Yesterday we were up and at it earlier than we needed to be so were able to sit by the window and read for a bit. Breaky was going to be in a small coffee shop that Dave found near the hotel. It opened at 9. What an adorable place! Very small - seating almost 20 with very little room to walk. The couple that owned it were very friendly. Shortly after we arrived, the place was full. Such a great atmosphere.
We drove to Leicester (pronounced Lester) to catch our 10:30 train to London. A lovely lady from the university gave us some tips for the train station in London. Our tickets were for "off hours" but the train was packed. We had to stand for the entire one hour trip. At least there weren't any stops. Dave thought we were traveling 80 - 90 miles/hour.
Once in the very upscale train terminal (lots of expensive shops), we got our subway to our first stop - the Twinings Tea Shop. The original factory started up on this location in 1710. Just recently the factory moved but the shop remains. It's a tea drinker's paradise! There's a tea bar where you could sample teas - quite an elaborate affair. We didn't experience this but two young American couples did so we could see part of the process. Choosing a box of tea to take home was a bit challenging. I stuck with Earl Grey - my favorite.
On our way back to the subway, we grabbed something to eat while we traveled to the next stop - the Tower of London. When we were in London in 2013, we ran out of time to go there and I was most disappointed so it was a "must do" this time round. We arrived at 1:30 and left when it closed at 5:30 and still didn't see it all. What a place! It's really a small village. The first building went up in the mid 1000s and it was added onto for about 600 years. There's so much I could say about it. Just a few things.
We saw the Crown Jewels - what kings and queens are crowned with when they become the king/queen. The oldest one there was from 1660s. The vault type door to get into the area is about 14" thick and then there's a 3' wall. The value of all the crowns, gold "dishes", jewel encrusted swords/staffs etc. has to be astronomical. The crowns were "nice" but it all seems way over the top and some pieces, I thought, were gaudy.
There are 20 towers, a chapel (Chapel Royal of St Peter and Vincula), lots of housing (130 people live within the grounds), two small patches of grass (used to execute people), a moat (no water anymore), two sets of outer walls, and six royal ravens. Legend has it that if there aren't any ravens living within the Tower, the place will fall to pieces. They've been there for 100s of years. These birds are massive with 1.5 meter wing span.
Some of the towers were used as prisons - actually as recently as the end of WWII when Rudolf Hess was held there for four days after the end of the war. In one of the towers (Beauchamp), that we were allowed into, you can see "graffiti" on the walls dating back to the 1280s. I have a picture of a coat of arms done in 1599 and under it is a long written piece by another prisoner. We took a tour with one of the Beefeaters - the guys who were originally hired to be body guards for the King Henry that won the battle against King Richard III (nice how all we're seeing is tied together). This is a serious job these days - and a great honor. They and their families live within the Tower walls.
By late afternoon I was done. I couldn't take in one more historical fact, no matter how interesting. My brain was saturated with information and nothing else was computing. Two weeks of learning is great but it ended in the chapel even though there was a lot more to see. We quickly breezed through an amazing display of armor both for kings and horses. (Actual amor belonging to King Charles 1I and II, King Henry VIII etc.) A quick trip through one tower that was part of the palace as well as seeing a variety of torture apparatus. Wretched!
We found an outdoor cafe and had a drink. This afternoon was the first time in our entire trip when we could have worn shorts. Much of what we packed never came out of the suitcase. We've had rain almost everyday and very little sun. Today was about 75. Only once did the weather impact our trip so we made out well.
We walked along the Thames River and back and forth across the Tower Bridge - an incredible structure. Then off to the subway and the train station. The train ride back to Leicester took 90 mins (arrived at 9) but this time we had seats. Still lots of people standing for the whole trip though. The entire trip couldn't have gone better. Lots of prep made it go very smoothly.
We were looking forward to one last meal in England but getting back to the car after 9 changed that. We were tired and still had a 30 minute drive ahead of us. So we ate sandwiches and cherries in a grocery store parking lot. Our one and only "outside" dinner. Back in the hotel room by 10, I was so glad that I had done most of the packing last night. What a full, but great, day!
Tomorrow we head home with mixed feelings. It's been a great holiday, we've loved being together so much, and have really enjoyed the slow pace (compared to the speed at which our normal life is lived). We miss the kids and grandkids. We're not excited about getting back to work and everything else that takes up so much of our time. Oh well.
One thing I learned today: The grocery store that we've been shopping at in all four countries (The Co-operative), has been in business for over 165 years.
One new thing I experienced today: Standing on a train for an hour.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being at the Tower of London. I've read so much about it and to actually be there and see the different buildings/area I've read about is amazing!
One pleasurable experience: On the subway ride back to the train station, a guy got on with a guitar and started singing right beside us. We both smiled a lot while he sang. We thought this was terrific. Just about everyone around us didn't even acknowledge that he was there. I guess it's just "normal" for them.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Thursday July 7 - A delightful day with goodbyes starting
My day began as it has for the last several - sitting by this lovely window with the wonderful view. It has been open since we arrived - no screen and no bugs. I'll really miss sitting here.
Breaky was what we had in the room as we needed to be in Leicester by 10 am. Since we left Belfast, all of the driving has either been on freeways or quiet country roads. Being in Leicester was much busier and therefore a bit more challenging for Dave. He's pretty much a "seasoned" driver at this point. Making the adjustment back home will be challenging - strange as that may seem.
We were going to see the location where King Richard IIIs body was found, in the city center where parking is a rare as hen's teeth. Our tickets were for 10 am. Just before 10, we finally found a parking lot and began to walk. After walking briskly for about 5 minutes, a bobby (police) told us it was just a short walk ahead. This didn't bring much comfort as our last experience with bobbies and "just ahead" resulted in a couple of miles of walking. Thankfully he was right.
You may wonder why all the interest in Richard. It just worked out that way. I love it and Dave says he's learning a lot and really enjoying it as well. :)
Long story short, Richard's remains were found under a parking lot/school playground due to years of research. The very first scoop of the excavator's bucket revealed his leg bones, but they didn't know that for a couple of weeks. Had they dug just one foot farther over, he never would have been found. The stress of the digging crew (both on machines and the archaeologists) on the site was quite intense said a retired judge who volunteers at the site and who used to play in the playground as a kid. The actually spot were the remains were found is covered with heavy glass so you can see it.
Across the street is the Leicester Cathedral (1200s) were Richard was finally buried. His tomb is very simple. On the same site as the church was a Roman temple many years ago. (This is church # 7 and may be the last one.)
There was a market in town which was delightful to walk through. I found the purses I've been looking for. This is a very multicultural city. Lots of people from India and Arabian countries. Up until today, we've pretty much only seen white folks. The atmosphere in Leicester was much more interesting due to the diversity. We came across an international grocery store. What fun! There was peanut butter from Africa, pudding from Romania, soup from Turkey, curry from Jamaica, and so much more. We didn't see anything from the US or Canada.
For lunch we had a bacon cob, a bun with lots of peameal type bacon on it, and cherries. Food is so inexpensive here. The cherries were under $2 a pound.
We checked out the train station and picked up our tickets for the trip to London tomorrow. We're feeling confident about that part of the trip. Back at the hotel we had some wine, read, sat by the window, and napped. Very relaxing couple of hours.
We walked into the village for our last dinner in this area. De Olde Red Lion was where we went - again. This place is bustling with people and dogs. Dogs are allowed and there were about 5 of them tonight. We chatted with some folks from Rwanda, who are visiting family here, and one women from here who's off to Miami tomorrow. She's jewelry buyer. Each had their dog along. So nice.
One last stroll around our favorite village and then back to the hotel. Sitting on the floor was a pile of things that need to be packed - things I've bought here. I decided it was time to tackle that. I'm so glad I did as tomorrow and Saturday will be too busy.
One thing I learned today: 76% of UK suicides are men. (A billboard for a help line was where I saw this.)
One new thing I experienced today: A facial. There's a spa here and I've been thinking about a getting a facial all week. Dave encouraged me to do it. I got the "rejuvenating facial that would target fine line, wrinkles, and dark circles". So facial is code for lots of creams applied to the face, neck and chest - some of which are removed, many are not. It was super relaxing. Did my skin look better when it was over? Yup, but I think that's because the fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles had so many layers of cream (some probably tinted) that they "seemed" to disappear. :)
Mos powerful moment of the day: Having "access" to a royal grave. Any other such gravesite it always far from public access - at least in our experience.
One pleasureable experience: Supper! The fish was excellent and the cider was so refreshing.
Breaky was what we had in the room as we needed to be in Leicester by 10 am. Since we left Belfast, all of the driving has either been on freeways or quiet country roads. Being in Leicester was much busier and therefore a bit more challenging for Dave. He's pretty much a "seasoned" driver at this point. Making the adjustment back home will be challenging - strange as that may seem.
