We landed in Southhampton, England on Saturday April 29th. Departing the ship we decided to walk from the port to the Southhampton train station. It was here we said our goodbyes to Deb & Tony. The train was going to take us to Southhampton airport where we were scheduled to get our rental car at Sixt Car Rental. Deb & Tony had decided to use public transportation for this part of the trip and we had opted to rent a car.

Picking up the car at the airport created a unique learning moment… This was to be the first time/place I had ever driven on the left hand side of the road, the first time I had ever driven a right side steering vehicle, and the first time I had to shift with my left hand. Yeah this was going to be a pretty quick learning curve.

Fortunately Joanne was a good co-pilot and the reminder decals in the car were helpful. In hindsight, getting out of the airport car rental lot may have been one of the most challenging driving moments for the next 2 months… We also discovered very quickly why so many rental cars are damaged on the left hand side; including wheels and tire blow-outs. It seems pretty common all first time drivers here really stress about staying to the left and away from the center line. Getting out of the sharp incline turn from the rental car terminal we immediately started encountering the infamous Europe Rotaries. These rotaries are found every couple of miles and they do take considerable time to get use to. Over the next 2 month we probably passed through thousands of these rotaries…

We had used Airbnb, Booking.com, and Hotels.com to make arrangements for the next couple of months with the average stay of 2-3 days for each stop.  This was certainly a change from our normal traveling in the Motorhome. The advantage with traveling with your home on wheels is we have everything with us. This trip we both only had a wheeled carry-on and a small bag that went over the handle. Yes we were traveling light!

Departing Southhampton airport we headed  to our first Airbnb in Cheltenham, UK. We had chosen this location for its convenient distance to the Cotswold’s and then Oxford. Although we have visited the UK years ago when our daughter was going to Grad-School in London, we hadn’t traveled outside of London in the UK and were looking forward to exploring much more of this country.

Our plan for this trip was to stay in each location for 2-3 days before moving on to the next. We had a lot of places to cover in our month and we wanted to take in as much as possible. We selected this 1st place as it was in close proximity to the Cotswold’s and we wanted to do the walk from “Stow on the Wold” to “Burton on the Water” and back.

We actually did the walk (about 9 miles round trip) and then drove around the area to the other popular hamlets in this picturesque/famous area.

The hike was nothing short of spectacular that day… The farms, pastures, cows, sheep, and property owners all made for a very memorable day. Yes we did walk through some mud, cow deposits,  and several herds of roaming livestock. The owners were very gracious and just reminded us to lock the gates each time we entered and exited another property during the day.  Arriving in Bourton-on-the-Water we discovered it was a Holiday for the new King’s Coronation and they were holding the annual duck race…Lots of people everywhere, though we still managed a toast at the “Kingsbridge Inn” where our daughter & son-law celebrated their engagement a few years earlier…

 

 

 

Along the path we discovered many classic countryside moments..

Returning on our walk to Stow-on the Wold we toured the town and looked for a place to get a bite of food.

After our walk we drove through several of the other small towns of the Costswold’s including: Slaughters, Moreton-in- Marsh, Bibury,  and several others. The drive was fun and each village had its own unique distinction. On our drive back to our AirBnB in Cheltenham we had decided to get groceries to store in the car. Unfortunately just after loading the groceries the oil and check engine light came on in the rental car. Calling the rental car company they dispatched a service person who after arriving and quick inspection decided the car wasn’t drivable any longer. The problem was, the rental car company didn’t have a replacement car for us and we had to be in Oxford, England (about a 2 hours drive) first thing in the  morning for a tour of the Oxford Mini Cooper Factory which we had booked/paid for months ago.  The Sixt rental car company told us to take an Uber to Oxford which they said they would reimburse us for and after our tour reach out to them and they would have an update on getting us a replacement rental.  The biggest pain was that we had our luggage and now all the groceries; including a case of water, a case of Diet Coke, and several bags of provisions in addition to our luggage. Mini Oxford said we could store it at the lobby while we were on our tour. Definitely an inconvenience but not a deal -breaker so we were headed to Oxford first thing in the morning.

