SilverHairedGappies
Impartial travel advice for the Forever Young!
European Tours Other
Sicily Tour Malta & Sicily
Day 1 Valetta, Malta
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
Comfortable ship. Took all onboard meals on deck.
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Visit
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St John's Co-Cathedral
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Barrakka Gardens
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Landmarks of the Knights of St John
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The Inquisitor's Palace
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Fort St Elmo
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Day 2 Valetta, Malta
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
Visit​ Inland Mdina Walking tour of this ancient Capital which was constructed by the Phoenicians.
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Mdina Old City
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St Paul's Cathedral
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Palazzo Falson
Day 3 Licata, Sicily
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
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Travel Inland Piazza Armerina
Visit Villa del Casale
50 room Roman Villa built end 3rd century AD (UNESCO site). Stunning mosaics.
Day 4 Porto Empedocle
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
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Visit Valley of the Temples​
Archeological site in Agrigento, one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture situated in 1300 hectare site. (UNESCO)
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Day 5 Trapani
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
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Travel Inland Erice ​
Visit
Walking tour of medieval town.
Erice Cathedral
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Lunch
Baglio Fontanasalsa, olive oil growers and producers.
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Day 6 Palermo
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
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Visit
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Walking tour of Historic centre Prima Circoscrizione, Piazza Bellini, Piazza Bologni
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Guided tour of Cathedral
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Guided tour of Church of San Cataldo
Inland Travel Monreale
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Village of Arab origin in valley of the Conca D'Oro.
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Guided tour of Duomo de Monreale .
Day 7 Messina
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
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Visit Inland Taormina​
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Walking tour of Taormina.​
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Palazzo Corvaja
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Duomo di Taormina
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Greek Theatre
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Travel by Sea (afternoon)
Passing Mount Etna
Day 8 Syracuse
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
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Visit Inland
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Neapolis Archaeological Park, (UNESCO) seeing:​
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Latomia del Paradiso
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Altar of Hieron
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Greek Theatre
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Roman Amphitheatre
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Orecchio di Dioniso
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Cave of the Cordari
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Visit Ortygia
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Walking tour of Ortygia (Historic centre of Syracuse)
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Guided tour of Ortygia Cathedral​
Day 9 Pozzallo
Stay MS Hebridean Sky
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Visit Inland Noto​
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Walking tour of Noto (UNESCO) outstanding Baroque village on the terraced slopes of Mount Iblei.
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Noto Cathedral of San Nicolo
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Palazzo Nicolaci
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Chiesa Santa Chiara
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Visit Inland Ragusa
One of the most picturesque towns of Sicily.
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Duomo di San Giorgio
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Church of St Mary of the Stairs
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Day 10 Valetta, Malta
Travel Fly Home
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Duomo di Taormina, Messina
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SHG Highlights
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MS Hebridean Sky & onboard Team
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Cathedrals & Churches
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Maltese Architecture
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Historic Sites in Sicily
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Overall superb trip, every stop a gem!
SHG Critique
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Owing to Covid we were unable to enter many sites, shops, cafes and restaurants in Sicilian towns.
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Would have liked to access more historic buildings in Malta (no Covid restrictions)
Travelled with Noble Caledonian
Athens to Tirana Greece & Albania
Day 2 Piraeus, Greece
Stay MS Serenissima
Hardly a 'small ship', unable to swim off the boat, unable to moor in small ports.
Visit​
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Acropolis
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Acropolis Museum
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Pantheon
Afternoon Board Ship
Day 3 Itea, Greece
Stay MS Serenissima
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Travel Corinth Canal​
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Visit Inland Delphi
UNESCO World Heritage site and museum
Day 4 Argostoli, Cephalonia
Stay MS Serenissima
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Visit:
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Katavothres - sinkholes
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Lighthouse of Saint Theodore
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Kourkoumelata village
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Venetian castle of St George
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Church of Panagia Sissiotissa
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Monastery of St Gerasimos, Omala
Day 5 Preveza, Greece
Stay MS Serenissima
Visit Nicopolis
Ancient city founded by Octavianus Augustus 31BC
Visit Preveza
Walking tour. Shopping.
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Day 6 Igoumenitsa, Greece
Stay MS Serenissima
Visit Inland Dodoni
Visit the sanctuary & theatre.
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Visit Inland Ioannina
City founded by Byzantine Emperor Justinian, 6th Century AD, expanded in 13th century.
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Take boat to The Island to visit the house of Ali Pasha.
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Day 7 Corfu Town, Corfu
Stay MS Serenissima
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Visit:
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Walking tour of Corfu Town
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Tour of Royal British Palace of Saint George & St Michael
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Church of Saint Spyridon
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Visit Inland Paleokastritsa & Kanoni
Visit
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Byzantine Monastery
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Kanoni Beach
Day 8 Sarande, Albania
Stay MS Serenissima
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Visit Inland Butrint Guided tour of UNESCO site developed by the Greeks, Romans and Byzantines. It sits in its own stunning national park.
