Great Britain, June 23-July 7, 2012
- Hop onboard
- Exploring Bath
- Welcome to Bath. Famous today for it's "healing" hot springs and Roman built bathhouses, it's a fairly short train or bus ride from London.
- From curing leprosy to increasing fertility, the hot springs attracted many of England's rulers.
- The water in the pool is unsafe because it flows through lead pipes. It's still a beautiful greenish color.
- The pool, or "King's Bath," was constructed in the 12th century and the surrounding buildings in the 18th century.
- Fragments of the Temple of Sulis Minerva at the Roman baths. The "gorgon" in the center represents Minerva and maybe other water gods
- Gilded bronze head from the statue of Sulis Minerva and other fragments from Roman times.
- The Baths got their very own postage stamp
- Perpendicular Gothic Bath Abbey - the present building dating from 1499. Admire it and rest in the square between the Abbey and the Roman Baths and enjoy the music.
- Pulteney Bridge over the river Avon, Bath
- The Royal Crescent, with its 30 houses, exemplified the Bath wealthy. Built between 1767 and 1775, it has a "ha-ha fence" (ha - ha, you can't get up here!) below the front yard, a drop off to keep out sheep and peasants. John Cleese is said to have a home here. I waved just in case he was home.
- My great, great, grandfather was born in Bath and then immigrated to the states. Rod and Paul at the Guildhall helped me search through geneology records to try to find more info. We could only go back to 1811. Paul gave me a tour of the hall.
- Paul brews his own beer. Lucky I happened to stop by… The British are so friendly.
- Sally Lunn was known for her famous "Bath Bun." I don't think this bun is from 1680 though.
- Wander through the streets of Bath and you'll find many interesting sites.
- River Avon, Bath
- Glastonbury and Wells
- History and Archaeology http://www.glastonburyabbey.com/history.php?&dx=1&ob=3&rpn=events&sid=62474e5ecd6f4cfbe831b6f1be76e482
- St Patrick's Chapel on the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey
- Legendary visitors to Glastonbury
- St Patrick's Chapel and lavender
- Just from the remains, you can imagine how spectacular the abbey was. King Henry VIII ordered this abbey, among many others, destroyed in 1539. He hung and quartered the Abbot on a nearby hill after the Abbot protested the order.
- The only intact building on the Glastonbury Abbey grounds - the kitchen
- Remaining floor tiles of the Abbey
- Was there a King Arthur and if so, is he and Guinivere really buried here? I'd like to think so. That's the magic of Britain.
- PICNIC time - everything from cider, to pasties, to cheeses. YUM
- Wells Cathedral - first complete Gothic church from about 1200 AD
- Wells Cathedral pew cushion back.
- Beautiful and bright inside. The color on the ceiling and other parts of the Abbey was beautifully restored.
- I wish I could have heard the organ music.
- Another beautifully restored ceiling
- The Wells clock is the second oldest in Britain and maybe the world to have survived in its original condition. Every quarter hour knights joust as the mechanism above the clock turns.
- Quarter Jack bangs the quarter hour with his heels.
- Stairs leading to the Chapter House and Cloisters. On the left you can see seating for the church officials to sit and wait their turn.
- Chapter House was finished in 1306 and was the meeting place for cathedral affairs.
- This is what I'd call a really HIGH back chair
- Vicar's Close - 14th century houses line the quaint cobblestone street and houses church officials. Some houses can be rented for a holiday stay.
- View of Wells Cathedral from the Vicar's Close
- Towering chimney shafts top each house. Imagine walking home each day along this peaceful street.
- From the mid fifteenth century each house has had an arched gateway and walled in garden to welcome you home.
- Cotswolds
- Blenheim Palace
- Stanway House, Village of Stanton
- Stow-on-the-Wold, Conwy, Keswick
- Stow on the Wold - means "meeting place on the uplands" and is the highest point in the Cotswolds.
- The Old Stocks Hotel was very quaint, had great food and a beautiful outdoor patio (when it wasn't raining)
- Yes, the stairs were this crooked. But remember, it's location, location, location. Wait, maybe I was at the downstairs pub too long…Tread carefully.
- On the back side of St.James Church, a large wooden door is flanked by two ancient yew trees. Was this the inspiration for Tolkien's door into Moria?
- Beautiful flowers hung along the walls of the village and in fields
- Inside the 15th century Stow-on-the Wold church you can see the "kneelers" in the pews. Made by the "Kneeler Group," needlepointers who meet weekly to sew, sip coffee, and chat.
