Day One of my three week trip to England and Scotland with Thaisa Farrar, who joined me on a memorable previous trip to Britain in 2015.
First stop from the airport was a taxi to our hotel since we couldn’t find the National Express bus stop. Room was not ready at the Astor’s Belgravia, 144 pounds for one night.
We couldn’t check in until 2 to the Astors Belgravia near Victoria, so we went to the corner tea shop for cake and tea. Too bad our room was on the 2nd floor of a quaint old townhouse. Won’t be running in and out a lot. I found the Vodaphone shop in Victoria Rail Station and paid for another 30 days service only 10 pounds. They changed the SIM card so I’m all set with local service. I had used this on my December trip also.
Later We went out in search of the Victoria coach station for our tour tomorrow morning but we didn’t find it. So after a walk around Belgravia we went for dinner instead to a little place Oliveto. I had melon and ham and we both had most delicious cold tomato soup. Then we looked again for our tour meetup and found it was across the street from the big station in the Greenline coach station. Ready for bed by 9 after a long day.
July 27. Day 2, Tour Day 1
After a simple breakfast we checked out of the Astor’s, leaving one small bag for our return in 5 days. And we finally found our gate only a ten minute walk. Our small bus is for 16 although there are only 6 of us on the tour so we had room to spread out. Our driver/guide, Russ Chapman, was wonderfully knowledgeable about the history of places we stopped and also very nice about the variety in our group from youngish Japanese Taki to middle-aged couple of Australians, Frank and Ann, to us oldies and to an even older, 83 year old Julia from north eastern Connecticut. She did very little on the tour when we stopped to mosey around towns and castles.
Our first stop on the trip was Winchester Cathedral which was awesome. We picked up Julia who had come from Southampton by way of the Queen Mary. Then on to Stonehenge. They had a new Visitors Center and we took the bus shuttle to the site. Then back on to the bus towards Exeter for two nights at the Jury’s Inn Hotel, convenient to the center of town. We were too tired to go to the town though so we had a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant.
July 28, Saturday, Day 3, Tour day 2
First stop was Dartmoor, the real thing, a wild and barren landscape with wild ponies. We did see one mother and baby just standing there waiting for us to take their photo! We also saw a few Highland cows, or hairy coos as they called them, down from Scotland somehow! It was incredibly windy there, and cold. After this we drove on to Tavistock still in Devon, for a group cream tea reserved by Russ. We started sitting outside but it rained on us so we had to move inside. In Devon you put the cream first on your scone and then the jam, while in Cornwall you put the jam on first! After a walk through the indoor market since it was seriously raining, we found the bus by way of the river walk, and headed back to Exeter in time for the 2pm tour of the medieval buildings, mostly small churches and a few buildings left over. The cathedral is a beautiful yellow limestone. It was over-cleaned in the 60s and is now looking very worn. But we saw musicians in the cathedral when we went back for Evensong and learned there was a concert that night with the Coldstream Guards, so we were able to get tickets for the side aisles, and it was fantastic! We just had time for a small bite to eat before the concert at the Tea on the Green place right near the cathedral. We did walk down the hill back to our hotel and hit the hay quickly! My iPhone GPS really helped.
July 29. Sunday, Day 4, Tour Day 3
Left Exeter for Boscastle, where three rivers joined to flood the town in 2004 and we saw the watermark on the door lintel of the visitor center. The town was very small and quaint and very low tide with the boats stuck on the beach. Everything was made of the local granite, and the walls were just beautiful stonework. After this we went on to Tintagel, home of Arthur and his castle in ruins. It was incredibly cold and windy there, in fact the castle was closed so our friend Taki who wanted to see Arthurian places was disappointed. The town was cute but we didn’t have time to see much there.
On to Port Isaac of Doc Martin fame. Again we parked on top of the hill and walked down to the water. Again extremely low tide and boats stuck on the sand. A little walk through the town, and I picked up a crab sandwich for our lunch having no time to stop. Then on to Falmouth for the night. Our B&B is right on the harbor with boats and restaurants right opposite. Nice room at least on the ground floor. We tried for one restaurant but no reservation, so we went to the next one, which was very good, for fish!
July 30, Monday. Day 5, Tour Day 4
To St. Ives. As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with 7 wives, etc. well we met many men as we walked the very small narrow streets to find the Tate St. Ives, which was on a lovely long beach, again low tide but with quite a few surfers out there and bigger waves than we’ve seen before. Even tiny kids had wet suits as it was still kind of chilly and windy.
The Tate was marvelous, interesting paintings and a great view of the beach and the town from its little cafe. I bought a tray with image of a ship painting, and Ti bought a pink and blue scarf, again from a painting. We walked back to the car park by way of the very busy harbor. And it was a good thing Russ changed the schedule to go here first before the crowds, as it was getting very crowded by the time we left at noon! Next a brief stop to look at a small abandoned tin mine with its tower and smoke stack.
Then another short stop to see a 6th century church of St. Sennen very small. Next to “The Last Pub in England” just before Lands End. And a very brief stop in the tourist pavilion with huge car park and tons of people at Lands End. Nothing to see out there but sea, ha ha.
Our last stop of the day was the very spectacular cliff side theater created from the 30s by Rowena Cade with the help of her gardener for one production. Then it became popular and kept expanding until today. Seats only 700 and I can’t imagine how they got there from wherever. Great views from the seats though. They had to bring all building materials down the cliff by hand and get sand from the beach up to make cement. Some effort! Truly a great visit there.
July 31, Tuesday. Day 6. Tour day 5. Back to London
Leaving lovely Falmouth for the long long ride back to London. First stop was Launceton and it’s Norman ruins. I didn’t go to the top, but Ti did. Instead I walked around the sweet little town. Quite a lot of old people here, as I suppose the young have gone to some city. Ann from our group went to look up one of her ancestors and found where they had lived, although it was quite different now. Then on to Glastonbury. It’s Abbey was famous but in ruins, although quite beautiful ones of some yellowish limestone which had originally been painted in bright colors. The abbey was destroyed after Henry VIII closed the monasteries. The town itself was quite festive as there was a “Goddess Conference” going on. Street vendors sold tie dyes, Indian wares, stones and beads, all the hippy regalia.
Leaving there for hours on the bus, with only a brief rest stop en route to London which we reached by 7pm. Same room at the same b&b, up two flights and very tired. After a short rest we went out to dinner, walking to Sloan Sq. to find the Cote Brasserie.
Walking back I took a wrong turn and went way out of our way, but it was interesting to see other parts of Belgravia.
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