Day 153 - 25 Nov '23 - Windsor Castle. We had a much later start to the day, since it was the weekend and we weren't trying to beat any traffic anywhere.
Today we went to Windsor to visit the castle. It is the oldest castle in the world still used as a residence, and started life as a fortress built after the 1066 Battle of Hastings.
Over the centuries, the castle was added to and altered by various monarchs. Some made it look more medieval, some more romantic. We couldn't afford to go on a private tour of Buckingham Palace (which is all that's available in autumn and winter), so decided to go to Windsor Castle instead.
We were able to go into St George's Chapel, where the late Queen and Prince Phillip, and her parents and grandparents were buried. There were also lots of other royals, including along Henry VIII and Charles I.
We were also able to go into a section of the castle that had semi-state rooms and the old chambers of King Charles I.
Unfortunately, the only photographs we were allowed to take were of the exteriors, which was such a shame, as the things we saw inside were fabulous.
The details of the carvings, the opulence of the silk brocade wallpapers, the beauty of the paintings and tapestries, and the sheer grandeur of the gold gilt EVERYWHERE, was just incredible to see.
There were three stunning ceilings covered in frescoes honouring King Charles I wife - there were 17 frescoes originally, but over the years, the other 14 were covered over in elaborate plasterwork.
We got to see the Waterloo Room, which had a table with 52 places. Then we saw the Grand Hall that holds the state banquets, where 160 people are comfortably seated.
Windsor Castle suffered terrible damage in a fire in 1992, and over five years was painstakingly rebuilt; that meant all the wooden carvings and gold painted plasterwork, as well as the floors and curtains. Lady Luck had shone on them, however, as a lot of furniture and paintings and objets d'art had been removed for restoration purposes, and thus were saved.
We were there for almost three hours, walking around the rooms and chapel. What an incredible place to live and work!
"And that's just this one small portion that we're allowed into," Dan pointed out. "Imagine what the rest of the castle looks like!"
I've only ever seen no-longer-lived-in castles, like Edinburgh, Stirling, Culzean, and Carlisle, so it was pretty awesome to see one still in use.
After leaving the castle, we wandered down the main shopping street of Windsor, again decorated for Christmas but this time with a Royal theme.
We then went for a brief stroll along the banks of the river Thames, where we saw a whole lot of swans being fed by someone there. The black swans in New Zealand look nice enough, but the regal white swans are just so much prettier!
By this time Dan was freezing and I was the only one who wanted to walk to Eton college (across the river), so we headed back to the house. Finley was away at a sleepover, and Su was going out to dinner with friends, so it was a slightly smaller group for tea!
Day 154 - 26 Nov '23 - West Meon to Bristol. The time had come for us to say goodbye to Rich and Su and family, and get on with our trip! It had been wonderful to stay there with them, and the kids especially enjoyed having the company of children other than themselves.
Today we drove to the village of Wanborough outside Swindon, to have lunch with my cousin Gillian, her husband Franky, and their children Giacomo and Clara.
The last time I'd seen Gillian and Franky was at her brother's wedding about 20 years ago, and it was the first time meeting their kids.
We had a delicious lunch of pasta with Franky's homemade tomato sauce, followed by some gluten free apple crumble. Giacomo kindly took a family photo with his much-longer-than-Dan's selfie-arm!
We left just before 4pm, and quickly headed into Swindon to go to the Magic Roundabout. This is not the children's show of decades ago, but a roundabout made up of five roundabouts! My Auntie June had taken me on it about 20 years ago, and I'd told Dan and the kids about it.
"What a rubbish roundabout!" Dan grumbled once he'd found his way back off it.
We went round the whole thing once, then went round three before making our way back to the road we came in on! It is a master-class of roading, although whether genius or insanity I will leave up to you!
