My usual post holiday summary and reflections.
The people in the UK (England, Wales. and Scotland) are very friendly and courteous people. I know when you go away you usually stay in service oriented places, but we found even in the areas where you were back in the "real" world, the people were simply awesome.
Driving whille initially a little confusing with the naming conventions became easier one you understood it better. The real issue for tourists is that there are few direct links to where you want to go because the UK is littered with roads, all fairly short by comparison to Australia, so you are constantly making turns and changing roads to get to your desitnation. The naming system also lends itself to a vey clear delinieation of driver expectations. "M" roads (3 lanes each way, seperated) are always 70mph, unless signed otherwise for safety reasons (roadworks, congestion - using variable signs); "A" roads are 60mph or 70mph if they seperated ( less if otherwise signed - LIOS); "B" roads, are 50mph LIOS; and all other roads are 40mph LIOS; built up areas are 30mph LIOS such as villages, schoool zones etc. They use the black circle with back line sign to indicate a road reverts to its default limit. Such a simple to understand system, nothing like the confusion of Australia where limits chage for seemingly unknown and stupid reasons. For the most part except for "M" roads and "A" roads with 70mph limits, hardly anyone exceeds the limits. you simply cannot, to maintain the speed limit would have you driving on the edge of limits constantly, and in quite dangerous circumstances.
Drivers are also very courteous, no need to have laws for buses pulling out, drivers just let them, though most roads are so narrow. you have to wait behind them anyway. Merging on highways is pleasant, drivers just move over to allow slower traffic in, then move back. Faster vehicles in fast lanes slow down because they know slower vehicles will move back. If a slower vehicle is in your way, sinply let them know with a flash of lights, they move over. Makes Australian drivers look shameful and aggressive.
London's public transport system is superb, tube and bus services so easy to use and navigate, getting around was simple.
I think the most alarming part of this holiday was the intrusion of mobile phones into people's lives and the feeling of sadness of how they are missing out on everything around them. On more than one occasion we saw couples or families sitting in splendid locations to eat a meal that was nothing short of excellent, all staring into their phones, not even conversing. On the few occasions that I used my phone at a meal table, it was for planning purposes (so we were talking about what I was doing on the phone), or simply to photograph our meal for posterity, since they were that awesome.
The other thing I found is how so self absorbed people are, and ignorant of people around them. For example I may be setting up for a photograph, and people will just walk straight in front of you and prop to take their own, without looking around to see who may have already been there.
Or what I refer to as iZombies, people walking around so absorbed in their phone, they are missing out on the experience of where they are.
Unsocial media at its best.
In summary the UK was brilliant, we should have spent a few less days in London, you can cover the major sights in a few days. A few more days in Wales and Scotland to explore more would have been really brilliant, and an extra day each in York and Norwich, both of which we had no pre-conceptions of, but were surpisingly great places to visit. We also felt that staying only one night in most places was too hectic, two or more would have provided a more stable and grounded feeling. The places we did stay at 2 or 3 nights or more felt more homely and cosier, though you cannot complain about some of the places we did stay at, but an extra night would have been even more awesome.
02 October 2019
01 October 2019
LHR 2 DXB 2 BNE
Well we're finally back.
<rant>Only one issue that relly is a complete crock. I hadn't told Lorraine what everything was that I had purchased. So she inadvertently packed a corkscrew into carry-on. To their credut Heathrow let it through understanding the mistake, however at Dubai, they confiscated it. Why a completed crock? Because both legs of the flights with Emirates we were served meals with metal cutlery, metal knife, metal fork, metal spoon. All implements that are infinitely more threatening and dangerous than a corkscrew. A knife can be used as a screwdriver to disassemble and assemble something, so surely that would be considerably more dangerous to allow passengers to have.
Then after getting off the plane at Dubai, they immediately put you through security. NFI why beause you just left a secured airplane from a secured airport area, the security people having no clue how to deal with disabled people, treating my things with complete disregard. Then prior to boarding they put you through another security check before you board the plane. So they let you buy things like water for the flight then confiscate it with no warning. Sorry Emirates, it is the last time I will ever waste money with your airline, you only got our money this time because of the Hong Kong problems. Take a leaf out of Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport. At least SA staff look like they enjoy their work, and Changi treat disabled people with respect, Emirates make you feel like a hindrance.</rant>
Anyway, it was an absolutely awesome holiday, we had no issues at all (aside from above), and we will look forward to our next holiday hopefully next year, not sure where yet.
<rant>Only one issue that relly is a complete crock. I hadn't told Lorraine what everything was that I had purchased. So she inadvertently packed a corkscrew into carry-on. To their credut Heathrow let it through understanding the mistake, however at Dubai, they confiscated it. Why a completed crock? Because both legs of the flights with Emirates we were served meals with metal cutlery, metal knife, metal fork, metal spoon. All implements that are infinitely more threatening and dangerous than a corkscrew. A knife can be used as a screwdriver to disassemble and assemble something, so surely that would be considerably more dangerous to allow passengers to have.
Then after getting off the plane at Dubai, they immediately put you through security. NFI why beause you just left a secured airplane from a secured airport area, the security people having no clue how to deal with disabled people, treating my things with complete disregard. Then prior to boarding they put you through another security check before you board the plane. So they let you buy things like water for the flight then confiscate it with no warning. Sorry Emirates, it is the last time I will ever waste money with your airline, you only got our money this time because of the Hong Kong problems. Take a leaf out of Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport. At least SA staff look like they enjoy their work, and Changi treat disabled people with respect, Emirates make you feel like a hindrance.</rant>
Anyway, it was an absolutely awesome holiday, we had no issues at all (aside from above), and we will look forward to our next holiday hopefully next year, not sure where yet.
29 September 2019
Farewell Cotswolds and the UK
Today we said farewell to the Cotswolds going via Arlington Row and Castle Combe (not a castle, we knew that already).
Arlington Row is a row of quaint cottages by a river and honestly it must drive the owner/occupiers nuts with the amount of tourists walking right up to their windows (the cottages are up against the road verge). At another building of the row we saw a sign in four languages basically saying Private Property Keep Out. Following conversations with some locals in Bourton, they informed me that Asian and American tourists are the worst, they feel like the whole place is a Disneyland set they can do as they please on, opening garden gates, trespassing, even entering private homes for pictures. Some people have no respect at all.
From here we went to Castle Combe, many movies have been filmed here due to its picturesque and quintessentially classic English look and feel, no new buildings have been built since the 1600's. Dr Doolittle (1967) was filmed here. We had lunch and then wandered around, it was probably the best way to finish a holiday in the UK, just brilliant.
From there is was off the Heathrow. All good until security, I had given Lorraine all of my souvenirs without telling her what they were. Well she got stopped because one of my items was a corkscrew, my fault I should never assume she would look at what I've bought, I thought she had only packed the delicate items in carry on. Luckily they took pity on us to have it, now we just have to get through Dubai security with it.
We got here 4 hours before flight time (hire car return), so its a long wait now before we board the first leg.
2019-09-29 - Farewell Cotswolds
Arlington Row is a row of quaint cottages by a river and honestly it must drive the owner/occupiers nuts with the amount of tourists walking right up to their windows (the cottages are up against the road verge). At another building of the row we saw a sign in four languages basically saying Private Property Keep Out. Following conversations with some locals in Bourton, they informed me that Asian and American tourists are the worst, they feel like the whole place is a Disneyland set they can do as they please on, opening garden gates, trespassing, even entering private homes for pictures. Some people have no respect at all.
From here we went to Castle Combe, many movies have been filmed here due to its picturesque and quintessentially classic English look and feel, no new buildings have been built since the 1600's. Dr Doolittle (1967) was filmed here. We had lunch and then wandered around, it was probably the best way to finish a holiday in the UK, just brilliant.
From there is was off the Heathrow. All good until security, I had given Lorraine all of my souvenirs without telling her what they were. Well she got stopped because one of my items was a corkscrew, my fault I should never assume she would look at what I've bought, I thought she had only packed the delicate items in carry on. Luckily they took pity on us to have it, now we just have to get through Dubai security with it.
We got here 4 hours before flight time (hire car return), so its a long wait now before we board the first leg.
2019-09-29 - Farewell Cotswolds
28 September 2019
Oxford
Well today we went to Oxford and there are many reasons for both of us, but mine pre-date Lorraine's by decades. For me, my nick name in high school was Oxford, because I carried a pocket Oxford dictionary with me to every class. For Lorraine it was Harry Potter. Either way it was a mind snap of a day.
First stop was Christ Church College, a very impressive place and, to Lorraine's delight, where the Hogwarts entrance and dining hall scenes were filmed. The Great Hall was seriously impressive and the best part was that the staff were setting up for lunch. Three meals a day are provided to students, two courses each. What a great place to eat. A lot of the college was not accessible as it is a college after all, and in term, well exams were on while we were there, but we did also get to see the Cathedral and the gardens.
We then headed for the High Street and saw the Bodleian Library, Radcliffe's Camera (circular library), Sheldonian Theatre and Magdalen College. Next we went to the Natural History Museum and the Pitt River Museum (recommended by the guide on the ghost tour as it houses unusual objects). Our necks are sore from looking up all day, there was so many things to see.
Anyway, now chillaxing, and repacking cases for the trip home. We had to buy another one because we traveled light on the way here. After 3 weeks of being on the go and many times just one night in accommodation, we are looking forward to coming home. I'll be honest this has been an exhausting trip for me, up most mornings at 4am either working and/or planning the day's activities as often we would make very last minute decisions on activities, and then driving around. But in saying that it has been a pretty awesome trip!!
2019-09-28 - Bourton on the Water AM Wanderings
2019-09-28 - Oxford
First stop was Christ Church College, a very impressive place and, to Lorraine's delight, where the Hogwarts entrance and dining hall scenes were filmed. The Great Hall was seriously impressive and the best part was that the staff were setting up for lunch. Three meals a day are provided to students, two courses each. What a great place to eat. A lot of the college was not accessible as it is a college after all, and in term, well exams were on while we were there, but we did also get to see the Cathedral and the gardens.
We then headed for the High Street and saw the Bodleian Library, Radcliffe's Camera (circular library), Sheldonian Theatre and Magdalen College. Next we went to the Natural History Museum and the Pitt River Museum (recommended by the guide on the ghost tour as it houses unusual objects). Our necks are sore from looking up all day, there was so many things to see.
Anyway, now chillaxing, and repacking cases for the trip home. We had to buy another one because we traveled light on the way here. After 3 weeks of being on the go and many times just one night in accommodation, we are looking forward to coming home. I'll be honest this has been an exhausting trip for me, up most mornings at 4am either working and/or planning the day's activities as often we would make very last minute decisions on activities, and then driving around. But in saying that it has been a pretty awesome trip!!
2019-09-28 - Bourton on the Water AM Wanderings
2019-09-28 - Oxford
27 September 2019
Cotswolds
Today we decided to head north to Stratford-Upon-Avon, home of Shakespeare and to hopefully take a narrow boat cruise. The weather conspired against us of course, but we did do Henley Street, where Shakespeare was born and raised and lived. His house is still there and looks amazing. As alluded to earlier, the weather was squally, and we figured a cruise (admittedly an afterthought) was not advisable.
We then headed to Stow on the Wold. We purchased a walking tour map and set off. It was actually quite fun, so much history to be found in a small village, even a lopsided house. Unfortunately the weather set in again so it was back in the car and a trip to the Slaughters (Upper and Lower). The rain was too heavy to enjoy the villages so we will try again tomorrow.
We drove back to Bourton. Lorraine went shopping (I cannot believe I have to cajole her into buying stuff), me to to the motor museum. Lorraine came back with a trove of items (my nagging works), me I came back with my head nearly exploding. The Motor Museum was awesome. So awesome, I took no photos as I would have needed a 2nd SD card for the camera. It had so much good shit it was amazing. I now know what MG stands for. There was everything about British motoring, did you know the first BMW was actually a re-badged British car?
Whilst at the museum I saw a minor fender bender. Check out the photo of the tourist driver who left his 4WD high and dry outside the Motor Museum. Tried to avoid some tourists, and didn't feel the "bump" as the back wheel rode up the stone wall!
