Day 18. Sunday 31st May 2009. Dublin to London.
We were up at 5:30am Fay woke me before the telephone alarm did; our breakfast was at 6:30am; we were on the waiting bus at 7am and off the ferry terminal to travel back to Holyhead in Wales where we caught a fast Virgin train back to London for two nights. Not much to write about. We are seeing the same wonderful countryside I have already written about, so I will not bore you again. I have written up the last two days on this train; I have a table and power and may have internet nearer to London. We are due to arrive at Euston Station at 4:45pm; we then travel by tube to our hotel.
The England and Ireland Rail Tour 2009 has concluded.
If you wish to follow us to Europe the address is:- http://grandeuropeanrailtour2009.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Day 17 Saturday 30th May 2009 Killarney-Galway-Dublin
Day 17 Saturday 30th May 2009. Killarney-Galway-Dublin
Today we move on firstly by coach to Galway and then train to Dublin. At 9am we left the hotel in a very large luxury coach driven by Paul our driver of yesterday. The seats are leather and four lucky passengers have tables to place their maps etc on. The countryside was not good farming country; there were bull rushes in the paddocks and the grass was not lush. The hills were partially obscured by haze. Our first stop was at Adare where we had morning tea. Our driver told us where to look for some nicely thatched cottages so I went in search for them; yes they were nice. The farms improved from here on for a while. As we passed through Limerick driver Paul pointed out the stadium where the Irish beat the All Blacks. We passed through a seaside resort with lots of well kept holiday homes and a golf course where the grass covered sand hill like terrain, was a foot high between the putting greens except for the mown strip footpaths; easy to lose your balls here. We were now heading for the Cliffs of Moher. The bus started to slog up a very narrow country lane edged on both sides by stonewalls, every now and then stooping to let vehicles coming from the opposite direction to pass safely. Passing other big busses was particularly tricky. For the amount of traffic on the road it should really be widened. I hope they never do though, as the narrow lanes between the walls make the up the scenery and give tourists like us a thrill. The Irish have certainly made good business out of the cliffs. The neatly laid stone paths and walls through green grass fields of grazing cattle lead gently up to viewing platforms at the top of the 204meter sea cliffs. The cliffs are of hard black rock; it will take millions of years for them to wear away. Built under the grassy slopes behind and the cliffs were gift shops, rest rooms and a cafe where we had our lunch. After we left this spot we drove through a lot more very narrow roads; it was a slow trip. As we approached Burren high round topped light grey hills appeared in the distance. They looked like they had solid rock surface. I wondered why the rock walls from the green paddocks below continued up the mountains; as we got closer we could see small patches of green vegetation between the rocks, so I guess every bit of grass was being made use of. The houses we passed were all well maintained. I find it difficult to recall any that were not. They were mostly of individual design and painted in pastel shades. The roofs were all slate tiles; real slate, not bitumastic as we saw in England. I cannot recall a timber house anywhere we arrived at Galway at just after 4pm. There was a Volvo sponsored yacht race on which caused traffic chaos. Our train was scheduled to leave at 6:05pm arriving in Dublin at 8:47pm. I left Fay at the station in search of a supermarket to buy our evening meal. I found one quite close to the station. I bought 2 fresh white bread rolls, 2 pieces of ham, an egg salad for me, an apple pie and a trifle for Fay. We dined on the train. When I arrived back at the station I could hardly believe the hoards of people that I had to fight my way through to get back to the waiting room where our group was waiting. I was having thoughts that we may not get on the train so I asked some of them what train they were catching. There was only one platform. They replied to my relief, “the 5:45pm.” It was 5:45pm before they started to load; someone said the train was our train and even though I tried to tell them no they kept going only to return again through the masses. Only half of the people on the platform were allowed to get on, then the guards let a few families with young children on. The train left a ¼hour late and delayed our train. There was still a large crowd. Our train then came for us to load onto after it was due to have left. We had to really fight our way through. The station attendant confused us with another tour group and sent us to the wrong end of the train to a coach that was already full. Back we went again trailing our heavy bags through the tightly bunched crowd. Eventually we found our seats and with relief sat down. What a shemozzle! I will never forget it. We arrived in Dublin at 9:30pm and after a 400meter walk we were at our hotel. We were in bed as quickly as we could as we had to be up at 5:30am for an early start to catch the ferry back to Wales. We had completed a whirlwind tour through picturesque Southern Ireland.
Today we move on firstly by coach to Galway and then train to Dublin. At 9am we left the hotel in a very large luxury coach driven by Paul our driver of yesterday. The seats are leather and four lucky passengers have tables to place their maps etc on. The countryside was not good farming country; there were bull rushes in the paddocks and the grass was not lush. The hills were partially obscured by haze. Our first stop was at Adare where we had morning tea. Our driver told us where to look for some nicely thatched cottages so I went in search for them; yes they were nice. The farms improved from here on for a while. As we passed through Limerick driver Paul pointed out the stadium where the Irish beat the All Blacks. We passed through a seaside resort with lots of well kept holiday homes and a golf course where the grass covered sand hill like terrain, was a foot high between the putting greens except for the mown strip footpaths; easy to lose your balls here. We were now heading for the Cliffs of Moher. The bus started to slog up a very narrow country lane edged on both sides by stonewalls, every now and then stooping to let vehicles coming from the opposite direction to pass safely. Passing other big busses was particularly tricky. For the amount of traffic on the road it should really be widened. I hope they never do though, as the narrow lanes between the walls make the up the scenery and give tourists like us a thrill. The Irish have certainly made good business out of the cliffs. The neatly laid stone paths and walls through green grass fields of grazing cattle lead gently up to viewing platforms at the top of the 204meter sea cliffs. The cliffs are of hard black rock; it will take millions of years for them to wear away. Built under the grassy slopes behind and the cliffs were gift shops, rest rooms and a cafe where we had our lunch. After we left this spot we drove through a lot more very narrow roads; it was a slow trip. As we approached Burren high round topped light grey hills appeared in the distance. They looked like they had solid rock surface. I wondered why the rock walls from the green paddocks below continued up the mountains; as we got closer we could see small patches of green vegetation between the rocks, so I guess every bit of grass was being made use of. The houses we passed were all well maintained. I find it difficult to recall any that were not. They were mostly of individual design and painted in pastel shades. The roofs were all slate tiles; real slate, not bitumastic as we saw in England. I cannot recall a timber house anywhere we arrived at Galway at just after 4pm. There was a Volvo sponsored yacht race on which caused traffic chaos. Our train was scheduled to leave at 6:05pm arriving in Dublin at 8:47pm. I left Fay at the station in search of a supermarket to buy our evening meal. I found one quite close to the station. I bought 2 fresh white bread rolls, 2 pieces of ham, an egg salad for me, an apple pie and a trifle for Fay. We dined on the train. When I arrived back at the station I could hardly believe the hoards of people that I had to fight my way through to get back to the waiting room where our group was waiting. I was having thoughts that we may not get on the train so I asked some of them what train they were catching. There was only one platform. They replied to my relief, “the 5:45pm.” It was 5:45pm before they started to load; someone said the train was our train and even though I tried to tell them no they kept going only to return again through the masses. Only half of the people on the platform were allowed to get on, then the guards let a few families with young children on. The train left a ¼hour late and delayed our train. There was still a large crowd. Our train then came for us to load onto after it was due to have left. We had to really fight our way through. The station attendant confused us with another tour group and sent us to the wrong end of the train to a coach that was already full. Back we went again trailing our heavy bags through the tightly bunched crowd. Eventually we found our seats and with relief sat down. What a shemozzle! I will never forget it. We arrived in Dublin at 9:30pm and after a 400meter walk we were at our hotel. We were in bed as quickly as we could as we had to be up at 5:30am for an early start to catch the ferry back to Wales. We had completed a whirlwind tour through picturesque Southern Ireland.
Day 16 Friday 29th May 2009 The Ring of Kerry
Day 16 Friday 29th May 2009. The Ring of Kerry. County Kerry.
The Ring of Kerry is reputed to be one of the top scenic drives in Ireland and we are of great expectation. Soon after we started we were driving through a suburb with some of the best looking houses I have seen in Ireland; they were not the usual uniform, grey or white but of a wide spectrum of colour, shapes and sizes with well tended flower gardens and lawns. Our first stop was at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. As we drove in through the nice greens we could observe some small dear sitting in a group. (As an afterthought they may have been statues.) We then passed through narrow, tree lined lanes before reaching open country with hills in the background. The driver quoted one as being over three thousand feet. At our first photo stop; a grassy roadside with a rocky stream below us I could observe Rhododendrons amongst the yellow flowering gorse bushes growing wild amid outcrops of rock. The Rhododendrons were flowering two shades of red. Evidence could be seen of an old railway. We passed through two villages before sighting the sea from a vantage point atop a high cliff. The streets in the villages were narrow; buildings were of many different shades; there were three in a row that were outstanding i.e. lime, dark red and the dark green. We passed through several more such villages before our driver stopped so that we could take a picture of a typical Irish peat bog. Our next stop was at a delightful seaside beach resort called Waterville. Charlie Chaplin apparently stayed here so the village commemorates the fact with a statue of on the waterfront. The sun was shining, the grass was green and pleasant to sit on and the sea was deep blue, but we had to move on. The bus slowed as it climbed up a steep hill; neat stone fenced small paddocks with houses sheep and cattle scattered over the terrain as it sloped away from the road down to the sea. The driver stopped at the top of the hill for a photo opportunity. He warned us to be aware of the wind; he was correct; it certainly blew straight from the sea up to the top where we were. We could look back where we had come from and forward to where we were going. Up ‘til now the landscape had been very pretty, rolling country, wild flowers stony creeks and paddocks sandy beaches and blue sea with rounded mountains as a backdrop. We were now leaving this behind us; the landscape was becoming more rugged; the mountains steeper and rockier and lakes were appearing. We were driven down a narrow road towards an ocean beach where at the end was a rich man’s large stone holiday home in a pretty garden setting; it was called Derrynane House. We next stopped at a pretty little village for lunch. I think it was called Kenmare we sat in a small park to eat it. We were entering the lake district of the Killarney National Park. Our next stop was at Muckross House; a large grey stone and castle like building. The house is decorated in the Victorian style of its heyday. It’s richly appointed rooms, the lavish lifestyle of the 19th century landowning classes comes to life as you walk in the footsteps of Muckross Houses most famous guest, Queen Victoria. Before finishing we visited Ross Castle on the shores of Lake Killarney. The boutique hotel we are staying at is very nice. It has internet at €5 for two hours. This night I was able update my diary on the net. Killarney is a nice town with a population of around 16000 who live in very nice houses with pretty gardens; NZ style, not joined together as we see in other towns.