After that, we drove to Yatton near Bristol to drop our bags at our hotel for the night, before heading to a village called Congresbury, to have dinner with my Auntie June and Uncle David. We last saw Auntie June when she came to New Zealand for my sister's wedding about four years ago, and the last time I'd seen Uncle David was when they both came out for our wedding.
We had a yummy chicken casserole and roast potatoes, and fresh fruit and Vienetta for pudding! Auntie June also insisted I bring our dirty washing, as apparently laundromats are few and far between, so that was very welcome!
Day 155 - 27 Nov '23 - Yatton to Cardiff. After a not-very-restful sleep in our motel (it was quite hot, and the heater didn't have a thermostat), we went back to Auntie June's for brunch.
Uncle David cooked some delicious scrambled eggs with smoked salmon (his Christmas breakfast special), and it was rounded out with more fresh fruit. Yum!
We said goodbye just before midday and drove across the bridge to Cardiff in Wales. It was a little bit rainy when we arrived, but luckily we all had our raincoats handy, although Abi didn't want to wear hers).
We walked into the centre of town and saw Cardiff Castle, which is a Norman fort built in the late 11th century on top of Roman ruins.
There was an iceskating rink set up, surrounded by some fantastic decorations! We didn't go though, as we have some tickets booked for Christmas Eve in Glasgow.
After getting some VERY hot chocolate from a cafe, we walked through the town and their Christmas market, before getting back to the car and carrying on to Bridgend, where we were staying for the next two nights.
We chilled out watching a bit of TV, then drove 15 minutes to nearby Porthcawl to go to a fish and chip shop that had gluten free items!
"I'll have a sausage supper thanks," I said, "with salt and vinegar please."
It's been a looooong time since I had one of those! I don't like salt and vinegar crisps, but fish and chips with malt vinegar is a totally different flavour.
Unlike New Zealand, where all the items are put together in one or two packages, we each had our own supper.
Day 156 - 28 Nov '23 - Swansea. We had a long sleep in, and the room was super hot, which was a sharp contrast to the temperature outside! We'd left our bottle of milk in the car overnight as our room had no fridge, and it was nice and cold in our cereal.
Our excursion today was to Swansea, about 20 minutes or so from Cardiff. We went to the little town of Mumble, and went for a walk over the rocky beach at the heads.
The tide was out, which meant we could do a bit of 'sploring (as my friend Amber and I call it). We didn't find anything living, but I did discover two dead crabs.
There were some lovely views though, and we also walked along the Mumble Pier, where we saw the tide difference on the height of the RNLI building.
We grabbed some lunch from Tesco again (loving their meal deals), and then went back to Swansea to do a bit of clothes shopping for the kids, as they both needed a second pair of trackpants. I also need a second pair of trousers, but the type I want are not at Primark!
After that, we went for a quick wander through their indoor market, then the supermarket, then drove back to the motel in Bridgend. Dan and I are both starting to get a cold, with a runny nose and a slight sore throat. Hopefully it should clear up in a couple of days, especially now we've got vitamin C tablets to take.
We all decided last night's fish and chips were yummy, so went back there again for tea tonight! Who knows the next time we'll find a gluten free chippy?
Without the chilly bin we had in North America, and without a fridge or microwave in the motel rooms, we are now obliged to buy our meals for lunch and dinner. Breakfast we just have cereal, as we can get away with leaving the milk in the car overnight.
Nobody wants to have cold dinners at the moment, and that's fair enough, when the temperature outside is currently 3°C!
By 8:30pm, I was ready for bed. I'd taken a couple of Panadol to
Day 157 - 29 Nov '23 - Swansea to Bath. Eeuugghh, nobody wanted to get out of bed. Mine and Dan's colds had typically progressed, with us spending the night taking turns being awake to unblock our noses. My tickly throat had given way to a chesty cough, which was fortunately a sporadic one, but Dan was feeling a bit sore around his stoma from sneezing lots.
Our first stop today was to the city of Bath. This city has featured in innumerable period dramas, the latest of which is Bridgerton.