We were going to see the location where King Richard IIIs body was found, in the city center where parking is a rare as hen's teeth. Our tickets were for 10 am. Just before 10, we finally found a parking lot and began to walk. After walking briskly for about 5 minutes, a bobby (police) told us it was just a short walk ahead. This didn't bring much comfort as our last experience with bobbies and "just ahead" resulted in a couple of miles of walking. Thankfully he was right.
You may wonder why all the interest in Richard. It just worked out that way. I love it and Dave says he's learning a lot and really enjoying it as well. :)
Long story short, Richard's remains were found under a parking lot/school playground due to years of research. The very first scoop of the excavator's bucket revealed his leg bones, but they didn't know that for a couple of weeks. Had they dug just one foot farther over, he never would have been found. The stress of the digging crew (both on machines and the archaeologists) on the site was quite intense said a retired judge who volunteers at the site and who used to play in the playground as a kid. The actually spot were the remains were found is covered with heavy glass so you can see it.
Across the street is the Leicester Cathedral (1200s) were Richard was finally buried. His tomb is very simple. On the same site as the church was a Roman temple many years ago. (This is church # 7 and may be the last one.)
There was a market in town which was delightful to walk through. I found the purses I've been looking for. This is a very multicultural city. Lots of people from India and Arabian countries. Up until today, we've pretty much only seen white folks. The atmosphere in Leicester was much more interesting due to the diversity. We came across an international grocery store. What fun! There was peanut butter from Africa, pudding from Romania, soup from Turkey, curry from Jamaica, and so much more. We didn't see anything from the US or Canada.
For lunch we had a bacon cob, a bun with lots of peameal type bacon on it, and cherries. Food is so inexpensive here. The cherries were under $2 a pound.
We checked out the train station and picked up our tickets for the trip to London tomorrow. We're feeling confident about that part of the trip. Back at the hotel we had some wine, read, sat by the window, and napped. Very relaxing couple of hours.
We walked into the village for our last dinner in this area. De Olde Red Lion was where we went - again. This place is bustling with people and dogs. Dogs are allowed and there were about 5 of them tonight. We chatted with some folks from Rwanda, who are visiting family here, and one women from here who's off to Miami tomorrow. She's jewelry buyer. Each had their dog along. So nice.
One last stroll around our favorite village and then back to the hotel. Sitting on the floor was a pile of things that need to be packed - things I've bought here. I decided it was time to tackle that. I'm so glad I did as tomorrow and Saturday will be too busy.
One thing I learned today: 76% of UK suicides are men. (A billboard for a help line was where I saw this.)
One new thing I experienced today: A facial. There's a spa here and I've been thinking about a getting a facial all week. Dave encouraged me to do it. I got the "rejuvenating facial that would target fine line, wrinkles, and dark circles". So facial is code for lots of creams applied to the face, neck and chest - some of which are removed, many are not. It was super relaxing. Did my skin look better when it was over? Yup, but I think that's because the fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles had so many layers of cream (some probably tinted) that they "seemed" to disappear. :)
Mos powerful moment of the day: Having "access" to a royal grave. Any other such gravesite it always far from public access - at least in our experience.
One pleasureable experience: Supper! The fish was excellent and the cider was so refreshing.
Wednesday July 6 - Relaxing day in Bosworth
Today was a lazy day enjoying no schedules or to-do lists. The day started with us wandering around the village looking for a place to have breakfast. Except for the tea and toast place we ate at yesterday, and the hotel which is expensive and the food isn't very good, there aren't any places to get breakfast. So we went to the grocery store (open 7 am - 10 pm which is surprising since the sidewalks pretty much get rolled up at 5 just about everywhere we go) to buy some bread and pastries for breaky.
We ate in our room in front of this terrific window. Our plan was to leave the hotel tomorrow and get a room for two nights in London. Instead, we'll stay here for another two nights and take the train into London (1 1/2 hour trip one way) and use the subway system to get around in the center of London on Friday. It took a bit of time to book the train tickets, figure out schedules, etc. but that's all taken care of. Our room here is booked for another two nights. The price has gone down. It's now 35 pounds ($40) a night. So we''ll be staying in one place for seven nights. A lot less packing and unpacking. :)
The Bosworth Battlefield was our one and only destination for the day - and it was a five minute drive. This is the battlefield where King Richard III and Henry Tudor (who became King Henry VII) fought the final battle of the War of Roses in 1485. Richard was from the House of Lancaster (symbol was a red rose) and Henry was from the House of York (white rose). The indoor exhibit had a display of the incredibly nasty weapons of war, a full suit of armor you could try on, and lots of historical details. I've read several books about the time period from 1450 to 1600, so much of what I read/saw at the exhibit was familiar. I find it so exciting to actually be in the places where the events I've read about took place. History geek I guess.
Dave tried on some of the armor. The chainmail is incredibly heavy. Dave estimated it was about 40 pounds. It was made for a much smaller person so he couldn't get it on. He did get the breastplate, neck cover and helmet on. It's a mystery how those guys could even move once fully dressed. However, it was only the weathly that had armor. The average fighter might have a padded jacket - if he could afford that. The fighting and aftermath was just wretched.
We walked around the fields where part of the battle took place so many years ago. There were lots of people out walking their dogs on the path. There are lots of dogs here. Have only seen two cats. And the pigeons are huge.
Back in our room we had some wine and finished making our plans for Friday - which subway we need to take etc. While taking the train into London will be much easier for Dave, as he doesn't have to drive, there's a certain amount of anxiety about traveling by train and subway. We're not used to such travel so it's foreignness is a bit unsettling. But, it'll be fine. I hope.
We explored a bit of the hotel grounds. There's an abandoned building that's decaying (such a shame) that's like no other building we've seen. Perhaps it was a stable. Fancy bridges are over a once beautiful canal. Now the water is really nasty. St. Peter's Church (1362) is beside the hotel and is undergoing restoration. Lots of wooded areas that would be great for the grandkids to play in.
The Old Black Horse Inn was where we had supper. Turns out it's a more upscale place - which we didn't know until we were inside. A very old building but beautifully decorated inside. During our leisurely supper, we tried to recall all that we had done on our trip last year with the kids. That was such a great trip!
Back to the hotel, a bit of telly, and the day comes to a close.
Some interesting bits:
They're really serious about speeding here. There's the word "slow" written on the road when going into a bend (which in the country is constantly), flashing signs if you're going over the speed limit (when entering a town), and cameras everywhere - at least signs that say there are cameras everywhere. Hopefully there won't be any speeding tickets coming our way in the months to come.
We've driven just over 1,200 miles (yes, miles).
Each trip we take to Europe, something peaks my interest and I "focus" on that for the entire trip. This time it's different ways of saying things. Here are a few of my favorites:
England - slip road - the on and off ramps on freeways
Wales - foot way - sidewalk
Ireland - hoover - to vacuum
Scotland - overtaking lane - passing lane
One thing I learned today: Statues of half clothed women can be used as coat racks and a place to lean your croquette bags against. There is a wonderfully manicured lawn outside of our hotel window. Today there was a croquette match taking place on that lawn.
One new thing I experienced today: Eating mussels. Not much flavor. The black stringy things around the meat and the while stubby thing left in the shell were off putting.
Most powerful moment of the day: A cat nap. Recharged the batteries. :)
One pleasurable experience: Walking though the village of Bosworth. This will be one of the memory highlights of the trip. I love this place!
We ate in our room in front of this terrific window. Our plan was to leave the hotel tomorrow and get a room for two nights in London. Instead, we'll stay here for another two nights and take the train into London (1 1/2 hour trip one way) and use the subway system to get around in the center of London on Friday. It took a bit of time to book the train tickets, figure out schedules, etc. but that's all taken care of. Our room here is booked for another two nights. The price has gone down. It's now 35 pounds ($40) a night. So we''ll be staying in one place for seven nights. A lot less packing and unpacking. :)
The Bosworth Battlefield was our one and only destination for the day - and it was a five minute drive. This is the battlefield where King Richard III and Henry Tudor (who became King Henry VII) fought the final battle of the War of Roses in 1485. Richard was from the House of Lancaster (symbol was a red rose) and Henry was from the House of York (white rose). The indoor exhibit had a display of the incredibly nasty weapons of war, a full suit of armor you could try on, and lots of historical details. I've read several books about the time period from 1450 to 1600, so much of what I read/saw at the exhibit was familiar. I find it so exciting to actually be in the places where the events I've read about took place. History geek I guess.
Dave tried on some of the armor. The chainmail is incredibly heavy. Dave estimated it was about 40 pounds. It was made for a much smaller person so he couldn't get it on. He did get the breastplate, neck cover and helmet on. It's a mystery how those guys could even move once fully dressed. However, it was only the weathly that had armor. The average fighter might have a padded jacket - if he could afford that. The fighting and aftermath was just wretched.
We walked around the fields where part of the battle took place so many years ago. There were lots of people out walking their dogs on the path. There are lots of dogs here. Have only seen two cats. And the pigeons are huge.