The Ring of Kerry is reputed to be one of the top scenic drives in Ireland and we are of great expectation. Soon after we started we were driving through a suburb with some of the best looking houses I have seen in Ireland; they were not the usual uniform, grey or white but of a wide spectrum of colour, shapes and sizes with well tended flower gardens and lawns. Our first stop was at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. As we drove in through the nice greens we could observe some small dear sitting in a group. (As an afterthought they may have been statues.) We then passed through narrow, tree lined lanes before reaching open country with hills in the background. The driver quoted one as being over three thousand feet. At our first photo stop; a grassy roadside with a rocky stream below us I could observe Rhododendrons amongst the yellow flowering gorse bushes growing wild amid outcrops of rock. The Rhododendrons were flowering two shades of red. Evidence could be seen of an old railway. We passed through two villages before sighting the sea from a vantage point atop a high cliff. The streets in the villages were narrow; buildings were of many different shades; there were three in a row that were outstanding i.e. lime, dark red and the dark green. We passed through several more such villages before our driver stopped so that we could take a picture of a typical Irish peat bog. Our next stop was at a delightful seaside beach resort called Waterville. Charlie Chaplin apparently stayed here so the village commemorates the fact with a statue of on the waterfront. The sun was shining, the grass was green and pleasant to sit on and the sea was deep blue, but we had to move on. The bus slowed as it climbed up a steep hill; neat stone fenced small paddocks with houses sheep and cattle scattered over the terrain as it sloped away from the road down to the sea. The driver stopped at the top of the hill for a photo opportunity. He warned us to be aware of the wind; he was correct; it certainly blew straight from the sea up to the top where we were. We could look back where we had come from and forward to where we were going. Up ‘til now the landscape had been very pretty, rolling country, wild flowers stony creeks and paddocks sandy beaches and blue sea with rounded mountains as a backdrop. We were now leaving this behind us; the landscape was becoming more rugged; the mountains steeper and rockier and lakes were appearing. We were driven down a narrow road towards an ocean beach where at the end was a rich man’s large stone holiday home in a pretty garden setting; it was called Derrynane House. We next stopped at a pretty little village for lunch. I think it was called Kenmare we sat in a small park to eat it. We were entering the lake district of the Killarney National Park. Our next stop was at Muckross House; a large grey stone and castle like building. The house is decorated in the Victorian style of its heyday. It’s richly appointed rooms, the lavish lifestyle of the 19th century landowning classes comes to life as you walk in the footsteps of Muckross Houses most famous guest, Queen Victoria. Before finishing we visited Ross Castle on the shores of Lake Killarney. The boutique hotel we are staying at is very nice. It has internet at €5 for two hours. This night I was able update my diary on the net. Killarney is a nice town with a population of around 16000 who live in very nice houses with pretty gardens; NZ style, not joined together as we see in other towns.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Day 15 Thursday 28th May 2009 Wexford-Cobh-Killarney
Day 15 Thursday 8th May 2009. Wexford-Cobh-Killarney.
We arose at 5:15am; breakfast at 6:00am and on the bus at 6:30am; we were to have caught the train at 6:48am but because a section of the track was under repair we had to catch the substitute bus to Rosslare to catch it. John persuaded the driver to bring his bus to the hotel for us which saved us a walk. Good work John! We departed Rosslare at 7:11 and arrived at Waterford at 8:23am. The train parks here until 9:35am. We were able to leave our luggage on the train. I went for a walk over a big bridge; a large sailing ship was moored beside a wharf. One of our members had walked to it and found out that it took on disabled people for an ocean sailing experience. It was due to sail later in the morning for America. At 9:35 we left on the next stage of our day long journey and headed for Limerick Junction. I had managed to acquire a map and a railway timetable and was able to see where we were going; I now new john was leading us one of his day tours but also ending at a new city for the night. Up until now we had been riding on suburban commuter trains. The farms in the country side were not as good as those we had seen in England. There were a lot of Friesian cows. The houses were more colourful than in England. At Limerick Junction we changed to a cross-country train travelling from Dublin to Cork; it was more swept up and faster. No power points or internet. We had a short while in Cork before catching the 1:00pm train for a twenty minute trip to Cobh. At Cobh we all went to a museum; the museums three main topics was the emigration of the Irish to America and Australia, the history of the Curnard luxury Liners as well as other shipping lines and the sinking of the Lusitania. The town was also the last port of call of the Titanic on her last fatal voyage. Cobh has had three name change over the years; a long time ago it became known as Cove, then when an English Queen first set foot in Ireland it was here so the town became Queenstown, eventually returning to its original name of Cobh. Between 1815 and 1970 over 3 million Irish emigrated from here. We had three hours to view the museum and see the town before catching the train at 4:30 to Mallow. The train stopped a Cork wherefrom it was only standing room only; for the 50km from Cork to Mallow it was nonstop. At Mallow we had to hurriedly climb stairs to get to our train which was waiting to take us to our final destination for the day, Killarney. On this train there was luggage all over the passageways and in front of the doors; the train was very very packed. We arrived at Killarney at 6:30pm. We had a long but interesting day.
We arose at 5:15am; breakfast at 6:00am and on the bus at 6:30am; we were to have caught the train at 6:48am but because a section of the track was under repair we had to catch the substitute bus to Rosslare to catch it. John persuaded the driver to bring his bus to the hotel for us which saved us a walk. Good work John! We departed Rosslare at 7:11 and arrived at Waterford at 8:23am. The train parks here until 9:35am. We were able to leave our luggage on the train. I went for a walk over a big bridge; a large sailing ship was moored beside a wharf. One of our members had walked to it and found out that it took on disabled people for an ocean sailing experience. It was due to sail later in the morning for America. At 9:35 we left on the next stage of our day long journey and headed for Limerick Junction. I had managed to acquire a map and a railway timetable and was able to see where we were going; I now new john was leading us one of his day tours but also ending at a new city for the night. Up until now we had been riding on suburban commuter trains. The farms in the country side were not as good as those we had seen in England. There were a lot of Friesian cows. The houses were more colourful than in England. At Limerick Junction we changed to a cross-country train travelling from Dublin to Cork; it was more swept up and faster. No power points or internet. We had a short while in Cork before catching the 1:00pm train for a twenty minute trip to Cobh. At Cobh we all went to a museum; the museums three main topics was the emigration of the Irish to America and Australia, the history of the Curnard luxury Liners as well as other shipping lines and the sinking of the Lusitania. The town was also the last port of call of the Titanic on her last fatal voyage. Cobh has had three name change over the years; a long time ago it became known as Cove, then when an English Queen first set foot in Ireland it was here so the town became Queenstown, eventually returning to its original name of Cobh. Between 1815 and 1970 over 3 million Irish emigrated from here. We had three hours to view the museum and see the town before catching the train at 4:30 to Mallow. The train stopped a Cork wherefrom it was only standing room only; for the 50km from Cork to Mallow it was nonstop. At Mallow we had to hurriedly climb stairs to get to our train which was waiting to take us to our final destination for the day, Killarney. On this train there was luggage all over the passageways and in front of the doors; the train was very very packed. We arrived at Killarney at 6:30pm. We had a long but interesting day.
Day 14 Wednesday 27th May 2009 Dublin to Wexford
Day 14 Wednesday 27th May 2009 Dublin to Wexford.
After any easy morning Fay and I left the hotel to walk about 400 meters along a level tram track to catch a tram to Connolly Rail Station where our would train leave for Wexford at 1:05pm. Most of the group had gone before. The train left on time. At first the train travelled along elevated tracks; we were able to look down on everyone on the streets and some gardens. After about ¼ hour we were back down to earth and very soon we reached the coastline. The beaches were of grey sand; some were shingle; I counted about ten hardy souls swimming in the calm sea. For a while the houses in the small villages were mostly white with grey roof tiles. Later they were greys and browns. About ¾ of the way to Wexford we left the seashore and headed inland where the yellow flowering gorse made a lovely contrast against the green fields of grass. We arrived at Wexford on time at 3:27pm after having travel about 136km. John led us across a very busy narrow street; then up another narrow street; round a corner into an even narrower one way street for cars. Fortunately the footpaths were wider. After turning the next corner to the right it was the foot paths turn to become narrower. At times we were forced to walk on the road slowing the traffic; the drivers were very patient. I was get visions of arriving at a small boutique hotel but when we turned the last corner to the left, what a surprise; the Whites of Wexford was a huge hotel set amongst generally small buildings apart from the cathedrals. After settling Fay into our room I went to check the town out. It was mainly old but quaint. On one narrow street I spotted a front door in a small stone cottage which when I stood in front of reached only to the top of my eyes; it was approx. 168cm. There was a lot of traffic which appeared to move very fast considering the narrowness of the streets. Eventually I found a shopping street with good shops. Eventually I found the waterfront where fishing boats were tied up. I asked our bus driver the next morning what sort of fish they caught; his reply “all sorts”. The afternoon all most over I hastened back to the hotel; we were dining as a group at 7;00pm; then early to bed for an early start next day.
