Wed Jun 19 - Singapore to Sydney
The last day of our big adventure. We departed the Fullerton Hotel at 6:30am for a 9:30am direct flight to Sydney. We skipped breakfast at the hotel and had the "free" (as one friend has pointed out - we have paid for it in our Business Class fare) breakfast at the Singapore Airlines Business Class lounge at Changi Airport.
We are happy to say that everything went smoothly. There was a delay of 20 minutes in departing due to "congestion" (we must have brought that with us from London) but we still arrived in Sydney about 30 minutes ahead of schedule (at 7pm Sydney time). We were on a Boeing 777 this time and the seats (business class) were a bit different to those on the Airbus A380 we had used previously, but were just as comfortable.
The flight was smooth with no turbulence to speak of and we did manage to get some rest on the flight. On arrival in Sydney we had a dream run through customs and immigration and the only holdup was the usual merry-go-round at the baggage pickup. There was no queue for a taxi at the rank and we were home by 8:40pm.
We were warmly greeted by our cat, Lillian, who has been under the excellent live-in care of a friend for these past 7 weeks.
Tue Jun 18 - Singapore
Our last full day in Singapore - we get picked up at 6:30am tomorrow to catch the 9:30am flight back to Sydney.
We both had record sleeps last night - 12+ hours. This morning when we got up it was hot (30C), humid and raining hard but it did ease up after breakfast. The breakfast feast here at the Fullerton Hotel is something to be seen. Chefs on call left, right and centre to cook your omelette the way you like it, toast your bread to your specifications, cook your Asian breakfast soup, etc. When you finish one course the staff will take your plate and give you new cutlery for the next course.
It was still drizzling and humid when we left the hotel at about 10am and we headed straight for the Asian Civilisations Museum directly across the river. We planned to stay for a couple of hours before moving onto the National Art Gallery next door. We spent 4 hours in the museum and still did not see everything they had on display. It is an impressive display of Asian history through their art and artifacts. We would recommend it to anyone.
The first exhibit is the Tang Shipwreck. This puts on display some of the 70,000 items recovered from a 9th century shipwreck that was carrying trade goods from China to the Middle East. The ship was from the middle east and was wrecked just off the island of Sumatra. It gets the name Tang Shipwreck because the goods it carried were made in China during the Tang Dynasty. Among those goods were 60,000 items of ceramics, many were extremely valuable even back then.
Nearly all of those items on display were fully intact. A few items were displayed covered in coral and other marine organisms along with a few broken items to demonstrate the work that was involved in recovering and displaying the items.
Some of the thousands of stoneware bowls carried on the ship
Other items included gold and silver coins, silvered mirrors, jars and pitchers - many with exquisite ornamental carvings and glaze-work. One mirror that was found has only ever been known from written documents of that time and another was a rare antique, it was already over 1,000 years old, when the ship sailed.
Another exhibit displayed the fine porcelain made in various parts of China throughout history. It gave the fascinating history of how the various manufacturers competed with each other and responded to market demands for new products. From the 17th century onward, they were even making products specifically for European buyers but their products had appeared in Europe and elsewhere long before that via the Silk Road.
Some of the porcelain pieces, all made in the 17th century and earlier, on display
By the afternoon when we left the museum the rain had stopped (but not the humidity).
We ventured out to the restaurants by the river that we had "discovered" yesterday. On the way Meg made some new friends, as she has done throughout this trip.
The restaurants are in an area known as "The Boat Quay". We selected a restaurant, checked its food safety certificate (which all eateries are required to have and display) and were shown to an absolute waterfront table.
Alfresco dining by the river
It was a delicious meal followed by an equally delicious dessert. On the way back we took a shot of the hotel and its environs from the river side.
A note regarding prices. It turns out that our hotels charges for food and dring that we commented on somewhat unfavourably yesterday were really no different from what we experienced today elsewhere. If you want cheap food, and there are plenty of places in Singapore to get it, then you will need to go to food stalls and food courts at shopping centres and be prepared to wait in line and then look for a seat at a table. But go to a restaurant or cafe and you will get waiter service which will incur a service charge of about 12.5% plus the GST.
Back in the hotel lobby, Meg made more new friends with the Fullerton Bears - "Lizzy" and "Robby".
We organised to get a 5:30am wake up call and called it a night.
Sun Jun 16 to Mon Jun 17 - London to Singapore
We were picked up at our hotel at 7:50am for the trip to Heathrow. After passing through security we checked in to the Singapore Airlines Business Class Lounge and indulged in a full English breakfast. Our flight was due to depart at 11:25 so we were able to relax in the lounge.
Boarding proceeded normally (top deck of an Airbus A380 - very nice) and at 11:25 the doors were sealed. Then the captain announced that because of congestion at Heathrow our departure would be delayed 20-25 minutes. It was actually about an hour later that we took off.
A bit over 13 hours flight time to Singapore.
We caught up on some movies that we missed when they were in the cinemas and caught up on some sleep. After 7 weeks we were both feeling the effects of a long and sometimes hectic trip.
Arrival in Singapore was just after 8:30am (local time and an hour late) and we were driven to our hotel, The Fullerton.
The lobby of the Fullerton
The Fullerton Hotel (right) built in the old historic Fullerton Building
The hotel is built in one of Singapore's historic buildings, the Fullerton Building and they have retained the facade and many of the original features. Because we arrived before check in time, we handed over our bags and went exploring around the area.
When in Singapore don't be afraid to ask for directions from the locals
The former Fish Market is now a street food venue
The Singapore River flows right past our hotel
Sydney towers have building problems, but take a look at this one - big holes everywhere!
We had a light lunch at one of the three buffet restaurants at the hotel but at $86 (Singapore) per person, roughly the same in $AU, plus the morning tea bill of $42 (Singapore) for 2 pots of teabag tea and two cookies and we will be eating elsewhere.
We finally got into our room at 3PM and we calculated that we had been on the move for just over 24 hours - so we crashed. Our room is very nice though.
The view from our balcony - the Marina Bay Sands where we stayed earlier
The hotel balcony on our floor is the long colonnade of the original building
The rooms are very nice, possibly one the nicest we have stayed in.
After crashing, we ventured out again but time across the river into the Arts District. Here there are several major art galleries and museums.
After crashing, we ventured out again but time across the river into the Arts District. Here there are several major art galleries and museums.
One of two ancient Chinese statues (above) outside the Asian Civilisation Museum (and no, I am not the other one!). By crossing the river we were able to get a good view of the buildings upstream from our hotel and to see the contrast that is visible everywhere in Singapore between the old and the new.
The river bank walk is lined with a wide variety of restaurants (each of the two story buildings in the image above) all offering specials and "happy hours". This may have answered our question of where to eat tomorrow.
The River Walk passing alongside the restaurants shown in the earlier image. Each restaurant has a river front seating area on the left of the walk
Two British Pubs are also among the restaurant offerings
Some of the Galleries and Museums as seen from the retaurant side of the river
One of many sculptures along the river walk on both sides
Our last full day in the UK and after some discussion and consulting Dr Google, we decided to make a train trip to Canterbury. The route, times and trains were all organised by Dr Google.
Unfortunately, reality struck in the form of weekend trackwork on the District line from Earls Court to Victoria Station. Route hurriedly re-organised using the Picadilly and Victoria lines to get us to Victoria Station.
Victoria Station and its large train destination board
Our train was a National Rail service from Victoria to Dover Priory (stopping at Canterbury East). Travel time about 2 hrs 20 minutes. I am happy to say that we departed and arrived on time.
The walk from the station to the city center was interesting and crowded. There was a big Gay Pride celebration and concert in Canterbury in a park right next to the railway station. Lots of young people, rainbow flags and strange outfits.
After lunch our first call was the Roman Museum. Canterbury was a major Roman city from the invasion to about 350CE when the Romans left Britain. This is a small but very well laid out museum built on the ruins of a roman house. The flooring, with its mosaic tile patterns, and other structures of the original house are displayed in situ behind glass. The museum also recreates a Roman market street, as discovered in a dig under the buildings of Canterbury.
A food sellers stall, as it would have existed in Roman times
A very rare find - a Roman Soldiers helmet (the hole is due to corrosion not battle)
From the museum it was just a short walk to Canterbury Cathedral. There is an entrance fee that has to be paid to enter the Cathedral Quarter of the town.
The Cathedral entrance is between buildings
The Cathedral is undergoing a major restoration so much of its exterior and some of its interior is covered in scaffolding and construction hoardings.
The main tower
Inside the Cathedral
Part of the ruins of the original Norman Chapel and Infirmary, on the north side of the Cathedral
Back in the town, the crowds were building up. A combination of the good weather, a weekend and the festival.
The Old Weavers House - built 1507
For the return trip to London, we caught the high speed service from Canterbury West station which is on a completely different line to the one we came in on. This service took just 50 minutes to travel to St Pancras International Station in London because it uses the London - Paris high speed track. The trip on the tube from St Pancras back to Earls Court, however, was packed.
Tomorrow an early morning departure to catch our flight to Singapore.
Tomorrow an early morning departure to catch our flight to Singapore.
A day trip to Oxford by train. It was an interesting experience in several different ways.
We caught the District line service from Earls Court to Paddington Terminal Station with the intention of easily boarding a train to Oxford. But at Paddington the indicator boards tell you when your train is scheduled to depart but not which one of the 14 platforms. That information is revealed only a few minutes before departure. So there is always a crowd of people standing in front of the indicator board and, when the secret information is revealed, there is a mad rush to the barrier gates.
To make matters worse, the first available train to Oxford was departing late and it was a long distance through express train so it was packed, standing room only in 2nd class. Fifteen minutes after we departed we arrived at the first station, Slough, where Meg was able to get a seat. Ten minutes later we reached the second station, Reading, and more seats became available so I was able to join her. Between these two stations I had parked myself in a seat in the 1st class section which was almost empty.
Eventually we made it to Oxford, about 1 hour after departing Paddington.
Meg greets the Oxford Bull outside the University Business School next to the station
It is a short walk from the station to the centre of Oxford which is the University. The town grew up around the University which was created in 1096, making it the second oldest European University still in operation.
First port of call along Broad St is Blackwells Bookshop, established 1879. The Oxford store is the largest bookshop in the UK - 4 levels including a cavernous basement full of books.
Blackwells Bookshop, Broad St Oxford
We spent some time browsing their very extensive collection. Apart from a few brief showers after we reached Oxford, the day was generally warm (for England) and sunny.
The Sheldonian Theatre
Alongside the bookshop is the one of the main University Libraries, the Weston Libray, and on the next street corner is the Oxford Martin School in the Old Indian Institute building.
The Old Indian Institute Building
Walk a short distance along the street, which runs left to right in front of the building shown in the image above, and you will get a number of picture opportunities.
Meg could not resist this photo opportunity
... and a little further along Catte Street ...
We could not resist this photo opportunity
Further along still you will find some very interesting architecture.
The Radcliffe Camera (Latin for "Room") built in 1747 to house the Science Library
On the other side of Catte St from the Radcliffe Camera is All Souls College.
All Souls College
And overlooking them both is the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, built in the 13th Century it is one of the oldest buildings in the University. Part of it is now used as a cafeteria while religious services are still conducted in another part.
University Church of St Mary the Virgin
The town itself has modern shops (often in older building) and some have interesting features like the clock below on the side of one old building.
An old "leaning house"
The stone work on one of the pillars of the St Mary the Virgin Church
I am pleased to say that our return train trip to Paddington was much easier and saner. We boarded an express train that started from Oxford so there were plenty of seats available but by the time it arrived at Paddington it was crowded.
After returning to London we had dinner at a very nice and very popular Indian restaurant just up the Earls Court Rd from us. After dinner it was still light enough to go for a stroll around the neighbourhood.
Hogarth Road, the street behind our hotel
Most of these building are apartments, usually one per floor (including the basement) in each building.
The apartments in Barkston Gardens on the other side of the park from our hotel
The park shown above, which is just across the road from our hotel, is a private park and not accessable to the general public. London has many of these private parks which are owned and maintained by the owners of apartments nearby. In the case shown above, the apartment owners in the red brick building at the very end of the park (just visible among the foliage in the image background) are the owners of this park.
Another rainy day and the rain persisted until late in the afternoon and was heavy at times. Another day for indoor activities.
The Tate Britain Gallery (a ride on the District line and then the Victoria line from Earls Court) has been the repository of British art since it opened in 1897. It is one of the largest art museums in the country. It has a substantial collection of art from the United Kingdom since Tudor times and a significant collection of the works of J.M.W. Turner, one of the most highly regarded British painters of the 19th Century. The Turner collection occupies almost an entire wing of the gallery.
Meg leaning into one of the many Turners on display
... and casts a critical eye over others
I have my preferences in art. Romantic (i.e. classical Greek, Roman) and religous subjects are not among my preferences. So Turner failed to impress me there but his maritime scenes of ships at sea, sometimes fighting storms or each other, and his landscapes of Venice showing the sea, the city architecture and the sky, did impress me. One room had a comparison between Turner and Constable, both contemporary British landscape painters but with very different styles. For nature landscapes, Constable in my view is "King".
Also on display at the Tate was a special ticketed exhibition, Van Gogh and Britain. I did not know that Van Gogh spent some time in Britain studying art and observing British artists and their works. He stated that British art was a major influence on his own work. This exhibition was more about those influences although several of his paintings (none painted in Britain) were in the exhibition together a number of his sketches which he did make here.
His paintings were shown alongside the works of British artists from the same period that he had seen while in London and at shows in Paris and elsewhere. The influences of those works in the Van Gogh paintings were explained. He was very interested in British writers, such as Charles Dickens and others, and their works also provided subject matter for some of his later paintings.
"The Prison Yard" Vincent Van Gogh
The prison scene shown above came from Charles Dickens stories and the walks that Van Gogh had made past several British prisons. It was also influenced by a similar sketches he had seen made by prisoners and other artists.
"Starry Night" Vincent Van Gogh. One of several he painted with that title
Meg examining one of the Van Goghs on display
One port of call (just a few stops on the tube - one of the advantages of London) was St Pancras Station. This is the Eurostar terminal for London where all the high speed international trains depart for Paris, Brussels and other places. There is even a direct service from London to the front entrance of Euro Disneyland near Paris (with daily services during school holidays).
St Pancras is one of the most magnificent railway terminal stations ever built and before the arrival of the Eurostar trains was destined to be demolished.
St Pancras Station from the platform (first floor) level. Shops and ticketing are on the ground floor
Another view showing part of the roof. When it was built in the 1860s it was the largest single span roof in the world
The front of St Pancras
The news reports last night were showing flooding in some parts of London and the weather reports were talking about more rain on the way for this afternoon. We decided that a trip to the British Museum would be ideal for a wet day.
We caught the Piccadilly Line tube train from Earls Court Station to Holborn Station.
Commuting on the Piccadilly Line
From there we walked to the British Museum. This is a huge institution that occupies an entire city block.
The imposing front entrance to the British Museum
Everything about this museum is huge, including some of the exhibits.
The Ancient Egyptian exhibit occupies several floors and many galleries. We spent all morning there and failed to cover even half of it.
Meg is "going Egyptian"
My, what a big pussy cat!
A larger than life statue of Pharaoh Ramses II
Other "big heads" also filled this gallery
Meg's favourite
As well as a large collection of burial artifacts (sarcophagi, mummies, canopic jars, etc) they also had some pre-Dynastic (before the Pharaohs) burials such as the tomb of a warrior shown below.
