Tag Archives: England

Tuesday, June 16

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It was a slow start morning — I actually woke up, read a bit, and went back to sleep. When I next looked at my watch it was about 9:00! I guess I needed more sleep.

After Dan showered (no falling for him, but I had left that “bath mat” in the shower) and we both were ready it was time to get our free cup of coffee. Because free. Yes, I have a difficult time turning down free things.

But WAIT! Dan suggests that free doesn’t mean we have to take advantage of the coffee?! Really? Is that the American way?

Well, he was right: we were going to get coffee with breakfast, after all.

So out we went, off to today’s adventures.

Adventure one: coffee and salmon bagels. Dan ordered a single macchiato. The barista made my coffee first (the bigger one) and then did Dan’s. But he had extra coffee. So Dan got two. Perhaps that was the win of the day?

Oh — brief interlude here — weather! I’ve neglected to mention weather! I’m out of my warmer Woolx pants and shirts, and into the lighter things. Yesterday I also brought along my hoodie, but ended up wrapping it around my waist most of the day so I didn’t even take that. Today looked to be as warm or warmer than yesterday (77° predicted which is a tad on the warm side for my taste. I’m sure I’ll be hit hard by the heat at home!) and it was also predicted to be cloudy. That’s good for photography and for a bit of sun protection, but yesterday, even with those clouds, I did manage to get a sunburn which, for me, is rotten because I blister a bit. The sun and I aren’t friends — sun likes my sister much better!) In any case, no rain was forecast for yesterday, and the same goes for today.

After breakfast we caught the tube to reach our destination: British Museum, here we come!

I took a few shots as we got out of the train: I loved the colorful mosaics. Then we went up a long escalator.

From there we saw something we’d seen last time: a huge space with projections on the walls and ceilings.

Then on to the museum we went, passing by the theater where a musical was playing. I haven’t a clue if it’s any good (and no, I never saw the movie). But I liked the shoe (something I wouldn’t ever consider wearing, btw) so there it is.

The last time we were at the museum we had a meet up with Brandon and the line to get in wrapped around the block. We nearly gave up, in fact. This time? NO line. Hm. I wonder what was up with that earlier visit. We entered the library, but we couldn’t get very far in. Then we headed off to see more. I do totally wonder about the influencer types and those young women who dress up to be photographed. (One young woman, seen in the photos below, would have a photo taken, then check to see if it was okay, and this time she required a new shot. The woman with the microphone walked by one sculpture and rested her head on the hand of the thing … apparently “do not touch” is meaningless, as I saw this happen a few times. And yes, I’m incredibly judgmental. Shame on me!) We had the overpriced lunch at the cafe, wandered more, and spent about four hours in the place. Thankfully my back didn’t even ache — that’s rather rare for me!

After the museum we went to a pub (Princess Louise) that Brandon had introduced to us. I loved the small rooms so I wanted to revisit it. We enjoyed our very own private spot!

Then we walked a bit more. That walk included the very crowded and touristy Covent Garden area. We thought better of eating dinner there, though, knowing the tourist bit would mean it would be even more costly than in the neighborhood where we are staying.

Finally, after the tube ride to “Dan’s station” where we are so close to our hotel, we opted for Italian food. Should I have taken photos of the before dishes? Oh, maybe. But aside from the garlic flatbread, as you can see, it was too late!

Back in our room I noticed housekeeping had taken the shredding bath mat but hadn’t left a new one. Dan seemed to believe I could manage a shower without a mat, but no way was I going to chance it so I went to the front desk and asked for a few. (I did noticed someone had fixed a little pice of metal that the shower door fit into — I had knocked it off during my fall and for the life of me couldn’t figure out where it went! I was glad to see I hadn’t done permanent damage to it!)

Per my usual routine I put on pjs and set out tomorrow’s clothes. This time, though, I also set out my clothes for going home the next day. Yep, that’s me in a nutshell.

After that I made myself some strawberry-something sort of “meh” caffeine free tea. Because why not, right? I might have missed the free morning coffee, but at least I got something for free today. After all, Dan got that extra macchiato this morning. Seems only fair, somehow.

Tomorrow. Final Day. Sigh.

10,631 steps, 4.21 miles, 10 flights climbed

Monday, June 15

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If I count days from May 5, when we landed at Heathrow, today is day 42 of our trip. (Obviously if I count from May 4, when we left SFO, it’s day 43. I’m going to bet readers could figure that out too. We are all so smart that way.)

I have to acknowledge that we are a people of privilege: so many can’t manage to do a trip like this. So I must remember to be very grateful. I also have to realize that any trip could our last, as we never know what the next day will bring. So again, I’m grateful.

Acknowledgement over ‘n out. But gratefulness is not over ‘n out. Ever.

Once we were dressed we went upstairs to get our coffees. We won’t pay £17 each for a breakfast here, but the coffee is free all day so that was fine by us. We made them (just one of those automatic machines) and took them back to the room with us as we figured out what we were doing.

Once coffee was done and we’d decided on our agenda we headed out. Dan suggested we grab breakfast nearby, so we did that first. Nothing close to £24!

Then it was over to the tube where we went, with one change, all the way to Richmond to visit Kew Gardens. And yes, Dan figured out the directions. Whew!

The Kew Gardens are huge. We obviously couldn’t see everything there, but we did see quite a bit. We went into most, if not all, of the houses … from tropical (so humid) to desert, and in between. The plant life at the garden is pretty amazing. (But their roses aren’t nearly as wonderful as what I find in San Jose, I must say!) We wandered and wandered. At one point we headed toward the “Redwood Grove”. What we found was one redwood (I think Dan said it was a coastal one). That was it! But there were other large-ish trees around. In any case, we spent a whole lot of time at the gardens, and I will just share photos, a video, and leave it at that.

(I’ve now managed to upload more photos and I think that’s enough. No one needs to see all the photos I shoot!)

We did have a nice, inexpensive lunch at the gardens. Exciting, I know.

From there we walked to where a boat would take us all the way to Westminster. It was a nice, relaxing ride, and it felt good to get off our feet for over an hour. We’d never done a Thames boat ride before, and I’m really glad we did this one. I wouldn’t mind taking another going the other direction, but we’ll see if we can fit that in. And yes, more photos without explanation. (I’m feeling tired and feeling a bit discombobulated right now — more on that later.)

