OUR NEXT RESIDENTIAL TRIP

The Historic Houses and Gardens of Devon and Cornwall

Departing 5th May 2025 

Now Booking

This wonderful 5 day tour includes some of the most beautiful houses and world-renowned gardens of Devon and Cornwall. We will be visiting Lanhydrock and Pencarrow Houses and will have private guided tours of the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan.  Our luxury coach departs from Potten End/Berkhamsted. We will be based in a 4* hotel with half board in Plymouth. 

Full details can be found in the brochure in the Documents section under the Our Society drop down, or from Barbara Mitchell on 077714 721364

Visit this hidden gem of Eastern France. It's a centre for Art Noveau with exiquisite glass and gorgeous C19th buildings.

Book now - speak to Barbara Mitchell 07714 721364

Visiting Lincoln Cathedral, which was used as a substitute for Notre Dame in films, Hardwick Hall, Southwell Minster and  Burghley House.  Spaces are still available for this tour. Contact Barbara Mitchell on 07714 721364 to book.

ADFAS TOUR TO BOLOGNA

1st to 6th OCTOBER 2023

You have only to watch Stanley Tucci’s or Clive Myrie’s BBC programmes about the city to know that Bologna is a foodie place.  During the ADFAS 2023 trip there I learned two recipes.  The first is that to Italians, there is no such thing as Spaghetti Bolognaise – it is, and always should be, tagliatelle with ragu,

And everyone you spoke to about it, was keen to tell you their Nonna’s recipe; which of course was the definitive one!

The second recipe is for a successful ADFAS trip:

take 27 enquiring minds; mix with one guide, passionate about her country; one enthusiastic organiser; countless amazing artworks, four UNESCO World Heritage cities, add a good sprinkling of sunshine and, most important of all, some comfortable shoes!

Our first full day set a really high standard as we went to Ravenna, which contains wonderful examples of Byzantine mosaics and architecture. In one day, we managed to visit four UNESCO sites – the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, the churches of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and St Vitale and Neonian Baptistry.

Each one left us in awe of the beauty and the skill of the fifth century craftsmen.

On Tuesday, we had a guided walking tour of Bologna, where we walked along some of the forty-two miles of colonnades, visited their famous and much loved Basilica of St Petronio, saw many enticing food shops and finished at the Pinacotaca Nazionale, which housed a huge range which included works by Giotto, Raphael and Perugino.  In the afternoon there was an optional visit to the Anatomical Theatre.

On our fourth day we visited Mantova.  It was quite a long drive but interesting to look at the countryside, to see fields filled with orchards and vinyards and houses with small attic windows indicating it to be the place where families aged their balsamic vinegar. The oldest part of Mantova, or Mantua if you read Shakespeare,  has a main square covered in pebbles, delightful food shops and restaurants and the most enormous Palazzo made up of over a 1000 rooms.  The high spot of the tour was the ‘Camera degli Sposi’ with beautiful frescoes by Mantegna.  Because the Palazzo was so bit the Dukes build themselves a smaller more ‘intimate’ palace – the Palazzo Te, which we visited in the afternoon. I think we were all quite overwhelmed by the final room – the room of the giants - where the ceiling and walls are painted with a single continuous scene of giant figures.

Our final full day was taken up with a visit to Ferrara – another amazing city.  After a drive around the ancient walls and guide Nathalie’s introduction, we had a choice about whether to visit the Great Hall of the Months in the Palazzo Schifaloia – a palace designed to dispel boredom.  This was followed by a walking tour of the lovely city, taking in the main palace of the Dukes d’Este, one of whose duchesses features in Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess’ and Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘The Marriage Portrait’.

Our final morning was free to spend as we chose and to enjoy more time in Bologna.

We left for home feeling replete with good food and amazing art; and had had wonderful weather and the best company.

Thank you to Barbara for organizing such an amazing trip and managing to smile while keeping us all in the right place at the right time.

September 20th - 25th 2022

Our group of ADFAS members and friends thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Madrid. We visited the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Museo Sorolla and had day trips to the World Heritage Site of Segovia and Toledo. Our visit was enhanced by our excellent guide, Paul. The weather was wonderful and we all enjoyed the Spanish wine and Tapas!

The image shows our group outside the cathedral in Toledo.

A group of ADFAS members have just returned from a splendid few days in Budapest.  Known as “The Pearl of the Danube” for good reason, the city promised a real treat offering a wealth of beautiful architecture and a fascinating insight into Hungarian history.