After any easy morning Fay and I left the hotel to walk about 400 meters along a level tram track to catch a tram to Connolly Rail Station where our would train leave for Wexford at 1:05pm. Most of the group had gone before. The train left on time. At first the train travelled along elevated tracks; we were able to look down on everyone on the streets and some gardens. After about ¼ hour we were back down to earth and very soon we reached the coastline. The beaches were of grey sand; some were shingle; I counted about ten hardy souls swimming in the calm sea. For a while the houses in the small villages were mostly white with grey roof tiles. Later they were greys and browns. About ¾ of the way to Wexford we left the seashore and headed inland where the yellow flowering gorse made a lovely contrast against the green fields of grass. We arrived at Wexford on time at 3:27pm after having travel about 136km. John led us across a very busy narrow street; then up another narrow street; round a corner into an even narrower one way street for cars. Fortunately the footpaths were wider. After turning the next corner to the right it was the foot paths turn to become narrower. At times we were forced to walk on the road slowing the traffic; the drivers were very patient. I was get visions of arriving at a small boutique hotel but when we turned the last corner to the left, what a surprise; the Whites of Wexford was a huge hotel set amongst generally small buildings apart from the cathedrals. After settling Fay into our room I went to check the town out. It was mainly old but quaint. On one narrow street I spotted a front door in a small stone cottage which when I stood in front of reached only to the top of my eyes; it was approx. 168cm. There was a lot of traffic which appeared to move very fast considering the narrowness of the streets. Eventually I found a shopping street with good shops. Eventually I found the waterfront where fishing boats were tied up. I asked our bus driver the next morning what sort of fish they caught; his reply “all sorts”. The afternoon all most over I hastened back to the hotel; we were dining as a group at 7;00pm; then early to bed for an early start next day.
Day 13 Tuesday 26th May 2009 A Day in Dublin
Day 13. Tuesday 26th May 2009. A day in Dublin.
Today the sun is lighting up the scene a little and the city does not look quite so grey. Our hotel is situated about 2 miles from the City Centre. Just outside our hotel is the River Liffey and on each side of it are two one way main roads that lead to and from the centre of the city and on to the port. I needed to cash some traveller’s cheques so I set off along the road. Beside the hotel and on a separate road running parallel to the main road is a tram track with frequent well patronised trams. I had no Euros so I set off on foot. Within ten minutes I was looking at shops on the way. The pastry shops were lovely, but oh the price of sandwiches and cakes; sandwiches were on average about €5.00 ($NZ12.50). After a while I managed to find a bank that would cash my cheques for a small fee, but woe is me, I had brought Fay’s passport rather than mine. Just as well I have my new Westpac worldwide debit card; it is really useful. It gives $US in America, Pounds in Great Britain and Euros in Ireland and Europe; all on the one card. As I wandered along I found a pedestrian mall full of interesting shops and street vendors. There was a specialist soap shop; all the different handmade soaps filled the air with an overpowering fragrance. The meat shops were colourful but wow the price of meat is high; one large (10kg is my estimate) leg of pork was €49.99c ($NZ125 approx.) There were several old grand ma mas pushing perambulators. They did not have their grandchildren in them; one had bananas, one had pears and one had lovely red cherries; yes they were selling them to passersby. Men were sitting on chairs holding placards advertising nearby business. One was for an Irish fortune teller. One busker was playing lively music on an accordion and another was singing as he played his guitar. One cake shop was particularly enticing; I bought a lovely butterfly cupcake liberally covered with cream and took it for Fay who was having a day of rest back to the hotel. I had walked all the way over a period of 5 hours. The hotel we are staying at is a Best Western, the Ashling Hotel. It has recently been refurbished. The rooms are large and comfortable; the fittings are mostly chrome even down to the power points. There are two large mirrors; fay is intrigued that she appears many times off into the distance as she sits in bed watching the nice flat screen LCD Television. We had a splendid dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Today the sun is lighting up the scene a little and the city does not look quite so grey. Our hotel is situated about 2 miles from the City Centre. Just outside our hotel is the River Liffey and on each side of it are two one way main roads that lead to and from the centre of the city and on to the port. I needed to cash some traveller’s cheques so I set off along the road. Beside the hotel and on a separate road running parallel to the main road is a tram track with frequent well patronised trams. I had no Euros so I set off on foot. Within ten minutes I was looking at shops on the way. The pastry shops were lovely, but oh the price of sandwiches and cakes; sandwiches were on average about €5.00 ($NZ12.50). After a while I managed to find a bank that would cash my cheques for a small fee, but woe is me, I had brought Fay’s passport rather than mine. Just as well I have my new Westpac worldwide debit card; it is really useful. It gives $US in America, Pounds in Great Britain and Euros in Ireland and Europe; all on the one card. As I wandered along I found a pedestrian mall full of interesting shops and street vendors. There was a specialist soap shop; all the different handmade soaps filled the air with an overpowering fragrance. The meat shops were colourful but wow the price of meat is high; one large (10kg is my estimate) leg of pork was €49.99c ($NZ125 approx.) There were several old grand ma mas pushing perambulators. They did not have their grandchildren in them; one had bananas, one had pears and one had lovely red cherries; yes they were selling them to passersby. Men were sitting on chairs holding placards advertising nearby business. One was for an Irish fortune teller. One busker was playing lively music on an accordion and another was singing as he played his guitar. One cake shop was particularly enticing; I bought a lovely butterfly cupcake liberally covered with cream and took it for Fay who was having a day of rest back to the hotel. I had walked all the way over a period of 5 hours. The hotel we are staying at is a Best Western, the Ashling Hotel. It has recently been refurbished. The rooms are large and comfortable; the fittings are mostly chrome even down to the power points. There are two large mirrors; fay is intrigued that she appears many times off into the distance as she sits in bed watching the nice flat screen LCD Television. We had a splendid dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Day 12 Monday 25th May 2009 Liveropool to Dublin
Day 12 Monday 25th May 2009. Liverpool to Dublin.
My day was ok until after a lovely breakfast; then it went wrong; first I had forgotten about our changed schedule caused by railway repair; Instead of catching the train for Holyhead Dublin Ferry port at Liverpool Lime Street we first had to catch a bus to Birkenhead Station which took longer meaning we had to start earlier. If it had not been for rearguard Ross phoning me I would have been left behind. Thank you Ross. Any way we caught up the others at Birkenhead Station and set off at 9:50am for Chester where our first train change occurs. I went through the barrier to buy a sandwich an on my return I produced my Train ticket to get back through again. I walked about 8 meters to fay and handed her the sandwich; then I could not find my ticket. I had lost it within 8 meters. We hunted everywhere and all my pockets. I was advised that I may be able to buy another on the train. As luck would have it no train attendant asked for it. I walked through the station barriers as well without trouble. At Chester we boarded a Virgin train that came from Euston in London. There was not much luggage space which impeded our boarding. We all settled down after the train departed at 11:16 by utilising spare seats as luggage racks. Very soon the station names and signs seemed to be written in a strange language. That meant we were travelling through Wales. The terrain now had some hills and the paddocks had gorse hedges covered with yellow flowers. As we neared Holyhead mist was moving from the sea through the hills and houses. We arrived on time at 12:50pm. A short time later we passed through an x-ray security check and boarded a bus which drove us onto the boat. We had to climb stairs up to the seventh deck. When we got there all the good window seats had been taken. Never mind ten minutes after leaving the dock we were in thick fog and could not see sea scenery. The ferry is large and modern. They serve very good meals. The fish and chips are served with mushy peas. I like mushy peas. About 30 minutes before we docked the fog lifted; this enabled us to see Ireland for the first time. The day was heavily overcast with rain threatening. My overall impression was that Dublin was a grey city, it being the dominant colour especially as the grey buildings met the grey sky. We were loaded into a bus onboard and driven off to a depot where we collected our luggage and then driven to our hotel. The hotel has a very new look about it and guess what? I have complementary broadband.
My day was ok until after a lovely breakfast; then it went wrong; first I had forgotten about our changed schedule caused by railway repair; Instead of catching the train for Holyhead Dublin Ferry port at Liverpool Lime Street we first had to catch a bus to Birkenhead Station which took longer meaning we had to start earlier. If it had not been for rearguard Ross phoning me I would have been left behind. Thank you Ross. Any way we caught up the others at Birkenhead Station and set off at 9:50am for Chester where our first train change occurs. I went through the barrier to buy a sandwich an on my return I produced my Train ticket to get back through again. I walked about 8 meters to fay and handed her the sandwich; then I could not find my ticket. I had lost it within 8 meters. We hunted everywhere and all my pockets. I was advised that I may be able to buy another on the train. As luck would have it no train attendant asked for it. I walked through the station barriers as well without trouble. At Chester we boarded a Virgin train that came from Euston in London. There was not much luggage space which impeded our boarding. We all settled down after the train departed at 11:16 by utilising spare seats as luggage racks. Very soon the station names and signs seemed to be written in a strange language. That meant we were travelling through Wales. The terrain now had some hills and the paddocks had gorse hedges covered with yellow flowers. As we neared Holyhead mist was moving from the sea through the hills and houses. We arrived on time at 12:50pm. A short time later we passed through an x-ray security check and boarded a bus which drove us onto the boat. We had to climb stairs up to the seventh deck. When we got there all the good window seats had been taken. Never mind ten minutes after leaving the dock we were in thick fog and could not see sea scenery. The ferry is large and modern. They serve very good meals. The fish and chips are served with mushy peas. I like mushy peas. About 30 minutes before we docked the fog lifted; this enabled us to see Ireland for the first time. The day was heavily overcast with rain threatening. My overall impression was that Dublin was a grey city, it being the dominant colour especially as the grey buildings met the grey sky. We were loaded into a bus onboard and driven off to a depot where we collected our luggage and then driven to our hotel. The hotel has a very new look about it and guess what? I have complementary broadband.