We started our visit at Royal Crescent, the 30 beautifully curved homes built between 1767 and 1774.
I went inside 1 Royal Crescent, the house at the start of the curve, which had been turned into a museum. The rooms had been decorated in the Georgian style, and some rooms were set up in a Christmas theme. I got to see their dining room, ladies and gentlemen's bedrooms, kitchen and scullery, and withdrawing room.
It was quite nice to walk around, and it must have been fantastic to live here 250 years ago, but I'm glad I didn't pay for all of us to visit!
Dan had taken the kids to a nearby playground, rather than stand still outside in the cold. As soon as I got there (after two phone calls to work out where 'there' was), I was convinced to join them on the swings. Why not?
I'll tell you why not...swinging around and around with a head cold makes you surprisingly dizzy! Still, it was lots of fun.
We walked back towards our car, and Abi told me about the "perfect family photo" they had taken in front of Royal Crescent.
"Perfect, eh?"
"Yep - just you weren't in it," Dan said.
"Maybe we can take another family photo," I suggested, "with all the family in it?"
"Then it not might be perfect!" Abi replied.
"It might be MORE perfect!" Dan tactfully amended.
Rather than head back to our car, we walked into the town square area. Bath is like a rabbit warren, with lots of streets darting in many directions, and all in the lovely honey-coloured Bath stone.
Decorated for Christmas everywhere, and chilly to boot, I kept commenting on how lovely a city it was. Even Dan said it must have been amazing to see back in the horse-and-carriage era.
We carried on walking through town until we reached The Circus; this was a circular set of houses with three roads coming into the middle, built between 1754-1769. It's a genius design idea, as every single house had the same view of the trees growing in the middle.
There was a real estate agency nearby, and if you were interested, a two-bedroom top-storey apartment was on the market for just £500,000.
After Bath, we headed to Wells, to visit the cathedral there. I came here with my Auntie June and Uncle David about 20 years ago, and loved it so much I thought Dan and the kids should see it too. The West Front (pictures below) was built c. 1240, and is one of the largest galleries of medieval sculpture in the world.
We were supremely lucky to visit when we did, as there was a musical assembly rehearsing for their concert later on tonight. We were treated to full renditions and repeated snippets of Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms, which echoed and reverberated around the cathedral. No matter where we walked, the music could be heard with crystal clarity. It was simply beautiful, and we sat down in the pews to listen a few times (much to the annoyance of Alex and Abi).
The cathedral itself was stunning. The exquisite carvings and stained glass windows are centuries old, and even the Scissor Arches (which look modern) were built 1338-1348 to solve a sinking tower foundation problem.
The astronomical clock was built c. 1390, and chimes every quarter hour with knights riding in a circle. The original mechanics are now housed in the Science Museum in London, which we saw when we visited there.
We went up some incredibly worn stairs to the Chapter House, which was completed in 1306. This was where the clergy would meet to discuss cathedral business, and is still used today for this purpose. The central column has 32 spires coming off it, and the acoustics in the room meant a whisper would be all that was required.
The cathedral library was pretty neat to see, as there was a restricted area that had books that were chained to the desks! This was apparently a common thing to bequest, that the books be chained to the church, and never to leave. Unfortunately, it does damage the books dreadfully, either in the spine or on the pages.
We also walked through the cloisters, which look very similar to the hallways used in the Harry Potter movies, although there are a few different cathedrals used for filming different scenes. Still, it definitely pleased Alex.
We walked back to the car, and Dan noticed a suspicious black and yellow plastic bag stuck to our windscreen.
"OH NO!" he said.
"A TICKET?" I asked. "But you paid, didn't you?"
"Yes of course I paid. Oh, bugger..."
"What?"
"It's used the Canadian number plate."
"What??"
"I went to pay the parking and saw it was the same app as one I already had, and just paid the parking. But it had the Canadian plate saved in it, and I didn't notice."