The MINI tour was excellent. We weren’t allowed to take pictures of the robotics and propriety manufacturing areas, though I can assure you that Oxford MINI is a remarkable business & brand with a rich history in  motoring…

We have had a MINI for years and bought a new “Special Edition” F57 Cooper S convertible “Sidewalk Edition” just last year…

After completing out tour we reached out to Sixt Rental Car to get an update on our replacement car. We were told they had cars in Bristol, England (a 2 hour drive West but on our route) and they were sending a car service to pick us up and transport us.  Loading up our luggage and groceries we proceeded on the drive to Bristol. Our expectation was that Sixt had arranged everything we before our arrival; but again Sixt had dropped the ball. Arriving at the airport they had no cars, they had never even been contacted, and by this time Mike’s patience was nearly exhausted. Between his “spirited” dialogue with the on-site people and the corporate customer service after about 1.5 hours they finally had an acceptable replacement vehicle for us. Although it was a later start then we had hoped for,  we were off to our next stop Cardiff, Wales and TY-MYNYDD Lodge.

We were hoping to start visiting Castles with our arrival in Cardiff,  the Capital of Wales. Our first stop was CAERPHILLY CASTLE. Caerphilly is the largest medieval fortress in Wales and second only to Windsor in Britain. Covering 30 acres, it was built in the 13th-century by the ruthless Marcher lord, Gilbert de Clare in response to the threat posed by Welsh Prince, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. Upon arrival at the castle we decided to buy the 2 week pass for unlimited entrance to many of the castles in Wales and the UK.

 

After our visits to Caerphilly Castle and then the private Castell Coch Castle…  we had planned on returning to the B & B, parking the car and then taking the train to Cardiff Central to see Cardiff Castle and then wander the city.  The train is easy, though we really aren’t a fan of the city. Cardiff Castle grounds are OK, though we decide not to do the formal tour… Instead we head to the History Museum which Joanne had read about but it too is not what we anticipated so we opt out of it as well.   After walking the city for a while we decide to eat at Deb and Tony’s recommendation “The Blue Bell.”   It is a fine place to eat though we miss out on the happy hour special because we are there at 3:00 instead of 5:00 (when the happy hour actually begins). We have some wine / beer and a bite to eat. We are trying to eat a little earlier instead of so late in the day… After dinner we still had the walk back to the train station, the train ride, and then the walk from the Radyr Station to the B & B. Felt good to get a good walk in after eating!  Today’s steps =14.700 (6.29 miles)

 

 

 

We were so sorry to be leaving Lisa’s B & B. She did an amazing job of making everyone feel at home and comfortable. The breakfasts were amazing. Our room was quiet and peaceful and the hot water and pressure good. The bathroom was a bit small but everything else made up for that. Lisa was great at giving us ideas of what to do, not just in her area, but also for where we are headed to next.

As we left we headed for Brecon Beacons National Park  to do the Pen-Y-Fan hike. It didn’t look too difficult and we had plenty of time to do it as we couldn’t check in till 6:00 at our next AirBnB.  It took about 40 minutes to get from Radyr to Brecon Beacons and the hiking trailhead. At 886 metres (2,907 ft) above sea-level, it is also the highest British peak south of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia. Apparently Pen Y Fan was used as a government military training ground for years.

When we arrived the weather was perfect and we could see so many sheep grazing all along the trail.  The hike was actually what we would consider moderate because of the elevation. It was a grind, though very doable. The total distance for the hike was about 4 miles so we felt like “OK- we can do this!”. But after being on a cruise ship eating and not doing much exercise we were definitely out of breath and challenged not long into the ascent..  But we continued on. The views were spectacular along the route. At the summit we took in the 360 degrees view of Brecon Beacons NP. Waiting to take a picture at the Plaque, the weather shifted quickly and just as we were about to take the picture, the skies opened up in a deluge of wind and sleet. Yes it got pretty tough in a matter of minutes. With our picture complete we immediately started the descent. It was pouring buckets on us, the rocks were slick and there was significant amount of run-off coming down the trail as we descended. We were glad we stopped to do this hike but the weather was terrible coming down.

It got cold and windy quickly and then the freezing rain started!  We stayed at the top for only a few minutes in order to get some pics and see whatever we could but we were getting soaked and still had two miles to get down!  So off we went for the descent.  That was also a grind in the rain and both of us could feel it in our knees.  As we descended down the rain began to taper off but we were totally soaked. We both commented that we were surprised at the amount of water in our boots!  We were both pretty much hiking in puddles within our boots!  Our jackets were completely soaked and the Kleenex we had in our pockets were no longer dry.