As I was leaving the museum one of the staff members told me about a ghost tour that starts at the war memorial at 7pm. So we decided to have an early dinner and see what it was all about. Well the rain kept everyone else away and we were treated to a personal tour by Edward. It was the best ghost tour, in fact any sort of tour we have ever done. It had everything from murders, to mystery, to history, Knights Templar, Romans. We now know where "Tom, Dick and Harry" came from, yes they were real people and they were real scumbags. Lorraine was scared witless at times, not going to give too much away, but absolutely highly recommend it if you can ever make it here, its worth it (www.bloody-bourton.co.uk). To finish off we were told that there is a ghost that lives in the guest house we are staying in, that was a nice bit of information Lorraine could have done without although it apparently lives in Room 8 and we are in 11.
2019-09-27 - Bourton on the Water AM Wanderings
2019-09-27 - Stratford, Chipping Camden, Stow (Cotswolds)
2019-09-27 - Bourton on the Water PM Ghost Tour
We then headed to Stow on the Wold. We purchased a walking tour map and set off. It was actually quite fun, so much history to be found in a small village, even a lopsided house. Unfortunately the weather set in again so it was back in the car and a trip to the Slaughters (Upper and Lower). The rain was too heavy to enjoy the villages so we will try again tomorrow.
We drove back to Bourton. Lorraine went shopping (I cannot believe I have to cajole her into buying stuff), me to to the motor museum. Lorraine came back with a trove of items (my nagging works), me I came back with my head nearly exploding. The Motor Museum was awesome. So awesome, I took no photos as I would have needed a 2nd SD card for the camera. It had so much good shit it was amazing. I now know what MG stands for. There was everything about British motoring, did you know the first BMW was actually a re-badged British car?
Whilst at the museum I saw a minor fender bender. Check out the photo of the tourist driver who left his 4WD high and dry outside the Motor Museum. Tried to avoid some tourists, and didn't feel the "bump" as the back wheel rode up the stone wall!
As I was leaving the museum one of the staff members told me about a ghost tour that starts at the war memorial at 7pm. So we decided to have an early dinner and see what it was all about. Well the rain kept everyone else away and we were treated to a personal tour by Edward. It was the best ghost tour, in fact any sort of tour we have ever done. It had everything from murders, to mystery, to history, Knights Templar, Romans. We now know where "Tom, Dick and Harry" came from, yes they were real people and they were real scumbags. Lorraine was scared witless at times, not going to give too much away, but absolutely highly recommend it if you can ever make it here, its worth it (www.bloody-bourton.co.uk). To finish off we were told that there is a ghost that lives in the guest house we are staying in, that was a nice bit of information Lorraine could have done without although it apparently lives in Room 8 and we are in 11.
2019-09-27 - Bourton on the Water AM Wanderings
2019-09-27 - Stratford, Chipping Camden, Stow (Cotswolds)
2019-09-27 - Bourton on the Water PM Ghost Tour
26 September 2019
Norwich to Cotswolds
Well we said goodbye to "The Playroom" at Brastard's, Norwich today. Check out yesterday's blog for the updated photos of our dinner. Brastard's Restaurant, No.1 Restaurant in Norwich was not open, so they referred us to The Wildebeest, Norwich's No. 2 Restaurant by awards, just behind Brastard's. Now if Wildebeest is No. 2, then we can only imagine how impressive Brastard's is. Wildebeest set a new standard in our culinary experiences. To say the food was excellent is doing it a disservice, it was simply mouth wateringly awesome.
Anyway, back to today, we set out basically on schedule with only two stops in mind. Everyday I plot out the trip and then look for POIs (points of interest) and if they do not add to much time, we via them.
We did want to go via Cambridge, but roadworks conspired us to miss the turn off so we continued to the next POI, Rugby School in Rugby, the birthplace of Rugby. We took the obligatory pics, it was damn cold and windy, and we headed off. I hope that satisfies the Rugby consortium out there, if not come here yourselves you stingy pricks.😋
From there it was off to the accommodation. Now we booked this really early, simply because in Bath I left the camera charger in the room along with the spare camera battery, so we needed a forwarding address to supply to the Hotel in Bath. At this time Lorraine did not have her Expedia Fu finely tuned so she was really worried. Previously we had booked accommodation back in London, but decided to cancel it, extend the car hire by a day and give ourselves the extra day in the Cotswolds. Well the Expedia Fu must have already been tuned, the accommodation is awesome. We have a very nice room, the only room with a private garden. I think the crowning comment was by the proprietor when he told us all of this and then looked at me and said "your gonna get some tonight, AND tomorrow morning". I'll report back on that next day. 😁 The building is 350 years old!!
The Cotswolds is everything the postcards show, well we are in Bourton on the Water, a small part of the Cotswolds, but it is picturesque. I think Lorraine's head is going to explode. It is known as 'Little Venice' because of the canal running through it. The canal is filled with ducks and has three bridges over them.
Just chillaxing now before we head out to dinner, then a quiet night before seeing the sights tomorrow.
I decided to go for a wander in the gardens. Now our staged squirrel photo looks silly because I finally captured a squirrel in the gardens. They are quick buggers, so when it sat there letting me take some pics, you can only press the button fast as you can.
2019-09-26 - Norwich to Cotswolds
Anyway, back to today, we set out basically on schedule with only two stops in mind. Everyday I plot out the trip and then look for POIs (points of interest) and if they do not add to much time, we via them.
We did want to go via Cambridge, but roadworks conspired us to miss the turn off so we continued to the next POI, Rugby School in Rugby, the birthplace of Rugby. We took the obligatory pics, it was damn cold and windy, and we headed off. I hope that satisfies the Rugby consortium out there, if not come here yourselves you stingy pricks.😋
From there it was off to the accommodation. Now we booked this really early, simply because in Bath I left the camera charger in the room along with the spare camera battery, so we needed a forwarding address to supply to the Hotel in Bath. At this time Lorraine did not have her Expedia Fu finely tuned so she was really worried. Previously we had booked accommodation back in London, but decided to cancel it, extend the car hire by a day and give ourselves the extra day in the Cotswolds. Well the Expedia Fu must have already been tuned, the accommodation is awesome. We have a very nice room, the only room with a private garden. I think the crowning comment was by the proprietor when he told us all of this and then looked at me and said "your gonna get some tonight, AND tomorrow morning". I'll report back on that next day. 😁 The building is 350 years old!!
The Cotswolds is everything the postcards show, well we are in Bourton on the Water, a small part of the Cotswolds, but it is picturesque. I think Lorraine's head is going to explode. It is known as 'Little Venice' because of the canal running through it. The canal is filled with ducks and has three bridges over them.
Just chillaxing now before we head out to dinner, then a quiet night before seeing the sights tomorrow.
I decided to go for a wander in the gardens. Now our staged squirrel photo looks silly because I finally captured a squirrel in the gardens. They are quick buggers, so when it sat there letting me take some pics, you can only press the button fast as you can.
2019-09-26 - Norwich to Cotswolds
25 September 2019
York to Norwich
So today was all about me. And by that I mean I did all the driving, Lorraine napped, possibly the biggest driving day we had in terms of no points of interest along the way, just York to Norwich, roughly 5 1/2 hours of driving in good weather and bad.
Today was totally unplanned, until last week. York was a stopover that surprised us and came about because we needed a stopping point between Edinburgh and The Cotswolds. But we also had a spare day up our sleeve, due to flight changes. In Pembroke prior to entering the castle I did a heraldry search. The lady there was a fountain of knowledge. I now have my coat arms for Harrison and a history. And it turns out we originate from near Norwich and the ancestral homelands (if I can believe what I am being told) are the Burgh Castle region. We are Anglo Saxons that defended the eastern coastline against Scots, Picts and other invaders (sorry Andy, you are now a mortal enemy 😄). Our base was Burgh Castle, a former Roman Fort from the 300AD period, and as per the records, the best preserved Roman Fort in the UK.
We arrived and toured the chapel and graveyard first, then went to the fort, Lorraine finally got to see some ruins, and it was raining, but it only added to the atmosphere. It was glorious.
From here we went to the local Village Hall for tea and cake, browsed through the bric-a-brac and then back in the car again to reach our accommodation, Brasted's. We have "The Playroom", check out the photos, awesome room. They are a very chilled bunch, no real check in, just turn up, casual chat, show us the room, they only have 5, all named, and we decided to just say screw it, and took the 2nd most expensive room that was available (1st was already booked), even then the rate was really reasonable by our standards. It is was worth it. Lorraine just said this is our third four poster bed on this trip and third in our 30 year marriage by coincidence. The hosts of Brasted's are in their 20th year and pioneered this private village made up of accommodation, restaurants, small businesses, and local farming. They do not own it but convinced the owner to created the private village, it is awesome. We walked the grounds simply being told, stay on the manicured grass, anything else could have traps in it, set by the farmer next door, so we did.
We have decided we are just exhausted and will have a quiet night relaxing, we will do the Norwich sights on the way to The Cotswolds tomorrow.
All in all, a very good day seeing some family history.
2019-09-25 - York to Norwich
PS The UCI World Champs are happening in the York area, we were fortunate to escape before any road closures took effect thankfully. Something to check in future, sporting events and how they affect your holiday. Different if you are planning your holiday around them, such as we did for TdF and The Giro, but never thought to research the Tour of Britain and UCI world champs.
Today was totally unplanned, until last week. York was a stopover that surprised us and came about because we needed a stopping point between Edinburgh and The Cotswolds. But we also had a spare day up our sleeve, due to flight changes. In Pembroke prior to entering the castle I did a heraldry search. The lady there was a fountain of knowledge. I now have my coat arms for Harrison and a history. And it turns out we originate from near Norwich and the ancestral homelands (if I can believe what I am being told) are the Burgh Castle region. We are Anglo Saxons that defended the eastern coastline against Scots, Picts and other invaders (sorry Andy, you are now a mortal enemy 😄). Our base was Burgh Castle, a former Roman Fort from the 300AD period, and as per the records, the best preserved Roman Fort in the UK.
We arrived and toured the chapel and graveyard first, then went to the fort, Lorraine finally got to see some ruins, and it was raining, but it only added to the atmosphere. It was glorious.
From here we went to the local Village Hall for tea and cake, browsed through the bric-a-brac and then back in the car again to reach our accommodation, Brasted's. We have "The Playroom", check out the photos, awesome room. They are a very chilled bunch, no real check in, just turn up, casual chat, show us the room, they only have 5, all named, and we decided to just say screw it, and took the 2nd most expensive room that was available (1st was already booked), even then the rate was really reasonable by our standards. It is was worth it. Lorraine just said this is our third four poster bed on this trip and third in our 30 year marriage by coincidence. The hosts of Brasted's are in their 20th year and pioneered this private village made up of accommodation, restaurants, small businesses, and local farming. They do not own it but convinced the owner to created the private village, it is awesome. We walked the grounds simply being told, stay on the manicured grass, anything else could have traps in it, set by the farmer next door, so we did.
We have decided we are just exhausted and will have a quiet night relaxing, we will do the Norwich sights on the way to The Cotswolds tomorrow.
All in all, a very good day seeing some family history.
2019-09-25 - York to Norwich
PS The UCI World Champs are happening in the York area, we were fortunate to escape before any road closures took effect thankfully. Something to check in future, sporting events and how they affect your holiday. Different if you are planning your holiday around them, such as we did for TdF and The Giro, but never thought to research the Tour of Britain and UCI world champs.
24 September 2019
Edinburgh to York
Today we said a sad farewell to Scotland, we are truly sad to leave as the Scots are a fierce, proud and, hospitable people. I will watch some of my favorite movies now with a new found respect and awe, especially Highlander, one of my favorite movies.
Driving to York we finally experienced the serious heavy rain but thankfully it held off when we arrived at Hadrian's Wall Fort (see then link for information), but basically Roman Emperor Hadrian had a wall built across 84 miles, coast to coast to keep the northerners out of the conquered Brittany areas. It was manned 24/7 and they controlled the commerce and travelers.