By lunchtime we were exhausted and retreated to the cafe for lunch. We had hardly covered the Egyptian Exhibits and then there was the Assyrian, Greek, Roman and other ancient exhibits before you even got the more recent stuff. It would take weeks to fully explore this museum.
After lunch and a tour of the museums extensive bookshop, we travelled by tube to Oxford Street to do some shopping (more looking than shopping) at the upmarket Selfridges Department Store. Very pricy. Even two glasses of apple juice at the store cafe set us back £9 (about $AU17).
Oxford Street London, in Summer. Selfridges is the large building on the right
After a night in "the shoebox" we asked for and got a room upgrade to a much bigger room, so we are now happier campers. On the downside, the Wi-Fi in the new room is much slower than it was in the old room so I had to move down to the bar with its faster Wi-Fi to update this blog. So on second thought, that is not a "downside".
Today's forecast was much better than yesterdays actual weather so we decided to do some outdoor exploring along the River Thames. Specifically Ham House at Richmond and Marble Hill House directly opposite on the other bank of the river at Twickenham.
We caught the underground from Earls Court Station to Richmond Station and then a bus to near our destination. This was followed by a 15 minute walk along the south bank of the River Thames. In this part of outer London the river has a rural look and you would believe that you are out in the countryside.
Riverboats and other water craft are moored on the northern bank
One of the sights along the Thames
The house is regarded as the most authentic 17th century home in Europe in the sense that it still contains many of its original fittings, paintings, furniture and that the building has not been significantly altered during the last 400 years.
It also has the only surviving "Still House" in England. A "Still House" (usually a room attached to the house) is where herbal remedies, cosmetics and perfumes were made. Still Houses were once quite common. But as houses were renovated and these products became more readily available from other sources, the Still Houses were either removed or repurposed for other uses.
The house and its extensive gardens were handed over to the UK National Trust in 1948 after being in the possession of the same family since it was given to William Murray. The house is open for inspection by the public.
The main entrance hall
The ante-chamber in the Queen's Apartment
One of the few changes made to the building was to create a royal apartment for Queen Henrietta-Maria, the wife of King Charles I.
The bed chamber of the Duchess of Lauderdale (shown above). The Duchess, formerly Elizabeth Murray, was married to William Murray and, after he died, she gained the title when she married the Duke of Lauderdale. It was Elizabeth who made the house what it is today.
This room had a secret passage down to the Duchess's bathroom, the first bathroom to be installed in a English house.
Meg inspects the Duchess's bathroom in the basement
The Duchess was a pioneer in personal hygiene. At a time when bathing was considered to be harmful, she had this bathroom built with a tub in which warm water would be poured over her by servants. She even had a bathhouse built for the servants (but cold water only which must have been fun in winter).
On the other side of the river is Marble Hill House, the home built in the early 18th century by a most remarkable woman, Henrietta Howard, the Countess of Suffolk.
Marble Hill House seen from across the Thames
The problem, of course, is how to get across since there is no bridge nearby. Fortunately there is a ferry service. There is no timetable, just turn up on the Ham Hill side and wave. The ferryman will see you and come across to pick you up.
Meg enjoying the ferry ride
Henrietta Howard was the mistress of King George II and at the same time, a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen, which made for some very awkward relationships.
The house was one of the first in England to be built in the Palladian Villa style and was much smaller or more compact that existing houses. As a result, it became a popular attraction both in its day, an attraction that continues today. Unfortunately, it was closed all this week.
Mon Jun10 - Galway to London
We departed Galway around 8:30 am for the drive to Shannon Airport just over an hour away. The motorways here in Ireland have 120 km/hr speed limits which makes the travelling so much quicker.
We returned the car to Avis at the airport and checked in our luggage. Because this was a bigger aircraft than last time, an A320 (about the size of a Boeing 737), we thought that Meg would get her hand luggage into the aircraft, but no, it went in with the big baggage (with no excess charge).
The plane left on time but arrived in London Heathrow about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled (go figure!). It flew straight in with no delays. We were driven from the airport to our hotel by a limousine service. All very nice!
London turned on a right royal welcome for us - cold and wet.
Just around the corner from our hotel is Earls Court Road in Earls Court (as shown above). Lots of pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes. We dined at one of the pubs and retired early (age does that).
Our hotel is definitely not "upmarket". It has the smallest room that we have yet been in - shoebox sized in comparison to all the others but we do not plan on spending much time in the room.
Tomorrow is forecast to be "less wet" than today. Because we no longer have a car, trips will be local by foot or public transport.
Some Final Thoughts on Ireland
Ireland is a very beautiful and rugged country, as some of our images show. The people are friendly and accommodating.
But there was one thing we that found that greatly amused us and, we believe, reveals something of the character of the place. That thing is the signs that are displayed everywhere you go. Every country has signs telling you what to do and what not to do, but the Irish seem to have a knack for making them funny. Here are a just few of those that we observed.
Outside a park
In a shopping center toilet
The door to a pub before opening time
Outside a knit wear shop
Sun Jun 9 - Galway
Our last full day in Ireland. An early morning (6 am) peek out the window looked promising - blue sky, some clouds but mostly white ones. By breakfast it was raining and we could see more rain bands coming across the bay. But by the end of breakfast the rain had stopped and the sun started to reappear. This is summer in Ireland.
We decided to go ahead with our exploration of Galway City.
We caught the route 401 bus from the Salthill Promenade outside our hotel to the city centre but we left the bus a few stops beforehand at the Spanish Arch.
The arch, one of 4 built in the city wall in 1584, had nothing to do with Spain. They were partially destroyed by the Tsunami created by the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. This one was rebuilt in 2006 using the original stones.
From the arch we walked along the narrow pedestrian malls (of cobbled stone) in the old city, which like many other Irish cities, are filled with pubs, cafes, tourist and other shops.
Quay Street. It is still early (10 am) Sunday and some places are just starting to open
It took us several walks up and down before the streets came fully to life. Galway suffers from the same problems cities have everywhere - some really bad buskers and hustlers trying to extract coins from you such as people dressed up as very poor imitations of Leprechauns.
There are several adjoining narrow lanes that form part of the pedestrian mall. By 11 am most of the shops were open (although some did not open until 12 noon or 1 pm). There is a modern shopping center located at the end of one of these streets (William Street) and it does have an interesting feature.
Between 1250 and 1270 a defensive wall was built around the then much smaller Galway city. Most of this wall has since gone but one significant section remained, although in disrepair. It was right where the shopping centre was to be built. Instead of destroying this historic structure, it was restored and incorporated into the building.
The wall continues into the background to a second guard tower visible in the image background. On one side of the wall is a major department store (Dunnes) and the entire structure is now fully under cover. Posters along the wall tell of its history and preservation.
The River Coriib - a fast flowing stream passes through Galway
Galway is a working port and has a docks area with ships carrying goods to and from all the nearby islands.
In the afternoon we returned to the hotel and noted that the beach area and promenade were busy with local (and probably tourists) taking in the warm Sunday sun. So we joined them to take a few photographs.
The hotel and a neighbouring amusement park as seen from the rock pool wall - the pool only has water at high tide
The rock pool
The "Jungle Beach Cafe"
Despite the number of people on the promenade, only a few hardy souls were getting wet. The image above shows a few brave swimmers further out past the end of the rock wall. The windchill factor when leaving the water would have been very bracing.
This morning we set out to visit a region of North West Ireland known as "The Conamara" (Gaelic spelling - English spelling is "Connemara"). This is a cultural region of County Galway and contains a large number of the Connacht Irish, people who speak a particular dialect of Gaelic.
The town of Spiddle, a short distance from Galway, is on the edge of The Conamara and has a thriving arts and crafts community that are grouped together in a series of buildings, each containing individual workshops and showrooms. We inspected a few of the enterprises and made some purchases.
As we drove further into the region we noticed that the number of English language and dual Gaelic-English language signs decreased to be replaced by purely Gaelic language signs. Street and road names, historical marker signs and even many road safety signs were Gaelic only. It was a good thing that we already knew that "Go Mall" was Gaelic for "Slow".
Geographically, The Conamara coastline has many peninsulas, all with very rocky shores, and numerous islands. Inland it has many rocky outcrops and many lakes. Because of the difficulty of the terrain, there were no roads in the Conamara until the 1820s. Even today's modern roads through the relatively flat region are winding and undulating.
A sea arm in the Conamara showing rocky islets and shorelines
The vegetation is reminiscent of the moors or heathlands of Scotland.
One of the larger loughs (lakes) with the Maumfurk Mountains in the background
The road we took from Galway is part of the Wild Atlantic Way and, therefore, mostly hugs the coastline. Towns are rare and villages are few and far between but the coastline is dotted with individual houses, or small groups of houses. Most have very commanding views of the bays and inlets.
For the return trip to Galway we took the direct route - this takes about 1 hour. It also took us closer to the mountain range that crosses The Conamara and provides such a striking contrast to the relatively flat landscape.
We returned to our hotel about 7 hours after we departed. That makes two days in a row with a lot of driving on often narrow winding roads. We have decided to spend Sunday exploring Galway by public transport and foot for a respite.
Fri Jun 7 - Killarney to Galway
A house with a very nice view
Many areas are water logged and "boggy"
Grazing sheep, cattle and donkeys seems to be the only farming activity in the region
Taking the coastal route means that the trip to the largest town in The Conamara, Clifden, takes hours longer than the direct route, the N59. So after three hours of twisting and turning we bailed out of the Wild Atlantic Way and took a short cut to the N59 for a quicker trip in.
For a town the size of Clifden, we were surprised to discover that the tourism information office was closed on a Saturday. We found a cafe and had a light lunch.
For the return trip to Galway we took the direct route - this takes about 1 hour. It also took us closer to the mountain range that crosses The Conamara and provides such a striking contrast to the relatively flat landscape.
A panorama shot (click for a closer view)
We returned to our hotel about 7 hours after we departed. That makes two days in a row with a lot of driving on often narrow winding roads. We have decided to spend Sunday exploring Galway by public transport and foot for a respite.
We left late (about 11am) under mostly sunny skies for the last leg of our Tour de Ireland. Because we had a lot of time to kill before checking in at our hotel in Galway, we decided to detour via the Cliff of Moher, one of the most famous and most visited natural attractions in Ireland. It would be a long drive, just over 4 hours.
We stopped at the village of Adare on the road to Limerick (just south of Shannon) for a very light lunch. One of the charms of this village is the thatched roofs on some of its buildings. We had, up to this point, not seen many houses with thatched roofs.
Thatched roof house at Adare. Note the authentic looking front entrance
After our departure from Adare, the weather changed abruptly to the occasional heavy downpour followed by frequent showers. But when we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher at about 2pm the sun was out again.
It is an interesting place. The first thing you see is the car park and all the tour coaches parked in the bus area. Then you notice the drive-in toll booths (three of them) where you pay not per car but per passenger. After parking you cross the main road and walk to the Visitor Experience Centre which has been built underground into the side of a hill.
The underground Visitor Experience Centre
The Visitor Experience Centre is two stories (with a lift). Entrance and souvenir shop on the ground floor and restaurant on the top floor (the glass windows above the entrance). And if that is not enough, there are additional retail shops next door.
Retail shops at the Cliffs of Moher
It all looks like the Hobbit village from the movie "The Lord of the Rings".
From there you walk a few hundred metres to the edge - literally. The Cliffs of Moher are an impressive and spectacular sight. It is easy to see why they attract over one million visitors each year.
The cliffs run for 14 kms along the coast and reach a maximum height of 214 metres above the Atlantic Ocean at the Visitor Experience Centre, which is about the halfway point. You can walk the entire length of the cliffs.
The Cliffs of Moher looking south from one of the Visitor Centre lookouts.
Meg (rugged up against the biting cold wind) standing against the protective wall at one of the official viewing points
The cliffs at the centre have a safety wall and concrete or asphalt paths that are pram and wheelchair friendly. Beyond this area, there is no safety fence or wall and there are two paths, the official path is set back a little from the cliff and has some stepping stones on dirt and some steps (sometimes with a handrail) while the unofficial path runs right along the cliff edge is a simple rough dirt track.
A view from the unfenced area. Note the person standing on the cliff
Another view from the unfenced clifftop area
We walked about a 1 km along the unfenced cliff top and noticed some people getting uncomfortably close (for us that is) to the edge.
We stayed for about two hours before continuing our journey to Galway, arriving at about 6:30pm. Total driving time was about 5 hours.
The view from our hotel window. Every Irishman's dream is a room with a view of Galway Bay
We were able to observe many of the activities on the beach - swimmers doing "laps" about 50 metres out from the shore, a pair of paddle boarders paddling, people jogging along the beach and the promenade, a man practicing Tai Chi, a dog joyfully frolicking in the water. Galway Bay is clearly a popular place.
Thu Jun 6 - Killarney and Kenmare
Our last full day in Killarney and with a longer than usual drive to Galway tomorrow and after yesterdays epic hike, we decided to keep things relatively low key and local.
Our first port of call was Ross Castle which is part of the Killarney National Park but just on the edge of the Town - you can catch a Jaunty Cart to the castle from the town centre.
Fishermen now store their boats in what was the castle moat
Ross castle was built in 1450 by the local Irish clan chief. While it is named a "castle" it is actually a Tower House - a fortified tower in which the clan chief and his family lived.
Ross Castle
Over 3,500 of these tower houses were built in Ireland up to the early 17th century when cannon and gunpowder made them useless. They were never designed to withstand a full siege by a large well equipped and determined army - such attacks were very rare in Ireland. Most attacks were cattle raids by outlaw bands or neighbouring clan chiefs.
The castle was only ever besieged once, by Cromwell's forces. It was the last Irish stronghold to fall to the English and it surrendered without a shot being fired as soon as the attacking forces brought in cannon using boats on the lake. For that reason it is one of the few such castles that was not destroyed by Cromwell.
The castle was only ever besieged once, by Cromwell's forces. It was the last Irish stronghold to fall to the English and it surrendered without a shot being fired as soon as the attacking forces brought in cannon using boats on the lake. For that reason it is one of the few such castles that was not destroyed by Cromwell.
The reason we know this trivia is because we took the guided tour of the tower which has only just been completely renovated. The tour covered all the floors and rooms, including the toilet on the third floor (no flusher or paper roll holders, just a hole with a drop to the ground). They dried their clothes in the toilet because the ammonia gas coming up from the "hole" killed the fleas and lice (but it did make the clothes stink). We completed the tour with the clear impression that these castles were cold, damp, cramped and stinky.
Our next port of call was a short (1 hour) boat cruise of the lake. There are much longer cruises that take in the river and all the lakes as shown in the image taken at Ladies View yesterday.
Some views from the lake cruise
After the cruise we retired to a cafe in town for some refreshment and to decide "what next".
Often the best source of information on the local area is the wait-staff in cafes. When asked about the town of Kenmare, we were informed that it was totally unlike Killarney in that it was not a "tourist town" with shops all competing for the tourist dollar (or in this case euro). It was much more the traditional Irish town, much smaller and with "realistic" shops.
So we set out for Kenmare, about 40 minutes drive south of Killarney.
Wed Jun 5 - Rings of Kerry and Skellig
This was the view outside our window at 7 am today. Even though it was raining at the time, we decided that it had to be a good omen.
So today we will do the famous Ring of Kerry - a 177 km drive around the Kerry peninsula which has, it is claimed, the most spectacular views in all of Ireland.
