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!