Back in our room we had some wine and finished making our plans for Friday - which subway we need to take etc. While taking the train into London will be much easier for Dave, as he doesn't have to drive, there's a certain amount of anxiety about traveling by train and subway. We're not used to such travel so it's foreignness is a bit unsettling. But, it'll be fine. I hope.
We explored a bit of the hotel grounds. There's an abandoned building that's decaying (such a shame) that's like no other building we've seen. Perhaps it was a stable. Fancy bridges are over a once beautiful canal. Now the water is really nasty. St. Peter's Church (1362) is beside the hotel and is undergoing restoration. Lots of wooded areas that would be great for the grandkids to play in.
The Old Black Horse Inn was where we had supper. Turns out it's a more upscale place - which we didn't know until we were inside. A very old building but beautifully decorated inside. During our leisurely supper, we tried to recall all that we had done on our trip last year with the kids. That was such a great trip!
Back to the hotel, a bit of telly, and the day comes to a close.
Some interesting bits:
They're really serious about speeding here. There's the word "slow" written on the road when going into a bend (which in the country is constantly), flashing signs if you're going over the speed limit (when entering a town), and cameras everywhere - at least signs that say there are cameras everywhere. Hopefully there won't be any speeding tickets coming our way in the months to come.
We've driven just over 1,200 miles (yes, miles).
Each trip we take to Europe, something peaks my interest and I "focus" on that for the entire trip. This time it's different ways of saying things. Here are a few of my favorites:
England - slip road - the on and off ramps on freeways
Wales - foot way - sidewalk
Ireland - hoover - to vacuum
Scotland - overtaking lane - passing lane
One thing I learned today: Statues of half clothed women can be used as coat racks and a place to lean your croquette bags against. There is a wonderfully manicured lawn outside of our hotel window. Today there was a croquette match taking place on that lawn.
One new thing I experienced today: Eating mussels. Not much flavor. The black stringy things around the meat and the while stubby thing left in the shell were off putting.
Most powerful moment of the day: A cat nap. Recharged the batteries. :)
One pleasurable experience: Walking though the village of Bosworth. This will be one of the memory highlights of the trip. I love this place!
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Tuesday July 5 - dog fight, beer, guard duck, and tales of King Richard III
What an incredible day this was! When we arrived at our hotel, it appeared that we were in the country. This morning we were delighted to discover that behind the hotel is the village of Market Bosworth. (That may sound strange but remember the hotel is on 11 acres with lots of trees.) A two minute walk put us in the heart of the village where we sat in the sun and had toast and tea. There are flowers everywhere. )The town competes in a "most beautiful town" contest. The judging is next week.) Many buildings from the 1400s. The street signs are fastened on the walls of the buildings and have either a boar for King Richard III or a dragon for one of the King Henrys. It turns out the battlefield on which Richard was killed in just a mile or so out of town. Heading there tomorrow. I've found my new favorite town of the trip. :)
We stopped in a tiny clock shop. The two of us and two other customers "filled" the available floor space. I got a watchband and can now wear my watch rather than having it my pocket. Since I love clocks, this store was a wonderful find. Lots of ticking and gonging coming from clocks new and very old.
Our travels today took us about 25 miles from the hotel. The market in Lichfield is where we started - until we were sidetracked by the most beautiful church I've ever seen. The exterior, in my opinion, is more beautiful than Notre Dame. Red limestone that's black in places due to weather and age. The two spires are intricately carved. Absolutely stunning! The cathedral was Catholic until King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife - meaning the Pope wouldn't give him a divorce so he became Protestant. It then became an Anglican Church. In the switch, many of the glass windows had to be altered so that no "graven images" (religious imagery) where seen in them. I was able to take pictures of paintings done on the walls in the 1300s. A special room was added to the cathedral in the 1200s for the sole purpose of foot washing that took place on Maundy Thursday. Royalty washed the feet of common folks. That was quite something to learn about!
Also in the church was the third oldest book in England (730) - part of the Bible written in Latin on vellum. In a nearby field, artifacts from the 600s have been discovered. This old stuff! There was a play area for kids in the church - located in the same room as a huge tomb with a lifesize sculpture of the man laying on top of a "bed".
The market was next. It was fairly small but I was able to get a couple of gifts. We strolled around the city center and ate lunch outside. That's twice in one day! We've not had rain since leaving Scotland and the temps are high 60s to low 70s. Sun comes and goes. We still need to wear our jackets but that's just fine.
In the market square was St. Mary's church (1150). The really interesting thing about this church was that the Common Book of Prayer, in the pews for people to use, was printed in 1869 (pages all brown at the corners from people turning them) as well as the pew bible printed in 1862. We found it hard to believe these were still in use. (It's a worshipping church.)
Across from the church was a guard duck (my term). He was sitting in front of a door and would "hiss" when you came too close. :)
Our next stop was a brewery in Burton upon Trent. (They have the best town names here.) The flyer said they closed at 6 but it was actually 5 so we didn't have a lot of time. In 1860, there were over 30 breweries in town due to the mineral rich water, which made the beer taste so good, and the nearby canal. There was a lot to see but we only hit the highlights. There were two shire horses (like a Clydesdale) - Gandoff and Jed. Dave loved them. This breed is very gentle and obedient and was used a lot in wars. They were brought to England by William the Conquerer in the 1100s. Included in the price of the ticket were three half pint samples. I left Dave to this while I checked out the gift shop. His favorite was the really dark one - which surprised him.
Next stop was Merica Marina where we thought we might be able to catch a canal boat ride. Too late. The guy might have some tours tomorrow - if the weather is right, if he feels like it, etc. Not a sure thing. We wandered around the marina looking at the canal boats - something like houseboats. There was a really small shop there with everything from soup to nuts. I got some really great stocking stuffers there. :)
After getting back to our room, we enjoyed some wine by this lovely window that I'm sitting at. We walked into town and had supper at De Olde Red Lion Hotel (1462). We got to chatting with a guy at the bar about King Richard III. He told us how the funeral procession came right through this little village in March 2015. Seven thousand people were here. I can't picture that many people fitting into this space. This same guy used to work at the hotel where we're staying. He said that a big company booked the entire place for two full weeks at the cost of two million pounds! He also said the hotel was a hospital for older folks before in became a hotel in the 1980s. I had a really hard time understanding him but Dave got most of it.
We did some planning for our stay in London and then called it a day. A really great day!
One thing I learned today - okay, two: The work in the brewery was incredibly hard (right up there with coal mining) and often the workers were a bit drunk due to the "fermented dust" in the air. Littering is called "fly tipping" and it's REALLY frowned upon. (No, I wasn't caught littering. Just read a sign.)
One new thing I experienced today: Almost falling down the cathedral stairs. Not good!
Most powerful moment of the day: A horrid dog fight in the market. Two pit bulls attacked another dog. There was a lot of yelling, growling, and barking. One pit bull wouldn't let go of the dog. People were trying to separate them. It was mahem. Once separated, the opener of the pit bulls took off with someone chasing him and others yelling, "get him!" He got away. I didn't see the fight, thankfully, but it was quite the scene with many people gathered round.
One pleasurable experience: So many to choose from! There was a young guy (20s) who had a stall at the market. I bought a purse there and had great fun chatting with him.
We stopped in a tiny clock shop. The two of us and two other customers "filled" the available floor space. I got a watchband and can now wear my watch rather than having it my pocket. Since I love clocks, this store was a wonderful find. Lots of ticking and gonging coming from clocks new and very old.
Our travels today took us about 25 miles from the hotel. The market in Lichfield is where we started - until we were sidetracked by the most beautiful church I've ever seen. The exterior, in my opinion, is more beautiful than Notre Dame. Red limestone that's black in places due to weather and age. The two spires are intricately carved. Absolutely stunning! The cathedral was Catholic until King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife - meaning the Pope wouldn't give him a divorce so he became Protestant. It then became an Anglican Church. In the switch, many of the glass windows had to be altered so that no "graven images" (religious imagery) where seen in them. I was able to take pictures of paintings done on the walls in the 1300s. A special room was added to the cathedral in the 1200s for the sole purpose of foot washing that took place on Maundy Thursday. Royalty washed the feet of common folks. That was quite something to learn about!
Also in the church was the third oldest book in England (730) - part of the Bible written in Latin on vellum. In a nearby field, artifacts from the 600s have been discovered. This old stuff! There was a play area for kids in the church - located in the same room as a huge tomb with a lifesize sculpture of the man laying on top of a "bed".
The market was next. It was fairly small but I was able to get a couple of gifts. We strolled around the city center and ate lunch outside. That's twice in one day! We've not had rain since leaving Scotland and the temps are high 60s to low 70s. Sun comes and goes. We still need to wear our jackets but that's just fine.
In the market square was St. Mary's church (1150). The really interesting thing about this church was that the Common Book of Prayer, in the pews for people to use, was printed in 1869 (pages all brown at the corners from people turning them) as well as the pew bible printed in 1862. We found it hard to believe these were still in use. (It's a worshipping church.)
