Chester, Cheshire

Suzie - Welcome to the Cathedral City of Chester!! Chester or Caer in Welsh (we are very close to the Welsh border with England), was founded and walled by the Romans in the first century AD who named their new fortress Diva, as the River Dee flows through Chester.

The Dark Ages saw attacks by Viking Raiders, who sailed up the River Dee in their longboats and after the successful Norman invasion in 1066, William the Conqueror created the first Earl of Chester and built Chester Castle.

The Middle Ages saw Chester become a wealthy trading port and the English Civil War brought battles between Royalists who were loyal to King Charles I and Parliamentarians loyal to Oliver Cromwell. Chester was under seige for two years before starvation made the people surrender. There is still evidence of these battles with marks made from cannons in the walls, which we will explore tomorrow.

The walls on a clear day have views to the mountains in Wales. Chester also has ruins of the largest amphitheatre in Britain. I'm looking forward to seeing it!!

Nik - We left London today. It's a bit sad because it marks the end of our first stop on our trip. But also, to be honest, the press of people in London has been getting to me a bit. Particularly on the trains. So it's also a bit of a relief.

Excited because the move also means we will soon be at Eurovision! Which after all is what inspired this trip in the first place.

We had a bit of an explore around town. It's obviously a tourist town with stalls in the middle of the main shopping area selling cheap gimmicky souvenirs and buskers too. It's a very picturesque town and I can't wait to explore more.

Suzie got her nails done then we went to dinner at a place called Botanist and had a Sunday Roast. Very tasty.

We were full and tired then, so back to our room to rest up.Read more