9/2/2019 Bath

Mon. 9/2 Day 6  Breakfast included  Average High  64°  Low  51°  35% rain Apex City of Bath Hotel James St West, Bath, BA12DG UK Phone 44 020 7977 9588 2nd night of three.  Reviews ****. Good location on the corner of James St West in center city.  Walk to sites in Bath.  Great Staff.  Pool.  Make tea in room.  Restaurant has a limited menu.  Great breakfast.

The phone says 14,635 steps, 6 miles, climbed 7 floors.  

Bath

TOUR INFO "England is blanketed with beautiful cities, but Bath may just be the jewel in the crown. Enjoy a leisurely morning before joining your local guide on a walking tour. Follow in the footsteps Jane Austen, Thomas Gainsborough, and Charles Dickens as you take in beautiful Georgian façades, manicured parks, and the famous Royal Crescent, a dramatic row of 30 terraced houses. Next, visit the Roman Bath Museum to see these elaborate spas that have been prized since Roman times for their curative properties. The remainder of the day is yours to explore Bath."

My Research - The city of Bath is a World Heritage site and is located in the valley of the River Avon, 97 miles west of London.  The city became a spa as early as 60 AD when the Romans built baths and the hot springs were known even before then.  

Georgian architecture includes the Royal Crescent, a row of thirty terraced houses laid out in a crescent between 1767 and 1774.  The crescent is 500-foot-long and has 114 Ionic columns.  Ten are still full-size townhouses, 18 have been split up into flats of varying sizes, one is the Royal Crescent Museum and the large central house is the Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa.  

Pictures below are the Royal Crescent

The patios are below grade by the entrance to the front door.  

This was my tour guide today in front of House #1, the end unit.  It is usually open for tours, but they used it for filming this weekend and need to put it back to normal.  A lot of filming is done in Bath.  

More pictures in a separate post of the circus and the Roman Baths.  

The Circus is a circle historic street of large townhouses with three entrances.  Constructed between 1754 and 1768, it is a preeminent example of Georgian architecture.  There is a lawn in the center.  Greek Doric, Roman/Composite, and Corinthian styles are used one above the other on the curved facades.  The Doric entablature frieze includes 525 pictorial emblems of serpents, nautical symbols, masonic symbols, and devices representing the arts and sciences.  

Thursday 9/5/2019 Cornwall, Michael's Mount, Land's End, Winery

Thursday 9/5 Day 9  Breakfast & Dinner included.  Average High  65°  Low  56° 28% rain

The Cornwall Hotel And Spa. Pentewan Rd, Tregorrick, St. Austell, PL26 7AB UK. Phone 44 1726 874 050. 2nd night. Reviews= ****+  Free Wifi.  Modern and Victorian rooms in this 19th- century manor with pool, spa and dining with 43 acres of wooded parkland in St. Austell.  Close to popular sandy beaches.  Staff helpful.  Layout confusing.  Restaurant was just ok.    

My opinion of the hotel.  The rooms are spacious and clean.  We could order off the menu which was great.  We were so busy during our stay, we didn’t really get a chance to appreciate the hotel.  Phone says 5.2 miles, 12,655 steps and I climbed 26 floors. 

Cornwall

TOUR INFO "Enjoy a leisurely morning before setting out for a day of discovery. See iconic St. Michael’s Mount, a monastery turned castle that stands steadfast off the shores of Penzance in the mouth of Mount’s Bay. Then, travel along Cornwall’s stunning coastal road to Land’s End, England’s most westerly point. Visit the popular artist colony and resort town of St. Ives for an afternoon at leisure. Tonight we visit a local winery for a farm-to-table dinner and wine pairing."

My Info = St. Michael's Mount means "hoar rock in woodland".  It is a small tidal island located in Mount's Bay.  A man-made causeway links St. Micheal's Mount to the town of Marazion, but only during mid-tide and low water.  The St. Aubyn family have lived there since 1650.  The island size is 57 acres. We were not able to walk over because it was 45 minutes before high tide.  