The rain were back for our drive to York. Initially we were going to drive via the York Moors, but I have to be honest, driving the back roads whilst fun, is very draining, so we opted for a more conventional route via some of the larger A roads, unfortunately though this can be a little monotonous so you need to stop and break the boredom. And then I found that while the Brits are bravely fast on their motorways in the dry, they become shrinking violets in the wet. However, if you flash your lights at them, they do pull over to the left lanes to let you pass, so some kudos to them for the road courtesy.
We arrived in York in the late afternoon. Damn we wish we were here for two nights not one, but we have already booked tomorrow's accommodation, so bugger. It is an amazing and historical place. Our accommodation is on the doorstep of the York Minster, a 13th century Cathedral. It is huge and intricately decorated. The bells toll every half hour and every Tuesday they practice the bells until 9.00 pm. Today is Tuesday!! We are also within walking distance to 'The Shambles', the street that inspired J K Rowling's, Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, it is amazing, and I am not a HP fan by any means. Lorraine loved it and walked it twice. She said it was like being in the movie.
York is encircled by a stone wall that was built by the Romans. It started to rain again so we only walked a part of it. Again, a second day here would be amazing and allow more exploring, but sometime you do not know until you get somewhere how amazing it is. York is amazing, no doubt about that.
Back to our "cosy" room, yes that is the description, it is very cosy, waiting for our dinner reservation and some well earned Z's.
2019-09-24 - Edinburgh to York
Driving to York we finally experienced the serious heavy rain but thankfully it held off when we arrived at Hadrian's Wall Fort (see then link for information), but basically Roman Emperor Hadrian had a wall built across 84 miles, coast to coast to keep the northerners out of the conquered Brittany areas. It was manned 24/7 and they controlled the commerce and travelers.
The rain were back for our drive to York. Initially we were going to drive via the York Moors, but I have to be honest, driving the back roads whilst fun, is very draining, so we opted for a more conventional route via some of the larger A roads, unfortunately though this can be a little monotonous so you need to stop and break the boredom. And then I found that while the Brits are bravely fast on their motorways in the dry, they become shrinking violets in the wet. However, if you flash your lights at them, they do pull over to the left lanes to let you pass, so some kudos to them for the road courtesy.
We arrived in York in the late afternoon. Damn we wish we were here for two nights not one, but we have already booked tomorrow's accommodation, so bugger. It is an amazing and historical place. Our accommodation is on the doorstep of the York Minster, a 13th century Cathedral. It is huge and intricately decorated. The bells toll every half hour and every Tuesday they practice the bells until 9.00 pm. Today is Tuesday!! We are also within walking distance to 'The Shambles', the street that inspired J K Rowling's, Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, it is amazing, and I am not a HP fan by any means. Lorraine loved it and walked it twice. She said it was like being in the movie.
York is encircled by a stone wall that was built by the Romans. It started to rain again so we only walked a part of it. Again, a second day here would be amazing and allow more exploring, but sometime you do not know until you get somewhere how amazing it is. York is amazing, no doubt about that.
Back to our "cosy" room, yes that is the description, it is very cosy, waiting for our dinner reservation and some well earned Z's.
2019-09-24 - Edinburgh to York
23 September 2019
Edinburgh
Today we were hitting up The Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Parking for disabled people is free for 4 hours so we were set, get in early morning, walk a bit, see Edinburgh Castle, lunch, Holyrood Palace and other sights then back to Carberry.
Driving in was easy, we were expecting traffic, parking was also easy and we scored a park right on the Mile. We headed up to Edinburgh Castle. We had to move past the entry area quickly, they
used to burn witches there and I couldn't chance Lorraine's life. 😂 It is steeped in history, too much to discuss here, the pictures tell only part of the story, suffice to say that we both agree the English were really greedy pricks in the past, the way they treated the Scots. The Scots though have their own crosses to bear in history, but I can now truly understand why the Scots are such a proud and patriotic group and I do not blame them one bit at all.
The history is truly awesome of Edinburgh Castle the way it changed hands over time and the battles fought over Scotland are truly amazing. Again too much to summarise here.
After the Castle we went into the Whiskey Experience, I had intended doing the tour but to be totally honest I am getting all toured out (famous last words, and we were close to the 4 hour parking limit). So instead I bought the last two of my 6 bottle allowance, bottles 3 and 4 were in the castle. Bottles 1 and 2 were bought over the last two days in Scotland. The Whiskey Experience has the largest collection of Whiskeys for sale in the world in one place.
Lunch was at "Whiski", which I was pleasantly surprised to see actually featured Nikka, a Japanese world award winning whiskey. nice to see the Scots are not too ashamed to realise some brewers do it well, but remember the Irish invented Whiskey, the Scots refined it and the Japanese have perfected it based on their recent and often award winning brews.
From here it was down to Holyrood Palace. To be honest we were not expecting much, but were gobsmacked. This is a working palace that only shuts for 2 weeks a year to the public when the queen is in attendance (for one week but they close for two). Any other time the royal family are there, it remains open to the public. The admission fee includes the audio tour and it was amazing, every room we visited (1st floor) is for the most part a working room where dignitaries visit and meet the queen, honours are bestowed on people, dining rooms are used, and the upper floor (2nd floor) is where the royals stay. Unfortunately no pictures are allowed inside the palace building proper, so I cannot show anything from there.
The gardens are beautiful as is the view up towards Arthur's Seat. Holyrood is a truly hidden and unknown gem, there were hardly any tourists and it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
After the obligatory gift shop visit for lapel badges and fridge magnets, we were all toured out for the day. I did want to do Maid of the Forth but the thought of dealing with traffic when I could just drive back to Carberry, have a beer, and relax seemed the better option, so that is what we did.
Back at Carberry, a nice cold one in the Boar Lounge went down well, before returning to the room for some relaxation before dinner.
Another great day in Scotland. Oh and the weather was awesome, no idea what this rainy day issue is that they talk about.😋
22 September 2019
Andy's Great Day Out II
So today was part II of Andy's Great Day Out, and I ate my words jinxing myself with rain. But really if that is the best Scotland can do for rain, try harder, it was only a wee bit wet.😋
We set off from Perth toward Stirling to see the Castle, it rained WTF, we didn't order that for out holidays. On the way to Stirling we saw this massive monument on a hill so we had to check it out. Turns out it was a monument to William Wallace, we drove to it but decided 246 steps to the top was out of my range so we got back on the road to Stirling.
Stirling Castle is another impressive building and it was a perfect way to spend a rainy day.
From Stirling we set off for Dunfermline, Andy's childhood home. Took some photos, didn't stay long as it was raining, it is also the place of Andrew Carnegie's birth (think Carnegie Hall in New York, and one of the richest Americans ever), and the burial place of Robert the Bruce an important figure in Scottish history. Funny thing happened on the way to the suburbs, I had a few addresses that Andy suggested we should see. They weren't anything special so Andy we need to chat about this.
Tonight and tomorrow night we are staying at Carberry Hall Mansion, a half hour drive from Edinburgh, check out the photos (you can see our windows in one of the pictures). Our room is in the roof! facing the front of the house! We have a sloping roof and a fire place and three small windows facing the sky. It is very cosy and its been raining since we got here and you can hear the rain on the windows. It is another large manor house and we spent the afternoon exploring the house and the grounds (its on 35 acres). The Queen and the Queen Mother have stayed here, Mary Queen of Scots surrendered here, it is simply brilliant, and full of history.
2019-09-22 - Andy's Great Day Out II
We set off from Perth toward Stirling to see the Castle, it rained WTF, we didn't order that for out holidays. On the way to Stirling we saw this massive monument on a hill so we had to check it out. Turns out it was a monument to William Wallace, we drove to it but decided 246 steps to the top was out of my range so we got back on the road to Stirling.
Stirling Castle is another impressive building and it was a perfect way to spend a rainy day.
From Stirling we set off for Dunfermline, Andy's childhood home. Took some photos, didn't stay long as it was raining, it is also the place of Andrew Carnegie's birth (think Carnegie Hall in New York, and one of the richest Americans ever), and the burial place of Robert the Bruce an important figure in Scottish history. Funny thing happened on the way to the suburbs, I had a few addresses that Andy suggested we should see. They weren't anything special so Andy we need to chat about this.
Tonight and tomorrow night we are staying at Carberry Hall Mansion, a half hour drive from Edinburgh, check out the photos (you can see our windows in one of the pictures). Our room is in the roof! facing the front of the house! We have a sloping roof and a fire place and three small windows facing the sky. It is very cosy and its been raining since we got here and you can hear the rain on the windows. It is another large manor house and we spent the afternoon exploring the house and the grounds (its on 35 acres). The Queen and the Queen Mother have stayed here, Mary Queen of Scots surrendered here, it is simply brilliant, and full of history.
2019-09-22 - Andy's Great Day Out II
21 September 2019
Andy's Great Day Out (Inverness to Perth)
I've named this blog post Andy's Big Day Out in honor of my good mate Andy. I sent Andy my draft road trip plan and he came back with some brilliant ideas, some still to unfurl tomorrow. He directed us through the Highlands and again today through the Highlands and the Moors.
The scenery again today was outstanding but the roads through the moors was the best. They were twisty and bumpy and I loved every minute of it. I even managed to get the car airborne on a few of the humps much to Lorraine's frustration as she was trying to take in the scenery as well as take photos.
Today was supposed to be all about seeing where Andy spent a good part of his life pursuing dreams. For the most part we did get to see a large part of the country he has told me about, however it all went awry at Braemar. Also we were supposed to stay in and around the area, but accommodation prices were stupidly high so we decided to book into Perth last night and be that little bit closer to Edinburgh for tomorrow's drive. So now to Lorraine's "issues".
We had stopped at the Braemar Castle (a ruin) just to have a look and because Lorraine needed to use the bathroom urgently. With none around, she ducked into the bushes to take care of her needs and came out feeling a little uncomfortable, either something had stung her (more then once), or she had been pricked by nettles. Either way, the time I wanted to spend going to the areas Andy had picked out for me took a back seat to Lorraine's requirements of getting some further relief to the relief she had already sought. 100m up the road in Braemar's town we found the toilets. She was not happy. She was still uncomfortable so we decided to head to the accommodation.
We arrived in Perth and checked in. Its basic accommodation, but you need that occasionally to ensure the highlights remain the highlights.
After we checked in we visited Scone Palace as it was only 8 min up the road from where we were staying. It has a significant place in Scottish history as it was the castle where all the Scottish kings were crowned. It was built in the 12th century. It is filled with the original furniture, paintings, porcelain and tapestries from the time of the 1st Earl of Mansfield (1700s). The 9th Earl now resides there with his family. Very grand. This makes castle number 8.
We then ventured into Perth's city centre, it's a nice town. We finally visited Primark that Andy had been telling us about, bought some stuff, walked around and came back to the hotel for dinner.
Tomorrow is another Andy special with our venues mixed in with some of his childhood places of interest, plus some other places he has recommended. Thanks Andy, sad I didn't get to Aberfeldy or Grandtully, maybe next time, and there will be a next time, because Scottish people are just so friggin' awesomely friendly.
2019-09-21 - Andy's Great Day out (Inverness to Perth)
P.S. On another note, we had totally lost track of what day of the week it was. On the drive to Tomintoul we were arguing over whether it was Thursday or Friday, both refusing to look at a calendar, trying to establish the day of week based on where we were, or had stayed, and what days we were there. At Tomintoul Gift Shop (magnificent shop to by the way), we eventually settled the argument when the shop keeper made a comment she was looking forward to being closed tomorrow. We thought it odd she would close on a Friday or Saturday depending on who was right. That's when we found out it was Saturday. Ouch, it must be a good holiday if we have no idea what day of the week it is.
P.P.S. Andy assures me that it rains in Scotland, so far we have seen none of it. So my jokes to him of, "they had Summer in Scotland this year, it was Wednesday", have truly backfired, the weather has been truly awesome. Maybe I'll jinx myself with that comment, let's hope not.
The scenery again today was outstanding but the roads through the moors was the best. They were twisty and bumpy and I loved every minute of it. I even managed to get the car airborne on a few of the humps much to Lorraine's frustration as she was trying to take in the scenery as well as take photos.
Today was supposed to be all about seeing where Andy spent a good part of his life pursuing dreams. For the most part we did get to see a large part of the country he has told me about, however it all went awry at Braemar. Also we were supposed to stay in and around the area, but accommodation prices were stupidly high so we decided to book into Perth last night and be that little bit closer to Edinburgh for tomorrow's drive. So now to Lorraine's "issues".
