Seeing seals at Horsey Beach in Norfolk

[caption id="attachment_2282" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A gorgeous grey seal pup[/caption]

“It says here that you can see seals at this beach”, I told my husband doubtfully. We had just arrived to stay a night in the Norfolk Broads and, despite the persistent drizzle, decided that we should go out and enjoy the fresh, country air (we don’t get very much of this at home in London). The chances of viewing some seals made going out sound extra appealing. But I wasn’t convinced we’d actually see any. Luckily I was completely wrong.

We drove from our delightful cottage in Potter Heigham to Horsey, on the coast, around 10 minutes away. The beach (Horsey Gap) was clearly signposted, and from the carpark (pay and display, but not expensive) there was another sign showing us which way we should walk for the seals (the walk, the sign, warned, would take 20 minutes).

I hoped that I wasn’t dragging my husband and kids on a wild goose (or should I say seal) chase, but decided we might as well give it a go.

The walk was pretty, round the back of the sand-dunes, and about a mile long. Unfortunately it was also riddled with deep puddles, which Robert simply could not resist. He was wearing wellies, but they were soon full of water as he jumped in one puddle after another.

[caption id="attachment_2283" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert loved the puddles![/caption]

After a good 15 minutes or so, we saw a wide path leading up the dunes. We clambered up and saw some people coming the other way.

“Did you see any seals?” I asked breathlessly and they nodded confidently.

A minute later I saw just why they were so confident: the beach seemed to be full of grey seals, of all different sizes and shading. There was even an incredibly cute baby one. It was fantastic.

There were lots of people on the beach, many taking pictures. The seals seemed quite unbothered by this, until one young woman moved within about 10 metres and knelt down for a picture. The response was remarkable as the group of seals she was near started barking and moving away.

We walked further along the beach where there were fewer people – and found lots more seals. It was amazing to see them there in their natural environment, looking as if they were basking in the sun (when in reality it was rainy and cold). I particularly loved it when they moved off and started to swim in the water.

[caption id="attachment_2285" align="alignnone" width="1200"] There were so many seals![/caption]

Apparently the seals come to Horsey in the winter months in order to breed, although we only saw one baby. We did, however, see well over a hundred seals and found out later that Horsey is one of the best places to see them, particularly as around half of the world’s population of grey seals are found around Britain.

[caption id="attachment_2286" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A grey seal swimming off Horsey beach[/caption]

We decided to walk back to the car park along the beach itself which was beautiful, and must be even more so in the summer when I’d love to return and bring a picnic. There were huge expanses of sand and it was totally unspoilt and very clean. It was also fascinating to see the dunes which surround this beach – in the summer I think they must be full of wildlife, but in the winter, they seemed rather desolate and wonderful.

All in all it was a terrific experience and one I don’t think any of us will ever forget. It was truly special.

YOU CAN SEE MORE SEALS IN ROBERT'S VIDEO ON OUR DAY IN THE NORFOLK BROADS. JUST CLICK HERE! 

More animals on Family Travel Times

A day at Blair Drummond Safari Park in Stirling

A trip to Amazon World Zoo Park on the Isle of Wight

A Fascinating Day at the Newseum in Washington DC

Jess, aged 13, writes: We loved our quickfire visit to Washington DC. Over the course of three days, we saw lots of iconic monuments, visited four different museums, and discovered that some restaurants put sugar on bread! We spent an entire afternoon in the Newseum, and very much enjoyed it. It is such a unique and fascinating museum, all about newspapers and the media, and it is one of the best museums I've ever been to.

There is so much to do at the Newseum that it's difficult to mention it all! Firstly, our family walked around downstairs.

Robert, aged 10, says: I was able to explore an exhibition that included a large slab of The Berlin Wall and a stone guard tower. All the videos and pieces of text were about how lives were on both the left and right sides of the wall and the extreme measures they would go to get to the other side. It was fascinating as I had never learnt much about what happened in Germany at that time and I was amazed and quite sad to find out what happened.