BUT… we made it down  and thankfully for us we had our suitcases in the trunk with all of our clothes and dry shoes!  So we used the porta potties then changed in the car.  Now in dry clothes we continued on our way.  Lisa suggested we stop at Rhosilli on our way to Pembrokeshire so we headed in that direction but as we continued on our way the rain just wasn’t letting up. So we finally made the call to change the Navigation GPS to our AirBnB.  The scenery is absolutely beautiful so not much lost.

 

 

Departing Pen Y Fan we had a terrific drive through the mountains heading to the coast area. We arrived in the small town of Pembrookshire and our next  AirBnB “Tracy’s Place” where she is there to help get us settled.  The “cottage” is cute but extremely small. No hangers or closet so we find some outdoor furniture to hang all of our wet clothing on to dry. Not sure where we will open our suitcases but we will figure it out. (In hindsight when we ranked all the airbnbs we stayed at over the 2 months our first 2 were our least favorite and the rest were excellent…)

We have been almost a week with nowhere to sit outside so when we see the outdoor space we quickly get settled and pour some wine and sit outside to enjoy nature.  After a bit of enjoying the Magpies, we bring things inside and head to Narbeth for dinner.  I think both of us are tired of eating out all the time but it’s what we will be doing for the next 6 weeks!  We head to town which is about one mile down the street and look for a nice pub. We see some community hang outs that just serve drink, so end up at a pizza place (Top Joes) and have salad and pizza and of course wine!  We both agreed this was a very good choice.   Once dinner is finished we walk back to the car and head home.  A tiring day for sure and happy to have a quiet place to settle no matter how small!

May 6, 2023.

Today we had a slow morning with the coronation on TV all morning. Though we left around 9:30 to do some touring so left the coronation.  We headed down to Laugharne Castle about 13 miles from our air BnB.  On one of the rotary’s we got off the wrong exit but the GPS sent us on a left hand turn shortly after so we thought we would reconnect to the road we should have been on. The road was one lane so if someone was coming in the opposite direction someone had to pull off the road!  It def looked like a farm road. No way to turn around or even do a three point turn. So we continued on our way and eventually came to a … river!  With water running!  We stopped for a few minutes to assess the situation and Mike spotted a measuring stick next to the area.  6” of water. Mike made the call and decided we could drive through. And so we did!  And we did just fine. BUT when we came up the bank on the other side we must have taken a wrong turn because we ended up at a closed and locked gate!  Nothing to do but back all the way back to the river and take the other turn. A stressful time for sure. But we ended up on the main road and back on track again.  The castle was well worth the visit (plus we have the castle pass!). From there we head to Tenby- a cute little town Joanne had read about. We found a car park at North Beach then walked into town.   We did the cliff walk and wandered the town. There was a wedding with two Rolls Royce’s parked in front of the church.  This was an awesome stop and we highly recommend it!  Next up The Blue Lagoon.  All of these stops are fairly close to each other. To get to The Blue Lagoon you need to drive on a one lane windy roads that if someone is coming in the opposite direction you need to pull off the road. Finding The Blue Lagoon is fairly easy. And the “hike” in to watch the jumpers and see the water is easy. We also walked up along the cliffs. It was all amazing but we had to get to St. Davids so we cut it short.

Once we got to St. Davids we got confused between the palace and the cathedral. The cathedral closed just as we got there but as luck would have it we were headed for the palace!  The walk though the palace was pretty cool and from there we headed up the street to The Bishop for dinner. There was nowhere to sit so a couple invited us to sit with them and as luck would have it they were rving here!  Along with another adjacent RVing couple we  collectively had a great conversation during drinks and dinner!  The sun shone brightly most of the day.  To sum it up we had a “brilliant” day in Wales!

 

Another stop on today’s drive was the famous “Blue Lagoon”.  Abereiddi’s Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire is surrounded by rugged rocks and some remaining ruins show remnants of  the area’s industrial past. Popular in the summer months for coasteering and kayaking, walkers can enjoy the rugged coastline and clifftop views too.

