We boarded our plane in Sydney for our flight to London via Singapore & Frankfurt. This was a long & tiring flight ,but the cabin crews on all legs were great, nothing was a trouble & the wheelchairs were waiting at each stop.
On arrival at Heathrow We went through customs without being checked, we were met by the Globus rep & transferred to the Metropole Hotel for a nights sleep before boarding the tour bus. The tour was great but very taxing for Browny who is just recovering. There were 39 on board, 2 Aussies (us) 2 Canadians,3 Indians & the rest were Americans. This is the first of many trips that I have done where there was no grizzler. Everyone was friendly & helped each other.
Now the tour: We started with a visit to Hampton Palace, once the home of Henry the 8th. This is an impressive place with Magnificent Gardens, including the oldest grape vine in Britain, then on to the place I most wanted to see, Stonehenge & it didn't disappoint. When you see the massive stones & are told of the great distance that was involved in getting them there the mind boggles.
Now we travel to Salsbury with its beautiful Cathedral before finishing the day at Bath After touring the ancient Roman baths it was onto our hotel for dinner & a much looked for bed.
Day 2: first stop Stow on the Wold, then Stratford on Avon, Birthplace of William Shakespeare & home of Ann Hathaway. The museum of Shakespeare is brilliant. It then leads to his home. Now over the border into Wales to Llanglofflon & a barge ride along the canal 7 over the Aquaduct before visiting an English pub for an ale.
On to our hotel at Chester to end the day.
Day3: again the sun shone on us. After a look at the Roman gardens & ampitheatre,it was onto the Roman wall where a monstrous concrete car park spoils the scene. Next stop Glasmere home o William Wordsworthfamous English Poet & writer.
Now it is over the border into Scotland & after a stop at Gretna Green where the blacksmith married eloping lovers, then on to Edinburg for 2 days, The magnificent & foreboding Castle, tour of Balmoral Castle, The Royal Family's palace (Prince Charles left the day before we arrived & the Queen was due the next week) a Scottish show & dinner another highlight although I couldn't eat the Haggis. A look over the Royal Family Yacht Britania rounded off our Scottish visit.
Back into England, first stop Abbotsford The magnificent home of Sir Walter Scott, anpther famous auther. Then a stop at the ruins of Melrose Abbey for pictures& down to Durham for lunch. We finish the day in York with a look at the Cathedral & a walk through the Shambles, this a narrow street where house balconies lean out towards each other. This was once the street of butchers who threw there scaps into the middle of the street & housewives threw the household waste out the window, Woe betide anyone below?????
We left York early next morning to beat the traffic& headed for Camebridge with a stop at Stanford,where we visited an English Pub. At camebridge we had a stroll through th town & watched people try to punt on the river hillarious, now back into London to gp to a show in the West End. Wicked which was great
Now for our thoughts on the tour, it was great our Tour director Geoff was absolutely amazing ,kept everyone entertained during the long stretches without stops. Our driver Keith, brilliant to see him take this big coach through narrow streets with cars parked on either side defied belief.