- Off to a nearby pub to eat and be entertained by local folk singers. A great evening.
- Days and nights
- North Wales, Lake District
- First cast-iron bridge built in 1779
- Hilly, green, lots of sheep and stone fences
- Ewe-phoria sheep and sheep dog demonstration video
- Conwy was built in the 1280's as a garrison town for Edward I to get a toehold into Wales. Today it has the best medieval walls surrounding the town.
- Caernarfon Castle - also built by Edward I to establish English rule over North Wales. Edward got the Welsh to submit to English rule if he could produce a "prince, born in Wales, who spoke not a word of English." A son was born at Caernarfon Castle who could not speak English or any language for that matter. Hence, the Prince of Wales.
- Slate has been quarried in Wales for over 1800 years. It has been used throughout the world for everything from slate roof tiles, to siding, to the almost obsolete slate chalk board. We visited the Slate Mueum to learn more about slate.
- Snowdonia is home to Britain's second largest national park and the tallest mountain in Wales or England, Mt. Snowdon (3,560 feet). A hiker's paradise with all the trails through Snowdonia.
- Bodnant Garden is 80 acres of lush gardens and one of Britain's best. It was once the property of the Bodnant family who donated the land (but still live in the house) to the National Trust. They can enjoy the view, but don't have to mow or weed the garden. Good idea.
- The Lake District is Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth, and walking country. We didn't see daffodils or Mr. McGregor but plenty of walkers.
- Hadrian's Wall, Roman Vindolanda
- York
- Constantine was proclaimed emporer in York in 306.
- York Minster is an imposing site. Minster comes from the word "monastery", but now it's just a church. It's the largest Gothic church north of the Alps and the seat of the Archbishop of York.The current church was started in 1220 and took 250 years to complete. During King Henry VIII's reign of destroying English abbeys, it was spared because it wasn't part of a monastery.
- London
- Signs, Gargoyles, etc
- Bath
- Bath
- Don't sit here
- Bath
- Bath
- Bath
- Bath
- Bath
- Bath
- Bath
- I think this originally was the outhouse. I'm sure it's no longer used for that purpose!
- Bath
- Roman Baths
- Roman Baths
- Roman Baths
- Welcome
- Pretty view
- Seashell Swan
- York Minster
- I believe the bird has a frog
- York Minster (do they dust?)
- Louis
- 3 legged cat at Stanway House
- Is 1618 the address or the year it was built?
- Door knocker
- Scarecrow or telling us to go that way?
- Dedicated gate to the newlyweds
- Hum, what to do next?
- This says it all.
- On a church in Stow on the Wold . A little scary...
- For all sizes - at Ewe-phoria
- Church door
- Please stop for me
- Pick up after your dog!!! They are serious, that's a hefty fine.
- Wind power
- Rock wall seen all over England. Obviously, you can't sit on them.
- Keswick
- English robin
- Much smaller robin than ours
- I love the doors and fixtures
- York
- York
- York
- York
- They did have a sense of humor. Yes, that is a corn cob that the monkey has. In York Minster.
- York Minster
- York Guildhall - on ceiling
- York Guildhall
- York
- York
- York
- York
- Interesting lid - the top turns to keep it warm and from spilling out
- Oops
- Dedicated to the horses killed in the wars, London
- …and all the wars since. Westminster Abbey
- Artwork at Tower of London
- Well, part of a demonstration, Gay Pride, in London. Right outside the Sherlock Holmes Hotel as I was leaving London. Not sure what else to say.
- Looks like HustleBall on his head. Not sure how he ties into the demonstration, but there is another guy to his lower left also.
- Seeing Red
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- black& white
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- Seeing Red in York and London
- Food and Friends
- Home Brew
- Fudge
- Glastonbury
- Chicken salad yum
- Fish, chips, mushy peas
- Ian, the best bus driver
- Indian food in York
- What are they?
- On the underground
- Pork pie, anyone?
- Finally, cream tea.
- I finally got to sit down and finish a pot of tea and a scone!
- Stacy is happy about something
- Norm and Lee head off to climb Catbells
- My friend Gadget
- HO, HO, HO
- Sir William
- Tom gives another very, very, very, very, VERY interesting talk
- Our Farewell Dinner
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- To ETBD, GREAT BRITAIN, 2012
- Tom's very own copy of the FIRST Babe
- Our distinquished and cultured British leader, Sir Tom
- England 2012 - Thanks so much for a job well done. Cheerio
- Cheerio
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