Across from the church was a guard duck (my term). He was sitting in front of a door and would "hiss" when you came too close. :)
Our next stop was a brewery in Burton upon Trent. (They have the best town names here.) The flyer said they closed at 6 but it was actually 5 so we didn't have a lot of time. In 1860, there were over 30 breweries in town due to the mineral rich water, which made the beer taste so good, and the nearby canal. There was a lot to see but we only hit the highlights. There were two shire horses (like a Clydesdale) - Gandoff and Jed. Dave loved them. This breed is very gentle and obedient and was used a lot in wars. They were brought to England by William the Conquerer in the 1100s. Included in the price of the ticket were three half pint samples. I left Dave to this while I checked out the gift shop. His favorite was the really dark one - which surprised him.
Next stop was Merica Marina where we thought we might be able to catch a canal boat ride. Too late. The guy might have some tours tomorrow - if the weather is right, if he feels like it, etc. Not a sure thing. We wandered around the marina looking at the canal boats - something like houseboats. There was a really small shop there with everything from soup to nuts. I got some really great stocking stuffers there. :)
After getting back to our room, we enjoyed some wine by this lovely window that I'm sitting at. We walked into town and had supper at De Olde Red Lion Hotel (1462). We got to chatting with a guy at the bar about King Richard III. He told us how the funeral procession came right through this little village in March 2015. Seven thousand people were here. I can't picture that many people fitting into this space. This same guy used to work at the hotel where we're staying. He said that a big company booked the entire place for two full weeks at the cost of two million pounds! He also said the hotel was a hospital for older folks before in became a hotel in the 1980s. I had a really hard time understanding him but Dave got most of it.
We did some planning for our stay in London and then called it a day. A really great day!
One thing I learned today - okay, two: The work in the brewery was incredibly hard (right up there with coal mining) and often the workers were a bit drunk due to the "fermented dust" in the air. Littering is called "fly tipping" and it's REALLY frowned upon. (No, I wasn't caught littering. Just read a sign.)
One new thing I experienced today: Almost falling down the cathedral stairs. Not good!
Most powerful moment of the day: A horrid dog fight in the market. Two pit bulls attacked another dog. There was a lot of yelling, growling, and barking. One pit bull wouldn't let go of the dog. People were trying to separate them. It was mahem. Once separated, the opener of the pit bulls took off with someone chasing him and others yelling, "get him!" He got away. I didn't see the fight, thankfully, but it was quite the scene with many people gathered round.
One pleasurable experience: So many to choose from! There was a young guy (20s) who had a stall at the market. I bought a purse there and had great fun chatting with him.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Monday July 4 - Out and about in the National Forest
First order of the day was to see if we could get an upgrade to our room - since we're spending another three nights here. Our room was so small that we only had enough room to walk around the bed and that was about it. Well, our new room is huge with a king size bed (vs the double which isn't big enough) and it's located in the main building - the actual Hall - and it didn't cost a penny more. The hotel is "tired" and in desperate need of some love. A bus load of seniors arrived as we were heading out. I think that's a lot of the clientele.
We had breaky in the hotel but won't do it again. It was expensive and we weren't impressed. While I blogged, Dave went to find a tourist information place. On the way he stopped at a John Deere shop to chat. The guy sold lawnmowers. When Dave told him what he sold, the guy said, "Oh, you sell the big boy toys." True enough.
Dave had paperwork on enough options to keep us busy for weeks. We sorted through it all and made plans for the next four days. This resulted in a late start as we headed out about 1. The first stop was Ashby de la Zouch - a historic market town. The flyer made it look amazing! It boasted of a great market and that's the first place we went. The entrance was so beautiful with flowers, fruit, and vegys. And then it was quite disappointing. Very small with cards, hardware supplies, make-up etc. Dave said, "Well this won't take long," and it didn't. But! I was able to find the best gummies ever. Trevor you will LOVE them. :)
We wandered down the main street, had a bite to eat (egg mayonnaise sandwich and a milkshake that was really chocolate milk) and headed back to the car. There was a castle in town so we headed there next. It was closed - only open on Sunday and during the summer (school) break. We could see a bit over the fence. Disappointing.
Then we drove a few miles to Moira Furance - a place where a blast furnace once made iron (for about two years in the early 1800s). Guess what? It was closed. Same schedule as the castle. We were able to walk around the grounds and along the small canal. It's a very popular place for people to take their dogs. There was a boat that was cutting all the "seaweed" in the canal. They'd circle back and then scoop the weeds out with huge pitch forks but only got some of it. Didn't quite understand that operation.
Next on the agenda was to see some windmills and watermills. It was now about 4 pm and, you guessed it, they were closed by now. We were getting discouraged. I mentioned the National Forest in the title of this post. The area in which we're staying is situated in the National Forest. This would lead you to believe that everything is surrounded by woods. Not so. It looks like "anywhere else" - fields, trees, houses, towns. Bit of mystery to us.
Driving down a road (the whole day we were within a 30 mile radius of the hotel), we saw a sign for the Foremark Reservoir - a park like place for hiking, picnics, etc. We went in and walked around. The temperature was just over 70 today (much warmer than it's been) but it was cooler here. A short hike through the woods was really nice. There was a constant choir of birds - something you don't hear hiking at home.
Last night we had driven through this adorable little town, Ticknall - which is running a close second as my favorite town on the trip. There was a sign for the Calke Abby which sounded interesting so in we went. The "driveway" was about two miles long. Sheep roamed freely and there were a few cows (not a breed I'd ever seen before) to keep them company. Originally (1100s), the site had an Augustinian priory on it but Henry VIII saw to the end of that. In 1704, a mansion was built by the Harper family who owned it until 1985 when they lost it because they couldn't pay the property taxes. It too was closed but we were able to wander around the grounds. We hung out with the sheep for a bit. There was a massive tree that was very lush but the entire trunk was rotted out. It felt spongy. I don't know how it's still standing. We got a picture of me sitting inside the tree - with lots of room to spare.
Supper was at the The Staff of Life Restaurant (1843) in Ticknall (just down the road from Milton, Elaine) where I had a nice salmon meal and Dave had ham and eggs. Just about everything comes with fired eggs. The strawberry rhubarb cider was really good. When we take these kinds of trips we try to eat outside as much as possible. It's one of the really pleasurable parts of traveling. This trip is different. Due to the weather, we've only eaten outside twice - our first day and today at lunch. The theme for this trip is eating in old pubs. That too has a charm all its own.
A few interesting side notes.
When large trees die, the top branches are removed leaving about 20' of the trunk which is then covered in vines. Quite attractive.
Roundabouts are everywhere and make travel quicker, but at times quite frightful. We saw one called the "Bumble Bee Roundabout". It was filled with wild flowers for the bees. So beautiful!
Everywhere we go they play Amercian music. I find this frustrating. This morning is was music from the 50s and 60s as we ate breakfast. At supper it was Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, etc. All good music but do American movies, music, food (McDonalds) etc. have to be everywhere?
While eating supper there was a coaster with a map for a pub crawl. Made me think of the fudge crawl Amy put together for us. :)
One thing I learned today: Tourism, for folks who aren't on the school schedule, isn't important to the locals folks.
One new thing I experienced today: Shopping in the British drugstore "Boots" which are also in Canada.
Most powerful moment of the day: Discovering that the King Richard III exhibit is just a few miles away! His bones were recently found when a new parking lot was being worked on. I remember reading about this and how interesting I found it to be. On Thursday we get to see the exhibit!!
One pleasurable experience: Sitting in the sun by a huge window overlooking the gardens while sewing buttons on my sweater. It was so warm, quiet, and peaceful.
We had breaky in the hotel but won't do it again. It was expensive and we weren't impressed. While I blogged, Dave went to find a tourist information place. On the way he stopped at a John Deere shop to chat. The guy sold lawnmowers. When Dave told him what he sold, the guy said, "Oh, you sell the big boy toys." True enough.
Dave had paperwork on enough options to keep us busy for weeks. We sorted through it all and made plans for the next four days. This resulted in a late start as we headed out about 1. The first stop was Ashby de la Zouch - a historic market town. The flyer made it look amazing! It boasted of a great market and that's the first place we went. The entrance was so beautiful with flowers, fruit, and vegys. And then it was quite disappointing. Very small with cards, hardware supplies, make-up etc. Dave said, "Well this won't take long," and it didn't. But! I was able to find the best gummies ever. Trevor you will LOVE them. :)
We wandered down the main street, had a bite to eat (egg mayonnaise sandwich and a milkshake that was really chocolate milk) and headed back to the car. There was a castle in town so we headed there next. It was closed - only open on Sunday and during the summer (school) break. We could see a bit over the fence. Disappointing.