We left England in high spirits and beautiful sunshine, to be greeted in Budapest by heavy rain!  However, our guide, Sophie, met us at the airport with a cheerful smile and a promise of better weather to come, and led us to the coach which was to be our transport for the week.  

 We had arrived at rush hour, so the slow journey to our hotel gave her plenty of opportunity to point out items of interest on the way, whetting our appetites for the days to come.

Our custom on the first evening of these trips is to meet for drinks before dining in the hotel.  Dinner was excellent – we quickly discovered that Hungarian food is delicious, if somewhat light on vegetables!   A few of us went for a walk after our meal (it had stopped raining) and were delighted find that we were very close to the Danube and were able to walk from our hotel in Pest across to the Buda side and enjoy a splendid view of their Statue of Liberty high on the opposite cliff.

Next day we began our tour with a visit to Heroes Square, where a huge statue of the Archangel Gabriel stands on a tall pillar, surrounded by the statues of the seven chieftains who led the Magyar conquest of Hungary.   In the colonnades to each side stand statues of the kings and leaders of Hungary from King Stephen, crowned in the year 1000, right up to recent times.  Sophie’s enthusiasm and knowledge of her subject made her a brilliant guide, and we listened enthralled as she led us, leader by leader, through 1000 years of Hungarian history. We then crossed over the river to Buda where we visited the Castle area on the hill and enjoyed the spectacular views from the Fisherman’s Bastion, so-called because in the Middle Ages, this section of the castle wall was defended by the Guild of Fishermen. Whilst there, we managed to squeeze in an unscheduled visit to the stunningly beautiful Matthias Church, full of wonderful frescoes painted as part of the restoration in Gothic style at the beginning of the 20th century. It is also known as the Coronation church, having hosted the coronations of the last two Hungarian Habsburg kings, Franz Joseph in 1867 and Charles IV in 1916.

After a lunch of Goulash Soup (of course!) our coach took us to the Franz Liszt Academy, a wonderful Art Nouveau building, its inside decorated with frescoes, Zsolnay ceramics, and statues of famous composers such as Bartok and Chopin.   Truly impressive!   Some of us then took a detour on the way home to visit the Great Synagogue in Dohany Street, the largest working synagogue in Europe and second largest in the world.   Having wondered at the beautiful interior design and listened as local guides explained the  different aspects of Judaism practised here, we then made a very sobering visit to the small cemetery garden next door, which contains the remains of 2,281 Hungarian Jews who died in the Budapest Ghetto towards the end of World War II.   I was not the only one holding back tears.

Next morning our first visit was to the House of Hungarian Art Nouveau, a small, beautifully restored Art Nouveau house containing a private collection of wonderful Art Nouveau and Art Deco treasures.  Its small café also provided the most delicious hot chocolate ever!   We had time before lunch for an unscheduled visit to St Stephen’s basilica – another amazing building, beautifully restored following World War II damage, and somewhat creepily displaying the mummified right hand of St Stephen. In the afternoon we visited the Gellert Spa where we were again impressed by the original Art Nouveau decoration and the Zsolnay majolica tiles and mosaics, together with the thermal baths themselves which were clearly being enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.  An enjoyable and interesting visit to the Hungarian National Gallery came next, followed for some by a return to the Matthias Church for a wonderful evening concert, and for others by dinner in one of the many excellent local restaurants.

On Saturday we were driven out of the city to the area known as the Danube Bend, where we visited the famous Basilica at Esztergom and the ruined palace of King Matthias, currently undergoing extensive reconstruction.  It was pleasant to be out in the countryside, and in the afternoon, a visit to the village of Szentendre gave us an opportunity to stroll around the various craft outlets and enjoy sunshine and a quiet drink beside the Danube.

On Sunday we were back in the city, and our first visit was to see the “Shoes on the Danube”.  This composition of 60 pairs of metal shoes, set in concrete on the edge of the river, was created in remembrance of the hundreds of Hungarian Jews who were forced to leave their shoes on the riverbank before being shot into the Danube during the Hungarian Holocaust. 

We continued to the magnificent neo-Gothic Parliament building, built to rival our own Palace of Westminster, where we marvelled at the beautiful grand staircase and the Dome Hall.  We were also able to see inside the debating chamber itself, and also the Holy Crown of St Stephen, the symbol of Hungary’s statehood, which is kept in a special chamber in the building.

After lunch (more delicious Hungarian food!) we had another wonderful Gallery visit – this time at the Museum of Fine Arts – where our specialist guide chose an excellent selection from their extensive collection for our tour.