Day 11 Sunday 24th May 2009 We travel back to Carlisle and then back to Liverpool
Day 11. Sunday 24th May 2009. We travel back to Carlisle and back to Liverpool.
And spend all day doing it. Firstly at 10:35 John and fourteen of our 30 tour members left Liverpool on a slow train to Preston where we changed trains to travel towards Barrow on the North West coast. The other 15 were keeping busy with other sightseeing. We got off the train at Roose, one stop before Barrow where after a ten minute we boarded another train going south and travelled back to Preston again where after another ten minute wait we boarded a Virgin train (one of Richard Branson’s Trains) and headed north to Carlisle where we were yesterday. After passing through Lancaster (for the third time) we took a different route further inland as we headed north again. This virgin train is fast; it tilts on corners to maintain a faster speed; is electrically propelled and it has power for my computer, but no internet. We arrived in Carlisle at 4:05pm and at 4:10pm we board a southbound Virgin bound for Warrington. This time the train has wireless internet and thank you Richard Branson for letting me collect my e-mail free of charge. We alighted at Preston again at 5:20pm; the fourth time; this time at 5:34pm we boarded a train headed for Blackpool North arriving at 5:56pm. John led us directly to the beach front were we sighted all sorts of trams; Reg was keen for a ride down the esplanade in an open air tram; we all joined him. It was a quick way to see some of Vera Duckworth’s holiday town. Way out to sea more windmills were generating electricity; the tide was out and many people were strolling. I asked the tram conductor if the tide covered the beach when it was full and whether people bathed in its waters. His reply “yes the tide does come all the way in but only the daft swim” “is the water too cold I asked” No” was his reply and added “the water is polluted” We bought our evening meal and headed back to the station to catch the 7:50 train to back to Liverpool. I am updating this trip as we head back to Liverpool and guess what, we have just arrived at Preston again; the fifth time! The train was full of happy people; some were singing! At 9:15pm we saw the sun set; we arrived back at Liverpool Lime Street at 9:30pm. A great many people were waiting to catch the train on its return journey; I guess many would have to stand.
You may be wondering why we have been shuttling back and forth; well firstly it is to make good use of the last day of our Brit Rail passes, secondly to see new and different scenery and thirdly to fill in time so that we can have our evening meal at Blackpool.
Today was a warm sunny day with not a cloud to be seen; this is the first such day we have seen since we have been in England; on the way to Blackpool I did see some clouds at 5:45pm; they were ten straight lines of cloud; yes, you’ve guessed it, they were airplane vapour trails. Today was a good day; lovely scenery and comfortable trains.
Today we are commencing our fourth week of travel.
And spend all day doing it. Firstly at 10:35 John and fourteen of our 30 tour members left Liverpool on a slow train to Preston where we changed trains to travel towards Barrow on the North West coast. The other 15 were keeping busy with other sightseeing. We got off the train at Roose, one stop before Barrow where after a ten minute we boarded another train going south and travelled back to Preston again where after another ten minute wait we boarded a Virgin train (one of Richard Branson’s Trains) and headed north to Carlisle where we were yesterday. After passing through Lancaster (for the third time) we took a different route further inland as we headed north again. This virgin train is fast; it tilts on corners to maintain a faster speed; is electrically propelled and it has power for my computer, but no internet. We arrived in Carlisle at 4:05pm and at 4:10pm we board a southbound Virgin bound for Warrington. This time the train has wireless internet and thank you Richard Branson for letting me collect my e-mail free of charge. We alighted at Preston again at 5:20pm; the fourth time; this time at 5:34pm we boarded a train headed for Blackpool North arriving at 5:56pm. John led us directly to the beach front were we sighted all sorts of trams; Reg was keen for a ride down the esplanade in an open air tram; we all joined him. It was a quick way to see some of Vera Duckworth’s holiday town. Way out to sea more windmills were generating electricity; the tide was out and many people were strolling. I asked the tram conductor if the tide covered the beach when it was full and whether people bathed in its waters. His reply “yes the tide does come all the way in but only the daft swim” “is the water too cold I asked” No” was his reply and added “the water is polluted” We bought our evening meal and headed back to the station to catch the 7:50 train to back to Liverpool. I am updating this trip as we head back to Liverpool and guess what, we have just arrived at Preston again; the fifth time! The train was full of happy people; some were singing! At 9:15pm we saw the sun set; we arrived back at Liverpool Lime Street at 9:30pm. A great many people were waiting to catch the train on its return journey; I guess many would have to stand.
You may be wondering why we have been shuttling back and forth; well firstly it is to make good use of the last day of our Brit Rail passes, secondly to see new and different scenery and thirdly to fill in time so that we can have our evening meal at Blackpool.
Today was a warm sunny day with not a cloud to be seen; this is the first such day we have seen since we have been in England; on the way to Blackpool I did see some clouds at 5:45pm; they were ten straight lines of cloud; yes, you’ve guessed it, they were airplane vapour trails. Today was a good day; lovely scenery and comfortable trains.
Today we are commencing our fourth week of travel.
Day 10 Saturday 23rd Newcastle-Carlisle-Liverpool
Day 10 Saturday 23rd May 2009. Newcastle- Carlisle-Liverpool.
After an unhurried start we left Newcastle on the 9:24am commuter train for Carlisle and arrived there 4minutes late at 10:54. We had a one hour wait at Carlisle. After leaving Carlisle we started gaining altitude and within twenty minutes we had climbed about 100 meters. The country side was still beautiful except that the land rolled a little higher. 50 minutes out we were seeing hills on the horizon for the first time and were at 200metres for the first time in England. The country side is now like New Zealand. One hour along the way we have reached an altitude of three hundred meters. A little later we peaked at 350meters. All the fences are now rock walls. At 1:05 we exited from a long tunnel into a beautiful soft pine forest. There are 14 tunnels on the line from Carlisle to Leeds, the longest in 2629 yards. There are 17 viaducts on the line. We stopped at several stations on the Yorkshire Dales; a lot of hikers got on and off the train. The route from Carlisle to Settle (about ½ way) has been declared a historic scenic route. There were lots of small villages on the way. We arrived at Leeds on time at 2:37pm. We moved to platform 16 and boarded the 3:08pm train for Liverpool. The train was crowded when we left Leeds. With no spare seats left in first class. We arrived at Liverpool on time at 4:57pm. We had a short walk to our hotel. We all joined our Leader John at 7pm for our evening meal.
After an unhurried start we left Newcastle on the 9:24am commuter train for Carlisle and arrived there 4minutes late at 10:54. We had a one hour wait at Carlisle. After leaving Carlisle we started gaining altitude and within twenty minutes we had climbed about 100 meters. The country side was still beautiful except that the land rolled a little higher. 50 minutes out we were seeing hills on the horizon for the first time and were at 200metres for the first time in England. The country side is now like New Zealand. One hour along the way we have reached an altitude of three hundred meters. A little later we peaked at 350meters. All the fences are now rock walls. At 1:05 we exited from a long tunnel into a beautiful soft pine forest. There are 14 tunnels on the line from Carlisle to Leeds, the longest in 2629 yards. There are 17 viaducts on the line. We stopped at several stations on the Yorkshire Dales; a lot of hikers got on and off the train. The route from Carlisle to Settle (about ½ way) has been declared a historic scenic route. There were lots of small villages on the way. We arrived at Leeds on time at 2:37pm. We moved to platform 16 and boarded the 3:08pm train for Liverpool. The train was crowded when we left Leeds. With no spare seats left in first class. We arrived at Liverpool on time at 4:57pm. We had a short walk to our hotel. We all joined our Leader John at 7pm for our evening meal.
Day 9 Friday 22nd May 2009 We visit Whitby
Day 9 Friday 22nd May 2009. We visit Whitby.
We had to arise early after our late night yesterday; we made it; breakfasted at 7:15am and made our way across the road to the station to catch the 8:30am train to Middlesbrough, where we caught an Esk Valley Railway train and arrived at Whitby 3½ hours later. The flat to rolling countryside we had seen up ‘til now gave way to small hills, some covered with rocks which were used to built the stone walls around some of the fields. At Grosmont several of our group alighted to enjoy the experience of a steam train trip. They later rejoined our group at Whitby ½ an hour before we were due to return to Newcastle. Whitby in the second coastal town situated at the mouth of a river; you may remember the first was Looe. This towns lay out was similar only in that it was built on each side of the river and on the hillsides; the exception being that the buildings were of a different construction and shape. The overall colour tended toward darker colours such as red, orange and browns whereas my memory is of the lighter shades of white, blue and grey at Looe. The river harbour was larger at Whitby. The ocean beach was larger, but less sheltered and I imagine surfing may be possible. On the top of the eastern skyline is dominated by the ruins of St. Hilda’s Abbey high on Whitby’s East Cliff. The abbey was founded in the year 657. The town commercialises the fact that Cpt. Cook spent his youth here having been born in nearby Marton. There was a replica of the bark Endeavour in which Cook sailed to New Zealand in the eighteenth century. We found an old vintage bus built in 1931; it was steam powered. We went for a ride on it; it made an awful noise; when the driver went down a hill he let the flames from the boiler exhaust up through the cabin where he was sitting. Whitby is a nice town. The other main attractions were the ruins of the Whitby Abby and fish and chips. As I have been finding it difficult to find meals with green vegetables we decided to go to a supermarket to purchase our evening meal. We were successful and enjoyed it on the train as we travelled back to New Castle whe re we arrived at 7pm.