Then we drove a few miles to Moira Furance - a place where a blast furnace once made iron (for about two years in the early 1800s). Guess what? It was closed. Same schedule as the castle. We were able to walk around the grounds and along the small canal. It's a very popular place for people to take their dogs. There was a boat that was cutting all the "seaweed" in the canal. They'd circle back and then scoop the weeds out with huge pitch forks but only got some of it. Didn't quite understand that operation.
Next on the agenda was to see some windmills and watermills. It was now about 4 pm and, you guessed it, they were closed by now. We were getting discouraged. I mentioned the National Forest in the title of this post. The area in which we're staying is situated in the National Forest. This would lead you to believe that everything is surrounded by woods. Not so. It looks like "anywhere else" - fields, trees, houses, towns. Bit of mystery to us.
Driving down a road (the whole day we were within a 30 mile radius of the hotel), we saw a sign for the Foremark Reservoir - a park like place for hiking, picnics, etc. We went in and walked around. The temperature was just over 70 today (much warmer than it's been) but it was cooler here. A short hike through the woods was really nice. There was a constant choir of birds - something you don't hear hiking at home.
Last night we had driven through this adorable little town, Ticknall - which is running a close second as my favorite town on the trip. There was a sign for the Calke Abby which sounded interesting so in we went. The "driveway" was about two miles long. Sheep roamed freely and there were a few cows (not a breed I'd ever seen before) to keep them company. Originally (1100s), the site had an Augustinian priory on it but Henry VIII saw to the end of that. In 1704, a mansion was built by the Harper family who owned it until 1985 when they lost it because they couldn't pay the property taxes. It too was closed but we were able to wander around the grounds. We hung out with the sheep for a bit. There was a massive tree that was very lush but the entire trunk was rotted out. It felt spongy. I don't know how it's still standing. We got a picture of me sitting inside the tree - with lots of room to spare.
Supper was at the The Staff of Life Restaurant (1843) in Ticknall (just down the road from Milton, Elaine) where I had a nice salmon meal and Dave had ham and eggs. Just about everything comes with fired eggs. The strawberry rhubarb cider was really good. When we take these kinds of trips we try to eat outside as much as possible. It's one of the really pleasurable parts of traveling. This trip is different. Due to the weather, we've only eaten outside twice - our first day and today at lunch. The theme for this trip is eating in old pubs. That too has a charm all its own.
A few interesting side notes.
When large trees die, the top branches are removed leaving about 20' of the trunk which is then covered in vines. Quite attractive.
Roundabouts are everywhere and make travel quicker, but at times quite frightful. We saw one called the "Bumble Bee Roundabout". It was filled with wild flowers for the bees. So beautiful!
Everywhere we go they play Amercian music. I find this frustrating. This morning is was music from the 50s and 60s as we ate breakfast. At supper it was Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, etc. All good music but do American movies, music, food (McDonalds) etc. have to be everywhere?
While eating supper there was a coaster with a map for a pub crawl. Made me think of the fudge crawl Amy put together for us. :)
One thing I learned today: Tourism, for folks who aren't on the school schedule, isn't important to the locals folks.
One new thing I experienced today: Shopping in the British drugstore "Boots" which are also in Canada.
Most powerful moment of the day: Discovering that the King Richard III exhibit is just a few miles away! His bones were recently found when a new parking lot was being worked on. I remember reading about this and how interesting I found it to be. On Thursday we get to see the exhibit!!
One pleasurable experience: Sitting in the sun by a huge window overlooking the gardens while sewing buttons on my sweater. It was so warm, quiet, and peaceful.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Sunday July 3 - Tome, Antrim, Northern Ireland to Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
I was up and at it early this morning. We had to be at the docks to catch the ferry to Scotland by 10:30. We left the hotel by 8:30 and arrived in Belfast about 9 - which wasn't much time to look around. The driving in the city was very easy as the streets were pretty much deserted. Finding our way to the city center, we parked and walked around. The area was quite "depressed" with graffiti on most of the roll-up doors that shops use to protect their glass windows/doors. Many of the buildings were empty and in various stages of showing their age.
We came upon a massive building (covered an entire block) which was the headquarters of the Presbytertian Church in Ireland. Built in 1905, using beautiful large stones, it had gargoyles and other carvings that you wouldn't automatically associate with a Protestant church. Within the city center were two Catholic churches and two Protestant churches. This was surprising considering all of the unrest/fighting that took place not so long ago between the two groups. Dave found a bullet hole in the window of one of the Protestant churches.
The Queens College of Belfast is an amazing building. So beautiful on the outside. We were able to have a peek in the main hall. How wonderful to be able to study at such a beautiful campus. We walked past City Hall, a number of pubs, and shops. Hardly anything was open and very few people were out and about. A sidewalk sweeper (think street sweeper machine but smaller) was at work. There was a hop-on hop-off tour that we would have loved to get on but the ferry was calling us.
On many of the sign posts were posters which claimed that the UK sends 50 million pounds to the EU everyday - therefore vote to get "our country back". Much talk about this whole mess as we travel about. There's rumblings of another vote.
We boarded the ferry about 11 and landed in Scotland about 2. It was a bit of a rough trip with some wind and rain. While on board we booked our hotel for the next 4 nights (staying in one place and making day trips from there) and wrote postcards. Maybe they'll arrive before we get home.
Once we landed we drove for two hours until we reached Caerlaverock Castle - built in the mid 1200s and last inhabited in 1640. It's pretty well preserved. The owners, through the years, made sure that people didn't steal the stone blocks from which the castle was made - which was the custom when castles were abandoned. Made of red limestone, as are many buildings in the area, and sitting in a rolling landscape, it was very beautiful. Very different than any other castles we've seen. Near the castle was the River Nith which experiences tides. A sign said, "fast flowing tides and quicksand". Inviting, right?
The castle was near a town called Dumfries - pronounced dumb frees. When I saw it, I though it was pronounced dumb fries. Pretty funny right William? :)
Scotland is beautiful - at least the section we drove through. The sun was peeking out which made the rolling fields on the mountains dazzle. Covered in fields separated by short stone fences, cows and sheep grazed while wheat and hay fields swayed in the breeze. We came upon a huge field of 100 (?) Guernsey cows. Again, words can't do justice to the majestic scenery. Our plan was to head to Edinburgh but reality dictated that that would be a poor decision. Too far and too much driving. Perhaps another time.
We had decided to drive a lot today so that we could muck about for the next four days seeing great sites rather that driving every day. Nottingham sounded like a good place to go to - just because Robin Hood might be in town. The sun was out, and stayed out, and it was 65 degrees. Heading south we were leaving the cool weather and the on again - off again rain. What a treat.
The plan was to drive for fours hours staight until we reached our hotel in Nuneaton. The countryside of Northern England was just as lovely and grand as that of Scotland. A delight to drive through. The Cumbrian Mountains, that we loved so much in Wales, also run through the area.
Supper was eaten in the car. A baguette (from Ireland), with butter (a much deeper yellow than our butter - not sure why as no color is added) and honey (unpasteurized honey from Scotland), bananas from the market yesterday (which, I realized after writing yesterday's blog, were organic and therefore the $4.40 per pound) and Fanta (this amazing orange drink we can't get on the other side of the pond). Good stuff!
Aaron, we continue to look for Hert Jan beer. No luck yet. We did find Labatt Blue, Canadian Molson, Carlesberg, and Budweiser. All imported of course. :)
The sun shone until we arrived at almost 10 pm at the Bosworth Hall Hotel (built in the 1600s). It has 210 rooms and 11 acres of landscaped gardens. The main hotel building is stunning. Our room is tiny and down many narrow halls. Perhaps that's what $43 a night gets you. We're pleased to be here and eager for the adventures that await us tomorrow.
One thing I learned today: Not only can you buy t-shirts, pants, pjs, and hats in camo print, you can also get kilts. Who knew?
One new thing I experienced today: Driving on freeways in England which finally allowed Dave to use 6th gear. He's been eager to use it as so much of our driving has been much slower.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being in three countries in the span of half a day. Europe is blessed to have countries so close together, all with different cultures and experiences.
One pleasurable experience: I just love the Irish accent! More so than the English and Scotish. It's musical.
We came upon a massive building (covered an entire block) which was the headquarters of the Presbytertian Church in Ireland. Built in 1905, using beautiful large stones, it had gargoyles and other carvings that you wouldn't automatically associate with a Protestant church. Within the city center were two Catholic churches and two Protestant churches. This was surprising considering all of the unrest/fighting that took place not so long ago between the two groups. Dave found a bullet hole in the window of one of the Protestant churches.
The Queens College of Belfast is an amazing building. So beautiful on the outside. We were able to have a peek in the main hall. How wonderful to be able to study at such a beautiful campus. We walked past City Hall, a number of pubs, and shops. Hardly anything was open and very few people were out and about. A sidewalk sweeper (think street sweeper machine but smaller) was at work. There was a hop-on hop-off tour that we would have loved to get on but the ferry was calling us.