[caption id="attachment_2274" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A part of the Berlin Wall[/caption]

I loved watching films about sport, people and other things in the many theatres including a great one in the massive 4D theatre which was about the most dangerous news reports and stories that ever happened. It was brilliant to see all the winners of The Pulitzer Prize Photograph award in a special gallery - some of the pictures made me feel quite emotional as they showed lives that were in no way as nice as ours.

Jess: Seeing all of these Pulitzer Prize photos was extremely haunting, and I will remember the accompanying video forever. I was astonished at the lengths photographers will go to in order to get a good picture. This was a recurring theme throughout the museum, especially in the section about the Twin Towers.

I must have spent over 40 minutes looking around the Twin Towers exhibit, as it was fascinating and very emotional. I saw the antenna on top of one of the buildings before the accident, and looked at the collection of papers from around the world reporting on the story. The part of the exhibit that struck me most was a video, showing real footage from the event, and interviews from people involved in broadcasting it to the public. I was amazed by how the number one priority on these peoples' minds was to get a good camera angle, take the best videos, and interview people, instead of running away and getting to safety.

[caption id="attachment_2275" align="alignnone" width="900"] Twisted antenna from the Twin Towers[/caption]

Next to the Twin Towers exhibit was a small room about the shooting of President Abraham Lincoln. The room looked at how the paper had reported the story, and the various updates throughout the day as more information was revealed.

There was lots in the museum about terrorism, and how it is reported. We also went through an exhibition about the Vietnam War, which interested me as I didn't know anything about it. They exhibition asked the question: "did the press lose the war?", and the powerful images, shocking posters, and provocative videos really made me think about the public's attitude towards war.

There were lots of interactive activities in the museum, and mum and I played lots of games to do with the ethics of reporting. We played quizzes and races which were all a lot of fun.

Mum also enjoyed the exhibits on race relations and the personal stories of journalists who literally put their lives on the line for a story.

[caption id="attachment_2272" align="alignnone" width="900"] Robert being a reporter at the Newseum[/caption]

Robert says: I really enjoyed taking the role as a reporter in the Interactive Newsroom where you picked a subject and was then videoed while reading a text on that topic. I did it around three times.

There were also lots of funny videos about politics, and I watched them with dad. There was such a variety of things to do, from learning the history of some famous cartoons to finding out all of the American presidents' pets.

Jess writes: The entire museum was fascinating, as it included so many things I had not thought of before. We were asked questions on events such as 7/7, learnt about the First Amendment and how it relates to the press, saw the day's front pages from every state and across the world, and saw a memorial to all the journalists who had been killed while reporting.

[caption id="attachment_2276" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Newseum is right next to the Canadian Embassy and in a great spot![/caption]

Something that stood out to me was the World Press Freedom Map. It is a massive map, with countries coloured red, yellow, or green, depending on how free their press is. I was shocked to learn that only 17% of the world's population live in a country with a free press, and that not all the countries in Europe were coloured green. I was amazed that the only countries with a free press in Asia were Japan, Israel, and Taiwan, and was surprised that Mexico did not have a free press at all.

Overall, the Newseum is such an interesting, exciting, and shocking museum which really made me think about the power and impacts of the press. It is a perfect visit for all the family, as there is such a diverse range of activities. If you are in Washington DC, I definitely recommend a visit. In fact, you may need to go more than once as there is just so much to see!

The Newseum is open. It has regular special events, so it's definitely worth checking out its website. It's located in a brilliant spot, between the White House and Capitol, at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC, 20001. We went via the metro (details are here). It's open daily from 9am to 5pm and costs $22.95 per adult (aged 19 to 64) and $13.95 for 7 to 18 year olds. Children younger than that are free. Tickets are valid for two consecutive days and there are refunds if you book online.

Watch our video of our stay in Washington!

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW13vZlCLtM" width=200 height=100]

More by us on Washington DC

What to do in Washington DC with kids

Becoming super-sleuths: visiting the Spy Museum

Our Top Tips for Getting Around in London

It's half-term across much of England, and spring holidays elsewhere too, so Jess decided that she would write a useful post for any visitors to London...

Jess, aged 13, writes: As I have lived in London for my whole life, I would say that I'm fairly proficient at using public transport. London has some of the best public transport in the world, including a massive underground system, hundreds of bus routes, and thousands of bikes. However, last month, our family was shocked by the exorbitant prices that you have to pay to travel - when I didn't have my Oyster Card with me, a one-stop return journey for a child was over £4! This lead me to think about all the tips for travelling in London that tourists don't necessarily know. I hope they help you in your travels...