We had stopped at the Braemar Castle (a ruin) just to have a look and because Lorraine needed to use the bathroom urgently. With none around, she ducked into the bushes to take care of her needs and came out feeling a little uncomfortable, either something had stung her (more then once), or she had been pricked by nettles. Either way, the time I wanted to spend going to the areas Andy had picked out for me took a back seat to Lorraine's requirements of getting some further relief to the relief she had already sought. 100m up the road in Braemar's town we found the toilets. She was not happy. She was still uncomfortable so we decided to head to the accommodation.
We arrived in Perth and checked in. Its basic accommodation, but you need that occasionally to ensure the highlights remain the highlights.
After we checked in we visited Scone Palace as it was only 8 min up the road from where we were staying. It has a significant place in Scottish history as it was the castle where all the Scottish kings were crowned. It was built in the 12th century. It is filled with the original furniture, paintings, porcelain and tapestries from the time of the 1st Earl of Mansfield (1700s). The 9th Earl now resides there with his family. Very grand. This makes castle number 8.
We then ventured into Perth's city centre, it's a nice town. We finally visited Primark that Andy had been telling us about, bought some stuff, walked around and came back to the hotel for dinner.
Tomorrow is another Andy special with our venues mixed in with some of his childhood places of interest, plus some other places he has recommended. Thanks Andy, sad I didn't get to Aberfeldy or Grandtully, maybe next time, and there will be a next time, because Scottish people are just so friggin' awesomely friendly.
2019-09-21 - Andy's Great Day out (Inverness to Perth)
P.S. On another note, we had totally lost track of what day of the week it was. On the drive to Tomintoul we were arguing over whether it was Thursday or Friday, both refusing to look at a calendar, trying to establish the day of week based on where we were, or had stayed, and what days we were there. At Tomintoul Gift Shop (magnificent shop to by the way), we eventually settled the argument when the shop keeper made a comment she was looking forward to being closed tomorrow. We thought it odd she would close on a Friday or Saturday depending on who was right. That's when we found out it was Saturday. Ouch, it must be a good holiday if we have no idea what day of the week it is.
P.P.S. Andy assures me that it rains in Scotland, so far we have seen none of it. So my jokes to him of, "they had Summer in Scotland this year, it was Wednesday", have truly backfired, the weather has been truly awesome. Maybe I'll jinx myself with that comment, let's hope not.
20 September 2019
Glasgow to Inverness + Stops
Awesome drive today from Glasgow to Inverness.
Firstly we drove through the Scottish Highlands. It was breathtaking and we were both in awe of the magnitude of the mountains and they went on and on and on. Check out the photos of the trip on the way, Lorraine took so many pics I had to warn her she would fill up the camera SD card if she wasn't careful. Thank you Andy for a great route recommendation, Lorraine loves you forever.
We then headed for Fort William. I had one surprise up my sleeve for Lorraine today. After having a chat with the staff at Crossbasket Castle, they made a suggestion. At Fort William take a quick detour to Glenfinnan Viaduct. Now this is not my cup of tea, but if it involves some driving along some nice scenic country roads, who am I to argue?
After a nice lunch at the The Green Screen in Fort William, a cafe devoted to the over 45 movies shot in the Scottish Highland area we were in, check out a few of the movie posters I captured we left for Glenfinnan.
We get to Glenfinnan and Lorraine asks what are we here for? and I say that!👉, pointing out her window of the car. The Harry Potter train bridge (viaduct), she was over the moon, she can add her commentary below. We climbed up to the viewing area and got some really good shots plus the view was simply awesome.
Here is Lorraine's commentary on the day:
Where do I begin, the Scottish Highlands OMG and then the bridge in Harry Potter that the train crosses on its way to Hogwarts OMG. Superb, brilliant, pinch me am I dreaming.
We also paid a visit to Urquhart Castle which is a ruin. Rather than pay the entry fee Sean took some sneaky photos from the car park wall. We could see it clearly from the wall so that was good enough for me. Then it was onto Loch Ness. It's quite a long body of water so we had plenty of opportunities to take pics. No sign of Nessy but we did get a history lesson at the Loch Ness Visitors Centre.
Back to me now.
Lorraine has scored again, our accommodation in Inverness is simply superb, check out the photos. Much like the Crossbasket Castle, but a little more homely in feel, but not quite as homely as Elm Grove, that is still the standout for us.
Tomorrow is another long drive. Our Scottish itinerary is based on the recommendation of a Scotsman who I am proud to call a friend of many years. He basically made all the suggestions for our Scottish leg of the holiday and it has not disappointed yet. Thanks Andy.
2019-09-20 - Glasgow to Inverness + Stops
Firstly we drove through the Scottish Highlands. It was breathtaking and we were both in awe of the magnitude of the mountains and they went on and on and on. Check out the photos of the trip on the way, Lorraine took so many pics I had to warn her she would fill up the camera SD card if she wasn't careful. Thank you Andy for a great route recommendation, Lorraine loves you forever.
We then headed for Fort William. I had one surprise up my sleeve for Lorraine today. After having a chat with the staff at Crossbasket Castle, they made a suggestion. At Fort William take a quick detour to Glenfinnan Viaduct. Now this is not my cup of tea, but if it involves some driving along some nice scenic country roads, who am I to argue?
After a nice lunch at the The Green Screen in Fort William, a cafe devoted to the over 45 movies shot in the Scottish Highland area we were in, check out a few of the movie posters I captured we left for Glenfinnan.
We get to Glenfinnan and Lorraine asks what are we here for? and I say that!👉, pointing out her window of the car. The Harry Potter train bridge (viaduct), she was over the moon, she can add her commentary below. We climbed up to the viewing area and got some really good shots plus the view was simply awesome.
Here is Lorraine's commentary on the day:
Where do I begin, the Scottish Highlands OMG and then the bridge in Harry Potter that the train crosses on its way to Hogwarts OMG. Superb, brilliant, pinch me am I dreaming.
We also paid a visit to Urquhart Castle which is a ruin. Rather than pay the entry fee Sean took some sneaky photos from the car park wall. We could see it clearly from the wall so that was good enough for me. Then it was onto Loch Ness. It's quite a long body of water so we had plenty of opportunities to take pics. No sign of Nessy but we did get a history lesson at the Loch Ness Visitors Centre.
Back to me now.
Lorraine has scored again, our accommodation in Inverness is simply superb, check out the photos. Much like the Crossbasket Castle, but a little more homely in feel, but not quite as homely as Elm Grove, that is still the standout for us.
Tomorrow is another long drive. Our Scottish itinerary is based on the recommendation of a Scotsman who I am proud to call a friend of many years. He basically made all the suggestions for our Scottish leg of the holiday and it has not disappointed yet. Thanks Andy.
2019-09-20 - Glasgow to Inverness + Stops
19 September 2019
Blackpool to Glasgow + Wanderings
We said farewell to Blackpool today and headed towards Glasgow. I was asked by a friend who shall remain nameless why we were going to stay in Glasgow. I can reliably say he is a little biased.
The drive up form Blackpool took 3 hours on the M road which was boring, but Lorraine did capture some great shots to get the feel of the land.
We arrived at our destination which can I say Lorraine should be absolutely proud of, we are staying in an authentic castle/former manor house that has been restored and made into a hotel. Not quite the feel of Elm Grove, but absolutely sensational. Our room overlooks a running stream which is quite loud if you open the windows. The room itself is stunning, we have a chandelier, an extremely lavish bedhead and drapes framing our window. The castle is also filled with antiques, oil paintings, opulent wall paper, chandeliers and I can go on and on. You have to see the photos because my description does not do it justice.
We were lucky to be able to check in early and then headed into Glasgow itself. At first we thought it was a dead town. We had visited the People's Palace which was surprisingly and unexpectedly great. Then we decided to wander and try to find the building murals, in particular the one that features Billy Connolly. We also wanted to visit George's Square. After the Palace we headed for the city centre and some form of life. We soon found out why the town was dead, everyone was at George's Square, well the football fans were, 6 hours before kick off and they were already drinking and chanting, check out the video, it was an awesome feeling.
We continued wandering and accidentally (on purpose) stumbled across the Billy Connolly mural, that was it for Lorraine, she was happy, time to go home now. We took a wander back to the car via the picturesque Glasgow Green park which is behind the Peoples Palace. It was beautiful and serene and again, not a lot of people.
Back to the castle for a rest and dinner tonight.
We would like to stay another night but we also have plans for areas north (Loch Ness) so need to say good bye tomorrow sadly.
P.S. It appears we have booked ourselves a luxury castle. We had dinner tonight which we thought was in the dining room. As we were deciding on a table the maitre'd advised us that we start in the lounge room with drinks and canapes before being seated for dinner. We were ushered into the lounge room which had an open fire and our drinks order was taken. We were then served beautiful canapes. I can't describe them so check out the photos. Yes we photographed the meal because it was too beautiful and we excused ourselves with the wait staff. Our dinner order was also taken whilst we were in the lounge. We were eventually seated in the dining room. Our table overlooked the garden and we had candlelight. We were waited on hand and foot. Take a look at the meals we were served, not only were they visually stunning, they tasted amazing.
Whilst we were at dinner, the staff turned down our bed, put chocolates on the pillow and we had little white mats with a pair of slippers each placed on either side of the bed. The lamps were turned on and because they have red shades, they have a very romantic glow.
What a beautiful place to stay, thank you Expedia!!
2019-09-19 - Blackpool to Glasgow + Wanderings
2019-09-19 - Crossbasket Castle Evening
The drive up form Blackpool took 3 hours on the M road which was boring, but Lorraine did capture some great shots to get the feel of the land.
We arrived at our destination which can I say Lorraine should be absolutely proud of, we are staying in an authentic castle/former manor house that has been restored and made into a hotel. Not quite the feel of Elm Grove, but absolutely sensational. Our room overlooks a running stream which is quite loud if you open the windows. The room itself is stunning, we have a chandelier, an extremely lavish bedhead and drapes framing our window. The castle is also filled with antiques, oil paintings, opulent wall paper, chandeliers and I can go on and on. You have to see the photos because my description does not do it justice.
We were lucky to be able to check in early and then headed into Glasgow itself. At first we thought it was a dead town. We had visited the People's Palace which was surprisingly and unexpectedly great. Then we decided to wander and try to find the building murals, in particular the one that features Billy Connolly. We also wanted to visit George's Square. After the Palace we headed for the city centre and some form of life. We soon found out why the town was dead, everyone was at George's Square, well the football fans were, 6 hours before kick off and they were already drinking and chanting, check out the video, it was an awesome feeling.
We continued wandering and accidentally (on purpose) stumbled across the Billy Connolly mural, that was it for Lorraine, she was happy, time to go home now. We took a wander back to the car via the picturesque Glasgow Green park which is behind the Peoples Palace. It was beautiful and serene and again, not a lot of people.
Back to the castle for a rest and dinner tonight.
We would like to stay another night but we also have plans for areas north (Loch Ness) so need to say good bye tomorrow sadly.
P.S. It appears we have booked ourselves a luxury castle. We had dinner tonight which we thought was in the dining room. As we were deciding on a table the maitre'd advised us that we start in the lounge room with drinks and canapes before being seated for dinner. We were ushered into the lounge room which had an open fire and our drinks order was taken. We were then served beautiful canapes. I can't describe them so check out the photos. Yes we photographed the meal because it was too beautiful and we excused ourselves with the wait staff. Our dinner order was also taken whilst we were in the lounge. We were eventually seated in the dining room. Our table overlooked the garden and we had candlelight. We were waited on hand and foot. Take a look at the meals we were served, not only were they visually stunning, they tasted amazing.
Whilst we were at dinner, the staff turned down our bed, put chocolates on the pillow and we had little white mats with a pair of slippers each placed on either side of the bed. The lamps were turned on and because they have red shades, they have a very romantic glow.
What a beautiful place to stay, thank you Expedia!!
2019-09-19 - Blackpool to Glasgow + Wanderings
2019-09-19 - Crossbasket Castle Evening
18 September 2019
Stoke on Trent (to Blackpool) + Blackpool Wanderings
Well today was an absolute blast, Lorraine will takeover the commentary soon.