We had to arise early after our late night yesterday; we made it; breakfasted at 7:15am and made our way across the road to the station to catch the 8:30am train to Middlesbrough, where we caught an Esk Valley Railway train and arrived at Whitby 3½ hours later. The flat to rolling countryside we had seen up ‘til now gave way to small hills, some covered with rocks which were used to built the stone walls around some of the fields. At Grosmont several of our group alighted to enjoy the experience of a steam train trip. They later rejoined our group at Whitby ½ an hour before we were due to return to Newcastle. Whitby in the second coastal town situated at the mouth of a river; you may remember the first was Looe. This towns lay out was similar only in that it was built on each side of the river and on the hillsides; the exception being that the buildings were of a different construction and shape. The overall colour tended toward darker colours such as red, orange and browns whereas my memory is of the lighter shades of white, blue and grey at Looe. The river harbour was larger at Whitby. The ocean beach was larger, but less sheltered and I imagine surfing may be possible. On the top of the eastern skyline is dominated by the ruins of St. Hilda’s Abbey high on Whitby’s East Cliff. The abbey was founded in the year 657. The town commercialises the fact that Cpt. Cook spent his youth here having been born in nearby Marton. There was a replica of the bark Endeavour in which Cook sailed to New Zealand in the eighteenth century. We found an old vintage bus built in 1931; it was steam powered. We went for a ride on it; it made an awful noise; when the driver went down a hill he let the flames from the boiler exhaust up through the cabin where he was sitting. Whitby is a nice town. The other main attractions were the ruins of the Whitby Abby and fish and chips. As I have been finding it difficult to find meals with green vegetables we decided to go to a supermarket to purchase our evening meal. We were successful and enjoyed it on the train as we travelled back to New Castle whe re we arrived at 7pm.
Day 8 Thursday 21st May 2009 Norwich to Newcastle on Tyne
Day 8 Thursday 21st May 2009 Norwich to Newcastle on Tyne.
After a 7am breakfast we set off again to walk about 1km to the train station. We caught the 8:57am cross-country two carriage train to Petersburg. The train was almost full. Sitting across the aisle from us was a man and his large friendly dog. The dog was very obedient and waited for his owner to put his blanket on the seat before, on command he jumped on to the seat. Once again we were soon out into the same beautiful country; this time we saw some large pig farms; the pigs ran free in large soil fields and no grass with lots of small pig shelters arranged in neat rows; each shelter had 4 meters separation from another. We changed trains at Petersburg and boarded the national express from London which finishes at Edinburgh. This train is ever so smooooth as we glided through the beautiful countryside. It has power for my computer and wireless internet. I was able to collect my e-mail and view pictures of our new front fence which is being slowly constructed while we are away. At one stage we went through an area where there were about ten or twelve of what looked like power stations. They all had about five or six huge chimneys. Someone commented that one was a nuclear station. We arrived at Newcastle at 12:57 and checked in at the Thistle Hotel right opposite the station. After leaving our heavy bags in our room we hurried back to the station to buy a return ticket from Berwick-Upon Tweed to Edinburgh. Our Brit Rail ticket would cover us as far as this station but not for the journey to Edinburgh. You see we were off to meet Fay’s niece; we boarded the train at 1:51pm and arrived in Edinburgh at 3:22pm. When we crossed the Scottish boarder we started to see more hills, some with lots of in bloom gorse and broom. Their bright yellow flowers stood out against the rich green of the grass. From the station we took a taxi to the address and found Fay’s niece waiting on her doorstep. We spent a pleasant four hours with her; Fay was catching up with her family history and after a splendid Scottish meal she led us back to the train station where we caught the 9pm back to Newcastle arriving at 10:32pm.
After a 7am breakfast we set off again to walk about 1km to the train station. We caught the 8:57am cross-country two carriage train to Petersburg. The train was almost full. Sitting across the aisle from us was a man and his large friendly dog. The dog was very obedient and waited for his owner to put his blanket on the seat before, on command he jumped on to the seat. Once again we were soon out into the same beautiful country; this time we saw some large pig farms; the pigs ran free in large soil fields and no grass with lots of small pig shelters arranged in neat rows; each shelter had 4 meters separation from another. We changed trains at Petersburg and boarded the national express from London which finishes at Edinburgh. This train is ever so smooooth as we glided through the beautiful countryside. It has power for my computer and wireless internet. I was able to collect my e-mail and view pictures of our new front fence which is being slowly constructed while we are away. At one stage we went through an area where there were about ten or twelve of what looked like power stations. They all had about five or six huge chimneys. Someone commented that one was a nuclear station. We arrived at Newcastle at 12:57 and checked in at the Thistle Hotel right opposite the station. After leaving our heavy bags in our room we hurried back to the station to buy a return ticket from Berwick-Upon Tweed to Edinburgh. Our Brit Rail ticket would cover us as far as this station but not for the journey to Edinburgh. You see we were off to meet Fay’s niece; we boarded the train at 1:51pm and arrived in Edinburgh at 3:22pm. When we crossed the Scottish boarder we started to see more hills, some with lots of in bloom gorse and broom. Their bright yellow flowers stood out against the rich green of the grass. From the station we took a taxi to the address and found Fay’s niece waiting on her doorstep. We spent a pleasant four hours with her; Fay was catching up with her family history and after a splendid Scottish meal she led us back to the train station where we caught the 9pm back to Newcastle arriving at 10:32pm.
Day 7. Wednesday 20th May 2009 Norwich and Gt. Yarmouth
Day 7. Wednesday 20th May 2009 In and around Norwich.
Today the main group take a whole day trip to Cambridge. Fay wanted to rest a bit and I need to catch up with this diary so we spent the morning at the hotel. At midday we started to wander. I had heard about a cathedral that had been built by the Normans; we asked directions of a lady waiting to cross the road; she was a kind lady who insisted on showing us the way; after several blocks she showed us the entrance. It was a magnificent example of architecture of the 10th century. According to a church guide the building was started in 1096. The stone was brought by the Normans from Caen in Normandy, France by ship to the River Thames and then up the coast then up the river Wensum to Norwich. They then dug a canal from the river to the cathedral site. It has beautiful stained glass windows. A modern addition provided us with a lovely lunch. After lunch we strolled to the rail station and were just in time to catch the 2:36pm two car fast rail car to Great Yarmouth; the trip took ½ hour. After travelling for about ¼ hour through rolling go flat farm land with surrounding trees we came to a vast low land grazing sheep and cattle. The land was about 5meters above high tide; there were windmills to pump water from the drains over the stop banks. We alighted from the train to an uninteresting part of the city. We nearly got back on to return to Norwich. I am glad we did venture forth; after about 30minutes we found ourselves in a street full of small markets. As we wandered further I found a Lloyds Bank at last; I have been looking for several days; they give full value for my traveller’s cheques. Then we found a small restaurant that served four vegetables with their meals. We vowed to return later for an evening meal. We were walking along a pedestrian mall full of small shops. Their goods were the cheapest we have seen in England. We finally arrived at the pier and the nice sandy beach. I can just imagine the crowds that would flock to Gt. Yarmouth in the summer. We stayed 2 ¾hours longer than intended so that we could have our evening meal with its 4 vegetables. The meal was so large we could only eat half. We arrived back at our hotel at 6:45pm. Tomorrow we move on to Newcastle.
Today the main group take a whole day trip to Cambridge. Fay wanted to rest a bit and I need to catch up with this diary so we spent the morning at the hotel. At midday we started to wander. I had heard about a cathedral that had been built by the Normans; we asked directions of a lady waiting to cross the road; she was a kind lady who insisted on showing us the way; after several blocks she showed us the entrance. It was a magnificent example of architecture of the 10th century. According to a church guide the building was started in 1096. The stone was brought by the Normans from Caen in Normandy, France by ship to the River Thames and then up the coast then up the river Wensum to Norwich. They then dug a canal from the river to the cathedral site. It has beautiful stained glass windows. A modern addition provided us with a lovely lunch. After lunch we strolled to the rail station and were just in time to catch the 2:36pm two car fast rail car to Great Yarmouth; the trip took ½ hour. After travelling for about ¼ hour through rolling go flat farm land with surrounding trees we came to a vast low land grazing sheep and cattle. The land was about 5meters above high tide; there were windmills to pump water from the drains over the stop banks. We alighted from the train to an uninteresting part of the city. We nearly got back on to return to Norwich. I am glad we did venture forth; after about 30minutes we found ourselves in a street full of small markets. As we wandered further I found a Lloyds Bank at last; I have been looking for several days; they give full value for my traveller’s cheques. Then we found a small restaurant that served four vegetables with their meals. We vowed to return later for an evening meal. We were walking along a pedestrian mall full of small shops. Their goods were the cheapest we have seen in England. We finally arrived at the pier and the nice sandy beach. I can just imagine the crowds that would flock to Gt. Yarmouth in the summer. We stayed 2 ¾hours longer than intended so that we could have our evening meal with its 4 vegetables. The meal was so large we could only eat half. We arrived back at our hotel at 6:45pm. Tomorrow we move on to Newcastle.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Day 7. Wednesday 20th May 2009 Norwich and Gt. Yarmouth
Day 7. Wednesday 20th May 2009 Norwich and Gt. Yarmouth..