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Day 10 Travel Fly Home
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Visits Missed:
Apollonia, Berat, Kruje Castle
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Towels mopping up the leak in Cabin 406
SHG Highlights
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​Acropolis
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Corinth Canal
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Delphi
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Ioannina & The Island
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Corfu
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Butrint
SHG Critique
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MS Serenissima disappointing
(leak beneath carpet all around bed, no suitable cabin to move to)
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Boat too big to moor in the smaller more picturesque ports.
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If you caught Covid, policy dictated you either remained in your room (impossible with damp carpet) or left the ship.
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Charcterless restaurants for onshore lunches
Travelled with Noble Caledonian
Athens to Istanbul. Greece & Turkey
Day 1 Athens
Stay Seven Seas Voyager
Flew in night before to stay in central hotel prior to boarding ship.
Boarded ship - no tours Day 1
Eat
Prime 7
Chartreuse
Sette Mari at La Veranda
Compass Rose
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Day 2 Santorini
Part of the cyclades, this well known, highly photographed island is a tourist highlight. Charming villages with iconic blue-domed churches abound on the caldera's edge.
Visit
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The famous village of Ohia
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Pyrgos village
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Fira village
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Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral
Day 3 Rhodes
The largest of the Dodecanese islands, Rhodes has a rich history with plenty of palaces and fortifications built by the Knights of St John. Byzantine churches and Ottoman Mosques are testament to the islands diverse past.
Visit
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Lindos village & panoramic views
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Church in Filerimo
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Kalithea Springs ​
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Day 4 Alanya
Resort town on the coast of Turkey, nestled below the Taurus Mountains.
Visit
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The city of Side
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The Temple of Apollo (Antique theatre closed)
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Alanya Damlatas Cave​
Day 5 Cyprus
Arrived at the port of Limassol, a mix of ancient and modern, with archeological finds from the Neolithic era.
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Visit
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Nicosia, the Last Divided Capital City​
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St John Cathedral
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Archeological Museum
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The Green Line (dividing the City)​
Day 6 Cruising the Med​
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Day 7 Crete
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Unfortunately swell in the sea meant the ship's 7m hull could not dock at a port with 8m deep water. One wonders how often the ship is unable to dock here, as there is little allowance for error.
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Day 8 Kos
Third largest island of the Dodecanese islands, referred to as the island of Hippocrates. Rich history with an open air museum featuring layers of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Italian influence.
Visit
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Asclepieion - dates back to the Hellenistic period 4th century BC, and where Hippocrates practised medicine.
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The Tree (Platanos) of Hippocrates​
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Walking tour of Old Town of Kos
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Neratzia Castle of the Knights of St John
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Catholic Church of the Holy Cross
Day 9 Bodrum
Third largest island of the Dodecanese islands, referred to as the island of Hippocrates. Rich history with an open air museum featuring layers of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Italian influence.
Visit
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Castle of St Peter, built by the Knights of St John
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Museum of Underwater Archeology
Day 10 Ephesus
One of the most magnificent and well preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean. The city's history dates back to 10th century BC, founded by Attic and Ionian Greek settlers, flourished under Roman rule becoming the capital of Asia Minor.
Visit
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House of the Virgin Mary
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Ephesus Museum
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Walking tour of Kusadasi
Day 11 Pergamum
Built on a steep acropolis, Pergamum overlooks the Caicus River valley. It rose to prominence during the Hellenistic period.
Visit
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Asclepieion - people came from across the Mediterranean seeking curative thermal waters and treatments.
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Archaeological Museum
Day 12 Istanbul
Arriving early in Istanbul having sailed through the Dardanelles Straight the previous night.
Half Day visit of Istanbul before catching plane back to London
SHG Highlights
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​Asclepieions in Kos & Pergamum
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Castles of the Knights of St John: Rhodes, Cyprus, Kos & Brodrum
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Ephesus - the home of Our Lady
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Nicosia & the Green Line
SHG Critique
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Organised own Club flights with BA for less than their economy flight price.
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​Far too large a ship to enjoy travel in these seas
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Ship too big to land at Crete
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Mixed quality of onshore guides
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Travelled with Regent Seven Seas
St Petersberg Russia
Day 1 & 2 St Petersburg
Stay Astoria Hotel
Perfectly situated Forte hotel decorated in art deco style. Visited before latest renovation, rooms were surprisingly basic.
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Visit:
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The Winter Palace
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The State Hermitage
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Yussupov Palace
Day 3. St Petersburg
Stay Astoria Hotel
Visit:
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Palace of Pavlovsk
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Tsarskoye Selo (town of Imperial Palaces)
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Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo
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Horse drawn sleighs
Day 4 St Petersburg
Stay Astoria Hotel
Visit:
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More at the Hermitage
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River Neva Waterfront
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Peter & Paul Fortress on Hare Island
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Cathedral of St Peter & St Paul
home to the tombs of Tsars and Tsarinas.
Day 5. St Petersburg
Stay Astoria Hotel
Visit:
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Mikhail Palce
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Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood
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Memorial to the Defenders of Leningrad
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Evening Fly Home
SHG Highlights
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All visits
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Excellent quality of guides (professors & directors of foundations)
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Loved to return in the summer
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SHG Critique
Change the hotel.
Catholic Church of St Catherine