I woke early and planned out a few things. We were for the first time able to have an early breakfast, and get the day started early, most things do not open until 10 am, so I found a few things to do that were not time sensitive. On the road by about 8:30am to Knypersley Reservoir. It was a 1 mile walk around through a tree lined path that had a nice Camelot, King Arthur, Game of Thrones feel about it. And we saw squirrels and birds, but the squirrels are so fast it is damn hard to get a good picture because they are gone before you can get the camera out.
Then it was off to what we hoped was a canal to see narrow canal boats and maybe take a ride but when we arrived there was no canal and no boats so that was a bust.
So then we headed to Middleport Pottery, where "The British Pottery Throwdown" was filmed and is the home of the Burleigh Pottery factory (Burgess and Leigh are the founders). TGBPT did two seasons then BBC cancelled it. We jokingly said wouldn't it be great if they were filming. And yes you guessed it, Season Three was being filmed there while we were there, Channel Four in England picked up the show. Middleport pre-dates Henry Ford by around 30 years, it was a purpose built pottery facility in 1886 with a flow industrialisation system. They joke that Henry Ford got his ideas from Middleport on a tour of the facilities. It has been in continuous operation since being built as a pottery facility. It was a blast to be there. Anyway now to Lorraine to buzz about it, she got a headache with the excitement of it all.
(Lorraine) So where do I begin. We took a factory tour which included watching employees actually making and decorating the porcelain. The highlight was seeing a bottleneck kiln. I'd seen them on TV but to stand in front of one was brilliant. There were nearly 5000 in operation at one stage but now there area only 46. Most were demolished or left to ruin due to the Clean Air Act in the 60's. Turns out the kilns were only 10% efficient and that most of the smoke and debris fell on the town making it quite a dirty place to live. The tour took us through the process from raw clay to biscuit firing to cleaning to re-firing to decoration and glazing. A teapot can take up to a month to make and pass through 20 pairs of hands. We then wandered around outside the factory, we saw the narrow boats that were used to transport the pottery to London and the bath house that was provided for employees to use after their shifts. We then hit the display store which was filled with so many plates, teapots and teacups my head nearly exploded. Funny thing, Sean bought more than I did.
We then visited the Moorcroft factory which also had a kiln. We didn't do the tour on this one and I didn't buy anything because it was way too expensive. For such a run down little place, it produces a very expensive product but the pottery there is exquisite.
Next we had a look at Royal Doulton. Turns out they closed down a while ago and all that is left is the derelict building. Doh!
Back to me (Sean) now, the drive to Blackpool was fairly boring, but Blackpool did live up to the expectation I was provided by a close friend, England's answer to the Gold Coast. It is off season so most things are closed, but you get the vibe. The videos are from outside the hotel and I have to say I am happy we came here, if only to break up a long drive it is just so kitsch and pretentious.
2019-09-18 - Stoke on Trent (to Blackpool)
2019-09-18 - Blackpool Wanderings
I woke early and planned out a few things. We were for the first time able to have an early breakfast, and get the day started early, most things do not open until 10 am, so I found a few things to do that were not time sensitive. On the road by about 8:30am to Knypersley Reservoir. It was a 1 mile walk around through a tree lined path that had a nice Camelot, King Arthur, Game of Thrones feel about it. And we saw squirrels and birds, but the squirrels are so fast it is damn hard to get a good picture because they are gone before you can get the camera out.
Then it was off to what we hoped was a canal to see narrow canal boats and maybe take a ride but when we arrived there was no canal and no boats so that was a bust.
So then we headed to Middleport Pottery, where "The British Pottery Throwdown" was filmed and is the home of the Burleigh Pottery factory (Burgess and Leigh are the founders). TGBPT did two seasons then BBC cancelled it. We jokingly said wouldn't it be great if they were filming. And yes you guessed it, Season Three was being filmed there while we were there, Channel Four in England picked up the show. Middleport pre-dates Henry Ford by around 30 years, it was a purpose built pottery facility in 1886 with a flow industrialisation system. They joke that Henry Ford got his ideas from Middleport on a tour of the facilities. It has been in continuous operation since being built as a pottery facility. It was a blast to be there. Anyway now to Lorraine to buzz about it, she got a headache with the excitement of it all.
(Lorraine) So where do I begin. We took a factory tour which included watching employees actually making and decorating the porcelain. The highlight was seeing a bottleneck kiln. I'd seen them on TV but to stand in front of one was brilliant. There were nearly 5000 in operation at one stage but now there area only 46. Most were demolished or left to ruin due to the Clean Air Act in the 60's. Turns out the kilns were only 10% efficient and that most of the smoke and debris fell on the town making it quite a dirty place to live. The tour took us through the process from raw clay to biscuit firing to cleaning to re-firing to decoration and glazing. A teapot can take up to a month to make and pass through 20 pairs of hands. We then wandered around outside the factory, we saw the narrow boats that were used to transport the pottery to London and the bath house that was provided for employees to use after their shifts. We then hit the display store which was filled with so many plates, teapots and teacups my head nearly exploded. Funny thing, Sean bought more than I did.
We then visited the Moorcroft factory which also had a kiln. We didn't do the tour on this one and I didn't buy anything because it was way too expensive. For such a run down little place, it produces a very expensive product but the pottery there is exquisite.
Next we had a look at Royal Doulton. Turns out they closed down a while ago and all that is left is the derelict building. Doh!
Back to me (Sean) now, the drive to Blackpool was fairly boring, but Blackpool did live up to the expectation I was provided by a close friend, England's answer to the Gold Coast. It is off season so most things are closed, but you get the vibe. The videos are from outside the hotel and I have to say I am happy we came here, if only to break up a long drive it is just so kitsch and pretentious.
2019-09-18 - Stoke on Trent (to Blackpool)
2019-09-18 - Blackpool Wanderings
17 September 2019
St Florence to Crewe (Stoke on Trent)
We had to say a fond farewell to Elm Grove. We truly loved this place. It was beautiful and romantic, it felt like home. We would highly recommend staying here, we both agreed that it was probably the best nights we have ever spent in any accommodation anywhere in our travels. We only planned to stay one night but as soon as we arrived we knew that was going to change and we are so glad we did. Alan, is the nicest host and quick to highlight anything you might wish to see or do, they treat their place like you are their family, truly, like family, Basically the rule is if the door has a number on it do not enter, it is a guest room, otherwise go wherever you wish in the manor house.
Today was a big day of driving, roughly 6 hours on the road and how awesome was it. We wanted to see some of Snowdonia National Park (it is too big to see in 1 day). It was visually spectacular and the photos do not do it justice. On the way we had to drive through more tunnel like roads so Sean again morphed into a rally driver and this time I took some footage. Check out the photos and there are two videos from the "co-driver" seat. It felt like a WRC rally stage at times with the tight "B" roads, with very tight turns, closed in feel, and blind corners. Sean has included the driving route link below as well as the photos link. The Skoda Fabia hire car we have is not as powerful as Sean's car at home as he has the sports version but he still had a helluva lot of fun.
We stopped at Lake Bala for some selfies then continued on to a farmhouse roadside stop that does organic food/produce and organic roadside food. We had the best sausage roll and we both wished we had not shared it between us.
From there we left Wales and headed back into England and to our next overnighter at Crewe Hall, check out the photos. Crew Hall is a huge manor house (much like Downton Abbey) but unfortunately we are staying in the modern West Wing, not in the house itself. We do however have a brilliant view of the house from our window. We did take a look around at many of the rooms and the grounds. They were very grand. It was nice being able to have a look without any crowds. I plan to visit the Downton Abbey Manor when we get to Oxford and I am sure I won't get a private viewing like we did today.
Driving Route
2019-09-17 - St Florence to Crewe (Stoke on Trent)
South Wales
Today we had grand intentions of going across south Wales to the Blue Lagoon and coming back via Pembrokeshire National Park.
When Google Maps advised a different route taking twice as long as planned due to an accident on the M4, we decided to stay local and what a great result that was for us. The Iron-man even that was centered in Tenby over the weekend created absolute mayhem traffic wise, but eventually we found a park right outside Boots Pharmacy, which we were trying to find.
Why is that so good? Because Boots pharmacy used to be a wine merchant dwelling, and it was from here that Henry VII was smuggled from underground tunnels to the bay to escape to France, he then formed an army in France which came back and took back the throne, fathered Henry VIII who as we know started the Protestant Church of England church and ousted the Catholics from England, and the rest we say is history.
From here we took a walk through Tenby and its beaches, and the pictures do not do it justice.
We headed over the Saundersfoot a poor mans Tenby apparently, then to Pembroke for the Castle, where Henry VII was born. That was awesome, I climbed the Great Keep stairs, exactly 100 steps, then descended them, that was harrowing but I survived. I'll be honest at one point I thought I would have to be carried out I was feeling ill at ease with the whole thing.
Next it was off to Barafundle Bay. An awesome walk in the Welsh countryside, hard yakka for me, but the views and photography experience was brilliant, my photos do not do it justice. It was pure storybook magic.
Back to the car for more countryside driving, which I have to say is awesome, even at low speeds with the road edging so close, you feel like you are going very fast, its awesome. Gave a few brown pants moment to locals as they came across us at speed and they were cutting corners. It was like a WRC experience in real life. I'd love to do this on a motor bike, think Isle of Mann TT, and you get my drift. (The roads a quite narrow and tree lined so it feels like a tunnel and sure enough Sean morphed into a rally driver.)
Then it was back to St Florence, the little village near our B&B. We feel like today we had a holiday from our holiday, it has been such a great day.
2019-09-16 - St Florence (Elm Grove) Early Morning
2019-09-16 - South Wales
When Google Maps advised a different route taking twice as long as planned due to an accident on the M4, we decided to stay local and what a great result that was for us. The Iron-man even that was centered in Tenby over the weekend created absolute mayhem traffic wise, but eventually we found a park right outside Boots Pharmacy, which we were trying to find.
Why is that so good? Because Boots pharmacy used to be a wine merchant dwelling, and it was from here that Henry VII was smuggled from underground tunnels to the bay to escape to France, he then formed an army in France which came back and took back the throne, fathered Henry VIII who as we know started the Protestant Church of England church and ousted the Catholics from England, and the rest we say is history.
From here we took a walk through Tenby and its beaches, and the pictures do not do it justice.
We headed over the Saundersfoot a poor mans Tenby apparently, then to Pembroke for the Castle, where Henry VII was born. That was awesome, I climbed the Great Keep stairs, exactly 100 steps, then descended them, that was harrowing but I survived. I'll be honest at one point I thought I would have to be carried out I was feeling ill at ease with the whole thing.
Next it was off to Barafundle Bay. An awesome walk in the Welsh countryside, hard yakka for me, but the views and photography experience was brilliant, my photos do not do it justice. It was pure storybook magic.
Back to the car for more countryside driving, which I have to say is awesome, even at low speeds with the road edging so close, you feel like you are going very fast, its awesome. Gave a few brown pants moment to locals as they came across us at speed and they were cutting corners. It was like a WRC experience in real life. I'd love to do this on a motor bike, think Isle of Mann TT, and you get my drift. (The roads a quite narrow and tree lined so it feels like a tunnel and sure enough Sean morphed into a rally driver.)
Then it was back to St Florence, the little village near our B&B. We feel like today we had a holiday from our holiday, it has been such a great day.
2019-09-16 - St Florence (Elm Grove) Early Morning
2019-09-16 - South Wales
16 September 2019
Bath to Tenby
Today started with a visit to the Roman Baths. It was amazing to see how ingenious the Romans were 2,000 years ago when they utilised the natural hot springs and turned them into a central bath house complete with a cold plunge pool and beauty rooms.
We then left Bath and headed for Wales. The destination was the magnificent Cardiff Castle nestled right in the centre of the capital. The castle is surrounded by a large wall and features a tower clock (made by the same person that made Big Ben, so we called this Little Ben), a Keep, a dungeon/torture tower and the royal residence. The Keep has 100 stairs many of which are quite narrow and Sean decided to take it on and got to the top. Huge effort as you will see the stairs in the photos. Brilliant view from the top. The residence was a WOW moment as each of the rooms were ornately decorated as was appropriate for the time.