The day concluded with several stops at some Churches, abbeys, and relics of of rich religious history of the area…

 

 

May 7, 2023:

Norberth – Conwy

We can tell we our pace is definitely getting us a little tired. We were both still in bed at 8 and we had to be packed and out by 10.  We showered and packed up, had breakfast, packed the car and were on our way right at 10.  The host of our next air bnb in Conwy messaged us about parking and getting into the area where the house is because of a duck race. So that caused a bit of some stress. Regardless it sounds like she has a handle on it by parking her own car there for the day and she will pull out when we get there.  We take the slow coastal drive to get there so it actually takes most of the day. We stop at the Harlech Castle and it was well worth the stop (plus Mike was very tired driving today and hit the left curb three times!).  We found a place to park on the street and bc we already have the castle pass it was a free stopover.  The castle was still very much intact and with it being right on the coast, the views were amazing!  There was a video to begin the tour and the placards around to describe things were done well. All in all we probably spent an hour there. We timed it just right as they had a short reenactment just as we got there.  Worth the stop.

 

The drive today was spectacular. Some peaks of the coastal waters mixed with mountain views. At one point we were driving the out outskirts of Snowdonia NP.

Once we got close we had to follow the extra instructions Jaquie gave us because some of the roads were blocked off because of the town’s annual duck race.  Hopefully this is not a problem for the entire time we are here!

Jacquie meets us at the gate to her house and gets us situated. She is very friendly but we can see from the get-go that this is a very nice Airbnb (the best one we have ever stayed in).  The only challenge is the parking is tight but very doable. She gives us the logistics of the property  and some area attractions/things to do and then leaves us to figure things out.  We had decided earlier today that we didn’t want to go out to dinner and really didn’t want to move the car,  so we walked the .5 mile to the Co-Op grocery store and got some food for the next few days.  We were able to get some fresh romaine lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes that all looked good.  We were also able to find some slices of already cooked chicken!  So salad with chicken will be dinner tonight!  We also got some eggs for a few days.  We still have butter, bread, grated cheese which should work well while here.  Once home we sit outside in the back courtyard with our wine and a few snacks happy, happy, happy!

Our AirBnB just outside of Conwy in Llanfairfechan…

We begin to plan the day tomorrow but decide to wait till morning to see what the weather will be. We’ve had two good days of sunshine so not too optimistic that tomorrow will be the same!

May 8, 2023:

Conwy (Llanfairfechen)

We awoke to a pretty crummy day so we make a plan to drive the Anglesey Island Loop and stop at Beaumaris Castle.  This should take us most of the day.  The castle is great and not raining very hard for the walk through. It’s right on the water and the castle is still mostly intact.  After the walk through we continue the drive along the coast and pull over for Bull Bay.  It’s a beautiful stop and we get some pics.  Once finished there we decide to pull through Holyhead thinking we could stop for an early dinner there. But as we drive through we realize it is not our kind of town and so move on.  Once we get to Rhosneigr we make the decision to push for Caernarfon Castle before it closes and maybe get dinner there.  The castle was pretty cool (though getting to the point where most castles look the same) and on leaving ask about a good pub. We end up at Black Boy Inn- a very old inn. It turned out great;  good food, good drinks and we ended up talking with some very nice people!  A tiring day though most of it was spent driving!

May 9, 2023:

Snowdonia National Park

Today we had a relaxing morning. We are both tired from all the decision making, the driving, the stress from driving… so we slept in and had a leisurely breakfast.  It was a pretty good weather day by the time we got going so we started with a drive through the National Park.  Beautiful scenery and with sheep all over the place, waterfalls, mountains and lakes it is all just gorgeous landscape!  We head to Betws-y-Coed for the NP visitor center. Mike really wants to hike to the top of Snowden Mtn but it is too late to start that now so the ranger shows us a hike nearby that goes around a lake and is doable in the time we have.  It turned out to be an absolutely perfect decision!  The hike is mostly level but it is over rocks which could be tricky if you are not sure-footed. It takes us about two hours and we do talk about getting dinner in town but then decide to use the left over salad and chicken so we don’t have to worry about what to do with it when we have to leave.

We get home and sit in the courtyard with our wine and make our mom calls before we start dinner.  The sun shone most of the day and we reflect on our trip so far.  Dinner is great; so happy just to eat “at home” and relax.

May 10, 2023:

Conwy and Chester

We had hoped to hike to the top of Mt Snowden today but the weather did not cooperate so now to plan two!  We head to Conwy to tour another castle and by the time we are finished it is after noon. On the way in we tried to get to parking but ended up having to cross the bridge and come back into town. A bit confusing but we did it, found parking and got the castle tour. The castle pass we got for the first castle we went to has worked out so well and we have definitely gotten our money’s worth!  The castle is very intact and the walk through is great.  On our way in the reception person told us about another attraction included with our pass that is there in Conwy and so we decide to walk the short distance to tour Plas Mawr since we are already here.  It’s an audio tour and although it is good it gets a little much after awhile and our parking time is running short so we move on. 