Today the main group take a whole day trip to Cambridge. Fay wanted to rest a bit and I need to catch up with this diary so we spent the morning at the hotel. At midday we started to wander. I had heard about a cathedral that had been built by the Normans; we asked directions of a lady waiting to cross the road; she was a kind lady who insisted on showing us the way; after several blocks she showed us the entrance. It was a magnificent example of architecture of the 10th century. According to a church guide the building was started in 1096. The stone was brought by the Normans from Caen in Normandy, France by ship to the River Thames and then up the coast then up the river Wensum to Norwich. They then dug a canal from the river to the cathedral site. It has beautiful stained glass windows. A modern addition provided us with a lovely lunch. After lunch we strolled to the rail station and were just in time to catch the 2:36pm two car fast rail car to Great Yarmouth; the trip took ½ hour. After travelling for about ¼ hour through rolling go flat farm land with surrounding trees we came to a vast low land grazing sheep and cattle. The land was about 5meters above high tide; there were windmills to pump water from the drains over the stop banks. We alighted from the train to an uninteresting part of the city. We nearly got back on to return to Norwich. I am glad we did venture forth; after about 30minutes we found ourselves in a street full of small markets. As we wandered further I found a Lloyds Bank at last; I have been looking for several days; they give full value for my traveller’s cheques. Then we found a small restaurant that served four vegetables with their meals. We vowed to return later for an evening meal. We were walking along a pedestrian mall full of small shops. Their goods were the cheapest we have seen in England. We finally arrived at the pier and the nice sandy beach. I can just imagine the crowds that would flock to Gt. Yarmouth in the summer. We stayed 2 ¾hours longer than intended so that we could have our evening meal with its 4 vegetables. The meal was so large we could only eat half. We arrived back at our hotel at 6:45pm. Tomorrow we move on to Newcastle.
Today the main group take a whole day trip to Cambridge. Fay wanted to rest a bit and I need to catch up with this diary so we spent the morning at the hotel. At midday we started to wander. I had heard about a cathedral that had been built by the Normans; we asked directions of a lady waiting to cross the road; she was a kind lady who insisted on showing us the way; after several blocks she showed us the entrance. It was a magnificent example of architecture of the 10th century. According to a church guide the building was started in 1096. The stone was brought by the Normans from Caen in Normandy, France by ship to the River Thames and then up the coast then up the river Wensum to Norwich. They then dug a canal from the river to the cathedral site. It has beautiful stained glass windows. A modern addition provided us with a lovely lunch. After lunch we strolled to the rail station and were just in time to catch the 2:36pm two car fast rail car to Great Yarmouth; the trip took ½ hour. After travelling for about ¼ hour through rolling go flat farm land with surrounding trees we came to a vast low land grazing sheep and cattle. The land was about 5meters above high tide; there were windmills to pump water from the drains over the stop banks. We alighted from the train to an uninteresting part of the city. We nearly got back on to return to Norwich. I am glad we did venture forth; after about 30minutes we found ourselves in a street full of small markets. As we wandered further I found a Lloyds Bank at last; I have been looking for several days; they give full value for my traveller’s cheques. Then we found a small restaurant that served four vegetables with their meals. We vowed to return later for an evening meal. We were walking along a pedestrian mall full of small shops. Their goods were the cheapest we have seen in England. We finally arrived at the pier and the nice sandy beach. I can just imagine the crowds that would flock to Gt. Yarmouth in the summer. We stayed 2 ¾hours longer than intended so that we could have our evening meal with its 4 vegetables. The meal was so large we could only eat half. We arrived back at our hotel at 6:45pm. Tomorrow we move on to Newcastle.
Day 6. Tuesday 19th May 2009. We Travel to Norwich
Day 6. Tuesday 19th May 2009. We travel to Norwich.
We left the Travelodge at 9:05 to walk to Liverpool Station. It was quite a distance and it took us quite a while. Eventually we found the station and boarded out train which left at 10:00 am. We arrived at Norwich at 11:52am. We had to walk about a kilometre to our hotel. Fay and I found a laundry across the road and managed for the first time in England to get some washing done. Fay wanted to rest up so she stayed at the hotel while I joined John’s expedition to Sheringham (pop 7143 according to Wikipedia) which took us 58minutes by a two carriage railcar. While everybody followed the shopping street towards the seashore I headed for another rail station which turned out to be a historic steam train station. There was an afternoon tea excursion steam train due to arrive back. I had to wait ten minutes to get my photos. The engine was only a small one; they do have a large one which was not used this trip. The station platform was bedecked with vintage suitcases and a set of balance scales which measured weight in cwt. I had long forgotten the hundredweight measurement cwt. The station master also fitted the scene as did the engine drivers. After the train station I just had enough time to walk briskly to the shoreline; which was not attractive; it was rocky with a small shingle beach. We had dinner at an English pub called the Compleat Angler. (No, I have not misspelt the name). We had fish and chips; the serving was very large so we shared.
We left the Travelodge at 9:05 to walk to Liverpool Station. It was quite a distance and it took us quite a while. Eventually we found the station and boarded out train which left at 10:00 am. We arrived at Norwich at 11:52am. We had to walk about a kilometre to our hotel. Fay and I found a laundry across the road and managed for the first time in England to get some washing done. Fay wanted to rest up so she stayed at the hotel while I joined John’s expedition to Sheringham (pop 7143 according to Wikipedia) which took us 58minutes by a two carriage railcar. While everybody followed the shopping street towards the seashore I headed for another rail station which turned out to be a historic steam train station. There was an afternoon tea excursion steam train due to arrive back. I had to wait ten minutes to get my photos. The engine was only a small one; they do have a large one which was not used this trip. The station platform was bedecked with vintage suitcases and a set of balance scales which measured weight in cwt. I had long forgotten the hundredweight measurement cwt. The station master also fitted the scene as did the engine drivers. After the train station I just had enough time to walk briskly to the shoreline; which was not attractive; it was rocky with a small shingle beach. We had dinner at an English pub called the Compleat Angler. (No, I have not misspelt the name). We had fish and chips; the serving was very large so we shared.
Day 5 Monday 18th May 2009. A day trip to Looe
Day 5. Monday 18th May 2009. A day trip to Looe.
We had to get up early; breakfast at 7am; walked to the Tower Hill Tube Station and caught the eastbound train about 8:15am for Paddington. The train was packed; we arrived at Paddington ½ hour later. On alighting John set of a fast clip for the long-distance train platforms. We are using our Brit rail pass for the first day; it entitles us to a first class carriage; they really are luxurious; very comfortable; Fay and I have a table between us with a power point for my computer. We boarded the train at 9am and set off soon after for Plymouth. The day was fine to start but the skies soon clouded over threatening rain. Our train has a top speed of 125mph (200kph) and we soon reached the open countryside with its rolling hills, cattle grazing and wheat crops. Large towns with masses of similar looking houses all crowded together interrupted the green fields; from time to time we passed by a narrow canal in the fields where quite a number of long house barges were moored. We travelled along the southern coastline for a short time before reaching Plymouth at 12:25pm. We alighted and moved to the end of the platform where a two carriage railcar was waiting. We boarded and left at 12:37pm; it was headed for Liskeard which we arrived at 1:05pm. Fay spotted a fox in a fields and I spotted four rabbits in another. We changed yet again to another rail car this time it had only one carriage which seated 68; on this railcar we travelled along a long winding tree-lined valley occasionally glimpsing farmland and building. Eventually a small tidal river appeared on our right hand side. This led us to the small coastal resort and fishing village of Looe. We arrived at 1:45pm. Our return train leaves at 2:58pm so we only had a short time to explore the town. I have not taken many photographs lately but this little town had me snapping right, left and centre. The town built on hillsides on both side of a tidal river which was no more than approximately 100 metres wide. At the foot of the hills was a narrow strip of road lined each side with many small shops. We saw about ten bread and pastry shops with attractive food baked on the premises. People spilled from the narrow footpaths onto the road. Fortunately the car drivers were very patient and waited for us to move out of the way; we walked all the way through the town to the river mouth and open sea. Many small pleasure boats were moored in the river except at the Fishermans wharf. There was a nice white sanded beach sheltered from the open sea. People were walking along the beach but not swimming. The weather was fine and sunny. We had taken twenty five minutes to walk through to the sea. As we retraced our way back to the train station I could not resist a Cornish pastry and a scone. The shop keeper impressed me; he knew how to say the word “scone” (as in stone); he was the only person I have heard do so. The pasty was nice with its shredded potato, onion and leek with tender steak pieces. It did not ooze greasy fat as is my experience with our NZ pasties. Our single carriage 76 seated railcar left at 2:58pm; our stay was all too short but well worth the long journey. The weather had cleared and the country side from Plymouth to London was bathed in the late afternoon sun made it more beautiful. We arrived back at Paddington at about 7:15pm.Instead of travelling back to our hotel by tube John though it would be a great idea to go by bus and see the sights. The bus was delayed and instead of a frequency of ten minutes we had to wait 50 minutes. Never mind the 60 minute trip was full of interest as we passed many recognisable landmarks. I just managed to get a snapshot of Nelsons column without Nelsons head. The trip to Looe which has a population of 5,280 was well worth the long trip.