Which brought us, sadly, to our final day.  In the morning we had a cruise on the river Danube, which was very enjoyable and gave us the opportunity to see the city from a different perspective.  We continued to the Royal Palace of Godollo, the second largest Baroque castle in the world, and considered to be the Hungarian equivalent of Versailles.  Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it was bought by the crown during the Austro-Hungarian Empire and became the favourite summer residence of Queen Elizabeth.  She was known as Sisi and the Palace became known as the Castle of Sisi.   It sustained damage during the Soviet era, but has now been renovated and were able to see it restored to its former magnificence.

At the end of our Palace tour, Sophie gathered us on to the bus for our journey to the airport and home.  She had been a wonderful guide and we had enjoyed an excellent few days, leaving us with some wonderful memories.                       

Bouquet from a New Member

My husband and I joined ADFAS in October 2018 and we duly went to our first meeting at Potten End Village Hall.  The people we met there were so welcoming and the lecture was fascinating.  

We were told that a trip had been arranged to go to Budapest for five days in May 2019 and we decided to sign up there and then.

The day finally arrived for our travel and from start to finish everything went without a hitch. This was mainly thanks to Barbara Mitchell, who worked tirelessly to make everything we saw and did perfect.

Under the tutelage of our knowledgeable local guide Sophie we visited many of Budapest’s historic sights and gained a good insight into the history, architecture and art of Hungary.  At the same time, the whole group of thirty were so friendly; thank you all, you were a great crowd to travel with. We are already looking forward to next year’s trip.

On Monday April 30th, ten of our members met promptly at Berkhamsted Station, ready to go.  Julie Griffiths and Barbara Mitchell shepherded us safely aboard and we were off.   It was all change at windy, cold Milton Keynes where we were joined by the other members of our group.  Our connection arrived and once on board and our luggage safely stowed, we were away.

Our train was on time at Glasgow Central where we were warmly welcomed by Ken Gray, our Blue Badge Guide for the trip.   He was to become our friend and a very important member of our party.   Ken led us across the concourse, through a couple of swing doors and there we were, in the foyer of the Grand Central Hotel.  It could not have been easier.      

No sooner we were up in our rooms and ready to relax than we were downstairs again and whisked away by Ken on an unscheduled visit to the Lighthouse, now Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture but originally a building designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for The Glasgow Herald.  Here we saw sketches of Mackintosh’s designs for the buildings and furniture that we would see on our various visits.             

2018 is the 150th anniversary of the year of the birth of Charles Rennie Macintosh, architect, artist and designer, a creative genius whose influence was felt not only in Glasgow but throughout Europe and we were to see much evidence of his work during our short visit to the city.               

That evening we gathered together for drinks and dinner in a private room in our hotel.   There we were joined by the other members of our group who had arrived later from different parts of the country.  Julie warmly welcomed us all before we tucked in to a delicious meal.

The next day was Tuesday 1st May when we visited the vast and splendid Cathedral of Glasgow.      

St. Mungo’s was consecrated in 1197 and is one of Scotland’s most magnificent medieval buildings. 

On the way there, Ken had drawn our attention to Provand’s Lordship, the oldest house in Glasgow and built in 1471. 

The area was strangely peaceful and quiet although we were only a few minutes drive away from Glasgow’s busy bustling streets.

Back on the coach we were off and in ten minutes were in Bellahouston Park to visit The House of an Art Lover, a building inspired by Rennie Mackintosh’s design for a competition held in 1901, and built in 1996. It houses a permanent exhibition of rooms built and furnished in the style of Mackintosh.                         

We then drove south into Ayrshire to Dumfries House, a fine Palladian mansion set in acres of gardens and countryside.  The house had fallen into disrepair, but was finally rescued, beautifully restored and saved for the nation by The Prince of Wales.  We were met by the proud resident guide who led us through each grand room where we saw fine collections of Chippendale furniture, tapestries and priceless works of art.  After lunch we had time to wander through the lovely gardens.                 

Later we were served tea in china cups and ate delicious homemade shortbread.

Wednesday 2nd May dawned bright and sunny.  We were so lucky with the weather for this was our day for getting away from the city and experiencing some fresh mountain air.  We were off to Loch Lomond.  

As we drove along the winding leafy road, we were able to catch glimpses of the loch shimmering in the sunlight and of the mountain scenery.  Ken played us some jolly Scottish tunes and songs to cheer us along the way.  