Our final destination and overnight stay was at Tenby, two hours from Cardiff. The drive was picturesque and our accommodation is straight out of a Victorian novel. The driveway is tree lined that eventually opened up revealing the manor house surrounded by manicured gardens and wide open paddocks. Inside is just as charming. It is filled with antique furniture and oil paintings. I am in heaven. The house has belonged to the current owners for 3 generations and prior to that it was a proper manor house complete with servants. The front of the house was for the family and the back of the house was for the servants. The back stairs and bells are still there. The family would pull on cords in each of the rooms and they would ring a bell at the back of the house alerting the staff that the family needed something. Very Downton Abbey of which I am a huge fan. We have an extremely large and beautiful room that overlooks the gardens. The weather has changed from sunny to overcast and quite cool. The inside of the manor house is warm and inviting. We have decided to stay for two nights as we have both fallen in love with this house and its surroundings.
A perfect end to the day.
2019-09-15 - Bath to Tenby
We then left Bath and headed for Wales. The destination was the magnificent Cardiff Castle nestled right in the centre of the capital. The castle is surrounded by a large wall and features a tower clock (made by the same person that made Big Ben, so we called this Little Ben), a Keep, a dungeon/torture tower and the royal residence. The Keep has 100 stairs many of which are quite narrow and Sean decided to take it on and got to the top. Huge effort as you will see the stairs in the photos. Brilliant view from the top. The residence was a WOW moment as each of the rooms were ornately decorated as was appropriate for the time.
Our final destination and overnight stay was at Tenby, two hours from Cardiff. The drive was picturesque and our accommodation is straight out of a Victorian novel. The driveway is tree lined that eventually opened up revealing the manor house surrounded by manicured gardens and wide open paddocks. Inside is just as charming. It is filled with antique furniture and oil paintings. I am in heaven. The house has belonged to the current owners for 3 generations and prior to that it was a proper manor house complete with servants. The front of the house was for the family and the back of the house was for the servants. The back stairs and bells are still there. The family would pull on cords in each of the rooms and they would ring a bell at the back of the house alerting the staff that the family needed something. Very Downton Abbey of which I am a huge fan. We have an extremely large and beautiful room that overlooks the gardens. The weather has changed from sunny to overcast and quite cool. The inside of the manor house is warm and inviting. We have decided to stay for two nights as we have both fallen in love with this house and its surroundings.
A perfect end to the day.
2019-09-15 - Bath to Tenby
15 September 2019
Brighton to Bath
Today was a topsy turvy day. We didn't get to see the Brighton Beach huts yesterday so we ticked that one off this morning. They are bright, quirky and fun. They sell for around GBP19,000, or roughly AUD$38,000, just so you can keep your beach side stuff at the beach. I should also add, I actually really like the pebble beaches, no annoying sand getting into every nook and cranny.
From there we headed for Stone Henge, let's just say the Brits may have a good road system but they are not ones for having lots of actual names on signs, just road names like A236, A338, and many of the roads can be more than one of those increasing the confusion.So we got s little lost. It didn't help that our phone died and with it went the road maps.We ended up just ever so slightly too far east of Stone Henge. We eventually found Stone Henge after experiencing some really heavy traffic, fearing this was the throng of people going there, we soon realised this was the rubber neckers stealing a glimpse of Stone Henge, well probably only a few, but that is all it takes to screw up an entire road network.
Stone Henge was great, you can choose between a 30 minute walk, or 5 minute shuttle, we took the shuttle. It is simply unbelievable that people nearly 4,000 years ago built this, and so accurately, based on the summer and winter equinox times. When you see what they had to work with and what they achieved, you have to be nothing but impressed.
From here the fun and games started, my phone had not really charged that much while we were at Stone Henge, so luckily Lorraine cracked into the free WiFi and got a Google map up of how to get to Bath. If only I hadn't made the first wrong turn. We ended up on a nice Antiques Roadshow drive through the countryside, which really was quite nice. We stopped at one town hoping to get a better charger, ended up with a good power bank, unfortunately not a lot of residual charge in it.
Asking for directions proved surprisingly frustrating so we headed off anyway in the general direction of Bath. After some deviations, we eventually made it..
We arrived at Dorian House a few hours later than scheduled but it was a very pleasant surprise, walking downstairs to what seems like the basement, we find we are actually at the ground floor with our own private entry right at our car. Score one for Lorraine, she picked an absolute winner. The room is huge and so is the bathroom!
We then set off into Bath only to find that we were too late to see the Roman Baths so that will have to wait till tomorrow. We did however get to see the incredible Bath Abbey, a magnificent church right in the centre of town. Wow!! and we found a nice little restaurant with an outdoor dining area underneath one of the towers. Nice way to end the day.
We also found Henry's female doppelganger, so had to stop for a doggy pat fix.
Now settling back for a relaxing evening and plan out tomorrow.
2019-09-14 - Early morning Brighton
2019-09-14 - Brighton to Bath
From there we headed for Stone Henge, let's just say the Brits may have a good road system but they are not ones for having lots of actual names on signs, just road names like A236, A338, and many of the roads can be more than one of those increasing the confusion.So we got s little lost. It didn't help that our phone died and with it went the road maps.We ended up just ever so slightly too far east of Stone Henge. We eventually found Stone Henge after experiencing some really heavy traffic, fearing this was the throng of people going there, we soon realised this was the rubber neckers stealing a glimpse of Stone Henge, well probably only a few, but that is all it takes to screw up an entire road network.
Stone Henge was great, you can choose between a 30 minute walk, or 5 minute shuttle, we took the shuttle. It is simply unbelievable that people nearly 4,000 years ago built this, and so accurately, based on the summer and winter equinox times. When you see what they had to work with and what they achieved, you have to be nothing but impressed.
From here the fun and games started, my phone had not really charged that much while we were at Stone Henge, so luckily Lorraine cracked into the free WiFi and got a Google map up of how to get to Bath. If only I hadn't made the first wrong turn. We ended up on a nice Antiques Roadshow drive through the countryside, which really was quite nice. We stopped at one town hoping to get a better charger, ended up with a good power bank, unfortunately not a lot of residual charge in it.
Asking for directions proved surprisingly frustrating so we headed off anyway in the general direction of Bath. After some deviations, we eventually made it..
We arrived at Dorian House a few hours later than scheduled but it was a very pleasant surprise, walking downstairs to what seems like the basement, we find we are actually at the ground floor with our own private entry right at our car. Score one for Lorraine, she picked an absolute winner. The room is huge and so is the bathroom!
We then set off into Bath only to find that we were too late to see the Roman Baths so that will have to wait till tomorrow. We did however get to see the incredible Bath Abbey, a magnificent church right in the centre of town. Wow!! and we found a nice little restaurant with an outdoor dining area underneath one of the towers. Nice way to end the day.
We also found Henry's female doppelganger, so had to stop for a doggy pat fix.
Now settling back for a relaxing evening and plan out tomorrow.
2019-09-14 - Early morning Brighton
2019-09-14 - Brighton to Bath
14 September 2019
Early morning Brighton
Got up and went for a early morning wander to take photos. Only 4 turned out worthy of publishing.
2019-09-14 - Early morning Brighton
Google Stylised Version
2019-09-14 - Early morning Brighton
13 September 2019
London to Brighton
Today we left London and started our road trip, first stop Brighton. It was a gloriously sunny day, quite warm, a great day to be beside the seaside.
Brighton is a beautiful place, architecture similar to London, but with a sea side feel. Turns out it is also a very central place for the LGBT community. Our B&B hosts Dave and Eric were very welcoming and as we managed to get a park right outside they gave us a complimentary parking permit so Sean would not have to walk too far. Normally they have to park the cars a few streets away due to some ridiculous council parking law. The B&B is just brilliantly kitsch with its decor and very cosy at the same time. We have a stunning stain glass window above our bed and a little balcony with a partial view to the sea. Have a look at the photos to see what we mean.
After checking in we hit the Brighton pier and the surrounding streets as recommended by our host, Dave. We had fish and chips on the pier and then an ice cream as we wandered along the foreshore. In the middle of the pier is a large amusement arcade and at the end of the pier are rides and side shows including a shooting range, knock down cans and a haunted house.
We then found the shopping district but we were drawn to a magnificent building called the Royal Pavilion. It was gifted to Brighton from a Raj in India. It is very Indian in design and absolutely beautiful, it would have been something to behold when it was first built. Now the paintwork has faded and it is a little run down but it is still stunning.
Back to the room to quickly book a hotel for the following night in Bath and then back out to watch the sunset over the sea, very magical. Hoping sunrise tomorrow will be just as good.
We didn't find the colorful Brighton Beach Huts which adorns all the postcards but have since found out they are in Hove, not far from Brighton beach so we are off to see them tomorrow before we go to Stonehenge and Bath.
2019-09-13 - London to Brighton
Brighton is a beautiful place, architecture similar to London, but with a sea side feel. Turns out it is also a very central place for the LGBT community. Our B&B hosts Dave and Eric were very welcoming and as we managed to get a park right outside they gave us a complimentary parking permit so Sean would not have to walk too far. Normally they have to park the cars a few streets away due to some ridiculous council parking law. The B&B is just brilliantly kitsch with its decor and very cosy at the same time. We have a stunning stain glass window above our bed and a little balcony with a partial view to the sea. Have a look at the photos to see what we mean.
After checking in we hit the Brighton pier and the surrounding streets as recommended by our host, Dave. We had fish and chips on the pier and then an ice cream as we wandered along the foreshore. In the middle of the pier is a large amusement arcade and at the end of the pier are rides and side shows including a shooting range, knock down cans and a haunted house.
We then found the shopping district but we were drawn to a magnificent building called the Royal Pavilion. It was gifted to Brighton from a Raj in India. It is very Indian in design and absolutely beautiful, it would have been something to behold when it was first built. Now the paintwork has faded and it is a little run down but it is still stunning.
Back to the room to quickly book a hotel for the following night in Bath and then back out to watch the sunset over the sea, very magical. Hoping sunrise tomorrow will be just as good.
We didn't find the colorful Brighton Beach Huts which adorns all the postcards but have since found out they are in Hove, not far from Brighton beach so we are off to see them tomorrow before we go to Stonehenge and Bath.
2019-09-13 - London to Brighton
12 September 2019
A quick trip across the channel
What a mega awesome ultimate day.
So here is the picture:
And what a day it was, at the time of writing this we have been basically on the go for 17.5 hours.
We woke just before 4am, we got ready and left the hotel to catch what we now realise was the first train of the day at the underground. Because when we got there and saw the closed gates (see the pics), a mild panic set in.
We got to St Pancras (rail station for the chunnel) in plenty of time. Through customs control and boarded, but the early start caught up with us, we both fell asleep and before we know it, we were in France. We slept through the chunnel, doh.
We exit the train and off course Ebony and Kevin are waiting for us, she had twigged to the surprise, it was an awesome reunion, we hadn't seen her since Xmas 2018. But this was special for reasons only a father and mother can understand when they are seeing their newly engaged daughter.
A whirlwind roam of some sights, a quick visit to a shop as I had not packed any shirts for a special lunch, then of course lunch.
The venue was Ellsworth. In short Kevin's half sister's friends who own two restaurants, she Ellsworth, he one just up the road. And both nothing short of spectacular. Complimentary champagne for all us and even though I usually do not drink wine, I had to partake in French champagne for the occasion. Then the meal, I don't think I can do it justice, this meal was nothing short of jaw dropping excellence. If you are ever in Paris, then you do yourself an injustice to not dine here.
Of course we met Kevin's father, and his partner and half brother. Awesome family, so humble and nice, we honestly could not ask for nicer in-laws.
After lunch, another whirlwind sight see before going to say hello to the other in-laws, Kevin's mum and husband. It had to be quick as we had a 6pm train to catch with a 5pm check in requirement, luckily she lives one block from the station, so it was a quick 10 minute walk. Sad but happy good byes and back into the system for the return trip.
This time I stayed awake for the whole ride, the tunnel is only 50.45kms long and takes 20 minutes to traverse, so roughly 150km/h through the tunnel, and near 300km/h before and after, what a blast, to travel under a water channel from one country to another in the space of 2.5 hours for a 6 hour trip.