We had to get up early; breakfast at 7am; walked to the Tower Hill Tube Station and caught the eastbound train about 8:15am for Paddington. The train was packed; we arrived at Paddington ½ hour later. On alighting John set of a fast clip for the long-distance train platforms. We are using our Brit rail pass for the first day; it entitles us to a first class carriage; they really are luxurious; very comfortable; Fay and I have a table between us with a power point for my computer. We boarded the train at 9am and set off soon after for Plymouth. The day was fine to start but the skies soon clouded over threatening rain. Our train has a top speed of 125mph (200kph) and we soon reached the open countryside with its rolling hills, cattle grazing and wheat crops. Large towns with masses of similar looking houses all crowded together interrupted the green fields; from time to time we passed by a narrow canal in the fields where quite a number of long house barges were moored. We travelled along the southern coastline for a short time before reaching Plymouth at 12:25pm. We alighted and moved to the end of the platform where a two carriage railcar was waiting. We boarded and left at 12:37pm; it was headed for Liskeard which we arrived at 1:05pm. Fay spotted a fox in a fields and I spotted four rabbits in another. We changed yet again to another rail car this time it had only one carriage which seated 68; on this railcar we travelled along a long winding tree-lined valley occasionally glimpsing farmland and building. Eventually a small tidal river appeared on our right hand side. This led us to the small coastal resort and fishing village of Looe. We arrived at 1:45pm. Our return train leaves at 2:58pm so we only had a short time to explore the town. I have not taken many photographs lately but this little town had me snapping right, left and centre. The town built on hillsides on both side of a tidal river which was no more than approximately 100 metres wide. At the foot of the hills was a narrow strip of road lined each side with many small shops. We saw about ten bread and pastry shops with attractive food baked on the premises. People spilled from the narrow footpaths onto the road. Fortunately the car drivers were very patient and waited for us to move out of the way; we walked all the way through the town to the river mouth and open sea. Many small pleasure boats were moored in the river except at the Fishermans wharf. There was a nice white sanded beach sheltered from the open sea. People were walking along the beach but not swimming. The weather was fine and sunny. We had taken twenty five minutes to walk through to the sea. As we retraced our way back to the train station I could not resist a Cornish pastry and a scone. The shop keeper impressed me; he knew how to say the word “scone” (as in stone); he was the only person I have heard do so. The pasty was nice with its shredded potato, onion and leek with tender steak pieces. It did not ooze greasy fat as is my experience with our NZ pasties. Our single carriage 76 seated railcar left at 2:58pm; our stay was all too short but well worth the long journey. The weather had cleared and the country side from Plymouth to London was bathed in the late afternoon sun made it more beautiful. We arrived back at Paddington at about 7:15pm.Instead of travelling back to our hotel by tube John though it would be a great idea to go by bus and see the sights. The bus was delayed and instead of a frequency of ten minutes we had to wait 50 minutes. Never mind the 60 minute trip was full of interest as we passed many recognisable landmarks. I just managed to get a snapshot of Nelsons column without Nelsons head. The trip to Looe which has a population of 5,280 was well worth the long trip.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Day 4 Sunday May 17th 2009 Fay meets her Nephew and Niece
Day 4 Sunday May 17th 2007 Fay meets here Nephew and Niece.
Today is also a special day for Fay. After breakfast we set off on foot for London Bridge Rail Station where we were to catch a train to South Croydon. After some difficulty finding a ticket vending machine we found our train. It was a smooth twenty minute ride. Rain had started when we alighted from the train and we waited for it to stop; we were early so had plenty of time. The station master came to our rescue and lent us a very large umbrella; bless him. We walked to a shop where the shopkeeper phoned us a taxi. The taxi ride for 2 mile cost £4,50. Fay and her niece and nephew had never met but had exchanged photos over the years. They talked and reminisced over a splendid roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. The five hours we spent with them was great. We thank them again for a wonderful afternoon.
Today is also a special day for Fay. After breakfast we set off on foot for London Bridge Rail Station where we were to catch a train to South Croydon. After some difficulty finding a ticket vending machine we found our train. It was a smooth twenty minute ride. Rain had started when we alighted from the train and we waited for it to stop; we were early so had plenty of time. The station master came to our rescue and lent us a very large umbrella; bless him. We walked to a shop where the shopkeeper phoned us a taxi. The taxi ride for 2 mile cost £4,50. Fay and her niece and nephew had never met but had exchanged photos over the years. They talked and reminisced over a splendid roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. The five hours we spent with them was great. We thank them again for a wonderful afternoon.
Day 3 Saturday 16th May 2009 London
Day 3. Saturday 16th May 2009 London.
Today is Fay’s Special Day. She is to meet with her granddaughter (who is in London doing her OE) and best friend to have a celebratory lunch for both her and her granddaughter’s birthdays which are three days apart. We dined at a restaurant at St Katherine’s Marina. The day was delightful. To end the day Fay and I went for a stroll along the Thames riverside.
Today is Fay’s Special Day. She is to meet with her granddaughter (who is in London doing her OE) and best friend to have a celebratory lunch for both her and her granddaughter’s birthdays which are three days apart. We dined at a restaurant at St Katherine’s Marina. The day was delightful. To end the day Fay and I went for a stroll along the Thames riverside.
Day 2 Friday 15th May 2009 Our First Day in England
Day 2. Friday 15th May 2009 Our First Day in London.
We awoke around 7am to a rainy day. While Fay prepared herself to meet the world outside I sat at my computer to catch up with this diary. My desk over looked a three track commuter railway; many people laden trains passed sometimes at the rate of five a minute. They glided silently past thanks to our rooms double glazed windows. After a hearty breakfast we left the hotel to explore London. The rain had stopped; the day was brighter although cloudy. We headed in the general direction of the river Thames which was nearby. Soon we discovered a sign which read “Tower of London” I scanned the horizon for the tower but could not see one. 100 meters on we discovered a large castle. I then found a small tower like structure with a green spire. This I thought was the tower of London; I was disappointed at its size. The castle was a big attraction with many people lining up to view the interior. I later discovered that this castle was the Tower of London. Whilst walking around the perimeter castle we discovered a French patisserie with lovely fresh looking food. I fancied a bread roll filled with chicken, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise; it was priced at £4,50. I would have bought it if I had not converted the price back to $NZ12.85. People would need high salaries to live here. I am going to have to leave my calculator back at the hotel! Wandering on by the river Thames we came to a wharf. I asked a longhaired Englishman about his big Bull Mastiff dog. On finding out that we did not come from America as he thought (heaven forbid) but NZ we could not stop him talking. Firstly he said NZ was not doing enough to stop the Japanese from killing off all the whales in the ocean and told me what we should be doing about it. Then he shifted to how young English people did not like the French, (his say so) and finally he said we should take a tour boat ride. After about a half an hour we took the boat mainly to take our leave of him. His advice was right; we had a comfortable and very interesting ride; I took many photos. About a ¼hour boat travel beyond Greenwich we passed through the largest moving dam in the world. It is called the Thames barrier. It is a series of iron or concrete structures embedded in the river bed. Each structure has two large wheels one on each side about 6metres in diameter (my guess) to which is attached an iron or reinforced concrete plate between two wheels for the full diameter of the wheel. When the dam is open for ships to pass through the plate rests on the river bed; when it is closed the wheel turns so that the plate is perpendicular thus damming the river. Our riverboat guide said the dam had saved the city of London from flooding 142 times since it was built. The dam is closed when the spring tides occur; the tide can rise as much as 9meters. Our highest tides in Auckland reach 3.6 meters under normal atmospheric pressures. We then cruised back up the river to Westminster just short of the Parliament buildings. We passed under Tower Bridge, saw it open to let a large sailing vessel through, London Bridge and about ten other bridges. We returned to where we had boarded the boat and went ashore by St Katherine Lock. I was curious and went to explore the lock. I was amazed at what we found. Hidden behind tall buildings was an inner-city marina surrounded by many tall apartment buildings, shops and restaurants. There were many colourful flowers in the gardens; the boats were small to very large ocean going launches, yachts and sailing ships. The water was blue (not like the muddy river) and at permanent high tide; the boats travelled via the lock to the river. Fay was feeling cold so we went into a shop for a warm-up. It turned out to be a men and woman’s clothes store. Fay bought a stylish and warm jacket; she was happy to be warm again. Dinner and bed; a good day ended.
To be fair I did find a filled roll for ½ the price of the one above, although it was not of the same quality,
We awoke around 7am to a rainy day. While Fay prepared herself to meet the world outside I sat at my computer to catch up with this diary. My desk over looked a three track commuter railway; many people laden trains passed sometimes at the rate of five a minute. They glided silently past thanks to our rooms double glazed windows. After a hearty breakfast we left the hotel to explore London. The rain had stopped; the day was brighter although cloudy. We headed in the general direction of the river Thames which was nearby. Soon we discovered a sign which read “Tower of London” I scanned the horizon for the tower but could not see one. 100 meters on we discovered a large castle. I then found a small tower like structure with a green spire. This I thought was the tower of London; I was disappointed at its size. The castle was a big attraction with many people lining up to view the interior. I later discovered that this castle was the Tower of London. Whilst walking around the perimeter castle we discovered a French patisserie with lovely fresh looking food. I fancied a bread roll filled with chicken, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise; it was priced at £4,50. I would have bought it if I had not converted the price back to $NZ12.85. People would need high salaries to live here. I am going to have to leave my calculator back at the hotel! Wandering on by the river Thames we came to a wharf. I asked a longhaired Englishman about his big Bull Mastiff dog. On finding out that we did not come from America as he thought (heaven forbid) but NZ we could not stop him talking. Firstly he said NZ was not doing enough to stop the Japanese from killing off all the whales in the ocean and told me what we should be doing about it. Then he shifted to how young English people did not like the French, (his say so) and finally he said we should take a tour boat ride. After about a half an hour we took the boat mainly to take our leave of him. His advice was right; we had a comfortable and very interesting ride; I took many photos. About a ¼hour boat travel beyond Greenwich we passed through the largest moving dam in the world. It is called the Thames barrier. It is a series of iron or concrete structures embedded in the river bed. Each structure has two large wheels one on each side about 6metres in diameter (my guess) to which is attached an iron or reinforced concrete plate between two wheels for the full diameter of the wheel. When the dam is open for ships to pass through the plate rests on the river bed; when it is closed the wheel turns so that the plate is perpendicular thus damming the river. Our riverboat guide said the dam had saved the city of London from flooding 142 times since it was built. The dam is closed when the spring tides occur; the tide can rise as much as 9meters. Our highest tides in Auckland reach 3.6 meters under normal atmospheric pressures. We then cruised back up the river to Westminster just short of the Parliament buildings. We passed under Tower Bridge, saw it open to let a large sailing vessel through, London Bridge and about ten other bridges. We returned to where we had boarded the boat and went ashore by St Katherine Lock. I was curious and went to explore the lock. I was amazed at what we found. Hidden behind tall buildings was an inner-city marina surrounded by many tall apartment buildings, shops and restaurants. There were many colourful flowers in the gardens; the boats were small to very large ocean going launches, yachts and sailing ships. The water was blue (not like the muddy river) and at permanent high tide; the boats travelled via the lock to the river. Fay was feeling cold so we went into a shop for a warm-up. It turned out to be a men and woman’s clothes store. Fay bought a stylish and warm jacket; she was happy to be warm again. Dinner and bed; a good day ended.
