Before we move on to our visit to London, the Cotswolds and more, I thought I might give you a break from travel posts and fill you in on life at home since we've been back. It has been a bit of a whirlwind. We're talking art sale, ditch walks, bugs, and odd autumn happenings!
After a week in the country, we packed our bags, ready to leave for London. In some ways, neither of us wanted to go. Yes, we were excited for London and all that awaited, but we were so very happy here, we knew it would be hard to say goodbye.
Once our things were together, we decided on a last walk, about two miles. We headed toward Monkton Combe, walking well-trod paths. It was a lovely day and we took our time.
While I was admiring the magnificent architecture and glorious peace of Wells Cathedral, Rick took advantage of a beautiful day to do a hike.
Here's another guest post by Rick (actually, his Facebook post of that day) to give you an idea of the beautiful countryside as seen on foot.
Before we left home, as I was checking maps and guidebooks, I saw that the town of Wells wasn't far from Bath. And indeed, when I spoke with friend Martha, she said it was an easy bus ride away. I'd been curious about Wells and its cathedral for years, ever since I saw a photo by my friend, the late travel photographer Wally Parshall. I knew this was a spot I'd like to visit.
Rick, on the other hand, wanted to take advantage of the lovely day to take a hike, so I went into the city and hopped the double decker bus, sitting happily in the first row of the upper level, and off I went to Wells!
One always hears about rain in England and we got the Bath version on this day. And it was odd -- it would pour relentlessly and hard; then stop; then drizzle; then pour again. It was a good morning to stay in for a bit, especially after our walking day in Cardiff. Rick worked on his family tree, I read. But around noon we decided it wasn't going to clear up and we certainly weren't going to stay in the house all day, so off we went! After all, it was a good day for an afternoon tea!
If you saw my post on Cardiff Castle, you'll know we spent a good deal of time there. We were definitely ready for lunch and it didn't take long to find a lively pub with a good menu!
Rick and I decided to split a pint and we ordered hearty lunches -- sausage and mash for him, another steak and mushroom pie for me (not quite as good as Hope and Anchor, but nothing to complain about!).
My second great grandmother was from Wales. I know little about her but I've always been a bit curious about England's neighboring country to the west. So, when we decided to base for a week in Bath, it was an added bonus that a trip to Wales would make for a fun and interesting day.
So, Rick and I took off on the train from Bath. It was a fairly short ride, about 90 minutes, and soon we were in Cardiff. And, I have to say it was the smoothest, most quiet train ride I've ever had -- quite different from our American AMTRAK (at least in Michigan!)
Those of us in America may well have had parents or grandparents who served overseas in World War I or World War II, and many did not return home. But our country was not physically attacked. We may have had blackouts or rations, our men and women and working to support the war effort. But we were not bombed, with entire cities and towns being destroyed. Many in my own generation may or may not have served in the military. In Europe, it was a different story.
Before our trip, we had lunch with our friends Mark and Martha, whose cottage we were renting. They gave us some tips on things we might want to explore while in Bath and one was going to the Independent, a market in the nearby town of Frome (pronounced Froom like broom).
Well, one look at the website and we were all in! So the day after rugby, off we went, boarding the bus (which actually arrived on time right down the hill from us!).
I confess, when Rick said he wanted to go to a rugby game while we were in Bath, I wasn't exactly keen. I mean, what do we know about rugby? I'm not even fond of football and at least I know the rules.
But it is a very English sport and when in Rome (or Bath), get into the swing of it! So, while Rick was out riding his bike from Bath to Bristol and wherever all it took him, I was charged with getting rugby tickets! They weren't terribly expensive and we felt lucky to get them late the day before.
For the most part, Rick and I did pretty much everything together during our trip. But there were a couple of times when we split up because a cyclist has to ride and when it's beautiful, new territory, nothing could have kept Rick from the bike.
So, I'm turning this post over to him, sharing his Facebook post about his cycle ride on our first day. As I was exploring Bath and getting rugby tickets, this was his day!
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