At Tarbet we climbed aboard a motor boat and sailed off down the loch.                         

It was pretty windy on the top deck, but below we were able to enjoy the scenery and drink our cups of steaming hot chocolate at the same time. Back on the coach, we drove down to Luss, a lovely old, beautifully preserved lakeside village.  It was a good break and we had time to explore and have some lunch in a local café where we were served by smiling kilted staff.

Rather reluctantly we scrambled back onto the coach and were driven away west to Helensburgh in Argyle.  Situated high above the River Clyde, in lovely gardens was Hill House, designed by Rennie Macintosh.       

Inside all the furnishings, carpets, lamps curtains, fireplaces and decorations were the work of both Rennie Macintosh and his wife Margaret MacDonald.  I think we were all delighted to explore this exquisite house and admire all it held.  Back on the road we headed towards Glasgow. 

However, Ken had a surprise for us.  We stopped off in the small town of Dumbarton beside the Scottish Episcopal Church of St. Augustine, where we were welcomed by the Minister, The Reverend Kenneth Macaulay and his assistant.   

He had opened the church especially for us!  It was here that in August 1900 Rennie Macintosh married Margaret MacDonald a talented and influential artist herself.  She had in fact been a strong influence on the work of Gustav Klimt and his paintings in the Secession Building which had delighted those ADFAS members who had visited Vienna in 2015.   We were all enchanted by this lovely church, built in 1873 and containing countless interesting features.

Thursday 3rd May was to be our last full day together.  We set off with Ken and drove the short distance for another unscheduled stop, this time to The City Chambers in St. George’s Square.  We were greatly impressed by this vast majestic Victorian building with its marbled halls and grand stairways. 

It is home to successive city councils and a popular venue for balls and grand civic occasions. 

Our next stop was at The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum another impressive Victorian building which housed one of Europe’s finest art collections. 

There was much to see in this busy, buzzing huge place including a great concert organ on which the resident organist gave daily concerts.  Linda, our lively and enthusiastic guide had selected several examples of important works from the gallery’s massive collection for us to see. 

Our final visit was to The Riverside Museum, Scotland’s Museum of Transport and Travel situated on the banks of the Clyde.  Here we were well placed to see the merging of Glasgow’s River Kelvin and the great River Clyde, quiet now that all the big shipyards are gone. 

It was fun to see the tram cars, bikes and buses and other old vehicles and fun especially to clamber aboard the Glenlee, an elegant three masted barque sailing ship, Clyde built in 1896 and now moored alongside the museum.

Back at our hotel we gathered for our last evening get together, for two of our party had to be off the next morning to catch early trains. It was a fitting time for us to raise our glasses to Julie.  Our ADFAS chairman Valerie expressed our most sincere thanks to her for organising this visit to Glasgow so efficiently and so beautifully.  It was yet another success story.

Friday May 4th and on our last morning in Glasgow, we drove to Hillhead Street and to the Hunterian Gallery in the centre of the university area.  The Gilbert Scott Building (the University’s striking main building) is named after its designer Sir George Gilbert Scott, a leading figure in the Gothic Revival movement who designed many of the original University’s buildings in the late 19th century.         

The Hunterian is is yet another one of Scotland’s great art galleries and museums and holds the most fabulous permanent collection of paintings and sculpture.  Worth mentioning is its collection of the beautiful portraits and landscapes of the American artist James McNeill Whistler.                                                                

Beside the Hunterian is the Mackintosh House which contains the reassembled furniture fittings, decorations and objects, curtains and carpets removed from the Mackintoshes’ marital home further down the road in Southpark Avenue and before the house was demolished.  For some this last visit was certainly one of the highlights of our very busy Glasgow trip.

We were soon back at the hotel and settled comfortably in the foyer to collect our luggage and wait for our train home.  Ken joined us there and Julie paid him a very special tribute.  He had been wonderful, kind, patient, smiling and so knowledgeable. He had looked after us well during our short but intensive few days in Glasgow.  It was sad to say goodbye but we were all agreed when Julie pronounced him our favourite guide.  The best ever!                                        

We collected our luggage and trudged off to catch the train home.  It had been yet another splendid ADFAS holiday.  One in which we had learned much of this great city of culture. We will have many happy memories, not least among them being the friendliness of the Glasgow folk we had met along the way.                                                 

After all and to coin a phrase, "Glasgow's miles better"!   

The ADFAS Committee would like to thank all attendees on this trip who have kindly provided their photographs to make this trip down memory lane as representative as possible.