[caption id="attachment_2257" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] All Underground Stations have a sign outside[/caption]

Oyster Cards

To travel in London, you can either buy tickets for single journeys (although these are very expensive) or you can get an Oyster card. To get onto a bus or tube train, you simply touch the Oyster card onto the yellow part of the ticket barrier, and walk through. You have to buy a ticket or a regular Oyster at the station, or you can order a Travel Oyster in advance. To find out which card is best for you, click here.

Visitor Oyster cards cost £3 each (plus postage), and you need to top them up with credit to use them. The minimum for this is £5. When your holiday is over and you no longer need your Oyster card, you can get a refund of your pay-as-you-go credit and your deposit.

[caption id="attachment_2264" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] With my Oyster Card at a bus stop[/caption]

Everyone aged 11 and over must have an Oyster card, although child fares are considerably cheaper than adult ones. You can no longer use cash on buses, so you must be aware of this! Lots of newsagents sell Oyster cards, and you can always ask at the nearest tube station. You can also pay by putting your credit card on the reader, although only specific cards are allowed. If you use a contactless credit card, you will be charged the same as an Oyster card.

Bus Stops

There are two types of bus stops: compulsory stops and request stops. These are shown by the sign at the top of the stop - if it is a red logo on a white background, it is a compulsory stop, and the bus must stop there. If it is a white logo on a red background it is a request stop. The bus will only stop there if someone is getting off (press one of the bells), or if you indicate to the driver that you want to get on. Do this by sticking your arm out into the road when a bus is approaching.

Walking

Sometimes it's better to walk around the city, especially in central London. Transport for London (TfL) recently published a map of the different tube stations in the centre of town, showing how long it takes the average person to walk between each one.

[caption id="attachment_2249" align="aligncenter" width="1384"] Map copyright to Transport for London[/caption]

The shortest journey in the entire underground network is between Leicester Square and Covent Garden, and yet it is one of the most expensive. It costs £4 to travel 275m in 45 seconds - it is much easier to walk instead!

Boris Bikes

Officially called "Santander Cycles", Boris Bike (named for the current Mayor of London, Boris Johnson) docking stations are all around central London, and for £2, you can get access to them for 24 hours. The first half an hour of every journey is free, and they are very useful for seeing places of London that buses can't get to.

To take a bike out of a docking station, you use a credit or debit card. Select 'Hire a cycle', follow the on-screen instructions and take the printed release code. You can hire up to four bikes at a time. Boris Bikes are for short trips so, once you have paid the £2 bike access fee for the day, the first 30 minutes of each journey is free. Longer journeys cost £2 for each extra 30 minutes. Full instructions can be found here, and you can download this app that allows you to pay faster and easier without a machine.

Planning Journeys

Something that saves me on a daily basis when getting around is the TfL Journey Planner. You type in your start and end destinations, your desired methods of transport, and the time of your journey, and it creates the perfect route for you. It is so ridiculously useful, and helps me whenever I don't know where I'm going.

Downloading bus and tube apps are also helpful, as they tell you when the next bus is coming. I use "London Bus Times Live" for my daily journey to school, but all of the apps work equally well. There are also apps to tell you when the trains are coming, but these aren't as important as they generally come every two minutes.

I hope that these tips help when travelling around London. It's a big city, but it's not that bad when you know where you're going!

Great things to do in London:

The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London

An unforgettable speedboat experience

The Monument to the Great Fire of London

 

From Karl Marx to Jeremy Beadle: a trip to Highgate Cemetery

[caption id="attachment_2199" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Karl Marx's grave at Highgate Cemetery[/caption]

A cemetery is not the most obvious tourist destination but Highgate Cemetery is not your normal burial ground. That doesn’t mean you can rush through, making noise and posing for pictures. This is still a place for contemplation, and a memorial for the families who come to visit where their loved ones are buried. But is also a most intriguing place, well worth a trip if you’re in London, not least to see its most famous grave and memorial of all – to Karl Marx.