On many of the sign posts were posters which claimed that the UK sends 50 million pounds to the EU everyday - therefore vote to get "our country back". Much talk about this whole mess as we travel about. There's rumblings of another vote.
We boarded the ferry about 11 and landed in Scotland about 2. It was a bit of a rough trip with some wind and rain. While on board we booked our hotel for the next 4 nights (staying in one place and making day trips from there) and wrote postcards. Maybe they'll arrive before we get home.
Once we landed we drove for two hours until we reached Caerlaverock Castle - built in the mid 1200s and last inhabited in 1640. It's pretty well preserved. The owners, through the years, made sure that people didn't steal the stone blocks from which the castle was made - which was the custom when castles were abandoned. Made of red limestone, as are many buildings in the area, and sitting in a rolling landscape, it was very beautiful. Very different than any other castles we've seen. Near the castle was the River Nith which experiences tides. A sign said, "fast flowing tides and quicksand". Inviting, right?
The castle was near a town called Dumfries - pronounced dumb frees. When I saw it, I though it was pronounced dumb fries. Pretty funny right William? :)
Scotland is beautiful - at least the section we drove through. The sun was peeking out which made the rolling fields on the mountains dazzle. Covered in fields separated by short stone fences, cows and sheep grazed while wheat and hay fields swayed in the breeze. We came upon a huge field of 100 (?) Guernsey cows. Again, words can't do justice to the majestic scenery. Our plan was to head to Edinburgh but reality dictated that that would be a poor decision. Too far and too much driving. Perhaps another time.
We had decided to drive a lot today so that we could muck about for the next four days seeing great sites rather that driving every day. Nottingham sounded like a good place to go to - just because Robin Hood might be in town. The sun was out, and stayed out, and it was 65 degrees. Heading south we were leaving the cool weather and the on again - off again rain. What a treat.
The plan was to drive for fours hours staight until we reached our hotel in Nuneaton. The countryside of Northern England was just as lovely and grand as that of Scotland. A delight to drive through. The Cumbrian Mountains, that we loved so much in Wales, also run through the area.
Supper was eaten in the car. A baguette (from Ireland), with butter (a much deeper yellow than our butter - not sure why as no color is added) and honey (unpasteurized honey from Scotland), bananas from the market yesterday (which, I realized after writing yesterday's blog, were organic and therefore the $4.40 per pound) and Fanta (this amazing orange drink we can't get on the other side of the pond). Good stuff!
Aaron, we continue to look for Hert Jan beer. No luck yet. We did find Labatt Blue, Canadian Molson, Carlesberg, and Budweiser. All imported of course. :)
The sun shone until we arrived at almost 10 pm at the Bosworth Hall Hotel (built in the 1600s). It has 210 rooms and 11 acres of landscaped gardens. The main hotel building is stunning. Our room is tiny and down many narrow halls. Perhaps that's what $43 a night gets you. We're pleased to be here and eager for the adventures that await us tomorrow.
One thing I learned today: Not only can you buy t-shirts, pants, pjs, and hats in camo print, you can also get kilts. Who knew?
One new thing I experienced today: Driving on freeways in England which finally allowed Dave to use 6th gear. He's been eager to use it as so much of our driving has been much slower.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being in three countries in the span of half a day. Europe is blessed to have countries so close together, all with different cultures and experiences.
One pleasurable experience: I just love the Irish accent! More so than the English and Scotish. It's musical.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Saturday July 2 - Hollywood, Wicklow, Republic of Ireland to Toome, Antrim, Northern Ireland
The morning started with Dave saying we were locked in our room and he couldn't find the key. He'd searched everything/everywhere twice with no luck. So I went over to the door, opened it and found the key in the lock on the other side. He must have been especially weak to not be able to open the door. Our day began with a smile. :)
Roseanne (the owner of the B&B) made us an Irish breakfast, which it turns out, is exactly the same as an English breakfast except that you start with a bowl of cornflakes. The amount of food served In Ireland is far more than one person needs. We're actually starting to order one meal and split it - and it's plenty!
The B&B didn't have wifi so we once again began the search. Just down the road was Blessington with a coffee shop and that's where we landed. While there, we learned that there was a farmer's market in Naas. I really wanted to get to a market while we're here. This one, however, was not what I had in mind. It was nice and all but only had about 10 stalls. Hopefully we can find a "real" market at some point. Interesting note - bananas were 3.90 euro per pound. That's about $4.40!
Dave has been doing really well with the driving. A couple of days he's had someone honk their horn at him because he was doing something wrong - nothing serious. Today we came far too close to hitting someone. We wanted to turn left. The cars in the lane we wanted to be in were coming at us from the right. Even after driving here for a week, your brain still has to work hard to remember that. Dave pulled out in front on a car and we both hit the brakes. A bit of heart thumping and all was fine again.
We did a lot of driving today - 170 miles. That doesn't sound like much but unless you're on the big highways, it's slow going. Ireland isn't as great as we thought it would be. Much of the time it's like we're driving at home. Almost every old building has been covered with stucco and almost every building/house is some shade of soft yellow/beige. They all pretty much look the same. We tried to take some back roads, which is typically where you "really see things". Once we tried to find a castle but after taking every exit on the roundabout we finally gave up. Sigh......
We stopped in the small town of Blackrock which is on the Irish Sea. That was a cute place! We had lunch at Belles Tea Rooms and Patisserie. Emma and Ana would have loved it. It was a tiny two story old building with lovely tables and fancy chairs. They were so close together that there was hardly any room to walk. Lots of fancy tea cups and tea pots. The food was very attractive. (Yes, I took a picture of it). We started by sitting outside the shop in the sun but that lasted about 10 minutes. The entire day it was either sunny, raining, cloudy, and/or windy. It literally changed about every 10 minutes.
The tide was out. Dave estimated that it was about a mile to the water. We walked a bit on the beach covered in rocks and huge piles of stinky seaweed. It was really nice. Being there - not the stinky seaweed.
We crossed over into Northen Ireland about 4 pm - which is more scenic than Ireland. They're two different countries. Our hotel is at the top of a fairly large lake - which there are very few of here. Sitting in the lobby, we did some research as to what we'll do when we arrive in Scotland tomorrow. The distances are much greater than we first thought and so plans to go to Endiburough are off. The ferry will land in Scotland. We'll drive in it for about an hour and then get into England again. We want to find a spot to stay and make day trips from there. Enough of all the driving!
About 8 pm we headed out for a walk. Bought a few things at a grocery store and headed back to the room for scones and sandwiches for supper.
A few interesting tidbits.
Flo, our GPS, for some reason has lost the ability to say "road" ever since we got to Ireland. She now says "rahood".
There are times we're asked for a contact phone number. Since we don't have a phone, we give them Bobby's number. (It's the only one we can remember.) So Bobby, if you get a phone call from "across the pond", that's why. :)
I think people can tell I'm a tourist. I'm the only one with an umbrella. Everyone else just puts up with the on and off rain showers. (We've had a fair bit of rain but it hasn't stopped us from doing anything. We hear that the weather in Enland is "grand". Warm and sunny. Let's hope it stays that way as we head back there tomorrow.)
Today we saw how the "hedges/grass walls" along the sides of the road are trimmed. They use what looks like a lawnmower deck on an arm.
One thing I learned today: Ireland uses Euros and the metric system, while England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland all use pounds and the imperial system. And, I figured out how to change the car so we can see either miles or kms/12 hour or 24 clock/temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius. That was exciting!
One thing I experienced today: In both the market and the grocery store, all of the fruit and vegys are tagged as to which country they come from. Sweet potatoes from the US, several things from Holland and other from South Africa to the Dominican.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being very close to Belfast. (We go there tomorrow.) When I was a teen, I remember hearing about Belfast in the news a lot. I'm eager to see it.
One pleasurable experience: As we read the menu at the Tea Room, I saw the word "peckish". This is a word Amanda uses when she's a bit hungry. I thought she made it up. Even if she did, it's a real word here - and it means the same thing. :)
Roseanne (the owner of the B&B) made us an Irish breakfast, which it turns out, is exactly the same as an English breakfast except that you start with a bowl of cornflakes. The amount of food served In Ireland is far more than one person needs. We're actually starting to order one meal and split it - and it's plenty!
The B&B didn't have wifi so we once again began the search. Just down the road was Blessington with a coffee shop and that's where we landed. While there, we learned that there was a farmer's market in Naas. I really wanted to get to a market while we're here. This one, however, was not what I had in mind. It was nice and all but only had about 10 stalls. Hopefully we can find a "real" market at some point. Interesting note - bananas were 3.90 euro per pound. That's about $4.40!
Dave has been doing really well with the driving. A couple of days he's had someone honk their horn at him because he was doing something wrong - nothing serious. Today we came far too close to hitting someone. We wanted to turn left. The cars in the lane we wanted to be in were coming at us from the right. Even after driving here for a week, your brain still has to work hard to remember that. Dave pulled out in front on a car and we both hit the brakes. A bit of heart thumping and all was fine again.