We departed early (8:30am is early for us) to beat "the crowds". On leaving the hotel we turned onto the main road, which is part of the Ring of Kerry, to travel the ring in a clockwise direction. Why? All the tourist coaches that travel the Ring (and there are very many of them) are required to travel in an anti-clockwise direction. The road, which is dual carriageway all the way, is in many places not wide enough for two of these behemoths to pass each other in opposite directions. Plus, there are many long sections of the Ring where you cannot overtake so if you are stuck behind one of them, then you are stuck!
After leaving the hotel we started climbing up into the mountains of the Killarney National Park. The first spot to stop on this part of the Ring is a lookout named Ladies View, named after Queen Victoria's Ladies in Waiting who were taken to this spot during a Royal visit and were greatly impressed by the view. It is not hard to see why.
Ladies View looks back towards Killarney
In the image above, Killarney is just above the gap between the last two hills. The Killarney-Kenmore road follows along the shores of the lakes and streams then up past Ladies View to Molls Gap.
Molls Gap, the highest point on the Killarney to Kenmore section of the Ring of Kerry
Like all mountain passes in Ireland, Molls Gap seems to attract the wind in all its fury. From here the road descends the mountains to the town of Kenmare. Just before reaching Kenmare, the Ring of Kerry road turns off towards Sneem and Caherdaniel and mostly follows the shore of the Blackwater, a major inlet of the sea with some good views.
The Blackwater
After the town of Caherdaniel the road starts climbing towards another mountain pass with some absolutely stunning views. One sign on a pub built right on the edge of a cliff near the pass claimed that it was the best view in all of Ireland and was even better when seen from their bar! We did not stop to investigate their claim but did stop at other viewing points.
Three views from a lookout between Caherdaniel and Beenarourke
By this stage we had not yet encountered any of the tourist coaches so parking was easy and there were no crowds. But by the next major town, Waterville, we had started to encounter the coaches traveling in the opposite direction. Fortunately, at this point we had an option to leave the Ring of Kerry (it continued across the peninsula from Waterville rather than around it) and travel on the Skellig Ring.
The Skellig Ring road is narrower, and in many places it has long stretches of single lane road only, with sharp curves and steep ascents (and descents) so it is totally unsuitable for coaches. But it does continue around the coastline, for the most part, and does offer some spectacular views and hair-raising driving experiences.
The Skellig Ring is named after the remote Skellig Islands (there are two of them)
The two Skellig Isles are rocky mountainous outcrops located about 7 km off the coast. In the 12th century a group of monks sailed to the islands and built a monastery. We guess that they really did want to get away from it all!
Locals viewing us with amusement as we snapped pictures of the Skellig Islands
An unexpected find on the Skellig Ring - a neolithic Wedge Tomb in a field
The above image of the stone tomb was taken after driving a few hundred metres down a dirt track and then having to reverse back to the main road.
The Skellig Ring road zig zags its way up a steep slope between two mountains to an incredibly windy pass, Cliff View, which offers a spectacular view of the town of Portmagee and Valencia Island just beyond.
Panoramic view from Cliff View (click for a closer view)
The descent down the pass was just as hair raising and the ascent. Particularly when you could see traffic approaching from the other direction and there were very few places to pass-by ("squeeze-by" would be a better description).
From Portmagee, the road is mostly flat and at sea level and rejoins the Ring of Kerry. By this time most of the coaches had passed this section so we saw very few. The views from the Ring of Kerry from here on are limited to the Dingle Peninsula across the inlet. However, at a few places the road climbs to greater heights and better views are available.
A panorama of the Dingle Peninsula (click for a closer view) - that's Meg in red
From this point on the road travels inland towards Killarney. Our trip around both rings took approximately five and a half hours.
Just a short hop today from Cork to Killarney and due to the weather (occasional rain, frequent showers and mist - in short an Irish summer) we decided to take the direct route with no stops. This took about 90 minutes but left us with several hours to explore the town of Killarney before we were able to check in to our hotel.
Killarney has the usual tourist trappings such as souvenir shops, local craft shops (including those that specialise in wool and wool products), but since the town is well known world wide, there are even more of them plus more hotels, B&Bs and holiday units that we have seen anywhere else so far. It also has, according to one brochure we spotted, "40 pubs in a 400 yard radius".
We also made a brief trip to view the grounds of Muckross House, part of a very large estate going back to Elizabeth I. The current Killarney National Park (one of the largest in Ireland) was formed from this estate.
Our hotel, the Lake Hotel, is right on the shore of Lough (Lake) Killarney and on the edge of the Killarney National Park.
The view from our hotel window of Lough Killarney and the Killarney National Park
The hotel grounds extends down to the lake shore and even includes a ruined 12th Century castle, Castle Lough Lein, the lair of the then King of South Munster, Dairmund McCarthy. The ruin is but a shadow of its former glory.
The Lake Hotel as seen from the ruined castle on the shore
Part of the ruins of Castle Lough Lein
Later at night (at 10pm it is still light enough to see as shown above) the castle ruins are illuminated.
Tomorrow we will, weather permitting, make an early start to tackle either the Ring of Kerry (a long drive around one of the peninsula's of the Wild Atlantic Way) or the Dingle Peninsula, another part of the Wild Atlantic Way, or not if the weather is totally unsuitable.
A strange contrast in weather. Before breakfast the sky contained patches of blue with many (mostly) white clouds. After breakfast it was grey overcast. During the day there were periods of showers and light misty rain but fortunately, for our safety, the gales had subsided.
We set out to make another attempt to visit a part of the Wild Atlantic Way, this time a structure on a precipitous headland southwest of Cork known as "The Beacon".
On our way we stopped at a shopping mall to pick up a few essential supplies only to discover that a "Bank Holiday" in Ireland is an euphemism for "Public Holiday". While we knew that today was a Bank Holiday here, we assumed that, like Bank Holidays in Australia, only the banks would be closed - not that we believe that banks actually deserve holidays.
On a "Bank Holiday" in Ireland public transport runs to a Sunday timetable, most businesses remain closed all day and those retail shops that will open will do so at 11am or even 1pm. So we departed without making any purchases.
The Beacon is at the end of a long peninsular in southwest Ireland. You drive down the N71 to the town of Skibberdeen and then take the R595 down the peninsular to the port town of Baltimore. The port is on a passage of the sea that runs between the mainland and the islands of Ringaroy, Spanish and Sherkin.
Approaching the town of Baltimore, the sea passage has some scenic views - such as the little church on the peninsular of land as shown above but clearly, the sea has not been kind to everyone.
A little used house probably in need of some TLC has a very good view of the sea passage. The island of Ringaroy is in the background
Baltimore is the last stop before reaching the Beacon. After inspecting the road from the town to the Beacon, we decided to park our car on a street near the road and walk the remaining kilometre. The weather was showery but since it did not bother any of the locals who were taking advantage of the bank holiday to also visit this landmark, we decided not to let it stop us either.
A panorama from the road to the Beacon (click for a closer view).
The beacon, despite its name, contains no light. The lighthouse on the headland opposite performs that function. The Beacon was built in 1798 using local stones and painted white. Note that there are no safety rails or fences separating foolhardy tourists from a long drop so it was fortunate that there was only a very gentle breeze blowing today. Beyond the Beacon and Sherkin Island lies the Atlantic Ocean.
The land beyond the water in the image above is the island of Sherkin which is connected to Baltimore by a ferry service. It is a destination for campers and it has some holiday accommodation. The Beacon can just be seen poking its head up above one of the minor hills left of centre.
A view back towards Baltimore from the road
The road ends at a cliff face with room for just a few cars to park - so we could have driven up. From the road there is a steep rocky climb (no steps or handholds) with a narrow track leading up the ridge to the headland.
The image above shows the sudden drop at the end of the road. The yachts are sailing the narrow passage between the headland and Sherkin Island. A lighthouse can be seen on the headland opposite on the island.
Meg reaches the Beacon. The shear drop shown falls down to the water on all 3 sides
The beacon, despite its name, contains no light. The lighthouse on the headland opposite performs that function. The Beacon was built in 1798 using local stones and painted white. Note that there are no safety rails or fences separating foolhardy tourists from a long drop so it was fortunate that there was only a very gentle breeze blowing today. Beyond the Beacon and Sherkin Island lies the Atlantic Ocean.
Proof that we both made it to the top
The view from the Beacon along the sea passage
The view from the Beacon out into the Atlantic. Note the two adventurers standing on the narrow ridge (not us). I would bet that they would not be doing that if a strong wind was blowing!
As it was now late afternoon we decamped back to our hotel for our final night in Cork (age does weary you).
Sun Jun 2 - Cork
After a heavy rain during the night, the morning arrived with patches of blue sky and some white fluffy clouds. This was promising. We decided that this was a good day to attempt do a small part of the Wild Atlantic Way a route that follows the rugged Atlantic coast line along the south and western coasts of Ireland. This is a trip of over 2700 km and those people who know it would agree that it takes 3 weeks to a month to complete by car.
During breakfast we had a view over the River Lee which runs through Cork. A building on the hill above the river on the opposite bank caught our interest.
The large red brick building, partially in ruins due to a fire in 2017, was St Kevin's Mental Asylum built in 1893 and closed in 2002. It was the source of many local horror stories about the treatment of its inmates.
The tall brick smoke stack and the buildings in front on the waters edge are the old Cork Water Pumping Station.
Our trip to the Wild Atlantic Way started at Kinsale, an active fishing port south of Cork. Unlike most European countries where the fishing fleets are mostly owned by large corporations, in Ireland the boats are mostly owned by individual operators and small co-operatives.
The town is a popular tourist spot and has sizeable commercial, retail and residential communities. As you can see from the image below, it also has very narrow streets. The traffic sign on this street limits vehicle widths to 2 metres.
From Kinsale (after making some personal clothing purchases) we made a detour from the main road to visit Old Head. Once again the wind was blowing a gale off the Atlantic Ocean.
Old Head is a prominent headland jutting out into the Atlantic that had a role in two of the most tragic maritime events in history, and both within a period of just 3 years.
This headland was the last piece of land seen by the Titanic on its fateful maiden voyage in 1912. It was also here that the Cunard liner Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-Boat in 1915. The Lusitania took just 18 minutes to sink and, despite being within sight of the land, almost 1,200 lives were lost. This event was one of the factors that brought the USA into World War 1.
From Old Head we returned to the main road and continued to a large sea estuary at the mouth of the Argideen River.
The wide Argideen estuary at low tide, seen from the northern side. On the far (southern) shore are the villages of Courtmacsherry and Woodpoint.
Panorama shot at the end of the estuary (click for a closer view)
At the mouth of the estuary is the village of Timoleague where there is a ruined abbey - Timoleague Friary. It was built in 1240 by the Franciscan order and destroyed, along with the town, by Cromwell's troops in 1642.
Like many ruined churches and abbeys, it continues to be used. The ruined interior rooms are now used as a cemetery. The oldest tombstone we found was dated 1603 with the inscription written in Latin. Some of the tombstones bore the surname of one of Meg's grandmothers who we believe came from around Cork.
It was from Timoleague that the rescue boats set out for the Lusitania in 1915. But because there was no wind for the sails the boat crews had to row for 3 hours to reach the site of the sinking. By which time they found only floating bodies.
From Timoleague we continued to the town of Clonakilty by which time the weather had started to deteriorate and the temperature had dropped so after an afternoon tea at a small but quaint cafe we called it a day.
Sat Jun1 - Dungarvan to Cork
The morning started badly - raining Leprechauns and Frogs and the forecast did not promise much improvement for the day or indeed for most of the coming week. This is an Irish summer!
Because we had a lot of time to kill between departing Dungarvan and arriving at Cork we decided to travel via the heritage town of Lismore. Now we thought that the English and the Scots were bad for stealing placenames from New South Wales (Balmoral, Greenwich, Cheltenham to name just a few) but it seems that the Irish have been at it as well!
Lismore (Ireland not NSW) has a number of attraction the most obvious of which is the Castle and its gardens. The castle was built by Prince John in 1186 and has passed through a number of owners since then. It has been fully restored and is currently the private home of Lord and Lady Burlington so the castle is not open to the public. Its extensive gardens however are open for inspection and are well worth a look. A few sample images are shown below.
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| Panorama - click for a closer look |
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| Residential street near the town main street |
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| Main Street |
Walking to the end of this alley revealed a cobbled courtyard and
another much older building behind. This building also had a covered
alleyway (left of the blue door). We could not resist so we walked quietly across the courtyard (it was probably private property) and down the second alley.
Behind were the ruins of a stable with room for a carriage (or two).
We departed Lismore and headed to Cork, arriving mid afternoon. Our new hotel overlooks the River Lee which runs through Cork. After settling in we decided to catch the local bus into town to have a look around and to visit he city's famous English Market. This market is a traditional food market that has operated at its current location for over 230 years. It is renown for its 19th century architecture and its extensive range of artisan foods. The entire market is under cover.
The market, and in fact the streets outside were bustling with pedestrian traffic. Cork is the second largest city in Ireland and makes quite a contrast to Dungarvan.
While we were at one of the stalls the radio in the background, which was tuned to a local commercial station, played an advertisement for Harvey Norman - the same Harvey Norman we have back home with exactly the same "Aussie" voice and jingle at the end.
Fri May 31 - Dungarvan
Our last full day in Dungarvan and the last official day of Spring. But the weather this morning was anything but "spring-like" - cold with a damp misty rain.
We planned to do some more ancestor searching by visiting the other two Catholic Churches in Dargarvan where Meg's ancestors may have worshiped before they left Ireland for Scotland, according to our research, during the potato famine of 1845-1849.
The first and oldest church in Dungarvan is St Augustines at Abbeyside (the St Augustines we visited on Wednesday was St Augustines Friary Church).
St Augustines Church and the ruins of the original church
This church was built in 1290 but was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in 1649. It was subsequently rebuilt alongside the original ruin.
The interior of the ruined part of the church is now used as a graveyard
The original entrance to the church. The floor level has been raised (possibly to provide soil for the graves) to the point that you have to bend down to enter.
Part of the graveyard with a view of the harbour. The church is still in use and they were preparing for another funeral while we were there.
The view across the harbour from the church. Damp and misty
The other church, close to the center of town, is St Marys which had also been rebuilt in more modern times. It has a very extensive graveyard with several bearing the surname of Megs ancestors but that can mean nothing as the name Morrisey is very common here in and around Dungarvan.
The interior of St Marys
One thing that we found interesting was the wide use of Celtic icons on gravestones
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| Click for a closer view |
One of the more elaborate examples we found at St Marys is shown on the left.
The cross with the backing circle is called a Celtic Cross or an Irish Cross. Its origins go back to the Celts who inhabited Ireland, Scotland and Wales before the coming of Christianity. It was most commonly used in Ireland.
The story goes that when the Christian missionaries arrived in Ireland during the 5th century, they were keen not to "upset the locals" so they cleverly incorporated the exiting Celtic Cross design with their own.
Also note the elaborate patterns that have been engraved into the stonework on the cross, circle and base. These patterns are also Celtic in origin.
The Catholic Church in Ireland readily accepted these "pagan" symbols and signs into its culture. The gravestone shown was for a senior priest of the church.
A visit to the local history museum, the Dungarven branch of the Waterford County Museum, proved to be very beneficial. Meg had a long discussion with one of the researchers there who provided some valuable information about researching family histories in Ireland, the effects of the potato famine (which was less severe here in the south), and the existence of the Dungarvan Workhouse where many poor Irish people went during the famine.
Dungarvan was a fishing town back then and was not dependent on potato farming but the fishing industry had its own problems with fish numbers declining.
