(^50) DAILY MIRROR SATURDAY 17.08.2019 DM1ST
Call 0330 160 7835 (quoting MNG)
or visit mng.newmarketholidays.co.uk
*Book by 12 August 2019. Price shown includes 30% discount, 2nd person pays half that price. The free wine or hamper offer
applies to new bookings made by12 August 2019. Visit newmarketholidays.co.uk/offers for full terms. **Payment of on board
account by card only.These holidays are organised & operated by Newmarket Holidays Ltd. ABTA V7812. ATOL protected
- Subject to availability. Single supplements apply. Standard phone charges. Prices shown include discount. Prices do not
include travel insurance. MGN Ltd, Reach PLC or selected third parties may contact you with details of goods and services you
may be interested in. Please inform the operator if you do not want your details to be shared with selected third parties.
AZORES, MADEIRA
& PORTUGUESE
HIGHLIGHTS
15 DAYS 1ST PERSON WAS
£2,129.00, NOW FROM £1,499.00
2ND PERSON £749.00
DEPARTS 24 MARCH 2020
FROM BRISTOL AVONMOUTH
This relaxed springtime cruise will
take you to explore the islands of the
Azores, stunning Madeira, Lisbon,
Cork and La Coruna for Santiago de
Compostela.CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS
14 nights’ accommodation
on board Marco Polo
Full-board basis, including full
breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon
tea and midnight snacks
On-board entertainment as
arranged
Daytime activities and leisure
facilities
Porterage of luggage, port to cabin
Port Taxes
On-board prices in sterling**
The services of a friendly,
professional crew and cruise staffPORTUGAL AND
SEVILLE FIESTA
14 DAYS 1ST PERSON WAS
£1,999.00, NOW FROM £1,399.00
2ND PERSON £699.00
DEPARTS 25 APRIL 2020
FROM BRISTOL AVONMOUTH
On this wonderful cruise, Marco Polo
sails south to Gibraltar, at the mouth
of the Mediterranean, and to the
historic ports of Portugal and Spain.
Explore the Portuguese capital,
Lisbon, and call in Cadiz, where an
optional shore excursion brings you
the chance to visit Seville.CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS
13 nights’ accommodation
on board Marco Polo
Full-board basis, including full
breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon
tea and midnight snacks
On-board entertainment as
arranged
Daytime activities and leisure
facilities
Porterage of luggage, port to
cabin
Port Taxes
On-board prices in sterling**
The services of a friendly,
professional crew and cruise staffBOOK TODAY AND RECEIVE 12 BOTTLES OF WINE
OR A LUXURY HAMPER
*Traditional
Smaller–ship Cruises
Tremendous savings on
Ocean Cruises
TRAVEL
Hotel checkout
BY JANE MEMMLER
■ Blackpool is about to become a
destination for lovers of luxury. The
stylish Boulevard Hotel will feature
120 rooms, each with a cool coastal
vibe of cool greys, fresh linens and
white walls. Top UK designers such
as Andrew
Martin have
helped
finesse the
refined
interiors.
All suites
either
overlook the coastline or the
rollercoasters and water rides at
Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
Opening at the beginning of
September. Doubles from £119, B&B.
boulevardhotel.co.uk■ In the 1780s, a collection of
Georgian townhouses was home
to The George Hotel, occupying
one of the most prestigious
addresses in Edinburgh. Catering
to the city’s elite, it hosted writers,
poets and thinkers of the
Enlightenment period.
It’s now been taken over by
InterContinental who have
unleashed a glamorous makeover
of this iconic property.
Neutral tones and plush
furnishings mixed with marble and
oak make for an elegant
environment.
Doubles from £229.
intercontinental.com■ The doyenne of romantic English
style, Laura Ashley, is back.
The brand isn’t just limited to
floral print frocks and frilly white
shirts. Their two hotels are
beautiful examples of
contemporary Victorian style.
The latest in the portfolio, The
Iliffe in Coventry, is surrounded by
three acres of landscaped grounds
and has just opened. Inside, the
sweeping staircase, plush cushions,
marine velvet chairs and gold
mirrors pay homage to the
building’s Victorian origins.
Doubles from £89, B&B.
lauraashleyhotels.comHlhk
Get
fun for less at
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
this summer, with reduced
wristbands for £25. Save £14 on
the gate price by using the code
‘SUMMER’ when booking via
blackpoolpleasurebeach.com,
before midnight the day
before visits, until
September 8.Fiona Whitty and family head
for the coast in Plymouth and
discover it’s all about the sea...
from food to entertainment
I
t doesn’t take long to discover
why Plymouth’s been dubbed
Britain’s Ocean City. Here it’s
all about the sea – from the
smart prom, salt-water lido
and huge aquarium to the bustling
harbours and restaurants brimming
with fresh seafood.
The Pilgrims set sail from Plym-
outh for the New World nearly 400
years ago – it’s hard to believe they
ever wanted to leave.
For fabulous panoramic
views, we started at Smea-
ton’s Tower lighthouse
(adult £4, child £2,
plymhearts.org/smea-
tons-tower).
For over a century it
alerted seamen to the
treacherous Eddystone
Reef 14 miles out at sea,
but when it became
unstable in 1882 it was
brought ashore and
rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe.
It’s worth a climb up to hear
absorbing tales of how lighthouse
keepers coped with being cast adrift
for up to three months.
Just behind Smeaton’s Tower is
the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the place
to stay for more supreme views. I
shared a spacious and modern exec-
utive room with my husband Tim
and kids Rosie, 13, and Freddie,- We could see out to the lively
Barbican area packed with water-
side revellers, across Plymouth
Sound and over to Mount Edgcumbe
country park in Cornwall.
But there’s no point just looking
at the sea... when you’re this close
you want to taste what’s in it, so for
lunch we headed to the Boathouse
Café (theboathousecafe.co.uk).
Former fisherman Ben Squire
originally set it up in an old harbour
arch as a place where his
guided fishing trip
customers could have their
catch cooked for them.
But the restaurant itself
took off and Ben expanded
it into today’s bright and
lively quayside landmark.
Virtually all the seafood is
caught by his own two
fishing boats, with plump
and tasty scallops the
signature dish.
We tried them served
with black pudding and apple puree,
and also a delightful pea and mint
puree, together with a seafood
platter of chilli garlic prawns, pan-
fried squid, fish goujons and yet
more tantalisingly tasty scallops.
Super-fresh... and pure heaven.
Afterwards, we hopped on an
hour-long harbour cruise from the
jetty outside and heard great
It’s hard to
believethat nearly
400 yearsago the
Pilgrimswanted
to leaveTEA TIME Enticing fare at
Mount Edgcumbe Country
Park, Rosie ebiking and,
below, The Barbican