Heathrow via Windsor Castle



Outside Windsor Castle

We said a sad goodbye to our hosts Kev and Sue who have looked after us so well for the past 4 days then headed for Heathrow. As we were going to be so close we decided on a side trip to Windsor Castle. This meant we went down the M1 instead of the A38 and M40. It was a very easy drive with one stop near Luton for morning coffee.

We could see the castle from quite a distance and it is an impressive sight. Windsor is a nice little town and we enjoyed wandering through the streets. Took lots of photos of the castle but did not go inside as we didn’t have time to do it justice.

Have made it to the Hilton at Terminal 4 and much to Phil’s relief the car has been returned without incident. Busy repacking our suitcases with the summer stuff handy for KL and getting our clothes ready for tomorrow’s flight. Hope to check in at around 9am.

More Derbyshire

Kev and Sue at home

The Crescent Buxton Derbyshire Style

The Pavillion Buxton

Arbor Low

The Indian Buffet on Thursday night was unbelievable. The restaurant was huge and there were so many things to choose from. A lot of the food was cooked in front of you. Wish we had something like this near us - don't even think such a thing exists in Australia.

Friday morning was spent shopping with Sue in Derby. The men decided not to come and stayed home and watched the Rugby World Cup. Sue and I had a lovely time in the Co-op, a store where other minor stores rent out space and then we went to Boots. What a paradise that was for me! There were so many different types of perfume and all the brands of makeup. We had arranged to meet the men at a pub called the Spotted Cow in Holbrook near Belper. at 1pm. Naturally we were late. We had a lovely 2 course lunch for €15 per couple. We then took a long scenic tour home through Kedleston before returning to Derby to finish off our shopping (sans men of course).

This morning after a shower overnight the sun came out and we headed for Buxton. Buxton is a spa town (another place in the 1800s where people went to take the waters) located in Derbyshire’s Peak District. It has a Pavilion like Brighton and a Crescent and Bathhouse like Bath. The Pavillion now has indoor craft stalls and the Bathhouse has been converted into shops – some of which still contain the baths. The Pavillion also has lovely gardens.

We then drove to Youlgrave near Arbor Low (see below) for lunch at the Farmyard Inn another typical English pub. Had another nice lunch and Phil continued his investigation of English pints of beer.

Next we drove to Arbor Low, a prehistoric site in Derbyshire. It is said to be similar to Stonehenge (we didn’t get to Stonehenge but Kev and Sue say it is a smaller scale Stonehenge). It is situated on a farm and we had to walk through a cow paddock (with cows in it) to get to the site. It does differ from Stonehenge because Arbor Low has burial mounds. Anyway it was worth the visit and the view of the surrounding countryside was fantastic. We would have lingered but as is often common in these parts it decided to rain.

On the way home we went via Tissington another charming English village before stopping for supplies in Ashbourne a large town close to Shirley. Ashbourne is where Sue and her sisters went to school.

We have had a fabulous time here in Derbyshire and have been amazed at the amount of things there are to do. Sue and Kev have been wonderful hosts (even though Kev was cheering for Ireland in the Rugby today).

Off to Heathrow tomorrow where we will stay the night before our flight to KL at midday on Monday. We will arrive in KL at about 7.30 am Perth time.

Derbyshire

The Back of Kev and Sue's House

We left Oxford at 9.15am on Wednesday and managed to get in the wrong lane at a roundabout we had been around 4 times before in the preceding days. This meant we had to make a left turn instead of going straight ahead. Unfortunately, this meant we had to drive about 10 miles before we could turn off and head toward the highway.

It only took us about 2 hours to get here to Shirley a little village about 12 miles from Derby. We were amused at one stage when the GPS took us onto the M6 Toll and the large amount of traffic that had been with us before disappeared. There was only one other car on the road. The locals have worked out how to avoid the toll.

It was great to see Sue and Kev again and they had many things planned for us to do while here. We all headed out to Ripley near Denby for afternoon tea. Had fabulous sandwiches with really yummy fillings, scones with clotted cream and cakes. We had to take the cakes home as we were all full. Suffice to say we didn’t need any dinner but we did enjoy the cakes later with a wee dram of Kev’s Glenlivet single malt whisky.