Getting off the boat and heading out into the crowds was rather like culture shock. We had been in nature for so many hours and suddenly we could barely move. I’m so glad we aren’t staying anywhere near that area.

It was time for dinner so we went to a pub we’ve now been to twice already. I wanted to be able to go to the bottom floor (two flights down) because I had great memories of eating there on our first trip together to London: that time we met up with Jan and Greg and ate at the same pub! Yummy food was enjoyed.

Then back to the tube for an easy ride and short walk (because we went Dan’s way!) to our hotel.

But now for the tired and discombobulated bit. First of all, we did walk a lot, so of course I’m tired. But when we got back I told Dan I was going to take a shower. I had noticed a paper bath mat sitting on a shelf, but checking the shower floor I thought it wasn’t too slippery. WRONG. I started the shower and almost immediately fell to the floor. That is one dangerous shower. Fortunately nothing was broken and I got that darn paper bath mat and put it on the floor. What a dumb thing, though: it was falling apart by the time I was done showering. I think they should rethink their bath mat idea!

Now it’s time for me to listen to at least one recording I’m to study, and then off to sleepy land.

15,099 steps, 6 miles, 5 flights climbed

Saturday, June 13

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This was our only full day in York. We woke a tad slowly, having read that it was raining out. I finally looked out the window and saw that everything looked quite dry. Go figure!

When we were ready we went back to the gate we entered yesterday. We knew that the scone shop we wanted to visit (a memory from our first time here) opened at 10:00, so we had a bit of time to wander first.

The scones were, as remembered, quite delicious! Finger licking good, in fact. I’m so glad we were able to return!

We did walk through (in?) the Shambles. As charming as I’m sure it used to be, it’s primarily about Harry Potter and ghosts now and I fear it’s become the Disneyland of York. I wonder if that will eventually change.

Then more walking. We noticed some interestingly dressed people. We stopped to see what was going on. Turned out some Morris dancers were about to begin. There were a number of groups and I did videos of most. I think for now I’ll just attempt to get one to post. Maybe I’ll add others when I have a decent connection.

We walked back to York Minster to see if we could figure out where we were to enter for evensong and to ask someone there how early to arrive (last time we were here we arrived to late and sat in a different space where we could not see the choir and really couldn’t hear well either). The guide said 5:15 for the 5:30 service would work, but I did think that might be a bit incorrect. We decided we’d get there no later than 5:00.

From there we intended to try and get to the Train Museum so I plugged that in to my map. Turned out it was further than expected, but we still started out.

We reached a park and saw that something was going on. Turned out to be a 21 gun salute (with very loud canons — many people had earplugs in and, thankfully, Dan had some I could use and he plugged his ears) to celebrate the king’s birthday. Not that he was born now, mind you, but a man explained that while he had a winter birthday the weather was better now so this is when it is celebrated. It was quite the spectacle. Military were there, as well as a woman who might have been mayor, but the man said she could easily have been in some other position. Dan was mentioning that the woman and man looking militarily important went from group to group of soldiers and whatnot and chatted, and the man suggested they do that and he was a bit sarcastic about them all thinking very highly of themselves. It was pretty funny. He mentioned “all pomp and circumstance”. But hey, it was fun and he made a 30 minute drive to see it with his daughter! The park grounds were lovely, too.

Prior to chatting with him the band played a non-military piece you might recognize (or not) and that man and his young daughter danced along. It was quite cute!

From there we continued on the train museum trek, but again were sidetracked, thinking that perhaps going up and walking the Roman wall might be a better way to get there. Before going up that there were some lovely wildflowers. The sign explained that it was their small bit in trying to deal with global warming. Then up to walk the wall. And no, I really wasn’t scared. Amazing! (But there never was a huge drop off.)

When it was time to take stairs down we realized we were even further from the museum. Oops! At that point we decided we’d have to skip that after all and we went another direction.

Because I’d had something sweet for breakfast I felt a need for something savory. (My sugar levels go a bit crazy if I have something sweet in the morning.) We headed to the Blue Belle Pub, a place I’d read about and we’d looked at yesterday. They only serve pork pies, so that was what we had: when on trips like this I sometimes just have to give up my desire to not eat certain things. The pub was small and I enjoyed sitting there and resting my feet, having a half pint and a pie. We also cheered the Kennedy Center, having seen that it was finally back to what it should be called.

We then walked more and looked around for possible dinner spots (yes, right after our pies!). Our B&B owner had said we might have difficult finding a place to eat if we didn’t make reservations.

We started to really run out of steam. We had to get a cookie and coffee. Now please understand I didn’t want a cookie. It was a need. One must always pay attention to needs. I couldn’t even eat half of the cookie we were sharing. Dan helped with that.

Walking some more, I took a few more photos, including of some “cowboys”. Just sort of funny to see in York.

On our way back to the B&B we I saw some pink hatted women … most likely a hen party. We’ve seen a number of these as well as stag party groups. York must be the place to go.

When we got to the B&B I started this blog entry and then took a 5 minute snooze before we had to get back to York Minster. On the way there I felt something hit my head. Hm. Did someone throw something at me? I reach up to feel it … and … OH NO! It was a bird. Well, a “bird blessing”, if you will. And now my hand was blessed as well. I had tissues so Dan helped clean me up and said you couldn’t really see it any longer, Still, I went into a bathroom and got my hair wet and washed my hands thoroughly. I knew what I’d be doing when we got back to the B&B!

As we walked we saw another interesting group of people. No clue what it was all about.

We arrived a York Minster in plenty of time, and after waiting a bit we were let in. Eventually we were seated and we had great seats! The service was really wonderful, although I sometimes couldn’t understand what was being said and they don’t tell us who the composers of the works are, nor do we get the words in print, which I would have loved. No photography is allowed, so we could only look at the place and admire it. After the service a few people stuck around to hear the organ postlude, including us, which was fabulous as well. I’m so glad we could go this time. (Earlier today we had decided to skip the £20 per person fee to tour the place: we’ve seen so many cathedrals and I figured we might save the final tour for Westminster Cathedral — we have been there for evensong, but Dan has never seen the entire place.)

