, or London Charing Cross – the closest for the Thames River, Trafalgar Square and the West End. There are also regular bus services to London Victoria which are cheaper but slower. Gatwick Airport is the closest air link and has an excellent train service.

Private rental cars are easily organized. Taxis are available but will be prohibitively expensive to travel all the way to London although to move locally in Dover they are inexpensive. A taxi from the port to the rail or bus station or between docks is easy and recommended, also to visit the castles. Cruise ships come in at the western docks, ferries to France leave from the eastern docks.

One Day in London

London has so much to see it’s good to have a list of priorities before you set out. Both London Victoria and London Charing Cross Stations have many underground train (Tube) links to get your around the city. If you have one day, buy a Day Travel Card which means you can use all train and bus routes. Pick up a tube map at the station. Bus routes can be more of a mystery although the view from the top of a double decker bus is wonderful.

For a good overview of London’s iconic sights head for the Thames River’s Victoria Embankment (Charing Cross or Embankment Station) and walk across one of the bridges. Waterloo Bridge gives wonderful views from Big Ben to the Tower Bridge. The London Eye also has great views.

There are open top bus tours you can do and if you like walking you can head from the river, past the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, across to The Mall and St James’s Palace, to Buckingham Palace and on to Hyde Park. Or reverse this order (start from Victoria or Green Park tube station) to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, which happens every other day (check the schedule) at 11.30am. Between London and Dover are some interesting places to visit such as the grand house Sissinghurst with its lovely garden.

Port Information

The language is English and the currency is the British Pound (or quid in local slang). Dover is a well-equipped tourist city with internet cafes and currency exchanges at both the port and in the city, and ATMs (which take only 4 digit numeric PINs). Some taxis at Dover port may accept your euros or dollars but at an unfavorable exchange rate so it’s best to use local currency.

One of the world's most famous Ferris wheels, the London Eye offers unparalleled views of central London's world-famous landmarks from its prime location on the Thames River waterfront, opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The gigantic, 443-foot-high observation wheel was built to mark the millennium in 2000 and quickly became one of the most popular paid attractions in the United Kingdom.