Had a fabulous night’s sleep and woke to the sun shining. On the agenda for today was more exploring of the area. We had an extra passenger, Grace, Kev and Sue’s granddaughter. We drove north passing through Matlock Bath an inland ‘seaside’ resort, built alongside the River Derwent in a steep and beautiful gorge. Sue and Kev then wanted us to see Chatsworth an historic estate north of Bakewell, owned by the Duke of Devonshire. At present it is shrouded in scaffolding as they are doing restoration work so this was a bit disappointing.

Next stop was Eyams a village made famous during the plague in the 1600s because they quarantined themselves so that the disease would not be spread. After a look around and a read of the history we set out for Bakewell. Here we had lunch and finished it off with some Bakewell Pudding. It was very nice. Not a morsel was left in any of our bowls. Explored the town and visited their Whisky Shop where we bought a bottle of Cardhu single malt for €34 around $55 AUD a saving of about $40.

We are going out for dinner tonight to Kev and Sue’s favourite Indian Restaurant in Derby.

Oxford Day 2

Hertford Bridge, New College Lane, Oxford (a remarkable similarity to the Bridge of Sighs)

Cornmarket St, Oxford City

Today was a very quiet day compared to our travels in the countryside yesterday. Walked down to the local shops to get the bus into Oxford (found out later we could have caught it from outside the Guesthouse). It was a quick trip into the city centre passing the Schools of Engineering and Mathematics. Oxford is busy at present because the school year is beginning. We have a family from South African (they are actually originally from Ghana and the United States) staying here as their daughter is starting at Oxford.

Had a look around the shops and some of the colleges of Oxford and browsed in the covered markets. We really liked looking at the meat and vegetables which seem quite reasonably priced and of a high quality. Had lunch in the city centre, shopped some more and then caught the bus back to the local shops and walked back to the Burlington (as we weren’t sure there was a bus stop nearby – only across the road). Dave and Jill then had to get ready for their flight as they were due to fly to Singapore at 9.30pm. We were driving them to the airport and not being too familiar with traffic patterns set out at 4.15pm so they could be there before 6.30pm. Didn’t take as long as we thought and in fact we were back in Oxford at 6.15pm. Actually we were really surprised as the traffic was similar to Brisbane Airport/Gateway Motorway at peak hour and in fact probably not as bad as we never came to a dead stop like you do in Brisbane.

We have enjoyed our stay in Oxford. The guesthouse, the Burlington was lovely and it has been nice not to have to pack cases every morning.

Off to stay with our friends Sue and Kev Humphries who live near near Derby, tomorrow.

Oxford and the Cotswolds

Warwick Castle

Anne Hathaways Cottage

Stratford upon Avon

E&P at Stratford upon Avon

View of the Cotswolds from near Broadway Tower 

We left Maidstone later than normal (10am) on Sunday as our drive to Oxford was only about 100 miles. The drive was mainly on motorways so for once we did pretty good time.

Dave and Jill had planned a lunch with her cousins at Botley on the outskirts of Oxford  so we dropped them off and continued on into Oxford to see if we could book into our accommodation early. This was no problem and we were pleased with our room which, was just as well as we were staying 3 nights. Next on our agenda was our laundry and we spent the afternoon at the laundrette doing ours and Dave and Jill’s laundry. Luckily the locals are usually very helpful as each laundrette has different machines and it can be a bit confusing. We had a look around the area while we were there and selected options for our dinner. We walked down later and had a very good pizza.

Into the car again this morning and we drove to Warwick Castle. It’s an impressive looking castle with lovely grounds and is sort of a theme park nowadays for families with parts dedicated to shows such as Merlin and The Princess.  

Next stop was Anne Hathaway’s Cottage just outside Stratford upon Avon. Looks exactly like the pictures. We then went into Stratford and walked along the river Avon. Had a look in the Shakespeare Theatre Centre and then lunched in a pub across the road.

We then headed for the Cotswolds stopping off at Broadway Tower and enjoying the view. It is very pretty countryside. It was however blowing a gale (the end of a hurricane has come across the Atlantic causing extreme gale force winds across the UK). We then drove into Stow-on-the-Wold for a look around and some afternoon tea. It was a pretty tourist town but we preferred our next stop which was Burford.  Burford has a river running through it and the view from the bridge is lovely. It also has wider streets than normal and lovely architecture.

