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The UK & Ireland experience

April 2018 - April 2024
Travel day has arrived. Off to the airport by train for a 3pm flight. Read more
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  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 11

    London day 11 Thu 3 May 2018

    May 3, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Underground to Westminster where we joined a Big Bus tour. After a short distance alighted at the Houses of Parliament then walked around the corner to Westminster Abbey which has thousands of people buried there with spectacular memorial stone sculptures. Most sovereigns from 1066 to 1760 are buried there. Afterwards toured the Jewel House part of the original Westminster Palace where jewels and other precious objects were stored, before getting back on the Big Bus at around 1pm and was driven around London seeing Waterloo Arch, Marble Arch, Piccadilly Circus with an audio commentary till we alighted at St Paul’s Cathedral just too late to be allowed in. There was broken down truck blocking the road before St Paul’s which the bus could not pass till it was towed which delayed us. Instead we bought running shoes before taking the Underground to Hatton Cross to the Green Man Pub under the Heathrow landing flight path for a West London Hash semi rural 10km run involving a wade across a creek, a long tunnel by torch light and many fields. Late night getting back to Acton Town Hotel after midnight.Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 12

    London day 12 Fri 4 May 2018

    May 4, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Underground to South Kensington then walked to the Albert Hall and enjoyed a tour of the property. The building was not damaged in WWII and people such as the Queen have a 999 year lease on seats. Promoters pay to hire the hall but not necessarily the organ and must equip the space themselves. Ticket pricing is decided by the promoter. Because of this the floor of the Hall has been set up for concerts, both classical and rock, performances involving horses and masters tennis matches, as well as opera involving a great deal of water. Walked back to South Kensington and took the Underground to Blackfriars and walked to St Paul’s Cathedral. No photos however have photographed postcards I purchased. The Cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was completed in 1711. We climbed 259 spiral shallow steps to the Whispering Gallery at a height of 100 feet above the Cathedral floor. Then a further 117 steps to the Stone Gallery outside followed by 166 spiral steps to Golden outside gallery before returning down to the Cathedral floor. We walked across the Millennium Bridge and along the Thames Walk and back over the Embankment Bridge to reach the Banqueting House with its nine ceiling paintings by Rubens painted in 1635. It is the only surviving building from the Whitehall Palace destroyed in 1698 by fire. Purchased picnic dinner from large Morrison’s supermarket at Acton Town and ate in room.Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 13

    London day 13 Sat 5 May 2018

    May 5, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Late breakfast and got away just after 10am. Underground to Piccadilly Circus then visited the National Art Gallery for a few hours. Then looked for a pub for lunch and ended back at the Ship and Shovel down the lane from Northumberland Ave down from Sherlock Holmes Hotel. Back to Acton Town Hotel to change for the City London and West London Hash clubs Spring Fling ferry Cruise. The ferry “Royal” took us upstream to the Putney Pier past the site of an old coal driven power station being stripped out for redevelopment. There was a band which was too loud providing music for dancing and a meal provided. Back at Action Town Hotel around 11.45pm.Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 14

    London day 14 Sun 6 May 2018

    May 6, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Got up just after 8am, breakfast then washed clothes. Underground to Stratford, then Docklands Light Rail to Stratford International (very expensive). Looked at Queen Elizabeth Park which was the site of the last London olympics. There were people pouring in for a music festival in the evening, Blokes were selling soda syphon gas refills and balloons. Trouble was that we really wanted to visit the O2 (Millennium Dome). Returned to Stratford International and had coffee before travelling to North Greenwich and the O2. Wandered around and photographed the Thames River Flood Barrier as well as the dome. Back to London Bridge station and walked to and across Tower Bridge and up to East Aldgate. Dinner in the White Heart Hotel where one of Jack the Ripper’s victims was murdered in the adjacent lane.Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 15

    Canterbury & Sandwich day 15 Mon 7 May

    May 7, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Train to Heathrow but could not return the Oyster Cards despite being told by the same people when we arrived that the credit card would be refunded. Shuttle to Avis where we were charged extra to cross the border into the Irish Republic. We were upgraded to a larger Skoda Estate and took over 1 hour to start driving. The GPS guided us to Canterbury in Kent. There were a number of congestion holdups on the motorways on the way. Found a car park adjacent to the historic centre of Canterbury. The front of the Cathedral was covered by scaffold like Big Ben in London. Wandered around taking photos and purchased Yvonne some footwear from a running shop. Also stumbled across the Canterbury Abby. Drove to Sandwich also in Kent and took more photos. Sandwich is full of medieval buildings. Dinner of sea bass and mussels at the Bell Hotel in Sandwich. Drove to Dover still in Kent passing the Premier Inn Dover East (should be called Dover Heights) and asked directions in Dover at a service station with a Spar supermarket. Better room than Acton Town but breakfast and dinner must be purchased from the related adjacent hotel or drive 2 miles down to Dover.Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 16