Part of the Dungarvan Workhouse, built to provide shelter, work and food for famine victims, is now part of the Dungarvan Community Hospital. One of the roles carried out by these Workhouses was to arrange emigration from Ireland to other countries. This and other workhouses in the town were built to house 600 but at the peak of the famine they had over 4,000 with many more having to be turned away. The population of Dungarvan at that time was 10,000.
Thu May 30 - Dungarvan
Our first full day in Dungarvan and for once the weather forecast was not gloomy. Scattered clouds all day with the possibility of showers late in the evening and overnight and a temperature that would reach the dizzy heights of 18C or even 19C.
We decided to travel to Waterford via the coast road, the R675, to see some of the rugged south east coast of Ireland. The weather forecast was correct with one exception - the howling gale (at least that is what it seemed like) coming off the Atlantic Ocean.
The first village we visited was Bunmahon. This is clearly a summer holiday village that relies on the crowds flocking to its beach (note the singular) on calm warm summery days which today was not. There is a holiday village with beach bungalows and a few cafes and restaurants but everything was closed waiting for the summer crowds to arrive. One new restaurant was under construction so business must be good, if seasonal.
Bunmahon Beach (southern end) before the summer rush. One early lone beach-goer with a youngster has set up a beach shelter
Bunmahon Beach, northern end
Panoramic view of Bunmahon from the headland (click for a closer view)
A little further north is Kilmirrin Cove,
the site of an annual December swim event (why in December in the middle
of winter you would go swimming here was a mystery). Is this, perhaps, an Irish joke?
Panoramic view of Kilmirrin Cove and heads from the road (click for a closer view)
Kilmirrin Cove and beach
Above Kilmirrin Cove sits a Lonely farmhouse and sheep paddocks
In each of the above images the strong wind made it extremely difficult to hold the camera steady for each shot.
This coastal route is popularly known as the "Copper Coast Drive" because of its history of copper mining and it contains a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Just beyond Kilmirrin Cove we came across one such site, an old abandoned copper mine at Rathinure (no village or buildings, just the ruins).
Meg posing in front of part of the ruin
While there were information signs explaining the process of copper mining and smelting, there was no information on how old these ruins were.
The first substantial village with a permanent (non seasonal) population we came across was Ballylane East. It has a number of houses with a sea view, as shown below, but no shops, cafe, not even a pub! Where do the locals go for entertainment or for anything?
Ballylane East seen from the road approach
After Ballylane East the road left the coast and proceeded to Waterford. We stopped for a late morning tea in the town of Tramore, which is really an outer suburb of Waterford.
Waterford is the 8th largest city in Ireland - by contrast, Dungarvan is about number 50 on the list.
Waterford Port
Waterford has always been a major port and has a history going back to Viking raiders in the mid 9th century. The town itself was created by Viking settlers in the early 10th century. Reginald's Tower, which was originally built by the Vikings as part of a fort, is the oldest standing structure in Ireland that is still in use and it is the only structure to bear the name of a Viking (Reginald is the Anglicised form of the Viking name Ragnall). The current tower was built on the same site in the 12th or 13th century.
Reginald's (or Ragnall's) Tower (image from Wikipedia Commons)
Waterford's main claim to fame is Waterford Crystal. Although most Waterford Crystal is now made outside Ireland, there is still a factory making the famous (and expensive) product in Waterford. The factory also has a retail shop which houses the largest collection of Waterford Crystal in the world.
Meg examines a particularly beautiful bowl engraved with sunflowers
Cinderella's coach and horses. Retail price €40,000 (roughly $AU64,400) (click to inspect more closely before buying)
The forecast for today was again not good, cool with showers. We did have an option to drive to Dungarvan via the town of Kilkenny, as recommended by friends. However, by the time we reached the decision point (Dungarvan or Kilkenny) on the motorway the showers had turned to rain so we proceeded to Dungarvan. Both the weather and roadworks along the motorway delayed our progress significantly.
Doing an Irish Jig on the motorway
However, the last 20km or so were along rural back roads (thanks to our GPS nav system) through emerald green countryside and the odd village. The rain did stop for many of those kms before the showers returned again just as we arrived at Dungarvan.
After checking in at our hotel, The Park Hotel at Dungarvan, we went for a walk through the town.
Town Square. 3 of the 9 shops in that block (nos 1, 3 and 5) are working pubs while a 4th is now a gift shop
One of our main reasons for visiting Dungarvan was because Meg's ancestors came from this town. They were forced to move to Scotland during the great potato famine. The St Augustine Friary Church (shown below), or its predecessor, may have been their local church.
Nearby, the old market hall has been renovated as an art gallery and arts centre.
The Market Hall, now an Art Gallery and Art Centre
Further down the street, an old warehouse has been reborn as a top class restaurant (the menu looked too expensive for us), a cookery school and offices.
A re-purposed old warehouse
At the end of the street, where it meets the harbour, stands Dungarvan Castle. Built by the Normans in the 12th Century, fought over by many Irish feudal lords, destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War, rebuilt and used as a military base by English forces, seized and then damaged by the IRA during the Irish Civil War, rebuild as a major base for the Irish Republican Police after independence and then the Garda SÃochána, as the Irish Police are now called.
Dungarvan Castle
Dungarvan Castle Main Tower
Dungarvan Castle. The view from the main tower
The white building shown above was build for the military during the 18th Century.
A panorama of Dungarvan Harbour (click for a closer view)
On returning to our hotel room we discovered that we had no power - the lights worked but not the powerpoints. A call to the Hotel Manager resulted in several staff coming to check and confirm what we already knew. The hotel maintenance manager arrived with tools in hand while we retired to dinner in the bar with complementary drinks from the management. While we were at dinner we were informed that the problem had been fixed and we confirmed this on our return.
Tue May 28 - Dublin
Our last full day in Dublin and the forecast was again dubious - maximum of 14C but only a slight chance of rain and to think that they are close to the official start of summer here.
The morning was spent (at about 10C-12C) rugged up and going "shopping" down Grafton Street which is near our hotel. Full of cafes, fashion shops, a few large dept stores, and plenty of pubs in the side streets. We bought a few items of clothing to replace some that had well and truly given us more than our fair share of usage. Some more souvenirs were purchased for the folks back home - we may have to post some of them rather than carry them in our luggage.
Flower Sellers on Grafton St
We ended up back at the Natural Museum of Archaeology where we were a few days ago but this time to look at their very extensive collection of artifacts from Ireland's Medieval era, its Viking era and its Ancient Egyptian era (kidding on that last one but they do have a small but very good collection of Egyptian artifacts collected by Irish men and women since the 1800s).
Battle of Clontarf Display (image from the Natural Museum of Archaeology)
There is a special display in the Viking Era exhibit on the Battle Of Clontarf, the most celebrated battle in Irish history where popular legend has it that the Christian King of Ireland, Brian Boru, defeated the pagan Vikings and drove them out of Ireland. But is this the truth?
No actual physical evidence of the battle fought in 1014 has ever been found. Its exact location is unknown (possibly somewhere in or near the Dublin suburb of Clontarf) and all that exists are accounts of doubtful accuracy that were written long after the event. Some of these accounts were motivated more by politics than accuracy. One thing that all the accounts agree on is that the battle was the most ferocious ever seen in Ireland at that time.
What is more likely is that the battle was between Brian Boru and his main rival Sitric, King of Dublin. Sitric was aided by a coalition of other Irish kings and some of their Viking allies. While Boru was victorious he was killed in the battle but his defeated rival, Sitric, remained King of Dublin. As for driving the Vikings out of Ireland, by that era they were living as an important part of the Irish community and most were Christians.
The Ballylongford Cross, 1479
On the way back we found a small artisan clothing shop that had far more genuine Irish clothing and accessories than you would find in the more tourist frequented areas of Dublin. We made some purchases.
Before dinner we went for a walk around St Stephens Green, the large park across the road from our hotel.
Before dinner we went for a walk around St Stephens Green, the large park across the road from our hotel.
The Famine Memorial, St Stephens Green
The park is aptly named and very popular with both visitors and locals. It has lots of greenery, trees, shrubs, grassed areas, duck ponds, plus various sculptures, memorials (such as the Famine Memorial shown above) and walking paths.
St Stephens Green was also a focal point for the Easter Uprising in 1916. As you walk around the green you will come across many signs describing the various actions that took place here. About 200 members of the Irish Citizens Soldiers, including a number of women soldiers (one of whom was second in command of the rebels), seized the Green and started fortifying it against the British Army as well as attempting to seize nearby buildings as sniper positions. Twice a day, during the often fierce battles, the Park Superintendent continued to feed the ducks risking his own life in the process.
One of several duck (and seagull) ponds in the Green
Meg conversing with some of the St Stephen's Green locals
The forecast for today was not promising, cool (17C), cloudy in the morning and rain from midday onward. We decided to chance the weather and attempt three major attractions in Dublin.
The first was the Book of Kells kept at the Library, Trinity College, University of Dublin. This was only a short tram ride from our hotel (one stop in fact) and despite intending to leave early to beat the crowds we did spend some time browsing in a bookshop near the University. So we ended up not missing the crowds. Our advice: get there at opening time 08:30 summer time.
The Book of Kells is an ancient illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels renown for the beauty and intricacy of its work. It was created in Britain or Ireland around 800CE so it is not the oldest but it is the best preserved and best known. Entry is by ticket and while there was almost no queue waiting to get tickets there was a sizeable crowd in the two halls that contain the exhibits.
The first hall contains enlarged images of the text and illuminations in the Book of Kells, and other books, and shows how they were made and were illuminated, and how the inks were made, etc. It also displays other ancient bibles. Very interesting stuff but it was getting difficult to move around.
One of the Illustrated folios of the Book of Kells (image from Wikipedia Commons)
There was a queue to get into the second hall which contains only the Book of Kells. Imagine a large number of people crowding around a large coffee table sized glass display cabinet containing the book, in two halves. One half open to a page of illustrations and the other open to a page of the very ornate and carefully scribed text (in Latin). It was bit of crush with the odd complaint coming from a visitor.
One of the text folios from the Book of Kells (image from Wikipedia Commons)
We will say that it was worth the hassle but go early!
You exit from the second hall into the Old College Library which is above the Book of Kells Exhibit. This library was established in the early 1800s because of a law requiring the University to be given a copy of every book published in both Britain and Ireland. This created quite a problem and an enlarged library had to be built.
Dublin University
But the Dublin GPO is more than just a post office. It was the principal site of the Easter Uprising of 1916 where a small group of Irish rebels held out for several days against the might of the British Army.
The British response was to use 4000 troops, heavy machine guns, armoured vehicles (primitive by today's standards), a gun boat on the nearby river and heavy artillery to pound the rebel positions.
The end result was that hundreds of innocent civilians were killed and much of the city centre was reduced to rubble. The GPO itself was heavily damaged with only the columns and front facade, shown above, surviving. During the weeks that followed, thousands of Irish men, women and children, nearly all of them innocent, were arrested and many were interned. The 15 ring leaders of the rebellion were executed.
In the basement of the GPO is an interactive museum of the Easter Uprising. It explains its causes, the plans and actions of the rebels, the response of the British who were caught totally unprepared, the battles that raged around the GPO and other places, and the aftermath.
It was interesting to note that the general population of Dublin were mostly opposed to the actions of the rebels but, as a result of the executions and mass arrests, their attitude swung in favour of the rebels. While the rebellion failed, it was the spark that eventually led to Ireland gaining full independence from the United Kingdom. The rebels who were involved are now national heroes.
Another tram ride from the GPO brought us to the third of our "targets" for the day - EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum. It tells the story of the Irish diaspora and how the rest of the world has benefited in many different ways from the many Irish immigrants they have received.
EPIC has won many awards for the innovative ways it has presented its many stories. It has a heavy reliance on interactive digital technology, video screen projectors and large format touch screens.
There are 20 display areas that you move through in sequence, each telling one aspect of the Irish diaspora.
Other displays concentrate on the reasons for leaving (wars, persecution, famine, work and in more modern times, economics), the lives of the immigrants in their new countries (Ned Kelly gets a prominent mention), how they have made contributions to their new homes (sport, science, medicine, engineering, arts, literature, politics). Aussie Rules, Paul Keating, John Curtin, Sidney Nolan and a few other Aussie Irish also get mentions.
A video clip of the Irish comedian Dave Allen shows a part of his comedy routine
By the time we exited EPIC it was late afternoon and a light but steady rain had set in. We returned by tram to our digs and settled in for the night.
Sun May 26 - Dublin
Our first full day in Dublin and the day started less than promising - windy and pouring with rain. But by the time we stepped out after breakfast, the rain had stopped. To be safe we decided on indoor activities and fortunately the major museums and galleries are within easy walking distance of our hotel and St Stephens Green. Unfortunately, today being Sunday, none of these institutions opened before 11am and some only opened after 1pm.
Meg makes some new friends outside St Stephens Green
First stop, after talking to the horse, was the National Art Gallery of Ireland which opened at 11am. One of the galleries is devoted to the art work of Jack Butler Yeats (1871-1957), Irish painter, Olympic Silver Medalist in Painting (yes, the 1920 Olympics had a painting competition) and brother of well known poet W. B. Yeats (Nobel Laureate in Literature).
Much of the collections concentrated on Irish artists of the 17th and 18th centuries whose style resembled those of other European artists of that time. A late morning tea at the cafe was followed by a mini buying spree in the gift shop - they had some very amusing soaps in literary wrappings.
We then proceeded to the National Museum of Natural History - Archaeology (opened 1pm) right next to the National Library of Ireland (closed Sundays) and both were in the same block as the Irish Parliament building.
The National Library of Ireland. The Archaeology Museum is identical in design
The Archaeology Museum has a fascinating collection of Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age artifacts from Ireland, and some of them are unique to Ireland. The gold jewellery and ornaments from the Bronze and Iron Ages is simply amazing. The bronze casters and goldsmiths of that time were obviously extremely talented. Many of the finds displayed were accidental discoveries by farmers ploughing their fields or draining bogs.
A light lunch at the museum cafe was followed by another buying spree (this time larger) in the museum shop. Some very amusing items will be finding their way to various people.
A light lunch at the museum cafe was followed by another buying spree (this time larger) in the museum shop. Some very amusing items will be finding their way to various people.
Dublin city street scene on a Sunday afternoon
We returned to our hotel for afternoon tea and a rest (age, it seems, is catching up).
Departure day from the UK (temporarily). We fly out from Edinburgh airport at 3pm (local time - midnight Sydney time).
Every day of our stay here at the West Tollcross apartments we have looked out on a garden courtyard of some size. One of the ground floor apartments, which is obviously occupied by permanent residents, has a well maintained garden on part of the common area. They also have a magnificent "moggie" which is often seen lounging in the sun on, or under, a garden seat.
One of our neighbours at West Tollcross
Other residents have been observed using the grassed area to let their apartment dogs "run free" or play ball. The resident moggie has been unperturbed by this although it does take an interest in a seagull that we have often observed visiting the ground - the two seem to share a long standing animosity. The seagulls here are significantly bigger than the ones we have back home.
We suspect that the apartment residents have fed this particular gull and it now expects regular feeds - we did observe it tapping on their window. Whenever it lands on the lawn the cat takes up a "stalking pose" which does not fool the bird. The bird responds in kind by dive-bombing the cat when it returns to its lair - the garden seat.
We must say that the trip from Edinburgh to Dublin was stressful - far more than you would expect from a one hour flight. Firstly, some time after dropping the car at the Hertz car return at the airport, I realised that I had left my phone in the car. A rushed walk back (and airports are sooooo big) to the car drop off office did retrieve it. A staff member had found the phone and had returned it to the office - thank you Hertz.
