home again

Carey dropped me at Bristol's Temple Meads Station (below) for the ride back to London and flight home. She flew back to Moscow out of Bristol.

Later that day, she texted -- teasingly to ask how I thought the "driving Miss Connie" (as we called it before leaving home) had gone -- well, to put it mildly, I was impressed. Not only did she drive on the left side of the road 99% of the time, she also negotiated narrow roads and several hundred round-abouts with good humor -- AND there were no scratches on the car. Note: one more view of Doc Martin's surgery in background.

 

 



five too cool Irish castles

Names and locations available on request --

Beautiful Bath, Part II

Carey used British Air points to book a special hotel in Bath -- called The Francis. It is comprised of nine formerly private town houses on Queen Square that were joined into one  hotel. After days of minor inconveniences and annoyances  related to trying to stay within our lodging budget (examples include but are not limited to tiny rooms, stiff pillows, excessive street noise and unreliable WiFi) this was a beautiful oasis. We didn't want to leave but really couldn't afford to stay longer. The room was VERY comfortable and the hotel decor quirky-elegant. The first photo is of the closet doors.

Beautiful Bath

The City of Bath was inscribed as a  a World Heritage Site in 1987. It has a variety of theaters and museums, plus other cultural, shopping and sporting venues, which have helped to make it a major center for tourism. It is stunning in so many ways.

The city was first established as a spa by the Romans sometime in the AD 60s about 20 years after they had arrived in Britain (AD43), although oral tradition suggests that Bath was known before then. They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley. Much later, it became popular as a spa town during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath.

The Cliffs of Moher

Standing 702 feet at their highest point they stretch for 5 miles along the Atlantic coast of County Clare in the west of Ireland. From the Cliffs of Moher on a clear day one can see the Aran Islands and Galway Bay, as well as the Twelve Pins and the Maum Turk mountains in Connemara, Loop Head to the south and the Dingle Peninsula and Blasket Islands in Kerry. The cliffs are one of Ireland's most-visited attractions.

We were very fortunate to be leaving the site just as rain, wind and fog descended on the area. 

Dublin

Dublin was our first stop in Ireland -- we rode the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus -- a great way to get an overview of the city and places of historic interest. People were friendly and kind. Rick Steve's guidebook recommended the musical pub crawl. It was focused on the art of traditional or folk Irish music -- the history, the instruments and demonstrations of songs. Thankfully, though, it only lasted a couple hours.

Glastonbury, New Age Capital of the a World?

Glastonbury -- a fascinating overnight stop on the way to Cornwall --  attracts people with New Age and Neopagan  beliefs, and is notable for myths and legends often related to Glastonbury Tor, Joseph of Arimathea, the Holy Grail and King Arthur. In some Arthurian literature Glastonbury is identified with the legendary island of Avalon. Examples of local businesses include: Metta Art, Natural Earthling, Hemp in Avalon, Cat & Cauldron, Indigo Earth, Crystal Man, Witchcraft Tailors and MANY more --
It is also home to the annual Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, started in 1970 and best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts. Annual attendance is roughly 175,000 people who pay over $200 for a multi-day ticket. The Rolling Stones made their Glastonbury debut, headlining in 2013 -- Mumford & Sons closed the festival. 2014 tickets sold out in under 90-minutes. 

We stayed at Pilgrim's B&B (see proprietor Brian in the photo) and after a curry buffet dinner also visited George & Pilgrim Hotel & Pub which dates back to the 1400's.

Port Isaac & Doc Martin

Port Isaac is a tiny, picturesque village on the north coast of Cornwall in England. Access from the main highway is about 10-15 miles on a narrow road that requires one car to pull over for an oncoming car to pass. Apparently it was a busy coastal port from the Middle Ages to the mid 19th. century when it was an active harbour where cargoes like stone, coal, timber and pottery were loaded and unloaded.

Fishing and fish-processing were also important and today there are still fishermen working from here although tourism plays an increasingly important role as the village is the setting for the popular ITV program 'Doc Martin'. Carey found us a discounted room -- otherwise well over budget -- in the Old School Hotel -- on a site called laterooms.com

Sister Carey

Carey, who lives in a Moscow, Idaho, was born in 1968 after I had left home and was attending WSU in Pullman --- so, we did not really know each other until we were both adults -- and, even then, we have never lived in the same city at the same time. Now after spending the past 10+ days together I feel fortunate to  know her better.