Land's End is a headland and tourist area.  It is the most westerly point of mainland Cornwall and England and is a popular venue for rock climbers.  Rare species of plant life can be found there.  

Trip to St. Ives was interesting on a very curvy, narrow road.  It took our driver a while to inch past a car,  but he made it.  The woman driving didn’t help him at all.  She could have pulled over a bit further or at least pulled her mirror in.  

We made this whole string of cars back up to let us through, they were close to an intersection and we were not.

Sunday 9/1/2019 Worcester & Bath

Sunday 9/1 Day 5  Breakfast & Dinner included  Averages High  61°  Low  51° 35 % rain Apex City Of Bath Hotel, James St West, Bath, BA 12DG UK Phone 44 020 7977 9588      

3 nights  Phone says 3.8 miles, 9,212 steps and I climbed 11 floors.

Reviews - Good location on the corner of James St West in the center city.  Walk to sites in Bath.  Great staff.  Pool.  Make tea in your room.  The restaurant has a limited menu.  Great breakfast

Lake District - Worcester - Bath

TOUR INFO  "Today we head south to England’s rural heartland. Stop at Worcester Cathedral for a guided tour of this architectural marvel and final resting place of the legendary King John. Next, take a short drive to the ancient Roman town of Bath, your home for the next three nights."

My Research = Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral overlooking the River Severn. The official name is the Cathedral of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester.  It is the seat of the Bishop of Worcester.  It was built between 1084 and 1504.  Every style of English architecture has been included from Norman to Perpendicular Gothic.  It is noted for its Norman crypt, unique chapter house, unusual Transitional Gothic bays, fine woodwork and central tower.  The tomb of King John is in the chancel.  The cathedral library has 300 medieval manuscripts,  5,500 post-medieval printed books. and a copy of the Magna Carta (1225). The tower has a ring of twelve bells plus three semitone bells and a non-swinging bourdon.  A bourdon is the heaviest of bells with the lowest tone.  These bells are considered to be one of the finest toned rings ever cast.         

Worcester Cathedral Library holds 300 medieval manuscripts, 5500 printed books, and 20,000 archival documents.  There is also a copy of the Magna Carta from 1225.  

Good bye to Low Wood Bay Resort and Spa on Lake Windermere.

Portal Statues

Worcester Cathedral has hosted worship for fourteen centuries.  This building’s construction began in 1084.  The building is massive, this picture is a small portion in the center.  The tower measures 200 ft, the first tower fell and second tower was removed when it was determined to be unsafe.  

Model of Worcester Cathedral

King John’s Tomb. King John (1167-1216), died of dysentery.  King John is flanked aside his head by Saints Oswald and Wulfstan.  Yesterday in Grasmere, I was in Saint Oswald's church.  

This Cathedral was built on the site of two previous churches.  They recycled so the columns do not match.  More supports were needed to prevent the tower from falling.  

Guild Hall was seat of justice/prison.  Queen Anne-style.  I thought the collection at the top of the entry above the windows was interesting.  

Queen Victoria  Portraits of royalty and former mayors are displayed throughout the building.

The First Female Mayor or Worcester, 1931-1932.

Guild Hall (1721) Italianate ceiling, notice the portraits of royalty and mayors around the room.  The room is available for the public to hold events.  

Lady Chapel & east windows

Transept Organ

Thirty-nine Misericords from 1379.  They used for leaning or could be flipped down for seating during long prayers.

Vaulted Ceiling. North side organ, 2008.  4 manuals and pedals with 57 stops, 3500 pipes

Vaulted Ceiling to the Lady Chapel

High Altar

Prince Arthur's Tomb - beautiful stone work. Roses, sheaths or arrows, shields, etc.  All symbolic of his family and his wife's family.