Meg then discovered that she still had one of the sets of keys to the apartment we had vacated that morning. A call (on my newly retrieved phone) to the rental agency managed to solve that - we will post it back when we get to Dublin.
We thought that that was the end of our troubles but on boarding the aircraft, Meg was told that her hand luggage (which she had taken all over the world) was too big and could not go in the cabin so it was taken off her. The aircraft was a relatively small one - not a jet but a two propeller short haul regional commuter type aircraft, an ATR-72. We assumed that the hand luggage would go into the cargo hold with the other luggage but we then overheard one of the luggage loaders telling the cabin crew that they could not fit all the "rush" luggage onto the plane.
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So, will her hand luggage make it to Dublin? Will we have to wait for the next flight? Will they send it on to our hotel? These questions worried us throughout the flight. When we arrived at Dublin and performed the ritual of watching the bags go around the carousel we were happy to see the offending hand luggage taking its place with the other bags.
We suspect that the apartment residents have fed this particular gull and it now expects regular feeds - we did observe it tapping on their window. Whenever it lands on the lawn the cat takes up a "stalking pose" which does not fool the bird. The bird responds in kind by dive-bombing the cat when it returns to its lair - the garden seat.
We must say that the trip from Edinburgh to Dublin was stressful - far more than you would expect from a one hour flight. Firstly, some time after dropping the car at the Hertz car return at the airport, I realised that I had left my phone in the car. A rushed walk back (and airports are sooooo big) to the car drop off office did retrieve it. A staff member had found the phone and had returned it to the office - thank you Hertz.
Meg then discovered that she still had one of the sets of keys to the apartment we had vacated that morning. A call (on my newly retrieved phone) to the rental agency managed to solve that - we will post it back when we get to Dublin.
We thought that that was the end of our troubles but on boarding the aircraft, Meg was told that her hand luggage (which she had taken all over the world) was too big and could not go in the cabin so it was taken off her. The aircraft was a relatively small one - not a jet but a two propeller short haul regional commuter type aircraft, an ATR-72. We assumed that the hand luggage would go into the cargo hold with the other luggage but we then overheard one of the luggage loaders telling the cabin crew that they could not fit all the "rush" luggage onto the plane.
An Aer Lingus ATR-72
Then there were problems with the rental car - a 2018 model Mercedes sedan. Specifically there was no sat-nav (as promised) and there was no help provided on the basics such as the parking brake and the gear shift which were not in the standard positions you would expect in a sedan. When we did find the gear shift, on a stalk attached to the steering wheel, it was still a mystery how to put it into park. The Avis staff at the collection point did not seem to speak English or understand how to drive this model car.
Fortunately we had packed our old car sta-nav unit which had been loaded with the correct maps so we were able to navigate into Dublin City and to the hotel. It was there in the Hotel car park that we eventually discovered how to put the car into park.
We had dinner, with suitable alcoholic fluids, and retired early. Let us hope that the rest of the trip is event free.
Our hotel is right on St Stephen's Green in the heart of Dublin. City.
Fri May 24 - EdinburghFortunately we had packed our old car sta-nav unit which had been loaded with the correct maps so we were able to navigate into Dublin City and to the hotel. It was there in the Hotel car park that we eventually discovered how to put the car into park.
We had dinner, with suitable alcoholic fluids, and retired early. Let us hope that the rest of the trip is event free.
Our hotel is right on St Stephen's Green in the heart of Dublin. City.
Our last full day in Edinburgh. We decided to keep it low key and stay local. Our plan was to visit the Holyrood Palace, the Queen's official residence in Scotland, which is open to the public when she is not in residence.
We started our trek with a short walk to the Route 35 bus stop behind the apartment complex on the other side of the street from ours (uni student accommodation). There we discovered a canal boat basin with moored canal boats. Edinburgh can be full of surprises!
The Basin. A boat canal behind the Tollcross apartments where we are staying
The bus took us close to the Holyrood Palace with only a short walk past an unusual looking structure.
Queens Marys "Bath House" outside Holyrood Palace
This alleged Royal "Bath House" was once part of a larger house but there has never been any evidence that it contained a bath or that Mary Queen of Scots ever used the house. So how it became known as "Queen Marys Bath House" is a mystery to all.
On our arrival at Holyrood Palace we discovered that it was closed for the week due to an official visit from His Excellency, the High Commissioner from "somewhere".
Holyrood Palace - closed this week for an official visit
This left us with The Queens Gallery, usually a very expensive option, as the only open part of the palace. The Queens Gallery normally contains part of the Queens Art Collection but on this occasion it had a special exhibition of art collected by King Charles I (who was executed at the end of the English Civil War) and his son and successor King Charles II. The entry fee was reduced as a result so we were able to visit.
Both Kings were avid collectors of Art (some critics claim that that was the only positive thing that they did). Some of the art commissioned by Charles II were portraits of his many mistresses. An interesting collection that included some pieces of silver furniture as well as portrait miniatures and prints. We followed this with a nice lunch at the Palace Cafe, which was a bit overpriced.
We departed the Palace and proceeded up the Royal Mile - the mile long street leading down from Edinburgh Castle to the Holyrood Palace. The street is lined with Scottish touristy shops, many selling kilts, tartans and related paraphernalia. Meg noted that many of the tartans on sale were not genuine tartans as they included colours, such as pink, that were never used in Scottish tartans. A discussion with the shop keeper at a genuine tartan shop agreed - most of the "tartans" sold in those shops are made in China, not Scotland.
Nevertheless, the street does have some interesting architecture.
The Tolbooth Tavern on the Royal Mile
The imposing spires of St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile
Borthwick's Close, down which some of Meg's ancestors once lived
The Royal Mile has many enclosed alleyways, or Closes, that lead from the street to buildings, dwellings and other streets behind the buildings that line the Royal Mile. These alleyways were used as transit ways by residents, merchants, shoppers, etc. Some of Megs ancestors once lived in dwellings at the other end of Borthwick's Close. Those dwellings have long since gone.
After a tiring day of trekking, we returned to our digs for a home cooked meal of pasta, washed down with some NZ white wine and a Polish Beer with an unpronounceable name.
Today was partly an exploration of Meg and Lyn's family history, and partly an exploration of a ruined historic Scottish castle.
Meg and Lyn's Grandfather lived on a dairy farm just outside Edinburgh in what would then have been rural countryside but is now one of the suburbs. In one of several cottages provided for the farm workers he raised a family of 5 kids, all were born in the cottage. One son, David, was Meg's father and another son, Bob, was Lyn's father.
Meg and Lyn inspect the row of farm workers cottages, Bridgend Cottages, that were once part of Bridgend Farm. Most of the houses are now in private ownership
The house where Meg and Lyn's fathers were born
The dairy farm is now part of the University of Edinburgh and has been reborn as a community centre with garden allotments, a cafe and workrooms for artisans. The fields where the cows grazed are now playing fields for the University.
Not far away (in fact within walking distance) is an historic ruined castle, Craigmiller Castle, which is open to the public.
The castle is situated on a hill surrounded by open space only 3 miles (4.8km) from the city centre. Construction started in the 14th century by the local feudal baron, the Preston family of Craigmillar, and continued into the 16th century. In 1660 the castle was sold to Sir John Gilmore who made further alterations. It was abandoned, as it was considered to be no longer "fashionable", a century later. It then fell into ruin.
It did play a significant role in English history. Mary Queen of Scots arrived here in November 1566 to recover from an illness after the birth of her son James who became King James VI of Scotland and later King James I of England. It was while she was here that a number of Scottish nobles met secretly in the castle to plot the murder of her husband Henry Stuart, also known as Lord Darnley. It is still debated whether she was aware of the plot before the murder. The nobles involved certainly blamed her but that may have been to divert attention away from themselves.
Meg poses in one of the castle fireplaces
One thing you quickly notice about castles, ruined or not, is that they are cold and drafty places even on a good day. This castle had many fireplaces, and they would have needed them all.
One of many rooms inside the castle
Another thing you quickly notice about castles (apart from the many narrow and steep stone stair wells and low doorways) is that natural lighting is not one of their selling points.
The view from the main tower
A panoramic view from the top of the castle (click for a closer view)
In the panoramic view above you can see Arthur's Seat (the "lumpy bit") and just to its left is the city centre.
Lyn and Hugh took us out to the countryside today, firstly to East Fortune an ex WW1 and WW2 RAF base. It is regarded as the best preserved WW2 RAF base in Britain and is classified as a national treasure.
It saw service in WW1 as a base for airships and dirigibles that patrolled the North Sea and northern approaches to the English Channel for enemy ships. It was also the starting point for the first transatlantic crossing by an airship in 1919. Some of the relics of this period are still evident.
The base still has its original hangers and other structures and many have been converted to house historic aircraft. A small selection of those on display are shown below.
The RAFs Spitfire (below) of course gets pride of place in the exhibit, but there are also some unexpected finds.
A Soviet Mig-15 in Czechoslovakian colours (shown below).
The DH Comet (below), the first commercial passenger jet. Unfortunately serious design flaws, among other problems, meant that it could not compete against the later but much more successful Boeing 707.
Many of the exhibits contained video logs of the people (men and women) who built, maintained and flew many of these aircraft, often under very difficult wartime conditions. Interactive displays and short video clips were used throughout.
After East Fortune we drove north to the coast and the town of North Berwick. This has always been a popular seaside holiday spot for the people of Edinburgh.
Four visitors scan the windswept coast for ... who knows what? Perhaps looking for Puffins on the distant rocky Bass Island, one of the largest Puffin rookeries in Europe.
Tour operators run cruises out to Bass and other islands for visitors to get a closer view of the many sea birds that build their nests along this part of the coast.
Against all expectations, the beaches in Scotland do have sand. Although
it was bright and sunny we saw no-one in the water. Perhaps the cool
temperature (about 15C) and the windchill factor (it felt a lot closer to 0C) may have had something to do
with that.
Tue May 21 - Edinburgh
Our first full day in Edinburgh and we met up with Meg's cousin Lyn and her husband Hugh. After morning tea they took us to Ocean Terminal for a cruise on the Royal Yacht Britannia - well it stayed moored at the dock and we cruised through its decks and staterooms. What an impressive ride the Royals and their guests must have had.
The yacht is now owned and managed by a charitable trust.
A self guided tour, with audio handsets, is available to the public and you can explore from the top (from the bridge) through the opulent royal suites down to the engine room and crews quarters.
The view from the gangway
Ringing the ship's bell on the rear royal deck
The Queen's Bedroom Suite
The Royal Banquet Room where official dinners were held
After dinner the royals would retire to the lounge for tea, cakes and port
The tour takes about an hour to an hour and a half to complete (there are lifts on the dock outside the ship to take you between the different decks).
After the tour, you exit through the Royal Yacht Gift Shop (of course you do). And after touring such an important royal landmark you simply have to purchase your own royal tiara.
HRH Princess Meg I
Mon May 20 - Glasgow to Edinburgh
The shortest hop of the trip, 1 hour along the M8 motorway. The rivalry between these two cities is like that between Sydney and Melbourne. From the perspective of a "toonie" (a resident of Edinburgh) the "best view of Glasgow is in the rear vision mirror as you drive back to Edinburgh". From the point of view of a Glaswegian, "the best thing about Edinburgh is the roundabout on the M8 that takes you back to Glasgow".
Because of checkout and checkin times we were going to be a few hours early arriving at our apartment in Edinburgh so we took some detours to kill some time. Firstly to South Queensferry where the famous Firth of Forth spans the River Forth.
Then to the base of Arthurs Seat, an extinct volcano that forms a very prominent landmark behind the city of Edinburgh.
Arthur's Seat (from Wikipedia Commons)
Having killed enough time we proceeded to our new digs for the next 5 nights at Tollcross, an inner suburb of Edinburgh and about 15 minutes walk from the City Centre. On the way we spotted a few unusual sighta.
You know you are in Edinburgh when this passes as "normal".
Our digs in Edinburgh are better than our Glasgow digs - more space, easier parking and a garden view out the window. We still have lots of choices for cafes and eateries in the immediate neighbourhood and of course, the city centre is just down the Lothian Road.
Sun May 19 - Glasgow
As our transport options for today were limited by road closures around our unit, we decided to make use of Scottish Rails excellent rail network. One of the day trips they advertise is Glasgow to Stirling Castle, about 30 minutes by train from Queens St Station in Glasgow
We caught the 11:11 express to Inverness which also stopped at Stirling and then followed, with some success, the route mapped out by Google Maps to the castle - a 17 minute walk. What Google Maps failed to mention was that most of that walk was uphill and a fairly steep one at that, plus some wrong turns, so it took much longer than 17 minutes. We should have remembered that castles are built on the tops of hills, not the bottoms.
The "Settle Inn" (a good name). Established 1733. Stirling's oldest ale house.
The castle is an impressive sight with a long history of battles, sieges, Scottish Kings and Queens, rebellions.
The view of the inner castle from the Queen Anne's Garden
It is a very large castle with lots of buildings.
The palace building
The Palace contains rooms for the King and the Queen. The Kings Outer Room contained a ceiling decorated with incredible wood carvings of which replicas are shown here. The originals are held in various museums and a few are on display in a separate part of the castle.
Click for a closer view
Each looks like a painting but is actually a wood relief (3D) carving about 1 metre in diameter which was then meticulously painted.
The largest building is the Great Hall where all the feasts and political ceremonies were held.
The Great Hall
The Queens Inner Chamber (an actual musician in period costume was playing the lute)
Both the King and Queen had their own Outer Chamber (where they met ambassadors, other nobles and people of importance) and an Inner Chamber which contained their "official" bed and where they met close friends and dealt with the paperwork of state. While the Inner Chambers contained their beds they did not sleep there. The location of their actual bedchambers was a secret known only to a few.
Panorama from the castle wall (click for a more detailed view)
The distant hill in the center of the panorama above has the William Wallace Memorial built on its top as shown below.
Wallace Memorial
After concluding our visit to the castle we discovered that the Trust that runs the castle has a people mover that takes visitors between the town centre (near the railway station) and the castle. If we had known then we would not have walked up. We rode down instead.
For dinner that night we went to a local Bar and Grill that had more traditional Scottish fare on the menu. I selected one item, "Haggis, neeps and tatties with a whisky sauce", shown below.
The haggis is the grey mass below the mashed neeps (turnips). Without the whisky sauce it would have tasted "bland".
Tomorrow we say goodbye to Glasgow and hello to Edinburgh for 5 nights.
Saturday morning dawned cold and damp in Glasgow with a predicted maximum of 11C. We had breakfast while watching the live ABC election coverage (via their web site) of the last few hours of voting. Coverage of the Oz elections here in the UK has been zero. Instead much of their political coverage is on the Brexit debacle and the upcoming EU Parliament elections.
Because the local forecast was for a light but steady drizzle all day we decided on indoor activities and selected the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Google Maps gave us the best public transport option - a short walk to a nearby bus stop (with suitable shelter), then the route 2 bus right to the gallery front steps with buses running every 10 minutes. We arrived at the bus stop and waited, along with some locals for any sign of a bus - none was evident. Eventually a man from the transport service arrived on foot to inform us, in a thick and totally incomprehensible Scottish accent, of some important news about the buses. We asked one of the other hopeful passengers for a translation which she supplied. It seems that due to a demonstration or a parade, she was not sure which, there would be no buses along this road until further notice.
Plan B - walk to the St Enoch subway station, catch the "tube" to Kelvinhall station and walk to the gallery.