After evensong we went to dinner at Ye Olde Starre Inne. A tasty meal was enjoyed! Oh … and another napkin drop was recorded.

Finally it was back to the B&B.

First thing for me? A shower! I could finally stop worrying about my hair (I had avoided touching it at all, as you might imagine.) Then it was time to finish this entry. That always takes a long time due to slow loading photos and videos.

Tomorrow is our final moving day before we head back to the states. I’m sorry to see the trip end, but we can’t continue forever.

G’night!

Friday, June 12 — Moving Day

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We lazily sat around for a bit after waking — and I woke much later than Dan: sleep wasn’t great last night and my watch said my sleep score was “ok” but that waking up several times “hurt my score”. Well yes, in fact, hacking away tends to wake a person up! (Yep, the cough decided to reappear. Thanks for nothing, Mr. Cough!)

When we did go out to find breakfast we simply walked across the street and headed to the corner and ate at a place called Wreck. I had the smashed avocado with poached egg on toast and Dan had the full Wreck breakfast. His was one gigantic breakfast! Needless to say, it will be a two meal day and I’m hoping the second meal (dinner) will be light.

We went to the hotel and, once again, I did a short video of the art across from the elevator. I had hope to see the swimmer and there she was!

Going back to our room we finished all the packing and had about 30 minutes to spare so we just sat around and did the things we do on our iPads.

Shortly before we left our room I remembered that my hotel key wasn’t out. I first opened my daypack, but then remembered it was in my purse that I had in the suitcase. At that point it was nearly noon, which was our checkout time, so I told Dan I’d pull it out at the desk. At the desk the woman said not to bother — they didn’t need that key. So never mind.

Then we walked to the train station. Now we know we could easily have walked from the train station to our hotel and avoided grumpy taxi driver! While we were seated Dan put his cap on me … I’m not sure I look quite as dapper as Dapper Dan!

We didn’t have to wait too long for our train, but we were definitely earlier than necessary. For PattyTime that is just fine! We stood in front of our coach’s door, but they kept them closed as they were cleaning.

While waiting for the doors to open so we could board a group of young school children walked by with very small suitcases. Hmm. Where might they be headed, and in which coach?

The doors opened and we boarded. And yes, those school kids were in our coach. I told Dan I just bet they were going to our location — I had seen one with a Harry Potter shirt.

At some point I realized the lock on my daypack was missing. I guess it fell on to the hotel bed when I was opening the bag to look for the key card and I didn’t notice. Fortunately I had an extra lock so that one went on. Overly cautious, maybe? But not really, when I read about luggage getting stolen and, besides, I’m married to Mr. Extra Cautious!

The train ride wasn’t spectacular: I found our seats a bit uncomfortable. The kids were noisy, but that’s what kids are like and that didn’t bother me. It was only a bit over two hours in any case. I did take a few from-the-train photos. Not thrilling, but hey, it kept me occupied.

And then we arrived. Hello York! We walked through the station, and then got into a taxi. He drove by Clifford’s Tower, which I remembered more from a TV show than from our last visit. (I was ill on that first visit, so we didn’t do as much as we’d have liked.)

We are staying in a B&B without purchasing the second B. I simply can’t see spending £17.50 each for breakfast. We don’t need that much food! I wish these places had the option to choose a smaller meal, as I’d happily pay for coffee and yogurt. But we’ll just find our breakfast on our own.

Our room is fine. It’s an older place, and there’s a bit of funkiness to it, but it’ll do! We met Durga, who runs this place with his wife, and he’s quite nice (and talkative).

When we were settled we headed out to the closest gate to go inside the walled part of the city, and we just ambled up the street. We are staying a bit further from the more charming part of the city center, but it’s merely a walk away.

We went down a small lane (I got a kick out of the name “WHIP-MA-WHOP-MA-GATE” … you can read about it in the photo below.)

More walking and we stopped so Dan could get water and we both had little snacks. The ginger cookies I had were so hard I had to be careful. I suppose they are intended to be dipped in tea or coffee …?

We walked more, and were also investigating dinner options. Eventually we settled on Guy Fawkes Inn, where we sat in the very back in an outdoor area. It was quite pleasant. And hey … just so you know … the color “olive green” fit our olives perfectly. (Yes, I’m sure you already know why olive green got its name, but yours truly is a bit slow ….!) I had duck and Dan had a steak pie which he said was delicious but very filling!

From there we walked back. Slowly, due to our full stomachs!

It wasn’t terribly late, but we were ready to put our feet up and relax!

Tomorrow we have a full day to explore, and we’ve yet to set our plans completely. The B&B owner did suggest we make dinner reservations because of the crowds, but we’ll see if manage that or if we just try and find a table for two somewhere. I’d prefer finding something that serves very light fare after tonight’s meal.

Goodnight for now!

9,304 steps, 3.60 miles, 2 flights climbed (What can I say? It was a train day!)

Thursday, June 11

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Sleep was much better … whew! I’m still coughing a bit (and seem to have pulled something from that wonderful hacking), but at least I slept lots more. I’m grateful!

I woke up before Dan, so I did things I do each morning (I haven’t mentioned that I do check Quicken every day just to see how horribly high our credit card bill will be. Thankfully I did plan for that, but it still makes me gasp a bit. The UK isn’t at all like Spain or Portugal — it’s quite a bit more costly.). Once Dan woke I could make myself a cup of coffee.

This is our last full day here and then we move on. As the trip winds down I think our energy is winding down as well. This seems to happen on any trip, no matter the length, although usually it’s about three or four days before our flight home. Maybe my cold isn’t helping, but honestly I think it’s more of a psychological thing.

A little side note about our room: this is the first place we’ve been where the thermostat seems to actually work. Up until now we’ve always had to open windows at night because, despite the cold and rain, our rooms were too warm for sleep. It’s a very new hotel (which is also probably why it was much more affordable). This is news you can use. Well … if you ever come to Liverpool, that is. We are staying at The Resident Liverpool.

Since we were in no hurry to go out in the pouring rain I took a laundry shower. We then prepared to head out.

