Category Archives: UK

July 22: Aberdovey

This morning’s rain pattered noisily on the observatory windows. After studying the maps, Dennis was certain that we would find a short cut over the mountain and into town. By noon, the rain cleared, but a haze remained. When Dennis and I went exploring to find this shortcut, we were treated to beautify views of…

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July 21: Aberdovey

After a windy, overcast start, the day turned glorious. The “self-catering holiday accommodation” was built approximately 50 years ago; the interior is cedar paneling. It is filled with Celtic items, books, and curios. Our bedroom has an African motif. This is obviously the owners’ hideaway, with many significant mementos; I am thankful that they shared…

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July 21: Aberdovey

Yesterday we met Sheila Harper on the train. She is an octogenarian who was a teacher and then headmistress. During WWII, she and her siblings and cousins were sent to Wales; she is returning to see it, having heard nothing has changed. She regaled us with stories of her childhood, her time teaching the RAF,…

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July 19: London

We met Diana and Hanna Friedman at the Princess Diana’s Playground in Hyde Park. After chatting and watching Hanna play, we went for lunch. Diana brought us up to speed about the goings-on of our mutual friends in Sarasota; her wit as sharp as ever. After lunch, Dennis and I visited The London Towers. Fortunately…

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July 18: London

We purchased Day Travelcards at the Visitors Center. With these one-day tickets, we can get on-off the bus, subway, or local train as often as we wish. This is a lot less than the tours they sell in the city. After a 25 minute subway ride, we came out of the tube at Oxford Street…

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July 17: London

We decided to stay a few more days in London. Since we could not extend our stay our current hotel, we went in search of another. The Tourist Office suggested the Mitre Hotel, which is smack in the middle of Greenwich. We will move there tomorrow. After completing this chore, we went to the train…

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July 16: London

By chance, we stopped for breakfast at Alacosta Coffee. The cafe latte was superb, the garden where we sat was cool and peaceful, and the owner Eddy Wong (right) and his worker were energetic and friendly. Eddy developed his own blend of coffee to produce an excellent brew. He took time from his work to…

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July 15: London

We arrived at the Charlton Station in Greenwich, England, a suburb of London, about 1 pm. From there to our hotel was a short jaunt. Once settled in, we walked about 2 miles to the center of Greenwich. We ate at the Gipsy Moth, one of Greenwich’s favorite contemporary pubs. Coincidentally, while we sat there,…

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July 13: Circuit walk to Wilton

To our surprise, there are no rooms or campsites available in Bath or Portsmouth this weekend,. For this reason, we found another B & B in Salisbury and plan to take walking trips. Today we hiked a circuit from Salisbury to Wilton and back—about 10 miles. We started out about 4:00 in the afternoon (to…

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July 12: Stonehenge

Today we took a double-decker bus to Stonehenge. We sat on top and enjoyed the view and narrative. At Stonehenge, we used audio guides to listen to explanations and details about the circle of stone. My first impression was that it seemed smaller than I imagined. No one seems to know why these giant pillars…

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