Meg strides her way towards the front entrance
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was originally opened in 1901 as a Palace of Fine Arts. It underwent extensive refurbishment just over 100 years later and is now one of Scotland's most visited attractions. It has 22 galleries containing a very wide range of items from the old European Masters, Ancient Egypt, animals, Asian and Pacific native artifacts and modern Scottish masters such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and later.
East Gallery, Ground Floor
One significant collection, donated to the City by a Glaswegian shipping magnate Sir William Burrell, is an amazing collection of medieval art and artifacts.
Two of the stained glass windows from the collection are shown.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret are also strongly represented, as they are in the Mackintosh House at the Huntington Art Gallery that we visited yesterday. But unlike that gallery, there is no ban on photography.
They have recreated part of the interior of the Ingram Street Tea Rooms that Mackintosh designed. All the furniture, the wall and windows, the paintings in the background, even the cutlery and crockery were designed by the Mackintoshs.
We had lunch at the gallery's excellent cafe (full waiter service) and there we caught up the the news of the elections back home. Retired to our rooms to sulk and stamp feet furiously!
After recovering our composure, we ventured out for dinner. Just a few doors down from our digs is a very "posh" restaurant - Hutchesons City Grill. It has a bar with a lounge and food service on the ground floor and a very nice restaurant on the upper floor.
Ceiling detail
The building, called Hutcheson Hall, was originally built as a hospital for the elderly and a school for poor boys in 1805. The current building replaced an earlier hospital and boys school built in 1641. The original school is still operating today but as a high fee school at a different location.
Hutcheson Hall (from Wikipedia)
It was extensively refurbished in 1871 but it fell into disrepair and had been empty since 2008. In 2014 it was purchased by a private company and the National Trust of Scotland and underwent a major restoration to its 1871 condition. It now operates as a grill and seafood restaurant, Hutchesons City Grill.
Tomorrow, we will be "trapped" in our apartment, at least as far as using the car (which we have not used since our arrival). All the streets around our city block are being closed to traffic for most of the day for a charity fun run. So we are considering alternatives that will get us "out of town" by public transport.
Fri May 17 - Glasgow
Today was going to be an "R&R day" and we did not plan on doing much. But one thing we had to do was to complete some unfinished business from our last visit ro Glasgow, 4 years ago.
Back then we just missed out on getting into the Mackintosh House at The Huntington Art Gallery, University of Glasgow. We were determined to get in this time. So after breakfast we caught the subway tube train from our nearest station, Buchanan St to Hillhead, the nearest to the gallery. It is a 20 minute ride with about 10 minutes walking at each end. What a "funny little train" the Glasgow subway is. Each is only 3 carriages long, has mostly standing space and is not designed for tall people. It travels fast but rocks, rolls and jumps along the track.
We got into the Mackintosh House without much of a wait - they can only allow 12 people in at a time and under strict conditions - no bags of any kind, no photography.
As a bit of background - Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868 - 1928) was one of Scotland's foremost architects, designers and artists. He and his wife Margaret had a great influence on the Art Nouveau and modernist movements in Europe at the turn of the 20th Century. Much of his design work (furniture, windows, house interiors) and artwork is still highly regarded and can still be seen, as protected art works, around Glasgow today.
The Willow Tea Rooms and Gift Shop in Glasgow where he designed the exterior, interior, all the furniture and even all the cutlery and crockery, was recently fully restored to its original condition and is again operating as tea rooms.
His terrace house, The Mackintosh House, has been rebuilt (all three floors) as part of the Huntington Art Gallery at the University of Glasgow. The original had to be demolished because tunneling work had made it unsafe. It has been refurnished with his and Margaret's original works. Modern artwork jewellery based on his designs is still being made and sold all over the world.
After the tour we visited the Huntington Art Gallery, a very impressive collection of artists and their works. It had a major exhibition of prints from the German Expressionists between WW1 and WW2 and the influences on them. The selected works, all woodcuts, lithographs and copper etchings, displayed the chaos, fear and terror that governed Germany during this period.
A walking tour of the main shopping area of Glasgow, including an arcade of very expensive diamond jewellery merchants, rounded off our day. We retired to our rooms for an afternoon nap.
One totally unrelated photo that I will share with you was taken in the potato chips section of the Tesco Express supermarket right next door. It says that you are in Scotland.
Thu May 16 - Windermere to Glasgow
Instead of the direct route (about 3hr up the M6 Motorway) we took a major diversion back across the Yorkshire Dales to the town of Sedbergh - the "bookshop capital of Northern England".
Crossing the Yorkshire Dales is best done on a bright sunny day so that you can appreciate its natural beauty.
In Sedbergh we naturally visited the largest bookshop (two floors of thousands of books, mostly old). We made some purchases.
Sedberghs other claim to fame is the prestigious Sedbergh School which opened its doors to students in 1525. It is described as an co-educational independent Church of England boarding school for 4-18 year olds. It may not be Eaton but its grounds and facilities do look good.
While we were there a match was in progress between the Sedbergh 1st XI and a visiting team. The well appointed oval pavilion is on the right and a small part of the school can be seen in the background. The accommodation for the senior sudents is not bad either. Across the road from the school is the Senior Girls boarding house. Nice digs.
From Sedbergh we continued on across the Yorkshire Dales to the little village of West Burton where they have a small pottery industry dedicated to cats - The Cat Pottery. Beautifully sculptured cats, in stone and clay.
A few of the "outdoor cats" on display - "indoor cats" are in the workshop shown on the right
We naturally made a purchase and retired to the one and only pub (it is a little village) - the Fox and Hounds.
A liquid lunch at the Fox and Hounds
Meg walking across the Village Green
Apart from a pub and the pottery, there is a butcher, a tea room (which was closed today) and a gift shop (also closed). The remainder of the village consists of about 20 or so two story traditional houses as shown.
The village green did contain an item of interest - punishment stocks.
Meg tries her foot in the punishment stocks - she got off lightly!
The extended trip to Glasgow took about 6 hours. Our new digs in Glasgow for the next 4 nights is an apartment in the heart of the city.
One amusing custom the Scots have is the title they give to ladies - "Hen". When Meg asked for directions, for example, they would reply "Turn left, take the first right and its about halfway down, Hen". There appears to be no similar title (like "Rooster") for men.
Wed May 15 - WindermereOne amusing custom the Scots have is the title they give to ladies - "Hen". When Meg asked for directions, for example, they would reply "Turn left, take the first right and its about halfway down, Hen". There appears to be no similar title (like "Rooster") for men.
Our last full day in The Lake District, surely the most beautiful part of England. For the 3rd day in a row the temperature was described as "hot" by some locals - it peaked at 20C this afternoon. Because of the "heat" we decided to spend some time in the cooler mountains and on the water.
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the Lake District, being about 14km long and just over 1km wide at its widest. It is only a short distance from Windermere (about 30 minutes driving time due north) but the road is narrow (dual carriageway but still narrow) and it twists, turns and climbs its way up a mountain pass (the Kirkstone Pass) before descending equally precariously down the other side.
The view south while climbing the pass. Lake Windermere is in the distance
The dry-stone walls along the road almost seem to scrape the sides of the car as you navigate your way around the bends.
Panoramic view near the pass summit (click for a larger view)
As you would expect at the top of the pass there is a pub - no other buildings but the pub.
The view north while descending the pass. Brotherswater, one of the smallest lakes, is in the distance.
Ullswater is a very picturesque lake, even more so because it lacks the tourist development that has occurred around Windermere and some of the other lakes. There are just 3 villages on the lake shore and all three are connected by a ferry service. We joined the service from the village of Glenridding to a jetty at a National Trust site called Aira Force, which has a waterfall as its only attraction.
Panoramic view of Ullswater from the ferry (click for a larger view)
The lake is surrounded by the high hills of the Cumbria mountains which adds to its attraction. There were many hikers starting off from Glenridding or catching a ferry to one of the other villages to start their walks. A popular choice is to travel around the lake by using the ferries as a "hop on hop off" service for some sections and walking other sections.
As for the waterfall - the information books did not mention the 40 minute hike up the steep hill from the National Trust Cafe at the jetty to reach the falls. That plus the fact that we would miss the next ferry back and have to wait 2 hours for the following ferry convinced us to stay at the cafe instead. It was a hard decision!
On return to Glenridding we took some time to look around the village. Several pubs, cafes and restaurants, gift and souvenir shops, a few Bed & Breakfasts, a couple of hotels, some hiking gear shops and one small supermarket.
As for the waterfall - the information books did not mention the 40 minute hike up the steep hill from the National Trust Cafe at the jetty to reach the falls. That plus the fact that we would miss the next ferry back and have to wait 2 hours for the following ferry convinced us to stay at the cafe instead. It was a hard decision!
On return to Glenridding we took some time to look around the village. Several pubs, cafes and restaurants, gift and souvenir shops, a few Bed & Breakfasts, a couple of hotels, some hiking gear shops and one small supermarket.
Today was "Neolithic Day". A visit to two ancient neolithic stone circles. We used the town of Keswick, a 40 minute drive from Windermere, as our base so that we could drop off our laundry (laundry was a vital part of the planning for this trip) and then go "do the stones".
The first stone circle, Castlerigg, is at the top of a hill only a few minutes drive from Keswick. It is estimated to have been constructed around 3200BCE which makes it one of the oldest known stone structures in Britain and possibly Europe. Its location, on top of a hill surrounded by the valleys and mountains of Cumbria, also makes it the most visually striking of all the neolithic monuments.
A panoramic shot of Castlerigg Stone Circle (click for a larger view)
As a side note, there are over 300 known stone circles and other neolithic stone structures in England. Scotland has over 500. They are also found in Wales, Ireland, Brittany and even on the Channel Islands.
From the point of view of astronomy, on this particular hill sunrise during the Autumn equinox appears over the top of a neighbouring hill 3km away. Some stones in the circle have been aligned with the midwinter sunrise and various lunar positions.
It is a 35 minute drive from Castlerigg to another neolithic site, a much larger one known as "Long Meg and the Druid Circle" although it is doubtful that the Druids had anything to do with this site. The road approaching the site is very narrow.
The standing stone known as "Long Meg" is the largest of the stones (3.6m high) and stands alone outside the circle (part of which can be seen in the background below).
Meg and "Long Meg". One is a Neolithic Standing Stone and the other is the best person in the whole world!
There are a number of neolithic inscriptions in the surface of the stone as shown above - circles, spirals, cup shapes and the like - none of which has any known meaning.
A panoramic shot of the "Druids Circle" (click for a larger view)
The stone circle behind Long Meg consists of 59 stones with 27 remaining upright. It is oval in shape (so it is not a circle) with its long axis 100m in length. The circle is believed to have been constructed during the Bronze Age (2500-800BCE) but dates are very uncertain. Long Meg "herself" was added much later and is of a different rock type to the others. There is evidence of Neolithic burials at the site.
Two views of the "Druid Circle" stones.
Astronomically, the site is more complex than Castlerigg. Long Meg is placed in alignment between the centre of the circle and the point of midwinter sunset. Four of the stones in the circle are not local and seem to have been deliberately selected and placed to mark specific calendar events (for example: sunrises and solstices in each of the four seasons). There is another related site nearby but as it is on private land access is not possible.
We returned to Keswick to collect our laundry and to do some window shopping in the town market place.
Mon May 13 - Windermere
Only a short trip today to Coniston Waters (Lake Coniston) and Brantwood House. Coniston Waters is one of the largest lakes in the Lake District and is regarded as one of the most picturesque. Brantwood House was the home of John Ruskin, widely regarded as the 19th Century's foremost art critic, prominent social thinker and an environmentalist way before his time.
Coniston Waters is reached by a narrow winding road that is sometimes not wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other. Add to that the other cars, trucks, buses, cyclists and hikers all competing for the same road space that you are currently occupying. Apart from those issues, the drive is well worth it from the scenic point of view - it is no wonder that so many people are using that same road.
Panoramic view of Coniston Waters from its northern end (click to enlarge)
The lake is very popular for boating, sailing, fishing and hiking along its foreshores. Its major town, Coniston, is full of pubs, restaurants, cafes, gift shops, local museums and related tourist retail opportunities.
Coniston Waters was where Donald Campbell made his ill-fated water speed record attempt in "Bluebird" in January 1967. He was killed in the crash and his body was never recovered. The Bluebird itself lay in 43m of water and was not recovered for another 32 years.
The drive to Brantwood House involves negotiating several miles of a single lane winding road with the occasional "head on" meet with another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction - sometimes around a blind bend. These encounters were always accompanied by a sudden rise in adrenaline levels (in both parties) while each works out the best method of getting past the other.
The house is in a perfect position on a slope on the eastern side of the lake with a commanding view of the lake, its opposite shore and surrounding hills. The image above was taken from the front of the house.
His garden includes a number of giant Rhododendrons. The largest was as tall as the nearby trees.
Sun May 12 - York to Windermere
Weatherwise this has been the best day since arriving in the UK. Bright sunshine, "warm" (14C) and hardly any clouds.
Our plan after leaving York was to visit Newby Hall, a Georgian Mansion. We arrived at 10am (the usual opening time for these places) to discover that it opens at 11am. Rather than waste an hour we decided on Plan B - travel to Windermere across the Yorkshire Dales. Each of our major moves has at least one alternative route, with timings, to provide options for weather and other factors.
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to the upland area of the Pennine Mountains in Northern England. Most of the Dales is a national park (see our description of UK National Parks in the entry for Wed May 8th). It is a popular area for hiking and caving.
On entering the Dales after the village of Redmire we noticed a castle in the distance. The castle we discovered is Bolton Castle and is open for inspection, so we turned off the road and inspected.
Panorama of Bolton Castle and the Yorkshire Dales (click for a larger view).
The castle dates back to late 14th century and was where Queen Elizabeth I held her rival, Mary Queen of Scots, prisoner for 6 months.
The room used by Mary for her bed chamber decorated in the style that existed in that era.
Mary had a retinue of 50+ servants with her in her prison so it was not a lonely experience - but it would have been a very cold one.
The view Mary would have had from her bed chamber window.
Part of the castle was damaged in the English Civil War and this was never repaired. The castle was built by Richard, 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton between 1387 and 1398 and still remains the property of his descendants. The current owner is Harry Algar Nigel Orde-Powlett, 8th Baron Bolton.
There are a number of towns and villages in the park and some of them were once served by a railway, the Wensleydale Railway (Wensleydale Cheese was made famous in the Wallace and Gromit stop motion animation movies), until its closure in 1959.
The old railway station at Hawes still has a reminder of this era as a static display.
The Dales are a very picturesque, and therefore popular, part of England. The roads are narrow, sometimes single lane only, and winding. They follow valleys, run alongside babbling brooks, across ancient stone bridges, pass through small villages with houses often made of local stones and there are always the dry stone walls that mark the boundaries of pastures and paddocks. Being a sunny Sunday we came across many groups of hikers along the roads and walking through the fields. It would have been a good day for it.
Windermere is the largest town in the Lakes District National Park and is on the eastern shore of the largest freshwater lake in England, Lake Windermere. Our hotel is in the little village of Bowness-on-Windermere just south of Windermere but also on the lake shore. The hotel, the Burn How Garden House Hotel, is the same one we stayed in on our last visit 4 years ago.
Sat May 11 - York
Our final full day in York and the weather actually warmed up to a balmy 13C by mid afternoon - we actually saw some locals walking around in shorts!