Except.

I had forgotten to turn the switch on to charge my phone. Oops. Each outlet has a switch so the outlet is only on if you flip the switch. Before we headed out yesterday I switched them all off, attempting to be a good citizen and all. Heh. Kind of backfired on me. So never mind getting out quite yet. (But really, the rain … it’s not all that encouraging for an excursion in any case.)

Okay … a 70% charge will do, so off we went. At around 11:30 we went to the main drag where restaurants can be found since brunch seemed like a good idea (hooray … a two meal day!). We went into a spot that looked nice and we both ordered our coffees and the “croissant royale” plate (like eggs royale but using a croissant and I believe there was added smashed avocado. It was yummy. No, I couldn’t finish. Yes, I forgot to take a photo, but at least I took one of the restaurant.

Then it was time to go to see St. Luke’s Church. In 1941, due to incendiary bombs, it was pretty much destroyed, but the stone walls remained. They’ve fixed some things up (for safety) and it is now, believe it or not, used for music festivals and weddings sometimes. Certainly not today, though: the rain was coming down. It is moving to see things like this since we in America are usually so removed from the effects of war.

The last photo might remind some of the opera “Silent Night”, when the killing was halted and the men played a game on, I believe, Christmas Eve. I still scratch my head over all that was going on and then a game, only to be followed by more killing.

Then we walked to the Liverpool Cathedral. The cornerstone was laid in 1904 and finished in 1978. Obviously a much newer structure. It’s huge — the largest cathedral in Britain. We wandered for a good amount of time, and there were moments when a volunteer came up to chat. And chat. They seem to be drawn to Dan! I believe the last person to talk to us was actually an Anglican priest (are they called priests?). Everyone there clearly is quite friendly. And yes, one of the photos below shows the floor having been lifted — similar to our pit going up and down), so they could pull some folding tables out. Prior to them doing that I had no idea that that section of the floor would rise.

At that point we thought we’d head back to the hotel: Dan could transfer some photos from camera to iPad, and I could do some of this blog. The weather just seemed to encourage us to take it easy — but of course photos were taken on the way.

Reaching our hotel we went to our room. My eyes were tired so I figured maybe a rest was in order. It helped that Dan encouraged me. As he said, I had been dealing with this bug. So yes, I took a little nap.

The rain had stopped, so we thought to head out on a bit of a walk before the hotel drinks hour and dinner, so off we went. First we went toward the train station to see if the walk was doable. (Better to walk that have a grumpy taxi driver, after all!) The train station was, in fact, quite easy to reach (.4 miles with no stairs) and I realized we actually should have walked to our hotel when we arrived. I think I was mixing this place up with somewhere else when I thought we needed a taxi. After getting to the station we walked through a park that was full of memorials from various wars.

So much killing. Sigh. When will we ever learn …?

Back to our hotel we went, to enjoy our little happy hour bit. Again prosecco for me and white wine for Dan, and crisps for both of us. Hard to turn down the free stuff, after all!

We had decided to eat at St. Peter’s Tavern. It was formerly a church (St. Peter’s … duh!) but had been a variety of things since that closed down. Now it’s most recently a tavern and I must admit it’s rather odd to see a church turned into a tavern. As we sat there having our chicken pot pies (nice and small … perfect for me!) and beers we also could watch the tv. On it were commentators who were talking about FIFA. Not that the sound was on, but you could tell they were in New York and it was obvious that’s what they were talking about. It was funny to think that we were sitting in a place in Liverpool, watching men in New York talking about the games, and then the opening ceremonies in Mexico began. Our world is so small in some ways.

We went back to the hotel, but before getting into the elevator I took a video of something that is continually playing right across from the elevator doors. I hope to get another with someone swimming tomorrow if possible. It must be a very long video (an art project, I’m sure).

Back in our room I made myself some lemon ginger tea. I think it’s helpful for my cough. I also pulled out the remainder of my cookie stash that I’d taken from other hotels we’ve stayed in and I shared with Dan. Because I’m such a giver that way. He very graciously accepted some. He’s such a taker that way. HAH!

We don’t have to pack tonight, as we have a later checkout time tomorrow: I had become a member of this hotel chain and that allows for 1 more hour here. I highly recommend readers to always check to see if the free membership gives you that perk.

I’ve enjoyed Liverpool, but I’m not sure I’d feel a need to return. I suspect if I were a true Beatles fan I’d have visited all the places the die-hard fans visit, but while I enjoy the Beatles they aren’t the end-all for me, and we didn’t even attempt to visit the first place they played or do the Beatles tour. Just not our cuppa, I guess.

So far, in fact, Dan and I both agreed that the Scottish highlands would call to us more than any other place. We’ve loved visiting all the villages and cities, but the highlands are awfully special. The other highlight of the trip was being with Greg and Jan. I would happily do another walk with them if they were ever up for it!

Now I’d better post this entry before I ramble on and on.

And on.

G’night!

11,200 steps, 4.37 miles, 2 flights climbed

Tuesday, June 9 — Moving Day

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Last night (or more likely early this morning) I had a dream. It was about shoes and my bunions. Mind you, I do not have bunions! But I did in my dream. They were round, and a pretty variety of purple and pink colors, in a marbleized sort of pattern. I knew you’d want to know that.

I also woke up at something like 4 or 5 to the lovely sound of many bottles being put into the recycle truck. Turns out we are on a busy street even while it doesn’t look like the sort of street that would be busy. It’s a bus line. It must be a commuter street as well. Room 5 might be the favorite room of the man who gave us the key, but I’m guessing he’s not slept here! Oh, and it turns out that when you shower the bathroom reeks. Sadly their fan doesn’t work. I find it all not aggravating but just sort of hysterical. Would I stay here again? Moot point since I’m sure we won’t be back in Shrewsbury.

BUT to more important things! I neglected one important bit yesterday so —

Happy Belated Birthday, Ruth Ann! I do hope you will find moments of joy this year. You sure have taught me a great deal and shown tremendous strength.

So sorry I forgot to post that yesterday.

And now —

Happy Birthday, Brandon! I’m so glad you were born! May your year be extra special. We do hope to visit sometime in the near future if we can make it work.