We did a lot of driving today - 170 miles. That doesn't sound like much but unless you're on the big highways, it's slow going. Ireland isn't as great as we thought it would be. Much of the time it's like we're driving at home. Almost every old building has been covered with stucco and almost every building/house is some shade of soft yellow/beige. They all pretty much look the same. We tried to take some back roads, which is typically where you "really see things". Once we tried to find a castle but after taking every exit on the roundabout we finally gave up. Sigh......
We stopped in the small town of Blackrock which is on the Irish Sea. That was a cute place! We had lunch at Belles Tea Rooms and Patisserie. Emma and Ana would have loved it. It was a tiny two story old building with lovely tables and fancy chairs. They were so close together that there was hardly any room to walk. Lots of fancy tea cups and tea pots. The food was very attractive. (Yes, I took a picture of it). We started by sitting outside the shop in the sun but that lasted about 10 minutes. The entire day it was either sunny, raining, cloudy, and/or windy. It literally changed about every 10 minutes.
The tide was out. Dave estimated that it was about a mile to the water. We walked a bit on the beach covered in rocks and huge piles of stinky seaweed. It was really nice. Being there - not the stinky seaweed.
We crossed over into Northen Ireland about 4 pm - which is more scenic than Ireland. They're two different countries. Our hotel is at the top of a fairly large lake - which there are very few of here. Sitting in the lobby, we did some research as to what we'll do when we arrive in Scotland tomorrow. The distances are much greater than we first thought and so plans to go to Endiburough are off. The ferry will land in Scotland. We'll drive in it for about an hour and then get into England again. We want to find a spot to stay and make day trips from there. Enough of all the driving!
About 8 pm we headed out for a walk. Bought a few things at a grocery store and headed back to the room for scones and sandwiches for supper.
A few interesting tidbits.
Flo, our GPS, for some reason has lost the ability to say "road" ever since we got to Ireland. She now says "rahood".
There are times we're asked for a contact phone number. Since we don't have a phone, we give them Bobby's number. (It's the only one we can remember.) So Bobby, if you get a phone call from "across the pond", that's why. :)
I think people can tell I'm a tourist. I'm the only one with an umbrella. Everyone else just puts up with the on and off rain showers. (We've had a fair bit of rain but it hasn't stopped us from doing anything. We hear that the weather in Enland is "grand". Warm and sunny. Let's hope it stays that way as we head back there tomorrow.)
Today we saw how the "hedges/grass walls" along the sides of the road are trimmed. They use what looks like a lawnmower deck on an arm.
One thing I learned today: Ireland uses Euros and the metric system, while England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland all use pounds and the imperial system. And, I figured out how to change the car so we can see either miles or kms/12 hour or 24 clock/temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius. That was exciting!
One thing I experienced today: In both the market and the grocery store, all of the fruit and vegys are tagged as to which country they come from. Sweet potatoes from the US, several things from Holland and other from South Africa to the Dominican.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being very close to Belfast. (We go there tomorrow.) When I was a teen, I remember hearing about Belfast in the news a lot. I'm eager to see it.
One pleasurable experience: As we read the menu at the Tea Room, I saw the word "peckish". This is a word Amanda uses when she's a bit hungry. I thought she made it up. Even if she did, it's a real word here - and it means the same thing. :)
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Friday July 1 - Prenteg, Porthmadog, Wales to Hollywood, Wicklow, Republic of Ireland
We were up and at it early this morning - actually set an alarm so that we could get on the road sooner than we have been. The Internet in the hotel was topnotch so blogging was the best yet. Breakfast was a serve yourself and it had the most amazing croissants I've ever had. Mmmmmm.
The Caernarfon Castle was our first stop, about a 30 minute drive from the hotel. For the first time in two days, we drove on a straight piece of road for two whole miles! Dave says driving on the constantly curving/twisting roads is like being in a go cart. Fun for him, beautiful and adventurous for both of us because you never know what's around the next corner.
The castle is right on the water. There were a lot of sailboats there. The tide was out so some of the sailboats were literally sitting/balancing on their keels while "sitting" in the mud. Strange to see. There was lots of wind but the sun was out.
The castle was massive and consisted mostly of walls and towers used for defense. The living quarters were in two of the towers. King Edward 1 started to build it in 1283 and never finished it. It had "indoor plumbing" complete with toilets. It housed up to 600 people and the kitchen worked round the clock trying to keep them all feed. Made of grey rock it wasn't "pretty" like the French castles are. Those were mostly built to impress others. The Welsh castles were built for strategic reasons.
We, okay I, did a bit of shopping in the gift shops and then it was time to head to Holyhead to catch the ferry to Ireland. By noon the sun was warming things up to about 60. It felt good since we've been chilly a far bit.
Holyhead is at the very northern tip of Wales - actually on a little island. We boarded the Stena Line ferry, left the dock about one and arrived in Dublin about 5:30. It took the better part of the day but we're so glad we did it. Who knows if we'll ever have a chance to see Ireland again. Take advantage while you can!
We arrived in Dublin at rush hour so it was slow going. We drove about 30 miles south to the Wicklow Mountains - a beautiful region. These mountains are up to 3,100 feet high (the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales - the ones we loved so much - are up to 2,500 ft, and the Snowdonia Mountains - by the enchanted forest where we slept last night - are up to 3,000 ft high). The Wicklow Mountains seemed higher, rougher, and with longer slopes that the ones in Wales. Some sheep were out and about as well as some beef cows. More breaktaking scenes as we drove though what seemed to be a totally deserted landscape.
For the first time on this trip, we hadn't booked a place to stay for the night. We won't do that again. We started to head north and began to look for a place to stay. The first place we found wanted 140 Euros. Not happening! There weren't many places to choose from due to the fairly remote area. We found Rosaana's B&B in Hollywood and decided to stay there for the simple reason that it was now 8 pm, we were tired, and still had to eat. It was a very plain house. Stucco on the outside, as almost all the houses we've seen are, and beige and white on the inside (and out). Very plain but spotless.
We headed back to the Hollywood Inn (established in 1790) for a traditional Irish supper: honey roasted loin bacon with mash and veg. Translation - a very uniquely flavored ham with delicious mashed potoates with cream to pour on top of them, carrots with anise and a pretty much tasteless cabbage. It was really good! Dave had a Stonewell Cider from Cork. Apparently (hard) cider is very popular in Ireland.
The mountain behind the inn was covered in grass and had a white "Hollywood" sign to match the one found in LA. :) It had rained quite hard when we were eating. As we left, the sun was shining and everything was so lush, green, and beautiful. Just after 10 pm we were in bed with the sun shining and the rain falling (yes, at the same time) and the temps now in the high 40s. Brrrrr.
One thing I learned today: Ireland uses Euros not pounds. We'll need to get to a bank tomorrow to get some of those. Wonder what Scotland uses?
One new thing I experienced today: Driving on a 4 lane highway (doing 100 kms) with guys on bicycles riding beside us. Really strange. They obviously don't have the safety concerns that the States does.
Most powerful moment of the day: Chatting with the lovely waiter at the Hollywood Inn about American politics. He wondered if we preferred Trump or Hilary. It was mutually agreed that Trump is an embarrassment.
One pleasureable experience: In the middle of the mountains, in the middle of nowhere (just grass, sheep, and mountains) finding a sign that said, "community text alert area". Are they talking about texting as in "texting on a phone"? We'll probably never know. :)
The Caernarfon Castle was our first stop, about a 30 minute drive from the hotel. For the first time in two days, we drove on a straight piece of road for two whole miles! Dave says driving on the constantly curving/twisting roads is like being in a go cart. Fun for him, beautiful and adventurous for both of us because you never know what's around the next corner.
The castle is right on the water. There were a lot of sailboats there. The tide was out so some of the sailboats were literally sitting/balancing on their keels while "sitting" in the mud. Strange to see. There was lots of wind but the sun was out.
The castle was massive and consisted mostly of walls and towers used for defense. The living quarters were in two of the towers. King Edward 1 started to build it in 1283 and never finished it. It had "indoor plumbing" complete with toilets. It housed up to 600 people and the kitchen worked round the clock trying to keep them all feed. Made of grey rock it wasn't "pretty" like the French castles are. Those were mostly built to impress others. The Welsh castles were built for strategic reasons.
We, okay I, did a bit of shopping in the gift shops and then it was time to head to Holyhead to catch the ferry to Ireland. By noon the sun was warming things up to about 60. It felt good since we've been chilly a far bit.
Holyhead is at the very northern tip of Wales - actually on a little island. We boarded the Stena Line ferry, left the dock about one and arrived in Dublin about 5:30. It took the better part of the day but we're so glad we did it. Who knows if we'll ever have a chance to see Ireland again. Take advantage while you can!