Harriet and Tom had told us about a little town they really enjoyed several years back when they came to this area so we decide to drive about an hour east to check out Chester (though it is in England, not Wales!). This is a cute town with a wall surrounding the town. It is the oldest, longest, and most complete city wall in all of Britain and parts of it are over 2,000 years old!  We walked the entire wall and about three quarters of the way around we came across the annual horse race (which happens here only once a year!). While we were standing and watching a nice security guard asked if we would like to watch from inside so we went into the fenced area to watch one race. It was very fun though as the race was going on it started raining again and we had more of the wall to walk before we got back to the car.

Not wanting to get caught in race traffic we decided to stop in Conway again on the way home for dinner.  Unfortunately we got caught up in the bridge fiasco again and ended up missing a red light and ended up going across the one lane bridge when the traffic going opposite had the green light!  So stressful!  Mike had to back down the bridge and the maintenance guys held us until they told us to go.  We ended up OK and parking where we did for the castle earlier in the day. We ate dinner at Erskine Arms which was OK. We did not have a reservation so ended up eating in the bar area. Once we got them to close the outside door we were fine. Eating food like they have here is beginning to get old! 

May 11, 2023

Time to leave Conwy and our beautiful Airbnb in Llanfairfechan, Wales , just outside of Conwy. This was a magnificent Airbnb; probably the nicest we have ever stayed in. It was a full house (two floors) with a full kitchen (not a kitchen wanna be!). The only down side was the parking. It was street parking and a narrow street at that!  But we were able to get parking every evening.  We enjoyed being able to spread out. The back courtyard was awesome and watching the garden in the front yard come to life was an awesome treat for Joanne.

Departing, we head for our next stop in the UK’s popular Lake District area,  Ambleside. For most of the day we will drive in mist or rain, and once we get into Ambleside the directions to get to the car park and the Airbnb is extremely challenging!  After driving down several dead-end streets and one-way roads we finally find the car park and then the Airbnb.  The parking area is about 300 yards from the actual accommodation though we decide to drop off our luggage first before parking.

We get up into the room (up several flights) and get settled. We then decide to go out for exploration of the area and hopefully get a well deserved beverage!  We find ourselves at The Royal Oak Inn,  sitting to have a beverage (or two!), then decide to get dinner there as well.  It is a pretty good choice and we end up chatting with a couple with a well behaved dog.  It is a nice evening out then head back to the room as we are both tired from the day. Tomorrow is supposed to be a very nice day and we look forward to a nice “walk” (which in the US would be a hike!).

April 12, 2023:

Ambleside

Today we awoke to a beautiful morning!  It was forecasted but here you never know!  We get up, showered and head to breakfast at The Cornish Bakery right up the street. We both get teas and Mike gets the Cornish Pudding while Joanne gets a Chocolate Turnover. Both are delish! 

Next up head out to the trail. We first need to pick up water from the car in the car park but that is where we think we can pick up the trial so all is good.  We get started and from the get go we know this is going to be awesome.  The fact that we don’t have to drive to get to the trail head is awesome enough!  As we walk, we see the mountains, the sheep, the river and lake.  It is an easy to follow trail (Mike has AllTrails pulled up) and it is an awesome few hours of hiking. We come across several people but the trail does not feel crowded at all. One thing we notice is the age of the people “walking” here. Much older people, (older than us), with good hiking boots and equipment.  It is refreshing to see. We make a vow that we will hike (walk) for as long as we can.  One couple of women we come across (a mother/daughter team) where the mom is 89 almost 90!  She is in great shape with trekking poles, hiking boots, and making a good go of it. 

The last part of the walk is a steep downgrade. Mike struggles with the nerve in his leg (with the replaced knee) but we make it back to the room for a rest and shower before heading  down the block for drinks at “The White Lion Inn” with a very nice outdoor seating area. After that that we head back to the The Royal Oak for dinner again. Another nice meal and nice folks to chat with.  We called it an evening early to get some rest from the hike,  knowing we have a long day of driving tomorrow.  Another awesome day traveling in the UK!

With that sound advice in Ambleside we bid farewell to the UK and Wales and head this Revolutionary Journey North for Scotland next….