The fine was £50 for non-payment of a parking spot, but if we paid within 14 days, it was reduced to £25.
"We can contest it," I said, "we just need to send an email to this address on the ticket. We've got nothing to lose. We paid for a parking spot, but just used the wrong number plate! Take a picture of your payment, and I'll fill in the form. The worst they can say is 'pay the fine'."
So that's exactly what I did. I filled in the form apologising for the mistake, and attached two photos; one of the receipt saying we'd paid for the parking spot, and one showing the app with the incorrect number plate. Fingers crossed they accept it, but we won't know for 10-28 days! Luckily, though, they hold the 50% discount until the judgement comes through, so the most we will have to pay is £25.
It's just really annoying though, as we've been super careful to park within the lines (or you can get fined), pay the parking prices, and extend the time when we're running late. Dan has even set alarms on his phone when it's getting close to expiring, to let us know when to go back to the car.
After Wells Cathedral, we drove to nearby Wookey Hole. I can remember coming here as a little girl, to go to the caves where legend says the Wookey Witch and her dog were turned into stone. I was super excited to take Alex and Abi there, but at a ridiculous £80 for the four of us, they'll just need to use their imagination, and wait for me to show them the souvenir guide I got all those years ago.
We stayed in Wookey Hole for the night, and ate at the hotel dining room. Dan didn't want to drive anywhere, as the headlights were making it hard to concentrate, and I was only mildly enthusiastic about going out. I think another early night will help both of our colds; the tissues are starting to feel like sandpaper on our noses!
Day 158 - 30 Nov '23 - Wookey Hole to St. Ives. Our sleeps were a little better, with Dan and I only waking a couple of times each. My cough hadn't become any worse, which was great; typically, when I get a cold it tends to sink into my chest really quickly.
I managed to get half a pint of milk for free from the reception so we could have some cereal for breakfast, and we were on the road about 9:30am.
It was freezing outside, and I mean literally - only 1°C when we got to the car. We drove to Cheddar Gorge, and Dan stayed inside the car while the kids and I went outside for a couple of minutes (and only a couple of minutes, as the wind was blowing, making the temperature even chillier).
Abi and I went to the original cheese shop of Cheddar Gorge, which had been in business since 1870.
"Don't tell daddy how much we spent, okay?" I said to Abi, as we left the shop with a wedge of traditionally aged cheddar, another wedge of herb and cider cheddar, and a small truckle of smoked cheddar.
We walked back to the car past a gorgeous wee cottage on the side of the road, only as wide as one room!
No sooner had I opened the car door, did I remember the credit card purchase alerts Dan's phone.
"£20 on cheese?" Dan asked, as soon as I sat down.
"Well, it's proper cheddar from Cheddar!"
We carried on our way, but made an unplanned stop in a small village in North Devon called South Morton.
"We had cheddar from Cheddar, let's have some Devonshire tea in Devon!"
Dan, Alex, and I shared freshly baked raisin scones, complete with clotted cream, and homemade strawberry jam, Dan had normal tea, and I had a delightful strawberry and grapefruit tea.
The kids had the most luxurious hot chocolate I've ever come across! There were mini marshmallows underneath a mountain of skooshy cream, as well as on the plate, and then a chocolate flake too!
As we walked back to the car, it started snowing! It wasn't anything to write home about, that's for sure, but it was definitely snow.
We left Devon and headed into Cornwall, to visit a quaint seaside historic seaside village called Clovelly. Unfortunately, we didn't get any further than the information building, as there was a £24 fee to visit it!
"I'm sorry, but I'm not paying £24 to walk around a village," I said. "How can they charge for upkeep, when there's not even any cars allowed on the road! How much damage can feet do?"
"I agree," answered Dan. "Maybe if it was a lovely sunny, summer's day, but not today!"
As we travelled along the coast, we saw a number of fields and roofs of houses with a light coating of snow on them, but it had stopped by the time we arrived at the campground we were staying at for the next three nights.