Time for home then and we drove the approximately 20 miles back to Oxford. Another day that has flown past. We have been here now for 28 days.

Kent



The Leas, Folkestone

Dover Ferry Terminal

White Cliffs of Dover

Canterbury Cathedral



After a good night’s rest, we woke up to sunshine and a view over the English Channel.  We had enjoyed a great dinner the night before at the B&B/Guesthouse/Pub (don’t quite know what to call it) and then had one of the best breakfasts of the trip.

Had to pack the car again but as it was parked on the seafront we took an opportunity to sit and enjoy the warmth and the view of ferries, cargo ships and the coast of France. It really was quite humid. Dragged ourselves away from the solitude and made the 2 mile trip up the road to Folkestone for our travelling companion Jill to see her old boarding school (from the 60’s). It is now converted into flats and Jill had a trip down memory lane. We had a look around The Leas in Folkestone – sort of a promenade near the seafront with some old buildings that have been rejuvenated into up market flats with a fabulous view of the channel.

Our next quest was the White Cliffs of Dover and on the way we chanced upon the Battle of Britain Memorial. It is a very interesting memorial with spitfire and hurricane replicas and the names of all those who flew during that period inscribed on a wall of remembrance. Set out again and found our way to the White Cliffs site where we walked along a track to get a view of the cliffs. Eileen’s fear of heights kicked in once again as there is not a lot of railing or fencing at places like this in the UK, but she did get to see the cliffs before scurrying back to safer ground.

Moved on then to Ramsgate and Margate but weren’t really impressed by them, especially Margate where the tide was out and the seafront was very muddy and odorous. By then it was 12.30, we had left Sandgate 3 hours before and had managed to travel only 14 miles.

Next stop was Canterbury where we took advantage of the Park and Ride to get into the city centre. We strolled through the shopping area to the Canterbury Cathedral. Unfortunately the Trinity Chapel was closed for Evensong but we were able to look around the rest of the historic Cathedral where Thomas Beckett was murdered. It has a wall where all the Archbishops of Canterbury’s names are inscribed, Thomas Beckett (served in Henry the 2^nd’s time until murdered by his knights), Thomas Cranmer (served in Henry the 8^th,, Edward the 6^th and Elizabeth the 1^{st’s time)} before he was executed by Queen Mary) to more modern day ones such as Robert Runcie (who married Charles and Diana). There are also numerous memorials to local soldiers from many wars.

From there we went to a place called Strood near Rochester to visit Jill’s grandparents’ old home. We then  called it a day after driving in the gloomy and rainy conditions where we managed to get confused on a couple of double roundabouts, even ending up going in the wrong direction on one motorway (back towards Dover). By the time we got to our overnight destination of Maidstone we were looking forward to a drink.



Newquay to Sandgate (West Coast to East Coast)

We are now on the east coast of England in Sandgate in Kent overlooking the sea.  We can’t see across the channel because there is a sea mist.

It seemed like we spent all day yesterday in the car after driving through Cornwall, Devon and Dorset to Lymington in Hampshire.  Once again the boys had to lug our luggage up many floors of stairs to accommodation that was ok but nothing like the brochure indicated.

Phil, Dave and Jill set out to stroll to Hurst Castle they returned some time later having each given up at different stages of the walk and none of them even catching sight of the castle. This morning we found out why – it’s miles away from Lymington. We found it eventually shrouded in mist so photos were out of the question and on finding photos of it on postcards thought it a bit depressing.

We then decided to make a detour via Beaulieu which has an Abbey and open garden. Unfortunately they were having a promotion called an Auto Jumble and a traffic jam several miles long was in progress. So we wisely avoided becoming involved in it.

 Still on the hunt for a castle we stopped at Arundel Castle but couldn’t get a decent photo of it and didn’t have enough time to do a tour. As many who have been to the UK will know there are not a lot of opportunities to stop and take photos on the narrow roads.