Highgate Cemetery is in North London, not far from Archway Tube station or a number of buses (visit the website for more on directions). It’s at the end of a residential street, which adds to the sense that you have just stumbled upon a gem. And it’s extremely atmospheric.

The Cemetery is divided into East and West both on different sides of the street, although the West (which is blessed with the most beautiful architecture including the chapel, many Gothic tombs and the remarkable Mausoleum of Julius Beer - based on the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) can only be visited by guided tours (you have to book these on weekdays, but you can just turn up at weekends). It opened first, in 1839.

Most visitors visit the East Cemetery, built in 1854, which is where Marx is buried – along with so many others, including a number of former Lord Mayors of London and a certain Mary Ann Evans (otherwise known as the novelist George Eliot). It’s open daily, from 10am till 4pm on weekdays and 11am till 4pm on weekends and bank holidays and is really a special place to go. Admission costs £4 for adults with under-18s free. It may not sound like the kind of place where you would take children, but Robert enjoyed our visit. It’s really a special place, full of nature, with lots of little windy paths and overgrown vines and trees.

[caption id="attachment_2200" align="alignnone" width="1200"] a general view of the cemetery[/caption]

There are over 170,000 people buried in Highgate Cemetery, and more than 300 war graves. You can wander around at will, or you can get hold of one of the (free) maps and look for particular graves. We, like so many other visitors, were keen to see that of Karl Marx, but we were also intrigued to see the memorials to Douglas Adams (author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) which was very moving, with a pot of pens standing right outside it.

[caption id="attachment_2202" align="alignnone" width="900"] A rather dramatic tombstone for Patrick Caulfield, the pop artist[/caption]

We also saw the graves of Sir Ralph Richardson, the impresario Malcolm McLaren (who has a typically flamboyant memorial), the poet Christina Rosetti, the former pop star Ian Dury, and TV presenter Jeremy Beadle. Of course there are lots of graves of people who aren’t famous, but which have beautiful verse or tributes etched onto their headstones.

[caption id="attachment_2201" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Malcolm McLaren's grave[/caption]

The most exciting part of our trip was, of course, Marx’s grave, where the great radical glares out balefully into the distance. He was buried in 1883, and we weren’t sure he would appreciate the flowers laid at his grave, nor the fact that he is interred in such an expensive place (you can still buy plots here, but they run into thousands of pounds). Buried nearby are a number of left-wing politicians or writers, including the campaigning journalist Paul Foot and the Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm, but it's Marx's grave which really grabs your attention.

[caption id="attachment_2203" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The inscription on Karl Marx's grave at Highgate Cemetery[/caption]

We spent a long time wandering around the cemetery, which is quiet and feels like being in the country. It was a beautiful Autumn day and we felt as if we were in a very special place.

Read more on places to visit in North London:

Beautiful Kenwood House in Hampstead (by Jess)

A Very Sunny Holiday in Domes of Elounda, Crete

Jess, aged 13, writes: When I found out that we were to be travelling to Domes of Elounda in Crete for our summer holiday, I was really excited. We don't usually visit sunny countries, let alone "luxury" resorts, so I couldn't wait to relax in the sun, go swimming in the sea, and eat loads of delicious food. However, I didn't realise that it was going to be so much better than that...

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0dLZIyjQ1o" width=200 height=100 ]

 

We stayed in a family suite, and it was lovely. The rooms were large and spacious and upon arrival after midnight, we had sandwiches and fresh fruit in our room in case we were hungry! The bath products smelled amazing, and there was even a hot tub outside (though it took us a while how to work out how to use this!)

[caption id="attachment_2232" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The view from our villa was gorgeous![/caption]

The view from our villa was gorgeous, and was so fantastic that it made its way onto our Bests of 2015. We arrived at Domes of Elounda late at night, so we couldn't see anything out of our window until the morning. When I woke up and opened the curtains, I audibly gasped as the view was so stunning - the sea was a beautiful vibrant blue, the sun was high in the sky, and the famous island Spinalonga was in the middle. I ran into mum and dad's room, basically commanding them to draw their blinds as it was just exquisite!