She is exceeding cheerful and positive -- as well as being very authentic. She puts others at ease with her big smile and giggle. Traveling with a nurse is divine as she carries a small pharmacy in her bag and has ministered to my minor medical needs. Unlike me, she has a super sense of direction AND does not mind driving on the left side of the road -- so, even though we are mostly relying on public transportation, we explored the country side in a rental car.

Readers will likely note that Carey is very photogenic and a bit of a fashionista. She also likes a wide variety of food, including Indian cuisine. East Indians comprise a meaningful part of the British culture. She was disappointed to miss tasting haggis in Scotland though she had a traditional Irish breakfast that included blood pudding as well as many other cholesterol- rich items.

 

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh was an 8-hour train ride from Cardiff. We discovered that Marks & Spencer, the British retailer of clothing and food items, has a prepared food store in the larger rail stations -- so we were able to buy sandwiches, water, wine and treats for the trip.

It is the capital and second largest city in Scotland. Situated on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in the Lothian region, the city dates back before the 7th century. The population was 482,640 as of 2012, with an estimated urban population of 817,800, making it home to around 15.4% of Scotland's population. The University of Edinburgh is one of four universities located in Edinburgh; it is ranked among the world's top 20 universities, making the city a Scottish academic hub.

Historic Edinburgh is visually lovely and contains lots of outdoor flower displays. The castle and surrounding area are important tourist attractions. Scottish plaids, shortbread and whiskey are for sale on every block.  

Our lodging, Emmaus a House, was highly recommended on Trip Advisor. It is a Christian retreat center, that also offers rooms for rent.

5:45 am leaving Ireland

Poor WiFi connections for the past few days -- therefore no new posts -- lots of photos to share. ttfn

HMY Britannia

Now berthed at Leith, Edinburgh, the Royal Yacht Britania was the floating residence of The Queen and other members of the Royal Family for 44-years during many UK and overseas tours. During
her career the Royal Yacht Britania conveyed the Queen, other members of the  Royal Family, and various dignitaries on 696 foreign visits and 272 visits in British waters -- it steamed 1,087,623 nautical miles.

It provided State apartments catering for up to 250 guests, and included office space and accommodation for members of the Royal Family and staff accompanying them. At the end of her life, Britania complement was 19 officers and 217 Royal Yachtsmen. The formal dining and living rooms are shown below -- the kitchen and laundry facilities as well as the crew's quarters were even more interesting. 

One biographer stated that at least as of 1965, British government planned for the Royal Yacht to serve as the Queen's refuge in the event of war, "It was her floating nuclear bunker... it would lurk in the sea lochs on the north-west coast of Scotland; the mountains would shield it from the Soviet radar and at night it would go quietly from one sea loch to another."

In 1997, John Major's Conservative government committed itself to replacing the Royal Yacht if re-elected. Following Labor's victory in 1997 it was announced that the vessel would be retired and no replacement built. The Conservative government argued that the cost of the vessel was justified by its role in foreign policy and promoting British interests abroad. When cancelling the replacement of the vessel, the new Labor government argued that the expenditure could not be justified given the other pressures on the defense budget, from which it would be funded and maintained.

The Royal Yacht's last foreign mission was to convey the last governor of Hong Kong and the Price of Wales away from Hong Kong after it's handover to the People's Republic of China July 1, 1997. Britannia was decommissioned in December 1997.

Chester

Chester lies on the River Dee in western England, close to the Wales border. It was founded in 79 AD as a Roman fort. Chester has a number of medieval buildings, but some of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are actually Victorian restorations. Chester is one of the best preserved walled cities in Britain. 

The cathedral, typical of English cathedrals in having been modified many times, dates from between 1093 and the early 16th century, although the site itself may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times. All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from  Norman to Perpendicular, are represented in the present building. 

Reputedly one of the most photographed clocks in the World. The stunning Eastgate Clock created to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria is one of Chester's most famous landmarks. Accessed via the City Walls, the Eastgate Clock offers a super vantage point across the City and towards the Welsh Hills.