We then tried to find the site of the Battle of Hastings – we went through both Battle and Hastings but missed the sign and with such a distance to travel did not have time to turn back.

We were a bit concerned about what we would find at Sandgate as we drove through Hythe on the way here and were underwhelmed with it. Sandgate is much brighter and more cheerful. We have a sea view from our room (once again up 4 flights of stairs).

Cornwall

P&E at Lands End

Padstow Crowds

Padstow Marina

Today has been a Cornwall day. Set off this morning in patchy sunlight for Lands’ End. Had a good run and were there in about an hour. When we got there it was not very busy but by the time we left the tourist coaches had arrived.  It is quite picturesque and we were glad we had gone there. It was however cold and windy.

Next stop was Penzance and it is a lovely town. Had a cup of coffee and a look around the shops but unfortunately there was not enough time to linger in the 3 shoe shops in the area we were in. Phil was not unhappy with this outcome.

Moved on then to Long Rock to see St Michael’s Mount which,  at low tide can be reached via a granite causeway. No low tide while we were there and people were lining up to be ferried across on small boats.

Lunch was next on our agenda and we had heard that although Rick Stein’s Restaurant in Padstow required booking well ahead, you could eat at his Café.  We hadn’t done a lot of reading about Padstow so we motored into the centre of town to be greeted by a sea of pedestrians all over the roads. There had been no signage to say cars were not allowed but the pedestrians were a bit hard to budge. Found no available parks and managed to crawl through the crowds and tiny streets back to the Park and Ride outside of town. Jill had suggested this earlier but we had become accustomed to driving through the centre of towns and cities but nothing like this. This was on a Wednesday, hate to think what it is like on a weekend.

Lined up outside what we thought was the Café to get a seat. Ended up we were at the Fish and Chip Café - still the fish and chips were good. Walked down the road and saw the real café. Seems the Steins own most of Padstow so it’s hard not to be confused.

The women had a quick look around the shops while the men explored further around the inlet and the bay. It was stunningly beautiful even though the weather was not that great.

We came home via the coast road. It was of the narrower version of roads and on many occasions not room for two cars to pass each other let alone a tractor and trailer (yes we met one coming towards us). The view in parts was lovely but was mostly obscured by the hedges beside the road.

Plymouth

Phil at Mayflower Step Plaque

The Mayflower Steps

Plymouth Harbour



Plymouth Seafront Buildings

Left Bath and started our journey to Newquay in Cornwall. Phil had read that a good place to see was Glastonbury in Somerset so we went via some lesser roads to Glastonbury. Wish we could say that the visit was worth it but we are not able to, so will move on.  

We decided to make a stop in Plymouth in Devon as it wasn’t very far out of our way and the men (Phil and Dave) wanted to see the Mayflower.  Eileen did raise the issue of why would the Mayflower be in Plymouth when its’ historical significance was in Massachusetts. Still we got to Plymouth and set out to find the Mayflower in very rainy windy conditions. There was a sign that said Mayflower but we never saw it again and drove all about looking for where it might be.  Asked for directions and arrived at the Mayflower Steps Exhibit. This is where the Pilgrims left Plymouth on the Mayflower. Guess where the Mayflower is?  Massachusetts!

Anyway we had a look around and took photos. We thought Plymouth was a lovely place. Phil and Dave also went to the Francis Drake Memorial.

Set out for Newquay and we were doing well time wise on an extremely good road. A minute or two after Dave, who was navigating at the time said, we should be in Newquay at 5pm; we came to a grinding halt. Accident ahead and we were held up for 25 minutes while they cleared away the car that collided with Farmer Brown and his load of hay (yes they are allowed on major roads like motorways).  Tractor and trailer unharmed, car totalled.

Reached our accommodation and despite stairs once again it is very nice. Weather has been a bit ordinary though.

Bath

Parade Gardens

The Royal Crescent 

Tearoom, Bath Assembly Rooms

More Georgian Mansions, Great Pultenay St

Exploring Bath was now on the agenda for today and we set off in the sunshine for the 5 minute walk into town. Before we reached town, the rain had started to tumble down. Jill and Dave decided to do a tour of the Roman Baths but Phil and I weren’t keen so popped into the Tourist Information to have a look at what to do.