Beautiful stonework

Worcester Cathedral, after the first tower collapsed, the original arches were severely damaged and were too expensive replicate.  In this picture, on the left - the shorter arches and different windows are the replacements.  

Cloister Gardens

Cloister Gardens

I thought this was a pretty picture. Note the rectangular holes in the columns.  They are not sure why they are there.  Perhaps some one stood at the corner and watched down the line to be sure the monks were working or perhaps they handed materials down the line. 

Kate says Bath is a lovely place to wander around.  

9/3/2019 Tuesday Stonehenge, Salisbury, Bath

Tues. 9/3 Day 7  Breakfast included.   Average High  64°  Low  51° 35% rain 

Apex City Of Bath Hotel (2017)  ****  Reviews on line.  Good location on the corner of James Street West in center city. Walk to sites in Bath.  Great staff.  Pool.  Make tea in room.  Restaurant has a limited menu. Great breakfast.  Phone says 5.1 miles, 12,402 steps and climbed 1 floor.

My opinion - Great room and bathroom.  Great location.  Bad breakfast.  

Bath - Stonehenge - Salisbury - Bath

Tour Information "Today we visit one of the world’s most iconic sights. Travel to Stonehenge, the mysterious rock formation that dates back to the Stone Age. Explore various theories on how the colossal stones arrived here and try to imagine their true purpose. Then it’s off to the medieval market town of Salisbury. Enjoy free time to explore on your own before visiting the famous cathedral that towers above the city. Join a local guide who takes you on a tour through Britain’s finest 13th-century ornate, Gothic cathedral."  Our schedule for the day was reversed and worked well as Stonehenge was not crowded.  

  

My Info - A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument dating to 3000 BC to 2000 BC), is a ring of standing stones.  Each stone measures about 13 feet high, seven feet wide and weighs in around 25 tons.  Luckily we went to Stonehenge in the afternoon and it was not too crowded.  Stonehenge was what I expected and left wondering - “How’d they do that?”  The vistas along the road included large fields.  I found it interesting that there wasn’t a stone in sight.  

Salisbury is a medieval cathedral city in the county of Wiltshire located in southern England.  It lies in a valley and five rivers come together in Salisbury.  These rivers are prone to flooding in the winter months.  The cathedral has a 14th-century clock and an original copy of the Magna Carta.  Since we are there on Tuesday, the Charter market was open.   

Salisbury Cathedral

This was an amazing holy water font in the Salisbury Cathedral.  

  When the tower was added, the building required reinforcement. More stone columns were added, they are the dark brown columns.  .  

Saturday 8/31/19 Lake District

Sat.  8/31/2019 Day 4  Breakfast Averages High  64°  Low  52°  36% rain Low Wood Bay Resort And Spa on Lake Windermere,  Ambleside, LA23 1LP U.K.  Phone 44 153 943 3773. 2nd night

Lake District

'TOUR INFO' "Discover a corner of the world that gave inspiration to famed writers such as William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and Sir Walter Scott. Set sail on Lake Windermere, England’s largest natural lake." It is a ribbon lake that was formed in a steep-sided glacial trough and is about eleven miles long.  "Enjoy the tranquil backdrop as we cruise into the charming village of Bowness for some leisure time."  Bowness-on-Windermere is the location of The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction which includes displays on the writer.  We actually went from Bowness to Ambleside.  It was a cloudy day with some light rain.  There are very few houses or villages along the lake.  It is amazing that the land is not overrun with housing.  

My resort, Low Wood Bay - the rooms are spacious and the food has been excellent.  