We took the bus direct from our hotel to the National Railway Museum. The bus service was door-to-door. We discover that we had arrived at the museum almost an hour before opening time so we walked the mile to York Minster and started our days touring there.
York Minster (its official name is Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York) has a very long history. There is written but indirect evidence of a church at the site in the year 314 but the first officially recorded structure, a wooden church, was in the year 627. By 637 the first stone church was completed. But prior to that the site occupied by the present Minster and the surrounding buildings was a large Roman garrison fort - the foundations of which can be seen in the Minster basement museum.
Over the centuries the building has grown - and has been damaged or destroyed by fire, war, Henry VIII and has been rebuilt several times. In 1967 it was discovered that one of the two towers was close to collapse and urgent restoration and strengthening of the walls, roof and foundations were needed. It was during this work that the ancient Roman ruins were discovered. The last disaster was a fire in 1984 that destroyed the south transept.
The long central nave, taken from the halfway point.
The interior of the building is full of history. Memorials to, and the tombs of, many individuals including royal princes, military heroes, politicians, philanthropists, clergy and ordinary people fill the walls and many alcoves. Some are extremely elaborate works of art.
The Minster as many chapels in which services are conducted. One of the largest of these is the Chapter House, which is one of the oldest parts of the structure. It is decorated with hundreds of miniature medieval heads (human, animal, imaginary and grotesque) and everyone of them is different.
While we were visiting two of the clergy played on a grand piano (one of several) and the acoustics were incredible. Beneath the Minster is a museum detailing the history of the site and the Minster.
The National Railway Museum is the largest rail museum in the world. It consists of two large halls, one contains a turntable and displays locomotives and rolling stock from the earliest to the latest. The other is the original York Station (fully covered) and displays how the busy station would have looked at the end of the 19th Century.
The locomotive "Mallard" which set the world speed record for a steam locomotive in 1938 at 126 mph (204 kph). A record which still stands today.
Built in 1851, the carriage shown above is the oldest known surviving railway carriage.
One of the trains exhibited in the station hall is Queen Victoria's Royal Train. This is the interior of her sitting car.
The museum also has an extensive railway library and records archive - and entry to the museum is free.
Fri May 10 - York
The weather forecast for today was cold but with very little rain so we decided that today was the best choice for traveling and outside exploring. The destination was Studley Royal Water Gardens about 1 hr drive NW of York. The estate is a World Heritage listed site owned by the UK National Trust, so admission is free to members of the Australian National Trust.
The estate is huge - 800 acres and most of it is open for public inspection. It includes an 18th Century landscaped water garden and the largest Cistercian ruins in Europe, Fountain Abbey, which dates back to the 12th Century
A panorama shot of the eastern side of the Abbey (click for a larger view)
The Monastery, Fountain Abbey, is huge. In area it is bigger than most cathedrals. It was started by the Cistercian monks in 1132 who moved into the wilderness to pursue a life of simplicity and austerity. Over the centuries the monastery grew rich from the sale of wool (which was as valuable as gold back then) and used the money to build and expand into one of the largest, wealthiest and most powerful Abbeys in the country.
This all came to an end when King Henry VIII, in his dispute with Rome over his divorce, closed all the monasteries and seized their lands and wealth in 1532. The Abbey then fell into ruin.
The Abbey was built alongside the River Skell but as it expanded in size it was built over the river.
Part of the Cellarium of the Abbey. This was a basement storeroom (or cellar) and the only part of the Abbey that is intact.
During the 18th and 19th Centuries, the estate owners created a "Romantic Style" water garden on the lands downstream from the Abbey. A water garden is based around lakes, ponds, flowing streams, hedges and extensive lawns - with classical Greek elements such as temples, rotundas, towers. The Studley Royal Garden is the best surviving example of a Georgian water garden in England. It was used as a model for many of the water gardens found in Europe.
The Abbey, seen from a viewing point on a hill in the Water Garden.
The garden has a number of "follies" (features designed to surprise and amuse the guests and visitors).
One of the "follies" is a long serpentine tunnel through which visitors must pass in total darkness.
When walking along the paths in the garden, your view of the lakes and ponds is often blocked by tall dense hedges. At various points you will come across a break in the hedges where you will be "surprised" by an amazing scenic view, such as shown above. The building on the right is the "Temple of Piety" and it is a full sized classical Greek temple.
After returning to our hotel we decided to catch the bus into town to have dinner at one of the many restaurants and pubs in the city. We selected the Ask Italia restaurant which occupies the original York Assembly Rooms, a heritage building that was built in the 18th Century with the interior based on an ancient Egyptian temple. The rooms were originally used for high class social gatherings such as balls.
Thu May 09 - York
Our first full day in York and the predicted maximum was 9C with a light drizzle to accompany that. The prediction was correct - it was cold and wet. On the bright side at least, transport is easy. Our hotel is on a major bus route with a bus every 10 minutes during the day so we did not have to freeze for long waiting at the nearby bus shelter.
York is famous for, among many things, York Minster and The Shambles. A Minster is a church of Anglo-Saxon origin that is not the seat (or throne) of a Bishop. York Minster is larger than any of the Cathedrals, which are ranked higher than Minsters, we have seen on this trip.
A Shambles is the Saxon name for a meat market where butchers plied their trade and displayed their wares. The York Shambles is the largest and best preserved one in Europe. It has a history going back to the 11th Century and there has been a market at The Shambles ever since, which also makes it the oldest still operating Shambles (but very few butcher shops remain).
The main street, or alley, of The Shambles is called "Shambles" and is shown in the two images above, taken from opposite ends. This street was also the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books and movies. Hence the two shop signs shown in the image above - "World of Wizardry" (where you can purchase, among many many other items, a complete Hogwarts School uniform fully fitted) and "The Boy Wizard" which sells similar wares.
Another shop, "The Potions Cauldron" at 9 3/4 Shambles, sells ingredients for magic potions. Other side streets and alleyways contain shops catering for a wide variety of demands.
The window of a Bakery in The Shambles.
No English Shambles would be complete without tea rooms ...
... where a hard days walking deserves a special reward. Not a teabag in sight, and proper tea strainers for pouring and hot water to dilute that second cup.
One feature of all cities we have visited has been ruined churches and York is no exception.
The ruins of St Marys Abbey. While some of these ruins are a result of wars, most including the Abbey above can be blamed on King Henry VIII.
We paid a visit to the York Art Gallery where an exhibition of works by Turner and Ruskin (and others) were displayed. The constant drizzle and low temperature forced us to call it a day and we returned to our hotel.
Wed May 08 - Cheltenham to York
The day arrived with a steady rain and the forecast promising more of the same all day. We abandoned our plans to visit Shrewsbury (for some strange reason pronounced "Chooks-bury") on the journey as it would have involved walking around in cold constant rain. Instead, we took up a request from my sister to visit the small village of Peak Forest in Derbyshire as it was the home of some of my relatives in the 18th Century.
We entered the name "Peak Forest" into our car "Space Shuttle" Sat Nav system and it drew a blank. We tried Google Maps on my mobile and it pointed to a location, surrounded by lots of green nothingness, in the Peak District National Park. The nearest town was Buxton so we entered that into the Sat Nav and it responded with a suitable path.
What should have been a 2 hr trip, according to the Sat Nav, took about 3 hours due to delays caused by the bad weather, roadworks, heavy traffic and accidents on the motorways.
While on the motorways, we amused ourselves by reading out the names of some of the villages and towns that we were bypassing. Two that will be long remembered because of their close physical proximity and the mind imagery they created were Catshill and Lickey End.
Once off the motorways and onto the narrower country roads, we passed through the town of Leek (shown above) at the foot of the Peak Hills District National Park.
From Leek the road climbed up into the hills and the national park. National parks here are not at all like their counterparts in Australia or elsewhere. If you did not have a map showing the park coloured green you would not even realise that it was a national park or AONB (Area of Natural Beauty) as they are sometimes called. Farmhouses, villages, fenced paddocks (although more likely to be made of dry stone than wire and wooden posts), grazing animals all exist inside national parks.
As we climbed higher the country changed from the vibrant greens we had seen everywhere on this trip to browns and tans with tussocks of obviously very hardy grasses.
Buxton has a long history as well as an Opera House and a heated public bath built in its heyday during the 19th century. The railway line into Buxton runs high above the houses on a tall arched viaduct.
We stopped at Buxton for a cup of hot tea to keep us going. It was freezing outside.
From Buxton it was a short 8 miles to Peak Forest, a village inside the national park. It could be easily missed from the main road - a few houses, the traditional pub, a church and a public school would fly by very quickly. The majority of the houses are on two side streets.
The main road from Buxton to Chesterfield runs through Peak Forest.
The pub, the Devonshire Arms, is the building on the left. The village does has a set of traffic lights at the intersection of the main road and the main side street.
There are two churches in the village, the one on the main road, the Charles King and Martyr Church, is the oldest and has a parish cemetery with over 100 headstones. My all too brief inspection, given the freezing rain, revealed many dated in the early 1800s but far too many headstones were so eroded that I simply could not read them.
The Charles King and Martyr Church in Peak Forest.
After taking as many photographs of the church and village as I deemed necessary, I beat a quick retreat back to the warmth of the car. We resumed our journey to York via Chesterfield. Again ascending into the clouds and the desolate fields before descending to forests and fields of green once more.
The trip to York was far more varied - passing along narrow country roads that wound their way through forests, up and down hills, across small brooks - it was picture book stuff. Every now and then we would pass through a small village that seemed to consist of just a pub and, perhaps, one or two attached dwellings. One such encounter is shown below.
"The Chequers Inn" was established in 1840.
Our trip took us through the city of Sheffield in peak hour. It was an interesting experience. At one very busy intersection there were no traffic lights installed and there seemed to be no road rules in play at all. Meg decided to adopt the tactics of other drivers and barge her way through.
We arrived at our lodgings for the next four night, the Premier Inn York North, situated outside of the city but right next to a major bus route. We had been "on the road" for about 7 hrs and 30 mins so instead of busing into town for dinner, we dined at a large and very nice restaurant, The Doormouse, across the car park from the hotel. Then an early retirement for the night.
"The Doormouse Inn" right next to our hotel
Tue May 07 - Cheltenham
We drove to Cheltenham Racecourse (the 2nd most famous racecourse in England - after Ascot) not to watch a horse race but to catch a train.
The Gloucester-Warwick Steam Railway operates daily services (mostly steam hauled) over 14 miles of restored track from Cheltenham Racecourse. The line was originally built by the Great Western Railway to connect Cheltenham with Stratford-Upon-Avon and Birmingham but was closed in 1976 after only 70 years of operation. The preservation group took over the right-of-way in 1984 and has gradually rebuilt the track over the years with the latest section of 4.5 miles from Toddington to Broadway opening in 2018.
The image right shows tank loco 4270 arriving at Cheltenham Racecourse Station for the 10:55am service back to Broadway.
The train and station staff are all wearing the uniforms that existed in the steam era and the train departed exactly on time.The First Class carriages (shown right) are very comfortable and all the carriages are heated by steam taken from the locomotive.
The gardens and stations along the line are all very well maintained by a team of volunteers who keep the railway running.
We traveled to Toddington, the second last stop about 9 miles from Cheltenham. There the railway has its locomotive depot and a well stocked railway cafe built to the theme of the steam era. After sampling some of the offering at the cafe, we returned to Cheltenham Racecourse on the next available service.
While on the train we were provided with a guide to the villages and historic buildings that we will be passing along the route. One that caught Meg's eye was Sudeley Castle which features in much of the history of the Kings and Queens of England. The castle can trace it roots back to the 7th century but is most famous for being the burial site of Catherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII - she outlived him by a year. It was also the site of a major battle between the Royalists and the Parliamentary forces in the English Civil War.
So after the train trip we drove to Sudeley Castle near the village of Winchcombe, one of the stations on the line.
The tomb of Catherine Parr, the only Queen of England to be buried on private land, was discovered in the estates parish church, St Marys, when it was being rebuilt in 1782. The tomb shown was built in 1817. The castle has been extensively repaired and restored by its private (and very wealthy) owners over the last 200 years.
The gardens are impressive, even before the full bloom of spring.
The Knot Garden, created from a pattern on Elizabeth I dress during her visit to Sudeley Castle.
The "Secret Garden"
The ruins of the Tithe Barn have been turned into a garden backdrop.
If the castle, its contents and its gardens are not impressive enough, it also has an amazing collection of rare and exotic pheasants from all over the world. Below are just two who co-operated by standing still long enough to be photographed.
Tomorrow we move north to York for a 4 night stay.
Today was a bank holiday and while some business were closed, most seemed to be open and operating on Sunday hours.
We departed this morning for Tewkesbury, an historic town on the junction of the River Avon (one of 8 rivers with that name in England) and the River Severn.
In the image above the River Severn is on the left and the River Avon is on the right with docked canal and river excursion boats.
The town can trace its origin back to the 7th Century but its major claim to fame is the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, one of the decisive battles of the English War of the Roses between the Royal Houses of York and Lancashire.
The town is mentioned by Shakespeare and in Charles Dicken's Pickwick Papers.
The quote above from the Pickwick Papers mentions a tavern, the "Hop Pole" in Tewkesbury. The tavern, is now a pub shown on the right and renamed the "Royal Hop Pole".
A Tudor building in Tewkesbury which is now a museum. Between many of the buildings are small alley ways connecting the main street with the buildings and other streets behind.
Wells Way, a typical alley connecting the main street (through the narrow passage at the end). The alley ways have doors leading to shoppes, businesses and residences.
A street scene in Tewkesbury. The building at the end is a pub named "The Bell". There are many pubs in Tewkesbury.
A randomly selected alley way (shown left) lead to an unexpected discovery - the oldest known Baptist Meeting Place (shown right). At a time when Protestants and Catholics were at war, those of the Baptist faith had to meet in secret. The graveyard next to the meeting place contains some of Shakespeare's distant relatives.
Finally we stopped for morning tea at an eclectically decorated tea room - the Abbey Tea Rooms opposite Tewkesbury Abbey.
Tea, scones with jam and clotted cream - what else would you have for morning tea?
On to Worcester about 25 miles north of Cheltenham. This is also an historic city with a famous battle. The Battle of Worcester in 1651 was the final battle of the English Civil War. The Parliamentary Army, under Cromwell, stormed the city walls and defeated the Royalist army lead by King Charles II who was forced to flee in disguise to France. There is a plaque on the house where he hid before escaping.
The wall plaque and the house.
It looks like it is falling over, but because it is preserved, it cannot be repaired unless it is deemed to be unsafe.
Plaques are regularly placed on buildings where important events occurred, or important people were born, lived or died. Here is one I found in the historic market street.
Returned to Cheltenham late afternoon and dined later that night in a French Cafe. We leave the car at the hotel and catch a local bus, which runs a regular service to well after midnight, to the city centre for our evenings out.
Sun May 05 - Cheltenham
Our first full day in Cheltenham and we scooted out of town to Hidcote Manor and Gardens in the morning and then to Snowshill Manor and Gardens in the afternoon. Both involved driving along narrow tree lined country roads for a 50 mile round trip.
Hidcote Manor and Gardens is owned by the National Trust and was originally owned and created by Lawrence Johnson from 1910 to 1947. It is regarded as the most significant of the "Arts and Crafts" gardens in the UK. Many of its gardens are laid out like the rooms of a house with hedges for walls and hedge arches as the doorways between the "rooms".
Meg posing in one of the many "Flower Rooms" of the garden.
Laurence Johnson traveled widely throughout Europe, Africa and as far as China to collect rare and unusual specimens for his gardens.