As I finish writing this, it has been 18 hours now on the go, and I am still buzzing from a simply awesome day. A day I will cherish forever. I have pictures of new family, tickets of the train ride, and English and French menus from the restaurant, all of which will be framed to memoralise a day I will never forget, and most importantly never, ever, in anyway regret at all. it was worth every single cent, pence, and waking minute.
2019-09-12 - Lunch in Paris to meet the in laws
So here is the picture:
- Your daughter has just been proposed to by her long term French born partner in Paris.
- You knew it was coming because he did the traditional thing and took his future father in law to dinner to ask permission.
- You and your wife just happen to be in London crossing over holidays with them.
- All of his family is in Paris at the same time, so you can finally meet the future father in law of your daughter (you met the mother in law 2 years prior when they came over for Xmas).
- NO, I cannot afford the exorbitant expense of crossing via the chunnel for a six hour day in Paris? OR, more wisely,
- Screw it, its only money and you do not want to regret this for the rest of your life?
And what a day it was, at the time of writing this we have been basically on the go for 17.5 hours.
We woke just before 4am, we got ready and left the hotel to catch what we now realise was the first train of the day at the underground. Because when we got there and saw the closed gates (see the pics), a mild panic set in.
We got to St Pancras (rail station for the chunnel) in plenty of time. Through customs control and boarded, but the early start caught up with us, we both fell asleep and before we know it, we were in France. We slept through the chunnel, doh.
We exit the train and off course Ebony and Kevin are waiting for us, she had twigged to the surprise, it was an awesome reunion, we hadn't seen her since Xmas 2018. But this was special for reasons only a father and mother can understand when they are seeing their newly engaged daughter.
A whirlwind roam of some sights, a quick visit to a shop as I had not packed any shirts for a special lunch, then of course lunch.
The venue was Ellsworth. In short Kevin's half sister's friends who own two restaurants, she Ellsworth, he one just up the road. And both nothing short of spectacular. Complimentary champagne for all us and even though I usually do not drink wine, I had to partake in French champagne for the occasion. Then the meal, I don't think I can do it justice, this meal was nothing short of jaw dropping excellence. If you are ever in Paris, then you do yourself an injustice to not dine here.
Of course we met Kevin's father, and his partner and half brother. Awesome family, so humble and nice, we honestly could not ask for nicer in-laws.
After lunch, another whirlwind sight see before going to say hello to the other in-laws, Kevin's mum and husband. It had to be quick as we had a 6pm train to catch with a 5pm check in requirement, luckily she lives one block from the station, so it was a quick 10 minute walk. Sad but happy good byes and back into the system for the return trip.
This time I stayed awake for the whole ride, the tunnel is only 50.45kms long and takes 20 minutes to traverse, so roughly 150km/h through the tunnel, and near 300km/h before and after, what a blast, to travel under a water channel from one country to another in the space of 2.5 hours for a 6 hour trip.
As I finish writing this, it has been 18 hours now on the go, and I am still buzzing from a simply awesome day. A day I will cherish forever. I have pictures of new family, tickets of the train ride, and English and French menus from the restaurant, all of which will be framed to memoralise a day I will never forget, and most importantly never, ever, in anyway regret at all. it was worth every single cent, pence, and waking minute.
2019-09-12 - Lunch in Paris to meet the in laws
11 September 2019
Hampton Court Palace, Gardens, and Maze
Well that was a day that was intense.
Hampton Court Palace is in Zone 6, so if you use the train you have to pay for the zones, buses however are a flat rate of 1.50 pounds per hour, zone irrelevant, using an Oyster card with our all day travel means no real concerns over the number of buses we catch, and we caught a bucket load of buses today, and trains, and buses.
So I had the start of the day planned out but somehow it went astray form the get go. The initial plan was:
So the bus ride there was around 1.5 hours, somehow the changeover at Hammersmith with the Google planner was askew, we had to do a change to another bus, with another change to another bus and we eventually arrived at Hampton Court Palace.
Then we did a circuit looking for toilets after that marathon bus journey.
But was it worth it? Hell yeah, Hampton Court Palace was awesome, no need to put words to it, the pictures speak for themselves. It sort of rivals Versailles for opulence and excess, but without the sheen of Versailles.
After doing everything and my stomach eating itself from the inside, we had some lunch. A shared meal of roast chicken, potatoes, and beans.
Then it was off to my childhood dream of the Hampton Court Maze, see the other blog post here.
We made it through leading a charge of lost tourists, it was awesome to finally take a childhood dream and satisfy it, about 45 years in the making was today.
Then it was the Magic Garden, a childhood paradise of play area. I really wish Jade and Ebony were kids again so we could take them there, it was a kids paradise.
Then the fun began.
We decided to skip Kew Gardens as it had been a long day, Hampton Court Palace was more than we expected. However my trip planner and lack of WiFi meant trying to do best with what I had. What a cock up, we also decided to skip the ferry ride due to lack of certainty of our trip options.
We had to back track at Kew to Richmond. We found a bus to Hammersmith, BUT the Hammersmith bridge is closed to motor traffic, so we had to walk a significant distance to Hammersmith terminal over the bridge. We knew our bus number but by now we were fed up, had had a "discussion" (if you know what I mean), and decided we would just train it home. Oh and time your trip home outside school finishing times, no matter the country school kids are a PITA.
All up 1.5 hours to Hampton Court Palace, damn 2.5 hours back. Three buses there, Four buses and two trains back. But we did go through Earl's Court, so another sort of tick off the list.
Tomorrow promises to be another big day, more tomorrow on that.
2019-09-11 - Hampton Court
Hampton Court Palace is in Zone 6, so if you use the train you have to pay for the zones, buses however are a flat rate of 1.50 pounds per hour, zone irrelevant, using an Oyster card with our all day travel means no real concerns over the number of buses we catch, and we caught a bucket load of buses today, and trains, and buses.
So I had the start of the day planned out but somehow it went astray form the get go. The initial plan was:
- Buses To Hampton Court Palace.
- Bus to Kew Gardens.
- Bus to Putney Pier.
- Ferry up the Thames.
- Then whatever back home from wherever the ferry dropped us.
So the bus ride there was around 1.5 hours, somehow the changeover at Hammersmith with the Google planner was askew, we had to do a change to another bus, with another change to another bus and we eventually arrived at Hampton Court Palace.
Then we did a circuit looking for toilets after that marathon bus journey.
But was it worth it? Hell yeah, Hampton Court Palace was awesome, no need to put words to it, the pictures speak for themselves. It sort of rivals Versailles for opulence and excess, but without the sheen of Versailles.
After doing everything and my stomach eating itself from the inside, we had some lunch. A shared meal of roast chicken, potatoes, and beans.
Then it was off to my childhood dream of the Hampton Court Maze, see the other blog post here.
We made it through leading a charge of lost tourists, it was awesome to finally take a childhood dream and satisfy it, about 45 years in the making was today.
Then it was the Magic Garden, a childhood paradise of play area. I really wish Jade and Ebony were kids again so we could take them there, it was a kids paradise.
Then the fun began.
We decided to skip Kew Gardens as it had been a long day, Hampton Court Palace was more than we expected. However my trip planner and lack of WiFi meant trying to do best with what I had. What a cock up, we also decided to skip the ferry ride due to lack of certainty of our trip options.
We had to back track at Kew to Richmond. We found a bus to Hammersmith, BUT the Hammersmith bridge is closed to motor traffic, so we had to walk a significant distance to Hammersmith terminal over the bridge. We knew our bus number but by now we were fed up, had had a "discussion" (if you know what I mean), and decided we would just train it home. Oh and time your trip home outside school finishing times, no matter the country school kids are a PITA.
All up 1.5 hours to Hampton Court Palace, damn 2.5 hours back. Three buses there, Four buses and two trains back. But we did go through Earl's Court, so another sort of tick off the list.
Tomorrow promises to be another big day, more tomorrow on that.
2019-09-11 - Hampton Court
A childhood dream realised
So when we were planning this trip I mentioned to Lorraine that I wanted to go to Hampton Court. She was a little perplexed why, so this is the story of why, dating back some 45 years?
As a child in primary school, there was a subscription magazine, the name escapes me, but it included the usual sort of educational things, word games, stories, and trivia. One issue there was an article about Hampton Court and the Topiary Maze made entirely of hedges. I had to go. So I get out the Melways street directory and find there is a Hampton in Melbourne, surely that is where Hampton Court is with the Maze.
So after some careful child manipulation I convinced my parents to take the family out for a picnic day to Hampton. Hampton for those unaware is a seaside suburb of Port Phillip Bay. There are parks, and I was sure one of them contained this topiary maze.
So imagine my disappointment when I came to the realisation that there can be more of one place with the same name, and that Hampton Court is in the far away place called England.😕😢 I was devastated.
So I always promised myself, one day if I ever get to England, I had to go to Hampton Court to see the topiary maze before it is gone.
Today a childhood dream is being realised.😁
10 September 2019
History and Politics
What a big day out.
So today was about doing a lot of inner London sights. The day started really early for me planning out the day. Google is a boon for planning, I simply work out an itinerary, then save it, then break it down into 2 part sectors to get the public transport legs and directions. In order it was as follows:
With a little stuffing around we eventually reached St Paul's Cathedral. There was an entry fee but if you were saying a prayer it was free so Lorraine went in to pay her respects and then took in a little sightseeing. I stayed outside, the life of an atheist is a tortured one.
Then it was onto the Old Bailey, more as a tick box, really didn't want to bother with security to go inside and see a court case.
London Stone (look it up) we believe had been moved due to road works, but we found a nice little garden where we thought the London Stone would be.
Another double decker bus ride over London Bridge, discovered a nice chapel, then walked back over LB to the Monument to the London Fires.
Then it was Tower of London, a formidable place full of history and another WOW moment.
Then we crossed Tower Bridge, very awesome and incredible, when crossing London Bridge we did get pics of it being raised and lowered.
But the piece de resistance was the houses of parliament, they are simply breathtaking, even with all the renovation scaffolding. Unfortunately Big Ben was completely covered for reno's, cest la vie.
New Scotland Yard followed by a garden with statue memorials and we were on our way to 10 Downing Street. However we were treated to an unexpected surprise of the Cavalry changing of the guard at the Cavalry barracks.
Downing Street was a little disappointing as Lorraine thought we could actually walk past it, but Downing Street is closed to all traffic and guarded by a multitude of heavily armed police.
From here we were going to go elsewhere but it had been a big day so we took a tube back to base with Lorraine saving us from a trip to Wimbledon when I rushed us on to the wrong tube train. No matter 4 stops later we changed and got home okay, well at least to the local for a pint and hot chocolate.
Tomorrow promises to be another big day out.
From Lorraine:
Really enjoyed wandering around, we covered a lot of ground again and the architecture was spectacular. There are some really amazing neighbourhoods here.
2019-09-10 - History & Politics
So today was about doing a lot of inner London sights. The day started really early for me planning out the day. Google is a boon for planning, I simply work out an itinerary, then save it, then break it down into 2 part sectors to get the public transport legs and directions. In order it was as follows:
- Old Bailey
- St Paul's Cathedral
- The London Stone
- The Monument
- London Bridge
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- Parliament
- Big Ben
- Downing Street
With a little stuffing around we eventually reached St Paul's Cathedral. There was an entry fee but if you were saying a prayer it was free so Lorraine went in to pay her respects and then took in a little sightseeing. I stayed outside, the life of an atheist is a tortured one.
Then it was onto the Old Bailey, more as a tick box, really didn't want to bother with security to go inside and see a court case.
London Stone (look it up) we believe had been moved due to road works, but we found a nice little garden where we thought the London Stone would be.
Another double decker bus ride over London Bridge, discovered a nice chapel, then walked back over LB to the Monument to the London Fires.
Then it was Tower of London, a formidable place full of history and another WOW moment.
Then we crossed Tower Bridge, very awesome and incredible, when crossing London Bridge we did get pics of it being raised and lowered.
But the piece de resistance was the houses of parliament, they are simply breathtaking, even with all the renovation scaffolding. Unfortunately Big Ben was completely covered for reno's, cest la vie.
