Welcome
Welcome to our holiday blog for 2026. It is great to have you on the journey with us and regardless if you are a regular 'follower' of our holiday blogs, or have just come across it by accident you are most welcome to join us on the journey.
Our Holiday this year
This year's holiday will see us travelling from home, via England, France and Spain to arrive in Portugal for the heart of the holiday, but before then we will also have short stays in Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela and on the return in Badajoz, Madrid and Paris.
The route looks like this:
though at the heart of the holiday is a week's guided tour of the Peninsular War sites in Portugal which the map doesn't capture.
What Peninsular War? and why Portugal I hear you ask
I'd lived the first 40 years of my life without knowing where or what the Peninsular War was, but having met Drew that was due to change.
Drew had long been a fan of the 1990s television series called Sharpe, in which the character, played by Sean Bean, spends his time going from a Private to a Colonel, while fighting in the Peninsular War, across the five series.
Within a few years of us getting together Drew had bought me the DVDs, so I too have seen the 14 episodes of the series and it wasn't long before we had both began to read the Bernard Cornwell books on which they are based. Yes, we have read all 24 of the books and the three short-stories!
Not content with the fictional stories of the period, Drew also began to explore the historical accounts of the period, reading Wellington by Elizabeth Longford and Wellington by Richard Holmes. Then Mark Urban's books on The Rifles and The Man who Broke Napoleon's Codes
In Summary
The Peninsular War then was a major engagement between Britain and its Portuguese and Spanish allies against France and its allies including Bonapartist Spain, Italy, the Kingdom of Naples and the Confederation of the Rhine from 1808 to 1814. But for us this year the focus is on the elements of the war focussed in Portugal from the landings in Mondego Bay to the Convention of Sintra, especially the development of the amazing defensive fortifications known as the Lines of Torres Vedras, that turned this stage of the war. The decision to go to Portugal was to focus on the earlier stage of the war, the Spanish elements came later and they may well form another trip in future years.
So are we following Wellington or Sharpe, the truth is a bit of both.
Haydn and Drew. As well as this fascinating historical insight, about which I know little, we look forward to reading of your culinary delights on the Peninsula.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leigh,
DeleteYes, we will try our best on both historical and culinary dimensions😉
While I know little about the Sharpe series, at school our history O-Level (GCSE equivalent) was called 'The History of European Warfare' and we studied the Peninsular War in some detail. I recall the place names you mention after all these years and look forward to being reminded of the exploits of Wellington and the guerilleros.
ReplyDeleteHi Robin,
DeleteGreat to have you with us again. Your insights and recommended enhancements (corrections) are always very welcome.
I hope the blog will be rich in the history of both Wellington (or Wellesley as he still was then, have taken that form of the name rather than plain Wesley when working in India with his brother as Governor General - but the Mysore Battle isn't for this blog!!) and of the men who supported him, both British and Portuguese.
Like Sharpe, my great X5 grandfather went from private to officer during this period. He joined up as a drummer boy in Lancashire, ending up a captain in Co Armargh. This was highly unusual, as to get a commission in the army, one had to be a landowner. An exception was made in our case: being Ireland there was a great shortage of officer material that was a) protestant, and b) literate and c) numerate. He became the regimental paymaster and some of his ledgers are held in the National Archives in Kew. His son, my X4 grandfather, was able to join the army as 2nd lieutenant in 1814, so a little late for the Peninsular War.
DeleteHi Robin,
DeleteThat's fascinating - I don't remember you telling me about this side of the family, did the lieutenant fight at Waterloo? The side of the family in the West Indies was one you'd mentioned more often, I assume that is a different side of your ancestors?
George Kay's regiment was the 62nd Foot, (an English Regiment rather than his father's Royal Irish Fusileers), who had indeed fought in the Peninsular War. However, at the time of Waterloo they were stationed in north America (possibly Quebec or Nova Scotia), so that may have been his first posting. From there the regiment was posted to Ireland (1823), then shipping out to india in 1830. I don't believe that George went with them, as his death in1832 was recorded as being in Co Armagh. The army skipped a generation, and it was George's grandson who had an army/militia career in Central America and the Caribbean.
DeleteAh so it was the same family, just a couple of generations on.
DeleteThanks Robin for the ongoing insights into your fascinating family
Looking forward to the daily blogs, hope you have an amazing time. Safe travels both.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue,
DeleteIt will be great to have you along with us.
I hope the weather brightens for your traditional stroll to the coach station.
ReplyDeleteThis year it is a train holiday, in the main, so the stroll is to Taffs Well train station (like in 2023 and 2012 on our Southern and Northern European train trips). But thanks for the weather wishes - it is tomorrow lunchtime, I hope it is a lot nicer than it is here now, where we are having very heavy rain, rather than the 'light rain' of the forcast.
DeleteLooking forward to the account of this year's adventures and to learn more about food. Have a fabulous time.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Steve
Thanks Steve, it will be great to have you along with us again.
DeleteHave a safe journey! My daughter has holidayed in Portugal a few times and I have former colleagues, one in France and one in Andalucia, but I have only ever been to Paris and Barcelona so looking forward to your blog! My history degree was mainly Victorian with Welsh history so I have not covered this.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
DeleteYes interesting what we each studied. My O level history was 'The social and economic history of Wales and England' - So nothing about wars, let alone the Peninsular War. It was the Rebecca Riots, Brad y Llyfrau Gleision, the Chartists and Guto Nyth Brân. It always tickled me that the WJEC had put the countries with Wales first in the O level title!
Professor Geraint Jenkins was my tutor in Welsh History so his lectures you had to be early to because they would be standing room only later.
DeleteIt was me not anonymous 😂
DeleteThanks Linda,
DeleteNice to be reminded of the famous Geraint Jenkins - he was a great influence in Welsh historical circles, it must have been great to be taught by him. I notice it is only last year that he died.