There were so many different food choices at Domes, and everything we tried was delicious. My favourite place was Topos, a fish restaurant beside the sea. We loved the fresh fish and mezze (especially the fried courgette with tzatziki). The food tasted so fresh, and it was miles nicer than the Greek restaurants in London. We also loved the Minoan cooking, which is made outside Topos once a week. Everything is cooked outside in Minoan-style ceramic pots, and there was lots of bread, soup, meat, and salads.

[caption id="attachment_2233" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The food at Domes was all delicious (everything in the picture above is from breakfast!)[/caption]

The main buffet is named Tholos, and the breakfasts there were amazing. There were smoothies, cooked food, fruit, and looads of delicious cakes. They also made special food for Robert as he has allergies, which we all really appreciated. The buffet had special themed nights, such as fish night, Cretan night, Middle Eastern night, Greek night, and Italian night, but our favourite was Asian night due to the scrumptious curries. Mum and dad also had supper at the à la carte restaurant, Anthos, which they really enjoyed (and which was adults only!)

The beach at Domes of Elounda was one of the nicest I've ever been to: the view was magnificent, it was quiet, there were lots of places to sit (including some shade which we all appreciated), and there was the bar and the Topos restaurant nearby. The sea was fantastic; it got deeper and deeper very gradually, so we could wade in really far and go swimming. When you looked down, there were plants and possibly fish beneath you, and the water was so clear and blue. Some days, we spent our entire time at the beach as it was so lovely!

[caption id="attachment_2074" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The beach was gorgeous, sunny, and quiet.[/caption]

There was a water sports centre on the beach, and Robert was really looking forward to having a go. He went water skiing and says: "it was one of the coolest things I've ever done, it was so amazing and I want to do it again". Dad and Robert also went canoeing in the sea, and we all took a speedboat to the island of Spinalonga, which was so much fun.

[caption id="attachment_2234" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert adored going water skiing.[/caption]

We also spent lots of time by the swimming pool, which was absolutely massive. There was a special pool just for the adults, but (obviously) we didn't go in that one...

The Soma Spa at Domes of Elounda is luxurious, and there is even a special menu for kids. I enjoyed my watermelon facial, and mum and dad loved their massages. Domes also has lots of other activities in the resort, such as play rooms for kids (including table tennis and video games), private tennis lessons, and a magic show. All of these aspects made our visit even better.

[caption id="attachment_2236" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert had his own private tennis lesson![/caption]

We went on two trips during the holiday - one to Spinalonga, and another to Knossos. Robert has written about Knossos here, as there was so much to see that we think it deserves its own post! The palace of Knossos is a beautiful ancient palace, which proves that the Minoan civilisation actually existed. During our visit, we saw incredible murals, antique vases, and archaic architecture. It was utterly fascinating, although it was really hot...

[caption id="attachment_1880" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The ancient Palace at Knossos[/caption]

We also took a speed boat to the island of Spinalonga, which only took five minutes. This was so much fun, and I loved having the wind in my hair and seeing the water splashing around us. Spinalonga has a very long and interesting history - throughout history, it has been a leper colony, a fort for defence, and a refuge for Ottoman families fleeing Christian reprisals.  We spent about an hour exploring the island: climbing up old buildings, visiting an old church and a haunting cemetery, and then relaxing in the shade under trees. It was picturesque, but simultaneously so strange to think of such a pretty place being almost a prison to those with leprosy.

[caption id="attachment_2239" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Exploring Spinalonga was a strange experience - it was fascinating, but also very sobering.[/caption]

In conclusion, we adored our holiday at Domes of Elounda in Crete. Everyone was just so kind and friendly, everything looked and felt so luxurious, the food was delicious, and there was just so much to do. If only we could go back...

Disclosure: we were very fortunate to be hosted at Domes of Elounda, although they had absolutely no input into this piece. Rooms start from £120 per night for sea view suite, including breakfast and taxes. We flew to Domes via Easyjet and (because it was summer!) flights were not cheap - around £500 each. One upside was that we flew via Sovereign Holidays, which meant we had lounge access - a real boon as the flight was delayed!

More by us:

Travelling Times: Our Top Places to visit in 2015

A day in beautiful Broadstairs, Kent