New Scotland Yard followed by a garden with statue memorials and we were on our way to 10 Downing Street. However we were treated to an unexpected surprise of the Cavalry changing of the guard at the Cavalry barracks.
Downing Street was a little disappointing as Lorraine thought we could actually walk past it, but Downing Street is closed to all traffic and guarded by a multitude of heavily armed police.
From here we were going to go elsewhere but it had been a big day so we took a tube back to base with Lorraine saving us from a trip to Wimbledon when I rushed us on to the wrong tube train. No matter 4 stops later we changed and got home okay, well at least to the local for a pint and hot chocolate.
Tomorrow promises to be another big day out.
From Lorraine:
Really enjoyed wandering around, we covered a lot of ground again and the architecture was spectacular. There are some really amazing neighbourhoods here.
2019-09-10 - History & Politics
09 September 2019
British Museum, and Baker Street
Today was a fairly awesome day. Actually it was a thoroughly awesome day.
We woke up to a typical London day, overcast with intermittent rain and a temperature high of 14 degrees which meant our activities would be mainly indoors.
We hit the public transport pretty hard today and I'm sure we covered the majority of the Monopoly board eg. Kings Cross Station, Marylebone St, Regent St, Euston Station, Piccadilly and the list goes on. I have to say we are loving the bus and train system, it is ridiculously easy to navigate so much so that even I can do it and those who know me know that I get lost in hotel foyers, much to Sean's amusement.
First stop was Kings Cross Station and the 9 3/4 platform from Harry Potter. Yes it is between platforms 9 and 10 but its not really a platform, it's in the train terminal.
We then headed to the British Museum. We had to get off at Russell Street Station. It is so far underground that EVERYONE has to use a lift to get to the surface. Upon arrival we skipped the queue due to Sean's disability. This happens quite a lot. He is a little uncomfortable with it but I think it's great. The museum itself is very impressive and so were many of the exhibits.
From there it was off to Baker Street, the home of Sherlock Holmes. As a pseudo fanboy of Sherlock Holmes, Sean was in heaven. I thought it was pretty impressive too. Recent incarnations of Sherlock Holmes are Detective Goren - Law and Order Criminal Intent (a Sherlock based character); and Sean now has the trifecta, Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, and Law and Order Criminal Intent TV shows seeing the areas where the shows were filmed (New York) or where/what the characters were based on; Elementary (Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Lui); and Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman). The museum was simply awesome.
We then caught a double decker home, again upstairs front row and we ended the day at the Local. Nice!!
On a separate note, we kept seeing 'Mind the Gap' slogans on Underground signs, t-shirts, hoodies etc. It wasn't until we caught a tube train that we understood what it meant. Prior to the train stopping at a platform an announcement was made saying 'Mind the Gap'. Turns out that at some stations there is a 40cm gap between the platform and the train. So the announcement "mind the gap" is repeated to remind you not to fall into the gap between the platform and carriage. It was a little unnerving the first time I had to step over it.
2019-09-09 - Platform 9 3/4, British Museum, Baker St
08 September 2019
Soho, Buckingham and Wanderings
Today we ventured out of our neighborhood which meant trying out the public transport. We bought our oyster card and firstly tested out the Underground. It was fairly easy to navigate even for me, the lines were color coded and everything was clearly signed.
Our first stop was Piccadilly Circus. Wow was my first impression. The architecture was stunning. We wandered through Soho, not much happening but it was early Sunday morning and then headed to the West End theatre district. So much to look at. We continued to Trafalgar Square and then headed to Buckingham Palace. The road to the palace was blocked to traffic (only on Sundays) so we were able to walk the long road to the entrance.
The Palace did not disappoint. It is smaller than it looks on TV but it was captivating. We were surprised at the crowds, not as many as we thought which made getting to the gate quite easy. We watched the guards and were fortunate enough to see them move. One changed his rifle position and the other paced up and down a few times to stretch his legs. No one can stand still for long periods of time so it was nice to see they had permission to stretch although the one that paced had a very odd marching style, it was far from polished, more like a tired drunken soldier. It was hilarious.
We were quite far from our hotel so we caught a double decker bus back. Top deck, front row.
We again paid homage to our local and I even tried an English beer. I couldn't finish it so Sean obliged of course.
Another long day, sore feet but well worth it.
PS. The sun was out today. Yay!!
PSS. A plate of fish and chips costs $30. It is cheaper to eat foreign food than English food.
2019-09-08 - Soho, Buckingham + Wanderings
07 September 2019
Kensington Gardens and Wanderings
After a rest in the room, we ventured out to Kensington Gardens to see the Princess Diana memorials and sights. The memorial garden is a child's playground and you have to have a child to enter, so we left that area. Then we wandered over to Round Pond to see the birds, swans, geese and seagulls aplenty.
Then we wandered over to Kensington Palace which initially was underwhelming, we did not feel the entry price of 24 pound was justified so just looked from outside. Then we found the front entry where there are tributes and memorials to Diana strewn about the main gate.
From there we wandered through the gardens which to be honest by comparison to say Tokyo gardens or even some of the Australian garden parks was ho-hum.
Except for the immediate area around the Round Pond where the wildlife is, everywhere else is an off leash area for dogs. So long as they come when called and you keep them in sight they can wander to their heart's content. Most running around with their owners playing fetch or chasing each other.
After a brief bench rest, we wandered out of the gardens for a stroll around the suburbs and back to the hotel for a rest.
We then went out for dinner at an awesome Italian restaurant where the food is all hand selected or grown or made including the beverages. Then back to the room for a well deserved sleep.
2019-09-07 - Kensington Gardens + Wanderings
Then we wandered over to Kensington Palace which initially was underwhelming, we did not feel the entry price of 24 pound was justified so just looked from outside. Then we found the front entry where there are tributes and memorials to Diana strewn about the main gate.
From there we wandered through the gardens which to be honest by comparison to say Tokyo gardens or even some of the Australian garden parks was ho-hum.
Except for the immediate area around the Round Pond where the wildlife is, everywhere else is an off leash area for dogs. So long as they come when called and you keep them in sight they can wander to their heart's content. Most running around with their owners playing fetch or chasing each other.
After a brief bench rest, we wandered out of the gardens for a stroll around the suburbs and back to the hotel for a rest.
We then went out for dinner at an awesome Italian restaurant where the food is all hand selected or grown or made including the beverages. Then back to the room for a well deserved sleep.
2019-09-07 - Kensington Gardens + Wanderings
Portobello Road Markets
All of Lorraine's research on Portobello Road suggested an early start was wise. So with a restless night of trying to adjust body clocks to a new time zone we were awake early. The hotel doesn't do breakfast but they do have pastries at reception so armed with tea and pastries for breakfast we headed out just after 7:30am. The goal was to find the Notting Hill Blue door, the colourful row of houses and a few other quirky areas recommended by bloggers. Well somehow we ended up geographically misplaced and at the start of Portobello Road just in time to watch the stall holders setting up, and there are a lot of them.
Heading down PB Road even at 8am it had a busy feel about it. It is one long road with stalls either side. Roads were closed and this narrow street became a huge hub for bargain hunters and antique collectors. We have never seen so many antique dealers in one place and the antique market is only on on a Saturday. As we were leaving around 10.30 am, hundreds of people were arriving (the blogs were right from 11.00 am its mayhem). No exaggeration, the crowds were unbelievable. At one stage we got caught in the throng and it was literally a push to move through.
Having narrowly escaped the masses, we wandered around the neighbourhood and what a classy neighbourhood it is. Tree lined streets, floral window boxes and rows upon rows of well kept terrace houses. Just stunning!!
Sore feet required an obligatory visit to our local and then we headed off to Kensington Gardens and of course the royal palace.
TOGuy
2019-09-07 - Portobello Road
Heading down PB Road even at 8am it had a busy feel about it. It is one long road with stalls either side. Roads were closed and this narrow street became a huge hub for bargain hunters and antique collectors. We have never seen so many antique dealers in one place and the antique market is only on on a Saturday. As we were leaving around 10.30 am, hundreds of people were arriving (the blogs were right from 11.00 am its mayhem). No exaggeration, the crowds were unbelievable. At one stage we got caught in the throng and it was literally a push to move through.
Having narrowly escaped the masses, we wandered around the neighbourhood and what a classy neighbourhood it is. Tree lined streets, floral window boxes and rows upon rows of well kept terrace houses. Just stunning!!
Sore feet required an obligatory visit to our local and then we headed off to Kensington Gardens and of course the royal palace.
TOGuy
2019-09-07 - Portobello Road
06 September 2019
Arrived in London, Finally, but not quite.....
So after a 4 hour layover we arrived in London at Stansted. Never, ever, ever travel via Stansted.
Customs control was good, we were through the disabled line in minutes, then the fun started. Emirates separate their luggage carousels with 1st and Business Classes having their own carousel, Economy or cattle class scum like us have the same size carousel, but four flights get lumped into it. We waited close on 60 minutes for our luggage to arrive, so despite being 20 minutes early landing, we did not get out of customs until an hour and 35 minutes following landing.
We waited as directed for our driver at the prescribed place, and waited, and waited. Then decided after a 20 minute wait and search to call the company, only to get recorded services and systems. At $2 per minute I was not going to wait on hold for who knows how long. So I went for another wander and found the driver looking for us. He was waiting outside, nowhere near the prescribed meeting point, only came in because he phoned the office and they said to go inside.
After getting in the car and a quick chat we were told it would be a near 2 hour drive to the hotel, 50 mile drive in peak hour which starts at 2pm and goes through to 8pm apparently.
So we get to "a" Kensington Court Hotel at 5pm, the driver leaves, we drag the suitcases into the foyer and learn it is not "our" Kensington Court Hotel. I knew there were two, but we specifically told the driver the address, he just dropped us at the KCH he thought was the one. So a £20 cab ride eventually has us at the right Kensington Court Hotel. The one at Prince's Square, the one not in a dumpy neighborhood, the one in Notting Hill that is charming.
The staff are awesome, tea and pastries on arrival in the foyer while we check in, we had a choice of rooms, we chose the ground floor without looking at the 1st floor to avoid the stairs. Its clean, tidy and the wifi is quick and easy to use.
They made a recommendation for a pub across the road which was awesome, great food, great service and then we went for a post dinner walk before coming back to the room to shower and take a well needed rest after around 36 hours of traveling. It has been a very very long day.
Of course here are the obligatory photos:
2019-09-06 - Notting Hill
Customs control was good, we were through the disabled line in minutes, then the fun started. Emirates separate their luggage carousels with 1st and Business Classes having their own carousel, Economy or cattle class scum like us have the same size carousel, but four flights get lumped into it. We waited close on 60 minutes for our luggage to arrive, so despite being 20 minutes early landing, we did not get out of customs until an hour and 35 minutes following landing.
We waited as directed for our driver at the prescribed place, and waited, and waited. Then decided after a 20 minute wait and search to call the company, only to get recorded services and systems. At $2 per minute I was not going to wait on hold for who knows how long. So I went for another wander and found the driver looking for us. He was waiting outside, nowhere near the prescribed meeting point, only came in because he phoned the office and they said to go inside.
After getting in the car and a quick chat we were told it would be a near 2 hour drive to the hotel, 50 mile drive in peak hour which starts at 2pm and goes through to 8pm apparently.
So we get to "a" Kensington Court Hotel at 5pm, the driver leaves, we drag the suitcases into the foyer and learn it is not "our" Kensington Court Hotel. I knew there were two, but we specifically told the driver the address, he just dropped us at the KCH he thought was the one. So a £20 cab ride eventually has us at the right Kensington Court Hotel. The one at Prince's Square, the one not in a dumpy neighborhood, the one in Notting Hill that is charming.
The staff are awesome, tea and pastries on arrival in the foyer while we check in, we had a choice of rooms, we chose the ground floor without looking at the 1st floor to avoid the stairs. Its clean, tidy and the wifi is quick and easy to use.
They made a recommendation for a pub across the road which was awesome, great food, great service and then we went for a post dinner walk before coming back to the room to shower and take a well needed rest after around 36 hours of traveling. It has been a very very long day.
Of course here are the obligatory photos:
2019-09-06 - Notting Hill
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