Two local dudes out for the day exploring the gardens. You could spend all day walking on the paths through the gardens, woodlands and grounds of the estate.
Unfortunately at this point my camera suffered a setting malfunction (since rectified) that left all the remaining shots out of focus. But, in summary, Hidcote Gardens is a very popular tourist attraction and it was easy to see why.
Snowshill Manor and Gardens, also a National Trust property, are a completely different experience. The gardens cannot hold a candle to those at Hidcote but the manor house, or rather its contents, have to be seen to be believed.
The owner, Charles Paget Wade, had a lifelong passion for collecting "things" from the age of 7 until his death in 1956 aged 73. He amassed a collection of over 27,000 objects of which there is only room for about 9,000 in the Manor - and they fill every nook and cranny, cover every wall, hang from all the ceilings and occupy much floor space.
He had so many objects that he decided to move out of the Manor House and into a smaller "Priest House" adjacent. But even this he filled with weird and wonderful "things" some of which he made himself and/or repaired in his workshop. His chair at his dining room table, for example, was suspended by ropes from the ceiling. He was an accomplished architect, artist and poet.
None of the objects are labelled (Wade did not want his house to become a museum) and the lighting levels in each room are very low (Wade liked that gloomy effect). His collection of theatre costumes, which he sometimes wore himself, would meet the needs of a full sized opera production company. One room is filled with Japanese Samurai armour, another with all manner of wheeled objects (bicycles, childrens play carts and prams), and so on through each room of the two story Manor house.
We returned to Cheltenham with a new opinion of what English eccentricity was all about. Monday is a "Bank Holiday" here which means that the tourist attractions will be filled with finance and similar employees enjoying the day off.
Weather-wise, today was overcast, cool (even chilly) but the rain held off. It gets dark very late here - by 8pm the street lights had still not come on and there were lots of people at restaurants and pubs, even sitting outside rugged up against the cold drinking, I later discovered, warm beer (probably appropriate).
Sat May 04 - Bath to Cheltenham
Departed Bath for Cheltenham with a side trip to the National Trust property at Lacock in Wiltshire. The property includes Lacock Abbey, its lands, and the entire Lacock Village. The village is a normal working village with full time residents, businesses, a bakery and a pub but all owned by the UK National Trust so all the residents and businesses are tenants. Being members of the Australian National Trust we had free entry.
Lacock Abbey was founded in the early 13th Century as a nunnery. It was confiscated, like other Abbeys and Monasteries, by Henry VIII in the 16th Century and sold as a private residence to Sir William Sharington who increased the size of the upper floor and converted it to his home. The lower floor of the Abbey largely remains unaltered.One of the cloisters of the Abbey is shown on the right. This particular cloister was made famous in the Harry Potter movies as one of the hallways of Hogwarts School of Wizardry. Other movies and TV series (e.g. "Downton Abbey") have also had scenes shot here.
The Abbey had extensive lands all tenanted to farmers who paid a tithe to the Abbey. It was also the custom of those times for wealthy families whose daughters entered the nunnery to pay a substantial dowry (which may include land) to the Abbey. As a result the Abbey was very wealthy and was able to improve and extend its buildings.
Despite many of the nuns coming from wealthy families and the nobility, they had a very austere life.
After Henry VIII, the house passed through a number of owners over the centuries, each making their own additions and alterations, some more tasteful than others.
One of the rooms of the upper floor.
Eventually, the Abbey became the property of the amateur scientist and inventor, William Henry Fox Talbot, who in 1835 invented the photographic negative. One of the windows of the Abbey was the first object to be photographed using a negative.
The houses and building of Lacock Village have been preserved, as far as possible, in their original condition. The image above shows some of the stone houses on the left with the Tithe Barn on the right. Farmers and tenants were expected to give a percentage of their produce each year to the Abbey and this was stored in the barn.
We arrived in Cheltenham later that afternoon. The city is totally different from its namesake in NSW. For one thing, there are many pubs, bars and restaurants. We dined that night in an Italian Restaurant.
Fri May 03 - Bath
A day spent at home base today and our last day in Bath. This is a very interesting city and full of history.
We went inside the Bath Abbey (which is now just a parish church, but an impressive one). It is currently undergoing repairs (all the bodies buried below the floor over the centuries have decayed away and have caused the floor to collapse) and an expansion with an new "Footprint Centre" being added.
The water from the natural hot springs that feeds the Roman Baths next door is now being used to heat the interior of the Abbey. Previously it ran unused into the River Avon.
Next to the Abbey is the Orchard Gardens. The gardens were created as an entertainment venue for the residents and visitors who came to "take the waters" in Bath during the Georgian and Victorian periods.
In the background are some of the typical Georgian era houses that dominate the architecture of Bath and make it a World Heritage site. All new buildings have to conform to a very similar style using local stone and must be approved by UNESCO before they can be built.
The image above shows the terraced town houses build on a circular street named "The Circus" built from 1754 to 1768. The front facade was designed by architect John Wood, the elder. The houses behind the facade are all different designs and sizes.
Many of the houses and building in Bath were designed by John Wood, the elder, and his son, John Wood the younger.
The Roman Baths are also next to the Abbey. The natural hot spring that exists there is the reason why Bath was settled by the original inhabitants and then by the Romans, the Normans and later peoples. The Romans built an elaborate series of baths and pools on the site as well as a temple. The original building was modified and added to during the Victorian era (for example, the first floor structure shown on the right).
The main and largest pool is shown above. The colour of the water is due to its mineral content. There are several smaller inside pools which were segregated for men and women. There was also a cold water pool.
The Sacred Pool (shown above) springs directly from a thermal source deep within the Earth. It emerges at a temperature of 46C at a rate of one million litres per day. From there the Roman engineers diverted the water to the different bathing pools in the complex and took the overflow to the River Avon.
Beneath the baths there are extensive excavations (which still continue) that have revealed much more of the baths and temple complex. The image below shows some of the temple that has been excavated.The baths house an extensive collection of Roman artifacts that have been uncovered during the excavations or recovered from the pools themselves.
Thur May 02 - Bath and Chawton (via Stonehenge)
Our longest day trip (so far) - 168 miles (270 kms) from Bath to Chawton and return to visit Jane Austin's House. As an added and unexpected bonus, the GPS calculated a route that took us along the A303 right past Stonehenge. We were unable to stop but did manage to snap a somewhat blurry image from the moving car.
Chawton is a small village near Winchester where the Austins lived. Jane, with her mother and sister, lived in a cottage in the village while her brother, who owned the village, lived in the much larger Chawton House just outside the village. Jane Austin is regarded as the author who changed the way English novels were written and is arguably the most important novelist in the English language.
Jane Austin's House (shown above) is now a museum.
Her writing desk (the chair is not original).
Next to Chawton House is the parish church where Jane's mother and sister are buried. Jane herself is buried in Winchester Cathedral.
Wed May 01 - Bath and Wells
Our first full day in Bath and we were planning to go to Winchester and Stourhead. Instead a conversation with a member of a group of, what could be described as "Senior Eccentric Ladies Driving Vintage Cars" (but their actual title is "Chummy Ladies On Tour"), convinced us to go to the small city of Wells (they claim the title of "the smallest city in Britain") to see the Cathedral and the Bishops Palace.
Some of the "Chummy Ladies" about to set off from the hotel car park for a road tour to Wells. There were about 12 vintage Austin cars in the group. All the drivers and navigators were "Senior Ladies".
The road from Bath to Wells is narrow (the English would generously call it two lane) with speed limits that varied from 60mph down to 20mph. Going through the many small villages (at 20mph or 30mph) the road becomes even narrower. If that was not difficult enough, it was often legal to use one of the two lanes for parking so traffic traveling in opposite directions had to take turns to get past the parked cars.
Arriving in Wells reminded us of the next major problem of driving in England - parking. Because the streets in the towns and villages are so narrow, there are very few places to park and most of those that do exist are reserved for the residents.
We had to park in a supermarket car park that used a pay and display ticket system. We were restricted to parking for just 2 hrs for GBP3.20 (about $6.50). This time restriction prevented us from visiting the Cathedral.
Too sober looking characters outside the "Crown at Wells Pub". Inside it is a crowded experience.
Some scenes from the extensive and very lavish Bishops Palace which is over 800 years old.
The moat and main entrance.
The Great Hall, where the Bishops hosted huge and expensive feasts. After the battle the great hall, the biggest part of the palace, was destroyed to get and sell its valuable lead roofing to provide funds for the Protestant armies. The hall then became a ruin.
Tue April 30 - Bath (4 nights)
The first thing we noticed this morning was the drop in temperature. From 35C in Singapore to 14C in London. Another difference (admittedly an unfair comparison) was that our entire bedroom at the Thistle would have fitted inside the bathroom at the Marina Bay Sands. Plus the Thistle is showing its age in terms of "wear and tear".
Hiring a car is never easy. There is the "upfront cost" of the daily rental charge, then there are the often "hidden" or more correctly stated as "not as prominent" additional extras - insurance of various types, fees for moving the car back from the place where you left it to where you originally hired it, GPS charges, etc, etc. There is always the feeling that you are over their barrel.
Fees and charges sorted, the next hurdle was how to drive the thing. There is no key so how do you start it, on which side of the steering wheel are the turn indicators and windscreen wipers, where is the lever to open the petrol tank cover? The car we hired is the latest release Volvo hatchback and when you are only used to driving a 10 year old Mazda 6 you quickly discover how far things have advanced in the automotive world!
Driving controls sorted, the next step was getting to Bath using the built in "Space Shuttle" GPS multi-screen display system. While sorting that out we proceeded out of Heathrow and onto the M4 motorway with, on the odd occasion, the windscreen wipers indicating our turn direction.
The drive took about 2 hours because we decided to stick to the motorway speed limit of 70mph (and 50mph in a very long stretch of road works) while all other drivers were totally unconcerned with this trivial matter.
We arrived at our hotel, Bailbrook House situated a few miles outside the city of Bath, a few hours before check-in so we parked the car in one of their car parks and caught the local bus into the city.
The image above shows the Pulteney Bridge near the centre of Bath over the River Avon.
The image above shows the entrance to the largest bathhouse, claimed to be the best preserved example in Northern Europe. Bath is also famous for its Abbey, the city does not have a Cathedral.
There are several city blocks that have been turned over to pedestrians and these form the main part of the towns shopping precinct. The city seems to be oversupplied (compared to many other English towns) with pubs, cafes and restaurants.
We returned by bus to our hotel later that afternoon to check-in. Bailbrook House has a long history going back to 1790 and a visitor list filled with famous characters of British history including royalty. Rooms in the hotel are named after them. The house, which is situated in 20 acres of gardens and woodland, became a hotel in 2012 so the rooms are very modern and the facilities are excellent.
After dinner at one of the hotel restaurants and bars, we turned in early for the night.
Mon April 29 - Singapore to London
The day started with a pre-dawn departure from the hotel to the airport. Breakfast in the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge. Food and drinks provided free of charge including free beer on tap to steady those pre-flight nerves. We actually sat and ate in the First Class lounge but nobody noticed.
The aircraft was the same model, the Airbus A380 that took us from Sydney to Singapore a few days ago. The flight to London was 13.5 hours long but being in Business Class made a world of difference from 4 years ago when we went Economy. Business class has the leg room that you could only dream about in Economy and a seat that folds into a bed, plus amazing brunch, lunch and dinner menus with a selection of free wines.
Business Class gets mobile texting (SMS only, no MMS) and free WiFi. Consequently I was using the SMS to inform relatives and friends of our progress from 11,000 metres up.
Touched down at London Heathrow almost on time and caught a taxi to the nearby Thistle hotel which is right alongside the main runway. We stayed at the Thistle on our last visit and it is a haven for plane spotters.
The restaurant overlooks the runway and we were able to observe a plane landing about every 90 seconds. One poor pilot of a large 787 at the end of a long trip from Asia (but not Singapore) came in too high and had to abort the landing. He returned for a second, this time successful attempt, some 10 minutes later.
We will pick up a rental car in the morning to start our adventure.
Sun April 28 - Singapore
Our only full day in Singapore on this outward leg.
The day started with a guided City tour in which we, with other visitors from other hotels, were taken to 4 of the major sights within the City of Singapore.
Stop 1: The city's oldest Chinese Temple, a Taoist temple, in Chinatown. The day before the streets around the temple were packed with worshippers as it was the birthday of the main temple deity.
The shrine shown venerates the dead. Behind the glass walls are containers of ashes of deceased worshippers or places reserved for those still living. Other shines were dedicated to various gods and ornate decorations filled the temple. The guide explained the basics of Taoism and the prayer rituals.
Stop 2: Marina Bay. The bay behind our hotel which is a major tourist draw card for Singapore.
Below and just this side of the hotel (the "wave shaped" building) is a very large and expensive multilevel shopping gallery full of brand names and prices we could not afford. Also below the hotel is a very large casino which we did not visit. The strange looking structure on the left (ignoring the strange structure on the top), that looks like the hotel is giving "the bird" to all, is an interactive science museum. All owned by the hotel which is itself owned by The Sands Casino in Las Vegas.
Stop 3: The National Orchid Gardens within the National Botanical Gardens.
An impressive display of Orchids which is one of Singapore's only natural resources that it exports.
Many important orchid hybrids have been developed here.
Stop 4: Little India.
Like Chinatown, this is the commercial and retail centre for Singapore's many Indian residents and workers. A large selection of gold dealers, restaurants, food shops, electronics, etc. We were given a demonstration of the Indian tea ceremony known as "Tea Pulling" where the worker mixes up a batch of very hot tea, sugar and milk and then blends and cools the liquid by pouring it between two containers often two arms length apart. We were given a sample of the tea which tasted quite sweet.
After returning to the hotel I visited the Skygarden and Infinity Pool on the top deck. It is impressive. There are a number of top class restaurants and bars as well as the pool and sun-baking areas with jacuzzis.
The Infinity Pool runs for a significant length of the "upper deck" and most of it has no obvious protection from guests "falling over the edge" as can be seen by the number of swimmers peering over the edge into the infinite depths 57 floors below. A closer inspection revealed a small safety barrier about 1 metre below the edge of the pool, mostly to catch the water that runs over the edge.
On the other side is a forest with smaller bathing and Jacuzzi pools.
The view from the 57th floor is impressive. The same scene as in the image I took yesterday from the 28th floor is repeated below but from the 57th floor. A different perspective.
Sat April 27 - Sydney to Singapore
The Business Class lounge for Singapore Airlines at Sydney International Airport prior to departure. Lots of food and drinks available free for Business Class passengers. This is our first experience of Business Class.
The aircraft was a Titan of the skies, the Airbus A380 with first class cabins, business class, premium economy and economy. The business class section was only about half full. The service and food were excellent. Each business class passenger was addressed by their surname ("Mr", "Mrs", "Miss").
Meg reclining in her business class "cubical". Each seat has more than enough leg room and can be reclined to a fully flat position for sleeping.
During the flight I was able to use my mobile to send text messages, and I took the opportunity to annoy certain family members with descriptions of what we were eating and doing. We arrived in Singapore on time and were driven to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.
A night shot of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel from across the Marina Bay. We were in the middle tower on the 28th floor but on the other side with a view of the Bay Gardens (one of the top attractions of Singapore) and the harbour. The "boat" structure on the top has top class (i.e. expensive) restaurants and bars and a large swimming pool called the "Infinity Pool".
The view from our window showing the Marina Bay Gardens and its unusual attractions. You can see more of them in our post from 4 years ago.
