Daily breakfasts included the same items wherever we went, which meant cold pork and beans, tasting a great deal like Van de Camps, grilled halves of tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, scrambled eggs, eggs sunny side up, poorly seasoned link sausage, and perhaps a triangle of pressed and formed hash browns. What the heck, there’s always a supply of pastries and juices, and more often than not, we get fresh fruit.
Our motor coach had 48 seats, 24 pairs, so with 21 of us, we all had the option of a double seat to ourselves, which was a godsend, given that any carry-ons (including shopping bags of souvenirs) had to be handled, and stored between the seats, by the traveler. And of course, I was one of those intent upon improving the local economy by buying my share of “happy crap.”
We left London and immediately took a detour… Although not on original itinerary, we persuaded Sue, our guide, to persuade our driver that we could take the long way to Bath, and happily, as we later discovered, detours are her specialty! The long way to Bath just happened to go right down the road by Stonehenge. And yes, it as breathtaking as the pictures, even though we stayed on our side of the roadway fence and did not pay to stand a few feet closer. Very grateful we got to see it in person.
Overcast part of the day and fabulous sun the other part. The countryside has shrub-like hedgerows that turn the rolling landscape into a multi-green patchwork quilt, which is breathtakingly pretty. And in amongst the prettiness, the MOD—Ministry of Defense, oversees some areas here and has “tank crossing” signs, but none were evident. Neither were the red flags, indicating live maneuvers.
The names of all towns here are so stereotypical “British” sounding, we couldn’t be in any other place on earth. Salisbury, Trowbridge, Chippingham, Bristol, and my family’s ancestral stomping grounds, Wookey Hole, all in a row on the roadsigns in Somerset County. Gives me the tingles just being here.
In Bath, we went to Roman bathhouse dating back over 2,000 years. Had a falafel wrap for lunch, then on to a chocolate and tea house for dessert. OMG! Don’t ask about the calories in brownies, strawberry sundaes, Carmel fudge ice cream and hot chocolate! But what the hell, we’re on vacation!
It was a long ways to Stratford Upon Avon, but we got here by dinner time. Ate at the oldest pub in these parts, and you bet your boots Shakespeare drank here! Saw Anne Hathaway’s house, and tomorrow we will do walking tour of the historic part of the town. Where Shakespeare was born and died, are just blocks apart. Never thought I’d get to sleep in a Tudor style hotel right where all this writer energy is flowing along the Avon. Simply wonderful!
Our guide has many more activities for us than the brochure lists. You bet she’s earning her keep! Having lots of fun, although “comfort stops” could be quite a bit more frequent!
Today we were just that close to Wookey Hole, and although I hear the caves have been made into a type of amusement park, I longed to go look for evidence of my ancestry! Ah, but not this trip, so maybe next time!