Decided that we wanted to see some other historical sights and they were up a big hill, so Eileen pointed out that they were conveniently on the Hop on Hop off bus route. So we boarded the bus for yet another city bus tour. The sun had come out again so we opted for the top deck. Had only gone a few stops when it started to rain again. We were prepared in waterproofs however E’s does not have a hood so out came the umbrella. It must have been quite a sight from the ground with someone with an umbrella up on the top of a bus. Well it did the job and by another couple of stops the rain had ceased again.

Got off the bus up the hill at the Royal Victoria Park named for the then Princess Victoria who visited in 1830 when she was 11.  We were told rather a funny story about how she felt insulted after her visit when she was described in the press as being dowdy and having fat ankles – she never came back to Bath in her lifetime. In fact, when Queen Victoria did a national tour to celebrate 50 years on the throne, she refused to stop in Bath (the train was on the way to Bristol and had to go through Bath), however QV ordered the train to go faster and had the blinds pulled down so she couldn’t be seen. Evidently QV was one to hold a grudge.

 We had a quick walk through the park to the Royal Crescent (a road of 30 houses laid out in a crescent) said to be a great example of Georgian architecture. From there we went to the Bath Assembly Rooms. E paid the €2 to go inside and see where the privileged gathered in the evenings in Georgian times for dancing and socialising, while in Bath to take the waters .

Next stop was the Jane Austen Centre which is not actually where she lived. We didn’t do the tour just went up to the 2^nd floor to the tearoom where we had the Ladies Afternoon Tea for lunch. A round of mixed sandwiches (smoked salmon & cream cheese, cucumber and cream cheese, ham and mustard and cheese and pickles) and a scone with rhubarb and ginger and strawberry jam with clotted cream and a cup of coffee each. Yummy and it was such a lovely setting.

Back on the bus to look at some more lovely historical buildings and then we did another bus tour of the outskirts of Bath. Yet again the rain started to come down. Not too heavy though. Bath is such a pretty city and we are glad we got to see a bit more of it today.

Waterford to Bath via Tenby

Waterford Crystal Showroom, Waterford, Ireland



Tenby Harbour, Wales

Bath on an Autumn Afternoon



Waterford to Tenby

Breakfasted at 8am so we could get an early start at the Waterford Crystal Factory. It was a very easy walk from the hotel. Spent a couple of hours choosing what we wanted to buy. Our purchases will be shipped home.  The Visa card may recover in time. Phil may not….  While we were there Lindy Milan from the Kerri Anne show was about to film a segment on Waterford.

We had a leisurely drive from Waterford through the south eastern Irish countryside to Roslare where we were to catch the ferry to Fishguard in Wales. Caught the Express boat that normally takes 2 hours to complete. Unfortunately we left a tiny bit late and then had to alter course to the south to try and miss the heavy seas. The Captain did a great job and although it was rough we all crossed without using the sick bags provided.

We docked about 5.45pm and had a lovely drive (although it was raining heavily) to Tenby Wales. Hardest part of the drive was finding our hotel. The GPS was no help as we didn’t have the street address. Have a room with a seaview and it is nice. Rather small bathroom however. Dinner was included with the room so it isn’t an expensive night. Dinner included a few dishes with leek so we know we are in Wales.

Tenby to Bath

Up and at it early once again this morning.  We enjoyed the lovely view with the sun shining on the water before going downstairs for our usual cooked English breakfast.  Once again packed everything into the car and drove down the hill into town for a look around Tenby. This included the walled part of the city which is a shopping area.  Tenby is a seaside holiday area so people were on the beach and swimming. Shops sell buckets and spades, wet suits, rubber rafts etc. It was a whole 19 degrees. People had come for the day with picnics – evidently the summer has been a bit of a disappointment with rain and overcast days, so they were making as much of the sunshine as possible.

On the road again for one of our easier drives mainly on the M4 motorway back into England to Bath. Think it only took about 2 and a half hours to do 126 miles (we have been finding 200 miles an all day journey some days).  Have booked into our accommodation – a guesthouse with period features (no lift once again. Phil and Dave have had to work hard getting those bags up the stairs).