We arrived in Dublin at rush hour so it was slow going. We drove about 30 miles south to the Wicklow Mountains - a beautiful region. These mountains are up to 3,100 feet high (the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales - the ones we loved so much - are up to 2,500 ft, and the Snowdonia Mountains - by the enchanted forest where we slept last night - are up to 3,000 ft high). The Wicklow Mountains seemed higher, rougher, and with longer slopes that the ones in Wales. Some sheep were out and about as well as some beef cows. More breaktaking scenes as we drove though what seemed to be a totally deserted landscape.
For the first time on this trip, we hadn't booked a place to stay for the night. We won't do that again. We started to head north and began to look for a place to stay. The first place we found wanted 140 Euros. Not happening! There weren't many places to choose from due to the fairly remote area. We found Rosaana's B&B in Hollywood and decided to stay there for the simple reason that it was now 8 pm, we were tired, and still had to eat. It was a very plain house. Stucco on the outside, as almost all the houses we've seen are, and beige and white on the inside (and out). Very plain but spotless.
We headed back to the Hollywood Inn (established in 1790) for a traditional Irish supper: honey roasted loin bacon with mash and veg. Translation - a very uniquely flavored ham with delicious mashed potoates with cream to pour on top of them, carrots with anise and a pretty much tasteless cabbage. It was really good! Dave had a Stonewell Cider from Cork. Apparently (hard) cider is very popular in Ireland.
The mountain behind the inn was covered in grass and had a white "Hollywood" sign to match the one found in LA. :) It had rained quite hard when we were eating. As we left, the sun was shining and everything was so lush, green, and beautiful. Just after 10 pm we were in bed with the sun shining and the rain falling (yes, at the same time) and the temps now in the high 40s. Brrrrr.
One thing I learned today: Ireland uses Euros not pounds. We'll need to get to a bank tomorrow to get some of those. Wonder what Scotland uses?
One new thing I experienced today: Driving on a 4 lane highway (doing 100 kms) with guys on bicycles riding beside us. Really strange. They obviously don't have the safety concerns that the States does.
Most powerful moment of the day: Chatting with the lovely waiter at the Hollywood Inn about American politics. He wondered if we preferred Trump or Hilary. It was mutually agreed that Trump is an embarrassment.
One pleasureable experience: In the middle of the mountains, in the middle of nowhere (just grass, sheep, and mountains) finding a sign that said, "community text alert area". Are they talking about texting as in "texting on a phone"? We'll probably never know. :)
Friday, July 1, 2016
Thursday June 30 - Llangurig, Llanidoes to Prenteg, Porthmadog, Wales
Dave had his first "English breakfast" this morning. Two huge sausages, fried tomato and mushrooms, eggs, toast, potatoes, and bacon. He couldn't finish it. I'm sticking with tea and toast. We left the B&B with the sun shining and the promise of a beautiful day. Not far down the road we came to the Devil's Bridge which was amazing. We had to pay one pound to go through a turnstile that we barely fit into. I don't know how anyone much larger than us would be able to get through it. We walked down a number of steps surrounded by a very lush forest. Water dripping everywhere as it came down from the surrounding mountains. There are very rare plants and trees found here. We learned this from a "machine" that you had to wind up to hear what the guide had to say. :)
The caldron, under the bridge, is two very large half circles cut into the rock from the water that rushes by at a furious speed. To the left was a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall with "boiling" water. It entered the caldron and then roared out the other side to continue its downhill journey. In 1000, the first bridge was built so people could cross this. Another bridge was built on top of that in 1701 and then the bridge being used today was built in 1901. This was a delightful stop that Hannah would have loved. The rocks, Hannah, the rocks! (Side note: In the 1750s people mined copper, silver and lead in the area.)
We were headed to the coast of North Wales where those castles I mentioned yesterday are located. Since our B&B didn't have wifi, I still needed to blog and so we needed to find a place for me to do that. Coffee shops are a great choice but as wonderful as all these small towns are that we drive through, there's just isn't any parking and so we had to keep searching. We arrived in a larger town and saw a sign for the library. Libraries have Internet! So off we went. It turns out that it was the National Libray of Wales which means you do research there by asking for a book and someone brings it to you. No borrowing of books. The only way we could access the Internet was to become members of the library. We're now able to use the library until June 30 of 2019. Photo membership cards and all!
Long story short, the Internet was down for awhile and this really stalled us out. In addition to needing to blog, we also needed to get a place to stay for the night and to book ferry tickets to Ireland and back. Heading there tomorrow. Two hours later, we were down. It was now 2 pm.
On our way again, we drove past a "holiday home park" which is like a campground with single wide like trailers. They all sit very close together on the dirt, but by the water so I guess it's nice. Maybe. We both didn't sleep that well last night so we pulled off the road and had a 10 minute cat nap. It was now raining. It only got up to the high 50s today. We heard that it's a very cold and wet June.
Our goal was to see Harlech Castle built by Edward 1 in the mid 1200s. We arrived as it closed. It was located high over a valley with a view of the water. It was very plain and beautiful. The rain was coming down sideways, the wind was blowing, it was cold - and it was perfect! In the books I've read about the castles in Wales, this was often the kind of weather they talked about. I was a happy camper but disappointed we couldn't get inside.
After a snack in another old pub, we headed to Aberdunan Hall (started as a mill in 1352) - our hotel for the night. It's located in the Snowdonia National Park - a.k.a. The enchanted forest. We spent some time doing some research for our trip to Ireland tomorrow. The Internet worked and was fast. A gift!
We read for a bit and that was our day. (Yesterday, I finished a book about the history of tea which I bought after I arrived here. Loved the book. I know Rich. Why would anyone read a book about tea?!)
One thing I learned today: There are showers here that need to be turned on with an electrical switch in order to get any water. We had to call the owner of the B&B to help us figure this out.
One new thing I experienced today: A coleslaw and chicken sandwich. It would have been fine except for the "dirty sox" cheese they put in there.
Most powerful moment of the day: Standing in the wind and rain looking at Harlech Castle. I was born about 400 years too late.
One pleasureable experience: I have a library card for a library in Wales. How neat is that??!!
The caldron, under the bridge, is two very large half circles cut into the rock from the water that rushes by at a furious speed. To the left was a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall with "boiling" water. It entered the caldron and then roared out the other side to continue its downhill journey. In 1000, the first bridge was built so people could cross this. Another bridge was built on top of that in 1701 and then the bridge being used today was built in 1901. This was a delightful stop that Hannah would have loved. The rocks, Hannah, the rocks! (Side note: In the 1750s people mined copper, silver and lead in the area.)
We were headed to the coast of North Wales where those castles I mentioned yesterday are located. Since our B&B didn't have wifi, I still needed to blog and so we needed to find a place for me to do that. Coffee shops are a great choice but as wonderful as all these small towns are that we drive through, there's just isn't any parking and so we had to keep searching. We arrived in a larger town and saw a sign for the library. Libraries have Internet! So off we went. It turns out that it was the National Libray of Wales which means you do research there by asking for a book and someone brings it to you. No borrowing of books. The only way we could access the Internet was to become members of the library. We're now able to use the library until June 30 of 2019. Photo membership cards and all!
Long story short, the Internet was down for awhile and this really stalled us out. In addition to needing to blog, we also needed to get a place to stay for the night and to book ferry tickets to Ireland and back. Heading there tomorrow. Two hours later, we were down. It was now 2 pm.
On our way again, we drove past a "holiday home park" which is like a campground with single wide like trailers. They all sit very close together on the dirt, but by the water so I guess it's nice. Maybe. We both didn't sleep that well last night so we pulled off the road and had a 10 minute cat nap. It was now raining. It only got up to the high 50s today. We heard that it's a very cold and wet June.
Our goal was to see Harlech Castle built by Edward 1 in the mid 1200s. We arrived as it closed. It was located high over a valley with a view of the water. It was very plain and beautiful. The rain was coming down sideways, the wind was blowing, it was cold - and it was perfect! In the books I've read about the castles in Wales, this was often the kind of weather they talked about. I was a happy camper but disappointed we couldn't get inside.
After a snack in another old pub, we headed to Aberdunan Hall (started as a mill in 1352) - our hotel for the night. It's located in the Snowdonia National Park - a.k.a. The enchanted forest. We spent some time doing some research for our trip to Ireland tomorrow. The Internet worked and was fast. A gift!
We read for a bit and that was our day. (Yesterday, I finished a book about the history of tea which I bought after I arrived here. Loved the book. I know Rich. Why would anyone read a book about tea?!)
One thing I learned today: There are showers here that need to be turned on with an electrical switch in order to get any water. We had to call the owner of the B&B to help us figure this out.
One new thing I experienced today: A coleslaw and chicken sandwich. It would have been fine except for the "dirty sox" cheese they put in there.
Most powerful moment of the day: Standing in the wind and rain looking at Harlech Castle. I was born about 400 years too late.
One pleasureable experience: I have a library card for a library in Wales. How neat is that??!!
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