(And yes, I just figured out I can do colored text. How exciting is that??)

Don’t worry, I won’t continue with colors. Promise!

Oops!

We had a bit of time before our train so we hung out in the room, then got dressed, and walked toward the station.

We figured we’d get some sort of breakfast near or at the train station. I was sort of hoping I could be strong and just have coffee no matter what Dan did. And gee, I succeeded! It was just a cappuccino for me. Finally.

One we figured out which platform to get to we were set. We were on a TFW train and easily found our seats. As it turned out this first segment of today’s trip was the most beautiful yet. Mind you, the photos are through a train window as we moved along, but I hope it captures the beauty a bit.

And then the first of two legs was done and we said hello to Chester. We had a good number of hours to enjoy the town. We first dropped off our luggage, then had a bit of lunch, followed by walking much of the Roman wall, visited the Chester Cathedral, continued on the wall for a short while, and wandered a bit. Here are gobs of photos. (In the fourth photo below Dan is doing a pose for me … we see so many doing that and it cracks us up. The ninth photo is a dropped napkin by you-know-who!)

We retrieved our luggage and had alcohol free beers.

Then we went to the station to get the second train of the day. I wasn’t sitting by the window so I took only two photos.

We caught a cab with a very unfriendly driver. I don’t know if it was that we were Americans or he didn’t like where he had to drive, but yikes, he was grumpy! He didn’t help with the luggage, and when we arrived at the hotel he didn’t even get out of the car.

But no matter about him! We arrived at our hotel … and hello Liverpool!

We have a large room. It’s quite comfortable. And there was chocolate bar and card congratulating me on my retirement!

There was a 6 to 7 o’clock reception downstairs so we enjoyed that.

Then it was time to search for dinner.

We wound up choosing Bakchich, a Lebanese restaurant, and I had the shawarma platter — it was quite yummy!

Back at the hotel I had a bit of work to do … yes, really. It was for Symphony San Jose and I’ll leave it at that. Well, except to say I heard some fine playing from my former orchestra.

And then it was sleepy time … I hope. One never knows what the throat will feel like once I hit the hay.

Goodnight!

12,913 steps, 5.12 miles, 6 flights climbed

Sunday, June 7 — Moving Day

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Well, it does appear we have minor colds, but so far it’s nothing like what our travel pals had (have?). Mostly we cough at night, and that’s about it. So it goes.

After rising I got most everything packed up: I just had, as usual, to wait for the toothbrushes and toothpaste and those can’t be put away until after breakfast. It appeared that we would avoid rain as we head down to the train station. Do we trust our weather apps. Nope!

Side Note: I purchased a lanyard for my phone. This is going to sound strange, but when we are above a river, or on a high spot, I have this irrational fear that I’ll throw it. This was especially the case when we were in Spain and Portugal and climbed any towers. I know, I know, it’s irrational and goofy, but you are reading my blog and some might suggest I’m irrational and goofy! I also thought it would be a good idea due to the phone thefts we’ve read about: cyclists or those on scooters will pass quickly and grab someone’s phone. Well, so much for my idea: the darn clasps that connect phone to lanyard don’t always hold. Yesterday I reached for my phone and it was just sitting in my pocket, the lanyard was hanging around my neck, phone-less. Note to self: find a different solution!

After I started this blog and Dan showered we went down to our 8:30 breakfast. It’s our final “free” breakfast, so while I thought I should just do something simple I opted to get that final egg breakfast. After this I’m sure we will do much smaller morning meals. (Heck, I don’t do morning meals at home, after all.) So Eggs Royale it was. Not that I could finish …

When breakfast was completed and all packing was completed (yes, mom, I brushed my teeth!), we were ready for the walk to the train. It was primarily downhill so not a big deal.

We got to the station and found our platform. Goodbye Bath. Thanks for no rain today. And a lovely papaver.

This first bit was a short, maybe thirteen minute train ride and we got on and found our assigned seats. Hello, coach A seats 9 and 10.

Only one shot from the train:

And then we arrived at Bristol Temple Meads.

We had a short wait for our train so we purchased some crisps and water (later, when I looked for it, my water was gone. I don’t know when it fell out of my daypack, but oh well.). Then we went to platform 5 to wait. When the train (a Cross Country train) arrived we had to wait in line to get on. And wait. And wait. I started to wonder if we would or even could get on! When we finally manage to squeeze in to the vestibule we were stuck for a bit, but hey, we have reserved seats so no problem.

Except.

Dan couldn’t put his larger luggage on the rack. People had piled their smaller pieces there rather than putting them above their heads in the smaller luggage racks. He even asked one person if he could move hers and apparently that wasn’t going to happen. He told me to go on ahead so I made my way to our seats. People were sitting in them. I asked them if they had reserved seats and they didn’t, so they got up. I put my small luggage where my legs should have been, thinking Dan would arrive and help me put it above. But he could never move from the vestibule! I finally told one of the women who had been sitting in our seats that she may as well sit down because he couldn’t get there. She, in fact, had her small luggage on the rack he needed and she said he could move it, but it would have taken more than that piece to get his to fit. Meanwhile, I had no place to put my feet! She had room in front of her, but I was cramped and uncomfortable. I ended up putting one leg on top of my luggage and the other slightly in her space. It was pretty darn miserable, but how could I complain? Dan was stuck in a cramped spot with other people after entering the coach and had to stand the whole time. He wasn’t at all happy when I saw him slightly over an hour later. In fact he was angry. When Dan is angry that’s a pretty big thing, as he simply doesn’t get angry!

Advice: if you have the chance to take Cross Country Trains DON’T. Period. End of story. They overbook, they don’t come by to help anyone who can’t store luggage, and it’s a miserable ride if all that happens.

When that ride was done it was Hello Birmingham. Or at least hello Birmingham train station.

Once we — especially Dan — survived that ordeal, we had train number three to catch. It’s always an adventure figuring this stuff out. Down a lift, up a lift, down a lift … you never know until you know. But our platform was found, and after we sat for a bit (Dan certainly needed to sit!), we went and stood at the track, ready to climb aboard. We had no reserved seats for this train, but thankfully there were a lot of seats. We got on, settled in, and rested. (I may have fallen asleep, in fact.)