Connemara to Waterford

View from the Sitting Room of our Suite

Galway Bay 

Part of the Burren

The Cliffs of Moher



Well as you can see we did not get to Cork. One thing we have done on this trip is underestimate the time needed to get anywhere. Today was such an example. We had originally planned a big day of sightseeing on the way to Cork, possibly Waterford.  This included the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry and the Lakes of Killarney before going onto Cork. After talking to a local at dinner last night we decided to rule out the Ring of Kerry.

Had a lovely birthday dinner with French champagne in our suite before dinner, a lovely 5 course dinner and even a birthday cake (Jill had kindly arranged). Naturally a big fuss was made of the cake – lights dimmed etc. and the whole restaurant sang happy birthday.

Drove back into Galway this morning and made our way to the seafront at Galway Bay. Had a stroll down the promenade and took the obligatory photos before hopping back in the car to head overland through the area called the Burren (barren hills) to the Cliffs of Moher . The cliffs are a big tourist destination on the coast about 50kms south of Galway. It took us 2 hours to get there from Connemara. The cliffs are a spectacular sight. When you stand on the cliffs and face south you are only 3000kms from New Foundland in Canada. No wonder the North Americans are frequent visitors to Ireland.

We then headed for Ennis with lunch on the way. By this time it was 2.30pm and we realised that we were just not going to be able to include Killarney or Cork on our journey. So we turned off at Limerick and headed for Waterford. This was only about 120kms but we did not get to Waterford until after 5.30pm and we had no stops. It was a really hard drive for the men today as it was mainly on Regional (to the Cliffs of Moher) and National roads. National roads are usually undivided roads with few if any passing lanes. Regional roads are narrower, take you through winding village main streets and sometimes involve stopping to let others coming the opposite way pass as the road is too narrow.

Waterford is home of the Waterford Crystal Factory. It is conveniently situated 700 metres from our hotel. A stop there in the morning is on the agenda.

Connemara Ireland

St PAtricks Cathedral Dublin

Dublin Castle 

Ballynahinch Castle Connemara

Castle from the Grounds

Grounds of Ballynahinch Castle

As we didn’t have to book out of the hotel until noon we decided to use the time to have a look around Dublin. We did quite a circuit which took in St Patrick’s Cathedral (built 1192), Christchurch Cathedral (1030), Dublin Castle (1715), City Hall (1775), Temple Bar (not quite as buzzing at 10am as it’s a nightclub area), Trinity College (1592), past the statue of Molly Malone and then St Stephen’s Green (1663). As you can see Dublin is a very historical place. A shame we didn’t have longer to see more.

Off then to Galway for 2 nights (or so I thought). The road to Galway is a Motorway with countryside not unlike Australia (apart from the sheep with black faces and the farmhouses). We were in Galway in no time (under 2 hours) and then lost the good time we had made up in a traffic jam caused by road works.  Have found Irish signage a little obscure at times and in one case one sign said to go straight and the next sign contradicted it and said to go right. Anyway we ended up on the correct road although as I previously mentioned we have no GPS and our maps are not the best.

We kept going through Galway and crossed onto Connemara and kept going and going – didn’t know Connemara was so big. When we got to our destination about 10 minutes east of Clifden it was a castle, Ballynahinch Castle. Our accommodation had been kept as a surprise for my birthday. We have a lovely room (actually it’s a suite as we got upgraded) that overlooks the river. Had a lovely meal last night in the Pub section of the castle and coffee (the coffee is delivered to your room free) and single malt back in our suite.  We are having my birthday dinner in the restaurant tonight. Know you are all thinking how good of Phil to do all this (castle, birthday dinner etc) well, I really have Jill to thank for the arrangements (with Phil’s approval of course) to make my birthday special.

Have had a lovely breakfast , I even ate the black pudding and Phil tried kippers (they were ok but don’t think they will be his favourite food) and Phil and Dave have gone out for a walk in the massive grounds of the castle. We are going into Clifden for lunch and are hoping to find a Laundromat (getting your washing done is such a pain on holidays).

We have a big day tomorrow as we have to go back via Galway and we want to take photos of Galway Bay. Don’t know whether we are staying in Cork or Waterford.