  

9/9/2019 London with Trafalgar begins, Tower of London on my own

(9-9) Day 1 Trafalgar begins  Arrive London (2 Nights) Hotel = Park Plaza Riverbank Average 68 HIgh 55 Low 21% rain  

Tower Hotel  Call 44 800 330 8005, 44 207 523 5063 St. Katherine’s Way, St. Katharine’s and Wapping, London, E1W 1LD, UK (4.2 star)  Riverside.  Reviews Opened 1973. Located on the north bank of the River Thames and the east side of the Tower Bridge.  Near the Tower of London, the Shard (London’s Highest viewing platform) and more.  Near HMS Belfast, WWII Royal Navy battleship, St. Katherine’s Docks, Butler’s Wharf, City Hall. Reviews indicate staff is good but hotel needs a make-over.  Elevators are slow, only two worked and indicator lights were erratic, several compliants that AC doesn’t work, long lines at breakfast.  XI bar was good, Vicinity Bar was bad.  Long lines at check-in.   No refrig.

Tour INFO "London's vibrant city streets are your launch pad to an epic journey through the iconic sights of Britain. Embrace the pomp and ceremony of this multi-cultural capital, exploring the treasures of its former Empire in museums, rambling through its picturesque Royal Parks or admiring the ancient façades that line its grand boulevards and hidden lanes."

Used a cab to transfer from one hotel to another.  I am in the Tower Hotel near the Tower of London.  It’s a very nice.  I took Kate’s advice and went to the Tower of London which is across the street from the hotel.

The Tower of London is the 1000-year-old castle that protects the Crown Jewels.  It has served three purposes over the years; secure fortress, a royal palace and a prison.  As soon as I entered, I joined a group to hear an introduction offered by a Yeoman Warder.  There are 35 Beefeaters. They got their name because originally they received no monetary pay.  They were given the scraps after the king ate.  The Beefeaters ate and then filled their pockets with scraps to sell to get money.  To be a Beefeater, a man or woman must have served the Queen for twenty-two years and achieved a certain rank in one of the four services and also have received a certain medal.  The thirty-five live on the castle grounds and function as a family.  They have their own pub.  Our female Beefeater talked to us in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula which is where Anne Boleyn is buried along with another of Henry the VIII’s wives.  Another Chapel was St. John’s Chapel.  She told us that when Anne Boleyn was beheaded with a sword she was kneeling and praying.  Accounts say that for twenty seconds after she was beheaded, her eyes were open and moving and her lips were still moving in prayer.  I cannot imagine being a witness...

I spent my day climbing up and down a lot of stairs as I toured different towers.  It was very interesting, but I confess after three hours I was maxed out.  I realize now I missed the area where the king’s exotic animals lived.  What do you give the man or woman who has everything, apparently in their time you gave them a wild animal.  

I toured through the Battlements and saw the Crowns and Diamonds exhibit.  I also saw the Crown Jewels display.  Some of the towers I visited included Bloody Tower, White Tower, Martin Tower, Salt Tower, Cradle Tower, and Lanthorn Tower.  I visited the tower mint and learned about melting metal and separating silver from gold and coin making.  The White Tower had an extensive collection of armor for men and horses in the Royal Armories.  

My last stop was the collection of torturing apparatus.  

Map below is the next two weeks on a Trafalgar Tour.  I begin and end in London.  The 1s and 2s are the number of nights I will stay in that location.  

White Tower

Where the Crown Jewels are kept.

There are always seven ravens at the castle.  Six must be living there at all times according to legend.  So they keep seven to have a spare.  The ravens are fed 170g of raw meat a day and biscuits soaked in blood.  Occasionally, they are given a rabbit with the skin still on.

On the inside against the castle walls are the homes of the Beefeaters.

Those little slots in the walls are the places the bowmen would shoot their arrows at their enemies.

NOT the Original Hotel = Park Plaza Riverbank  (Full Breakfast) 18 Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London SE1 7TJ UK  (4 star) Near Big Ben, the London Eye (15-minute walk, Westminster Abbey (10-minute walk) and Tate Modern.  Close to the Underground and the River. Soundproof rooms.   Low water pressure, sporadic air conditioning, long lines at check-in with rude, inept employees.  There is a pool.