Photos from the train:

And then we arrived. Hello Shrewsbury!

We opted to walk to our lodging, as it was an eight minute walk. Of course it was uphill, but we managed.

We are staying at Cromwell’s Tap House. Yes, it’s a pub, but they have five rooms. We are in room five and, according to the man who checked us in, it’s his favorite. (Hm. Maybe every room is his favorite, depending upon which key he is holding?) Due to being weary, we opted for dinner at the pub. Turns out the latest serving is 4:00, so early meal it is.

Our room is spacious. Our room is also very old and funky. And the floor is about as unlevel as can be. The bathroom floor is even more bizarre. It’s a very old building and that’s how these old buildings can be. But hey, it’s home for a couple of days so there you go. But the photos make it look quite nice, I think.

The view from our window (I’d love to stay there!):

When it was close to 4:00 we went back downstairs to dinner. While we could have had the Sunday roast, we opted instead for fish ‘n chips and nothing more (well, drinks, but no appetizers or anything). Typical me forgot the photo until I’d taken a bite or two.

And yes, Patty has ketchup with her chips. Bad, bad me.

Finishing up we went back to our room for a bit. I could barely make it up the stairs I was so full and so very tired. I knew, though, that sleeping now would mean no sleep later. Dan apparently didn’t feel the same. He conked out and I went and took a shower due to getting antsy legs. (Sure, I know you don’t need to know this, but I write what I write, wouldn’t you know?!)

After my shower I looked out and saw windshield wipers going and umbrellas out. I opted to blog more and then … whoops! … I fell asleep. I think our colds are making us more tired. I’m guessing the train issues might have added to the weariness.

Eventually, though, we went out to do a wee bit of exploring. And yes, it was raining. Some of the buildings here look like they could fall over any minute. The last one shown below was one of those.

We ran out of steam and walked back to our lodging. I felt so dehydrated and Dan said he felt the same, so we first went into the pub and had some non-alcoholic beers. It was nice to sit and relax a bit more.

Then back up the wobbly, uneven stairs we went. I finished writing this and Dan did Dan stuff.

Now I will attempt to stay up at least a little bit longer, as it’s too early to sleep. We’ll see how I manage, though.

Ciao for now!

Oh … and I really failed my watch today:

8,346 steps, 3.28 miles, 3 flights climbed (This last is totally incorrect: we climbed a flight at our B&B, we’ve climbed these stairs three times, and we climbed up the hill. Silly watch!)

Saturday, June 6

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After a bit of a restless night (my watch’s sleep report was disappointed in me although it was being gentle) I woke and told Dan I would do a pj laundry shower. Laundry showers are such fun. Or maybe not. But hey, pjs and I are now clean machines.

Side Note: Ah bathrooms! Ours have run the gamut. Large and small. Old and fairly new. And, on this trip, toilets that are rather persnickety. Seems like we have to baby them. I have several suggestions for places we’ve stayed: fix those toilets! Install a motion detector nightlight in the bathroom. And please please nix those silly little trashcans that you have to open with your foot. They are annoying. That, that is all. I’m sure things will all be fixed on our next trip.

But Side Note #2: Dan and I both travel with motion detector nightlights so we place them in spots to light our way and light the bathroom when necessary.

After starting this blog entry, annoying you with my Side Notes, showering, and dressing, it was time for breakfast so downstairs we went. For once we went lighter — poached eggs on toast. Done.

Looking at the weather it appeared we’d get rain. And then no rain. And rain again. We’ve learned, though, not to trust our apps. It would be what it would be and perhaps the rain jacket was a wise choice for the day. Or umbrella. Or both. Plus a rain hat. Or would I wing it and just deal? (I really dislike having to wear the rain jacket if it doesn’t rain.)

Final decision: rain jacket, rain hat, umbrella, plus daypack so I could protect my camera should it rain hard.

Down the hill we went. Again. The middle photo below is of a monkey puzzle tree. I’m not a huge fan of them except that they are just so crazy looking. Not great for shade, though. (Not that we needed any shade today.)

We made it to the meeting spot for the Bath tour just in time. I turned around to take a photo of what I call “Tortilla Jones” because sometimes my sense of humor is just goofy like that.

A large group had congregated, and one of the eight tour guides divided us up. We then went with our guide to the front of the Abbey Cathedral.

He explained that the doors were closed and there would be no entry until the afternoon because of a procession. That procession usually included the mayor, but he had had to resign because of something he reposted (when will people learn to check to see if something is true — and if it’s wise to post even if it is?). We had expected it to begin a bit later than it did, so we were right in front when they started. I took a video but please do excuse the bad filming: my hat blew off at one point! You might not want to watch the whole thing as it is over two minutes. (I hope it will even load due to the length!)

From there we did a good amount of walking and I did take photos while I’ll post below, but much of the time we were being rained upon. My hat was on, but then the umbrella came out as well. It never really did stop. Some of what we saw with the guide were at spots Dan and I saw earlier, but the information our guides (there was on in training who led part of the tour) was fun to hear. Not that I’ll remember much, but I will try.

We ended in front of an indoor market. I was thrilled to think we’d get out of the rain and maybe Dan and I would catch a bite inside. Well, it wasn’t quite the kind of market we’d expected. There was one place where small appliances were sold. Inside that area it looked like a hardware store. Some places sold Knick knacks or clothes. There were a few food booths, but nothing appealing and all the seats were full.

We walked a bit more and found a place to get some very healthy looking salads. Unusual for us, I know.

(Doesn’t Dan look serious about his salad?) Funny thing: the food there could be take away or sit down. We said we wanted sit down. They brought us our salads in the cardboard box but set inside a bowl. It didn’t occur to either of us to empty the salad into the bowl, where it would have been easier to eat! I only realized that’s what we should have done when I looked at the tables on either side of us. Sometimes we are just slow!

Outside again, and the rain kept coming. Our tour guide had told us about a free museum so we opted to go in there for a bit. It was nothing thrilling, but it was out of the rain.

Oh … but it also had bathrooms (really “toilets” as they are called here), and inside the women’s was some more art! I looked at the two pipes in a corner and then looked down. Cracked me up!