    Dover to Deal day 16 Tue 8 May 2018

    May 8, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Purchased the full breakfast (unlimited bacon, sausage, egg etc) so no need for lunch. Parked in the National Trust White Cliffs Visitor Centre outside the gate that was locked at 7pm. Good view of the Port of Dover where we parked as well as on the walk. Were told that it was VE Day (Victory in Europe) and to look for a Spitfire fly past. Throughout the day there were many Spitfire flypasts and a couple of flypasts of a larger WWII plane. The walk initially followed the tourist National Trust path to the South Foreland Lighthouse, on which we were able to photograph Dover Castle in the distance. Just after the lighthouse we found the entrance to the South Foreland Deep Shelter which may lead to defensive gun emplacements in the St Margaret’s Bay. Had a pint of beer in the Coastguard Hotel in St Margaret’s Bay for lunch and continued on to the edge of Deal, passing a tall obelisk for sailors of the Royal Navy in WWI and the Merchant Navy in WWII. The Deal seafront involves a long stretch of pebble with a long row of houses. There were a number of bathing huts as well. We walked as far as Walmer Castle built by HenryVIII as an artillery platform. Steak at the Coastguard Hotel back at St Margaret’s Bay. Back at the car about 8.15pm. Second night at the Premier Inn Guston Wood.Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 17

    Dover to Portsmouth day17 Wed 9 May 2018

    May 9, 2018 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Drove from Premier Inn Guston Wood to Dungemess Kent which is a privately owned headland where there is a nuclear power station and a small tourist steam train, as well as an old lighthouse. We then drove to Hastings in East Sussex and met Kylie, daughter of a Sydney Harriette on the Hastings pier. Afterwards looked at Hastings old town before driving to the Portsmouth Ibis Inn in Hampshire to drop off bags before driving to Hamble for dinner with Simon Mayer and Cathy. Back to to the Portsmouth Ibis Inn after midnight.Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 18

    Isle of Wight day 18 Thu 10 May 2018

    May 10, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    No breakfast this morning at the Ibis Budget Pompey Centre Portsmouth. Just drove to Wightlink Ferry. Arrived in time to catch the 8.30am ferry instead of the 9am ferry we has booked. Drove to Brading and paid GBP 5 for 12 hours parking. Looked at St Mary’s church had a latte before commencing the seven mile Brading Marshes walk. As well as the marshes (old shallow harbour now reclaimed land), we saw the Bembridge Windmill and the coast. Lunch at the Culver Haven Hotel Bembridge. The foot paths back to Brading had not seen much use lately and we navigated part of the way though fields by sighting the church spire in Brading. Wandered around and found the station and photographed the Island train. Drove to the Roman Villa after closing so missed the tiled floor, saw the foundations at ground level and the under floor heating. Then drove to St Catherine’s lighthouse and had dinner at the Buddle Inn at Niton. Then spent the night in Kasbah Hotel in Ryde.Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 19

    Isle of Wight day 19 Fri 11 May 2018

    May 11, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Noisy smokers courtyard till about 11.30pm last night. Could not login to hotel wifi either. Moved car from pay car park around 8.30am to Union Street Ryde near front of Kasbah and joined Yvonne for breakfast in a cafe opposite. Drove to Freshwater and walked along the cliff tops to the famous Needles sea stacks in a strong cold wind. As well as the Needles sea stacks you could see the continuation of the chalk under the water towards Harry’s rocks in Dorset. At the Needles New Battery - Victorian gun emplacement and Cold War rocket test site, as a bonus there was an interesting display concerning the British rocket development program which occurred here with production of the rockets at East Cowes and launching at Woomera in South Australia. The rockets were based on the German rockets of WWII and formed the basis of the later American rocket program. Lunch of steak pies at the Warren Farm on the way back to Freshwater. Drove to Carisbrook Castle and walked around the perimeter of the walls before driving to Osborne House where we spotted a rare Red Squirrel. Walked around the gardens before driving to nearby East Cowes for dinner at the Lifeboat Hotel/Restaurant at the yacht marina. Expecting a noisy night at Kasbah as the small wine bar closes at 2am, may even use the supplied ear plugs.(May explain the very low price for our accommodation)Read more

  • TravelerThe UK & Ireland experience
    Day 20

    Salisbury day 20 Sat 12 May 2018

    May 12, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Light not working in Kasbah’s hall in Ryde so used phone torch on the stairs. Arrived at Wightlink Fishbourne and told to come back after 10am for our 11am booked ferry spot. We drove onto the ferry and up a ramp to an upper deck. On returning to the car at the end of the crossing to Portsmouth the car alarm was sounding. Fortunately unlocking the doors turned off the noise. While waiting in the car to drive off the ferry the floor the car was sitting on descended and became a steep ramp to drive to the lower deck. We then drove to Salisbury and used the park and ride from Peterfinger to get into the city. Wandered around the old town and had lunch at Bills pub. Walked to Salisbury Cathedral and saw one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. Set the GPS to Studland Beach to see Harry's Rocks (chalk sea stacks at the end of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset), but unfortunately the GPS took us to a chain operated car ferry near Poole on the wrong side of the bay. So we continued on towards Neitherleigh Bed and Breakfast. There was a group of deer grazing beside the highway (no stags) unconcerned by card roaring past at to up to 70 miles per hour only a few yards away. Stopped briefly at Chideock to photograph some of the many thatched houses there. Unfortunately the idyllic Netherleigh Snug Room does not quite match the internet but we will be comfortable. Dinner at the Hunters Lodge pub a short walk from our accommodation in Cooks Lane Axminster.Read more

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