"We're staying in a campground?" Alex squealed excitedly.
"Yes!" answered Dan. "Cornwall is where everyone goes for their summer holidays, and we're coming here in winter! We got a great price!!"
We had booked a luxurious three-bedroomed cabin, with central heating, a full kitchen with dining room, two bathrooms, and a laundry!! Tomorrow we will do some sightseeing, and the next day we will chill out and relax...well, that's the plan.
Day 159 - 1 Dec '23 - Land's End. Sometimes, the free things in life bring the most fun. After a late sleep-in and breakfast, we bundled up to step outside, and promptly slipped on the ice-covered deck. Alex and Abi were then overjoyed to discover a nearby puddle had frozen, and had lots of fun breaking up shards of ice!
Today's journey was to the southern-most point of mainland Great Britain - Land's End. We drove to nearby Sennen Cove at the suggestion of my Auntie June, and walked along the coast path to Land's End.
It was a gorgeous day; blue skies and hardly any wind, but it was freezing cold when we left the sheltered areas.
We passed four ponies on the headland, used to keep the grass short, and also remnants of an old castle. We also saw a group of bluefin tuna jumping out the water while fishing, and heard there was a whale spotted in the bay earlier that morning (although we didn't see it).
After half an hour, we reached Land's End.
"It's funny," I said to Dan, "as we come to this view point and see the sea. There's nothing actually to look at!"
"Yes," Dan agreed. "WE are the view point really."
We went to get a picture with the Land's End signpost, and were horrified to discover it's a paid enterprise! There is a charge to get part of the sign changed to have a special message, but we weren't going to pay £11 for that, so along with everyone else there that day, we are celebrating the love of James and Judith...ha ha ha ha!
We had another lovely (chilly) walk back to the car, and after playing on the beach for a few minutes, got back in our car and drove to St. Ives.
We didn't meet any men with seven wives (or sacks, cats, or kits for that matter), but we did meet some other cars on very narrow roads.
"Do you remember me saying about the narrow, windy 'A' roads and how we didn't want to go on 'B' roads?" Dan asked, pointedly.
"Yes, but I didn't realise this was a 'B' road! It was a mostly straight route to St. Ives, and we'd already been the other way. Anyway, it's mostly fine, just narrow in some points. Look! It's back to normal again!"
"Maybe I should let you drive?"
St. Ives was a lovely town with more exceedingly narrow and winding roads, and the sun had lit up the houses by the seaside; we could only imagine how pretty it would have looked with the tide in, but we didn't feel like hanging around for six hours to see.
We bought some groceries for lunch and dinner, and by the time we got back to the campground it was almost 3pm. I then spent the next four hours getting angry at, and battling with, the washer/dryer, as it's time-keeping abilities were next to rubbish.
"I set it for an hour and a half five minutes ago, and it's already showing as 29 minutes left!"
In the end, I had to start the program six times before the washing was finally dry! Super annoying, so the rest of the washing will have to wait until tomorrow.
Dan made dinner tonight - teriyaki chicken with some stir-fried rice we got on special at Tesco. It was chicken thigh, my least-preferred type of chicken, but Dan likes it.
"It's nicer than the dry, horrible stuff you make us eat."
"Pardon? 'Dry, horrible stuff'? 'Dry, horrible stuff'!"
Dan studiously kept his eyes on the chicken he was chopping, while smothering a laugh.
"Okay, I could have made a wiser choice of words."
"Hmmm."
In the end, we only ate half our dinner because we were all still full from our 3pm lunch, so it will become lunch for tomorrow. But of course, there's always room for dessert, especially when it's mint Vienetta!
Tomorrow we really need to get back on to planning our trip a bit better. We haven't been as organised as we were in the states, and we will run out of time quickly. The weather is set to get warmer again in a couple of days, which should make our Scotland leg a bit more enjoyable!
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