We left the museum and thought maybe we needed coffee. Not because we needed coffee, really, but because it was still raining.

As we walked there was a huge crowd of mostly men going the opposite direction, some of whom were quite noisy and, I’m guessing, a wee bit intoxicated. All we could think, considering how many there were, was that some sort of game had ended. Who knows, though. In any case, we walked until we finally ended up at the same place we had coffee yesterday. The biggest requirements were indoors and empty seats we could fill. As my sister-in-law Ruth Ann wrote, Dan looks rather dapper … don’t you agree? (He took this selfie. All credit to him.)

While we had our coffee and contemplated walking more in the rain I thought to check the map, plugging in our B&B. We are in a more residential area, so I had assumed there would be no eating establishments nearby, but I was happy to see I was wrong. About ten minutes away is a place called The Moorfield, and they had a reservation opening for 5:45. I grabbed it. The thought of eating down the hill and then, after said eating, walking up with a full stomach in, most likely, rain and wind, didn’t seem appealing to either of us. Besides, with all the rain we had so far enjoyed (hah!) we were just a bit weary.

So we agreed we’d head back to our room. When we arrived and started up the stairs a man greeted us and said something about us having had it with the weather as well. I guess he and his wife gave up and also returned.

In our room Dan did whatever Dan does on his iPad and I did more of this blog. Suddenly the wind got super crazy. How glad I was to be in our room!

Oh … and I’ve not reported on our colds. So far mine is so minor I don’t know that I can call it a cold. I’m hoping it stays that way.

We both ended up snoozing a little bit, but then it was time to head to the restaurant I had found. Of course it was raining again!

It was also a bit longer of a walk than I expected, but we finally arrived at The Moorfields and in we went. It’s not in a busy section of town, and I think it’s more of a neighborhood place, which I enjoy. Next to us were people with a tiny baby, I saw another young one as well, and in another room there was a family.

We ordered poblano peppers to share, and then Dan had a burger and I had chicken. Prices were quite reasonable, and my dinner was tasty. Obviously no desert was necessary!

Now about Dan and napkins. For some reason they fly off his lap nearly every time! I think I need to document this from now on.

After Dan paid the check we walked back a slightly different way. It seemed faster, but that might be because, miracle of miracles, the rain had stopped!

Now we are back in our room, and I’m having chamomile tea. I won’t tell you we had Kit Kat bars (which the B&B provide) because I know you would think less of us if you knew we indulged.

Tomorrow is moving day. Again. As always I’m pretty much packed, as long as the weather doesn’t cause me to change my mind. I’ll just have to add pjs and the toothbrushes to my suitcase, and put my iPad in my daypack and I’m ready to hit the road. Will we hike down the hill with our roller bags? We hope to. That, too, will depend upon the weather.

About our trains: for the first time it’s a three train day, each from a different company. First it’s Great Western Railroad (GWR), then Transport for Wales Rail (TFW — and no, we aren’t landing in Wales), and finally Cross Country (XC). All are fairly short rides, but it was how I had to put it all together to get to our next destination.

It’s too early to hit the hay, but still I will say goodnight.

13,382 steps, 5.31 miles, 12 flights climbed

Friday, June 5

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When we woke both Dan and I mentioned we might be coming down with a cold. Nothing horrible (so far), but I could feel an itch in my throat. We’ll see what we end up with. Since Greg has had something we weren’t at all surprised.

Once again we enjoyed a nice breakfast at our B&B. (When we get back home I am going to have to retrain myself and skip breakfasts, aside from my cappucinno!)

It began to rain, so we sat in our room for a time, waiting for it to die down. It also meant I could charge everything all the way.

Side note:

I’d been waiting for my iPhone to go down below 80% battery capacity. I had hoped it would get there before the trip because I can get the battery replaced for free since I have AppleCare (okay, okay, I pay for that so it’s really not free). Alas, it went to 79% during the trip. I can’t do anything here, as the replacement has to be in the states. Because of this my battery runs out quicker than I’d like, so I have to use my little battery pack to charge it. I mean, this is like a major world disaster. Or maybe not. Funny how we lived without these devices for the majority of our lives (those of us of a certain age, that is). When I came to the UK with a youth orchestra in 1974 I didn’t communicate with anyone other than those I was traveling with. My parents? Well, they got a postcard or two I think (maybe). And if I did send them I’m not even sure those arrived before I got back home!

Side note over ‘n out.

When the rain lightened up we left our B&B, although I did get distracted by the flowers right down the stairs.

Down the hill we went, and into the center of Bath (or at least I think it’s the center), where just a few stands were set up so I took a photo of the fruit and veg one. Then we headed toward the Cathedral.

Before entering the Cathedral we saw the free Bath tours that are given Sunday to Friday at 10:30 and 2:00 (Saturdays are only 10:30.) Unfortunately we had other things that conflicted today, but we are hoping to get back there tomorrow as we’ve been told the tour is quite good. Interestingly, the tour guides are not allowed to accept tips. That’s pretty rare!

Then into the Abbey Cathedral we went. I think I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.

The organist was practicing while we were there.

And I also did a walk-around video.

We left there and went to find a not-lunch bite, passing by a bookstore and park on our way. Coffee and croissants were enjoyed. (Not needed, mind you, but still ….)

We were meeting Jan and Greg at the Roman Baths, so we headed that way. I have to say that I was skeptical about the place, but it really is rather astounding to hear about it and see what they did so very long ago. Again, I’ll just post photos and not go into the whole thing, primarily because I’m not only lazy but also forgetful so my facts would be off, I’m sure.

Oh … and one video:

My understanding was that somewhere during their baths I he Romans would enjoy a glass of wine. In order to be at least a little close to that we headed to the smallest pub in Bath for a pint. It was only right to do so.

Greg and Jan then took their leave for a time, and Dan and I walked a bit, mostly looking for a dinner spot for the four of us. Dan and I did laugh a bit at the lingerie store called “Bravissimo”. (Get it?)

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant and I didn’t take even one shot but you can see it on the far right in the photo right above this. I mean … it was pasta. Pasta is pasta. Use your imaginations if you wish.

After that we had to say our goodbyes. Jan and Greg leave tomorrow morning. Despite their colds (SO sorry for you both) it was wonderful to see them. I know they must be disappointed as they had to change plans and all, but I’m still so very glad we got together. (Get well, you two!) I will miss them greatly.

From there we went back to our B&B where I enjoyed some chamomile tea and Dan did shower laundry.

Tomorrow is our final full day in this area. We’ll see what we opt to do. Stay tuned!

Nighty-night!

11,079 steps, 4.33 miles, 7 flights climbed

Thursday, June 4

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We woke up (very slowly!) to the sound of wind. Dan had mentioned yesterday that he’d read it would be windy today — I think he said even windier than yesterday, and it was windy as we walked. Windy enough I had to take off my hat so it wouldn’t blow off.

We lazed around in the room since we had the later breakfast time. Eventually we headed down to the breakfast room and had a lovely breakfast. But first, Dan demonstrated how my iPhone could make me look absolutely stunning. I mean … really!!

Well, okay, maybe not stunning, but it makes me look a bit like a camel, I think.

Seriously, though, the reason he demonstrated this is because the other day I took a photo at our table of Jan, Greg, and Dan, and couldn’t post it because things were distorted. I think the three might frown upon me if I did put it up. So now I know what I did. (Which means everyone better be very nice to me or I’ll share a photo of THEM like the one above!) Oh … and yes, I have no pride at this point.

But back to breakfast …

As we ate it poured outside. Really poured. We would have to figure out what to do with our day if the weather remained that way. Meanwhile, though, I could start this blog and then have a “laundry shower”. Dan was journaling and then he, too, did a laundry shower. Clothes and bodies cleaned. Hooray!

This time I opted to wash a pair of my Woolx pants (Emerson pants which are quite fitting). Yesterday when I put them on I noticed that they were just plain dusty. I didn’t wear them on our walk, but we must have been in dusty areas at some point because if I pulled at the fabric and let it snap back there was a good amount of dust. Not good. (I guess I could have used a vacuum cleaner on them!) I’ll be curious to see how fast they dry. (For those who wonder how I do this on trips: I wash them in the shower using the liquid soap provided, ring them out — a bit of a no-no but whatever. Then I set out a large towel, stretch the pants out on it, wrap the sides over, and roll. I put them on the floor and “knee” them for a bit. Then out of the towel they go, and I lay them over my closed suitcase to dry. Please have number 2 pencils ready as there will be a pop quiz sometime later on our trip.)

I puzzled over what to bring when we finally were to go out. There’s always the question of rain jackets or umbrellas? If it’s too windy the rain jacket wins. Yesterday when we headed out we opted for the umbrellas and, indeed, it was too windy for those. For today I was waiting on Dan to see what option he’d choose and then I’d do the opposite.

No. I’m lying: I usually follow his advice. Emphasis on usually. While waiting for Dan I keep looking longingly at my wool shacket: I love that thing and it was so wonderful for Scotland and Ireland. The only problem is the rain. If I wear that and get wet I sort of smell like the sheep. That’s a baaaaad thing.

Enough. Comedy routine over ‘n out.

Believe it or not, we didn’t get out of our room until after noon. Some days, though, are best spent that relaxed, I think, when out on a slightly over six week trip.

Down the hill we went. Well, first we went down the B&B stairs outside, as you can see from the photo below.

The first destination I’d plugged in was Green Street. Don’t ask me why because I’ve forgotten! I put together a list from various sites I’d found, and Green Street was on that list. Unfortunately I didn’t think to say why I’d written things down. (Some, thankfully, were obvious.) While walking down the short street I saw a store with shoes I liked (men’s shoes, that is) and while looking the shopkeeper came out. He said if I liked those shoes I should go across the way and up some stairs and a woman there made shoes for women I might like. I knew I shouldn’t bother: no way could I afford them!

We continued our walk and, lo and behold, we saw Jan and Greg’s hotel. We weren’t planning on meeting up yet, so we walked by, but I did take a photo. Just because. Then we continued on to our next stop, the Jane Austen Centre. There were costumed people at the door and inside and, honestly, it just didn’t look like our cuppa. Perhaps I’ll regret not going in, but how will I know …?

More walking, and to another destination I’d plugged in: The Landrace Bakery. Well, bakery + us means we had to go in. Tasty little non-lunch!

For some reason Google Maps was losing my plan and I’d have to keep adding things back in so Dan took over. We were looking for the Georgian houses that were curved. We walked via HIS map and I shot photos along the way. There’s so much to see here!

Finally we hit what I thought we were looking for.

But Dan said that wasn’t it. He remembered it was not a full circle, as this place was (with breaks for streets), but just a crescent. So on we went.

And then we (he) found it! Funny thing is that now, as I write this, I’m looking back at my Google Maps entries and, sure enough, No. 1 Royal Crescent was on it. Until it disappeared.

From there we walked to the Royal Victoria Park. We sent a quick pic to Jan and Greg, saying Dan was still looking for a Beech tree as he stood beneath one, since we’d teased him about missing the huge one we passed on our Cotswold walk.

We walked through the botanical garden and I enjoyed the flora both there and on our walk toward Greg and Jan’s.

As we walked we saw a small entryway, behind one of the Georgian houses, for a Georgian garden so we entered that. There wasn’t a lot to see, but I loved seeing the Nigella damascena. Underneath was an identification for an aster and I wonder how many people will now see Nigella and call it an aster!

From there we went on a search for a dinner spot. We did walk a bit and came up with a few choices that we would pass by Jan and Greg. While walking I happened upon this store and thought of a particular son of mine!

We went to meet up with our dinner pals at their hotel, and then we walked to “The Oldest Pub In Bath.” Greg and I were duck buddies, Jan had a falafel burger, and Dan had fish and chips (which he said were the best he’s had on the trip).

We said our goodnights and Dan and I started our walk back. I had to take a photo at what I think was a studio for a show we watch that took place in Bath. Then over the river and up the hill we went, where I took just a few shots of homes.

Tomorrow we see more of Bath. Tonight we sleep.

‘night!

17,219 steps, 6.81 miles, 10 flights climbed