To be fair I did find a filled roll for ½ the price of the one above, although it was not of the same quality,
Day 1. Thursday 14th May 2009 Our First Day in England
Day 1. Thursday 14th May 2009 Our First Day in England
We disembarked from the QM2 at 8:15am, waited in the shore terminal room until 9:45am when we boarded a double Decker bus to take us to Beaulieu. We had completed a simple customs check on Board the M2 two days previously and were able to walk straight of the boat. Soon we reached the “New Forrest” area; at first I could not see any forest just rough tussock and plenty of yellow gorse in full bloom; “wild horses” were grazing. We soon reached a small village; once again horses joined by cows were grazing along the narrow road side. We observed several beautiful thatched roofed houses. Someone commented that the local council allowed discounted rates for such houses. The Beaulieu estate was beautifully landscaped with avenues of horse chestnut trees in full bloom amongst many other green trees and flowers. The first thing Fay and I did was to take a ride on what must have been the first double Decker bus ever; it was really old and the driver sat without any protection from inclement weather. We alighted at the first stop where in a small gate house to the estate castle was a display depicting the activities that were carried out at the castle during the 1939-45 world wars. The castle was used to train British spies and saboteurs. I found the notepaper interesting; three types were displayed; one could be burned without it smoking and leaving any residual ash, one could be eaten (it was rice paper which explains how in films spies eat their notes) and the other was a piece of brown string which could be untwined to provide a long flat writing surface. There were lots of other ingenious devices. We then inspected the solid stone castle. The rooms were very large; the dining room table which looked out through a very large window onto a private courtyard garden had sixteen places set. In the nearby kitchen the coal stove was burning; there was a newly cooked apple pie on the warming rack and the evening menu was chalked up on the blackboard, above which was a large board where a series of labelled service bells was mounted, one for each room in the castle. We caught the mono rail back to the car museum and the James Bond display. The rail passed over the colourful flower garden and then the symmetrically laid out vegetable garden followed by the orchard. Plum and apple trees were espaliered along the three meter high garden wall. We bought a cup of tea and scone before inspecting the vast collection of well kept vintage cars. All too soon our time was up. The bus on the way to Brockenhurst Rail station passed through what really did look like the New Forrest. The bright green new leaves on the deciduous trees mingled with the new green growth sprouting on the tips of the older and darker green leaves of the evergreen trees. Our electric powered train left at 2:45pm and soon the trees were just a blur as we sped through the spring green fields of the country side. In the small towns I could see well tended communal vegetable garden plots. After a pleasant trip in the sooth riding train we arrived on time at Waterloo Station in London at 4:20pm. We boarded a bus which took us to within 150 meters of our hotel.
We disembarked from the QM2 at 8:15am, waited in the shore terminal room until 9:45am when we boarded a double Decker bus to take us to Beaulieu. We had completed a simple customs check on Board the M2 two days previously and were able to walk straight of the boat. Soon we reached the “New Forrest” area; at first I could not see any forest just rough tussock and plenty of yellow gorse in full bloom; “wild horses” were grazing. We soon reached a small village; once again horses joined by cows were grazing along the narrow road side. We observed several beautiful thatched roofed houses. Someone commented that the local council allowed discounted rates for such houses. The Beaulieu estate was beautifully landscaped with avenues of horse chestnut trees in full bloom amongst many other green trees and flowers. The first thing Fay and I did was to take a ride on what must have been the first double Decker bus ever; it was really old and the driver sat without any protection from inclement weather. We alighted at the first stop where in a small gate house to the estate castle was a display depicting the activities that were carried out at the castle during the 1939-45 world wars. The castle was used to train British spies and saboteurs. I found the notepaper interesting; three types were displayed; one could be burned without it smoking and leaving any residual ash, one could be eaten (it was rice paper which explains how in films spies eat their notes) and the other was a piece of brown string which could be untwined to provide a long flat writing surface. There were lots of other ingenious devices. We then inspected the solid stone castle. The rooms were very large; the dining room table which looked out through a very large window onto a private courtyard garden had sixteen places set. In the nearby kitchen the coal stove was burning; there was a newly cooked apple pie on the warming rack and the evening menu was chalked up on the blackboard, above which was a large board where a series of labelled service bells was mounted, one for each room in the castle. We caught the mono rail back to the car museum and the James Bond display. The rail passed over the colourful flower garden and then the symmetrically laid out vegetable garden followed by the orchard. Plum and apple trees were espaliered along the three meter high garden wall. We bought a cup of tea and scone before inspecting the vast collection of well kept vintage cars. All too soon our time was up. The bus on the way to Brockenhurst Rail station passed through what really did look like the New Forrest. The bright green new leaves on the deciduous trees mingled with the new green growth sprouting on the tips of the older and darker green leaves of the evergreen trees. Our electric powered train left at 2:45pm and soon the trees were just a blur as we sped through the spring green fields of the country side. In the small towns I could see well tended communal vegetable garden plots. After a pleasant trip in the sooth riding train we arrived on time at Waterloo Station in London at 4:20pm. We boarded a bus which took us to within 150 meters of our hotel.
Monday, April 20, 2009
England and Ireland Rail Tour Itinerary 2009
England and Ireland Rail Tour Itinerary 2009
Day 1 Thursday 14th May
We disembark the “QM2”passengers at Southampton around 7am, then tour by double decker bus to Lord Montague’s residence “Beaulieu” in the New Forest where we spend 3 hours exploring its Abbey, Palace, and car museum.
At we catch the 2:45pm train for our journey to our London Hotel.
At the hotel Fay and I and nn other passengers from the QM2 are joined by nn passengers who arrived by Flight NZ39 to commence our EIRT 2009 tour.
We stay at: London Tower Bridge Travel Lodge Lloyds Court Business Centre
1 Goodman Yard London E1 SAT Tel: (44)2077 020138.
Day 2 Friday 15th May.
Fay and I will buy an Oyster card which will let us hop on and off buses, trains and river boats all day to see the sights of London Town.
Day 3 Saturday 16th May.
More of the same.
Day 4 Sunday 17th May.
More of the same.
Day 5 Monday 18th May.
We now have our BritRail England pass and our tour leader has suggested we use the pass and travel to Looe, a small Cornish fishing village on the mouth of the River Looe.
Day 6 Tuesday 19th May.
At 10am we catch the train to Norwich arriving there at 11:52am. Various activities are suggested. We stay at the: Lansdowne Hotel 116 Thorpe Rd., Norwich. NR1 !RU Tel: (44) 1603 620 302
Day 7 Wednesday 20th May.
Suggested train trip to Cambridge for a hop on hop off bus tour around the University of Cambridge.
Day 8 Thursday 21st May.
We leave Norwich at 8:57am by train for Peterborough change trains and head for Newcastle-on-Tyne arriving at 12:57. The main group will go to the hotel and then do “their own thing”while Fay and I stay on the rain until Edinburgh to visit Fay’s niece. We will head back to Newcastle in the evening. Thistle Hotel Newcastle, Neville St., New-Castle-on-Tyne NE1 5DF Tel: (44) 871 376 9029
Day 9 Friday 22nd May (the start of our fifth week)
We have the opportunity to travel by either steam train (part of the way) or diesel (I assume) to Whitby on the east coast. We are scheduled to arrive back at our hotel at about 7pm.
Day 10 Saturday 23rd May.
We depart Newcastle at 9:24am and head for Liverpool via Carlilse arriving at Liverpool around 4:57pm. The Adelphi Hotel Ranelagh Place Liverpool L3 5UL Tel: (44) 871 222 0029
Day 11 Sunday 24th May.
We are sightseeing in and around Liverpool.
Day 12 Monday 25th May.
We depart Liverpool Central by train at 10:15am bound for Chester and then Holyhead where we board a conventional ferry at 1:50pm to take us to Dublin ferry port arriving at 5:05pm.
Our Hotel is: Ashling Hotel Parkgate St., Dublin 8 Tel: (353) 1 677 2323.
Day 13 Tuesday 26th May.
Unplanned local sightseeing.
Day 14 Wednesday 27th May.
Free morning in Dublin.
At 12noon we transfer by tram to Connolly Station to catch the 1:05pm train to Wexford arriving at 3:37pm.We stay at: Whites of Wexford Hotel, Abbey St., Wexford Tel: (353) 91 22311.
Day 15 Thursday 28th May.
We catch the 6:48 train and head in the direction of Killarney. We change trains at Waterford, Limerick, cork, Cobh and Mallow before arriving at Killarney at 6:29pm; taking 11 hours and 41 minutes. We have two hours of local sightseeing in Cobh. We stay at: The Fairview, College St., Killarney, Co Kerry. Tel: (353) 643 4164.
Day 16 Friday 29th May. (Fay and I commence our 6th week.)
We have an all day road coach trip around the “Ring of Kerry” reputedly the top scenic tour in south west Ireland.
Day 17 Saturday 30th May.
Depart Killarney on road Coach for a full day of scenic touring up Ireland’s west coast to Galway arriving at 4:30pm. We then cross the river Shannon on the Tarbert Ferry to County Clare. We see ythe Cliffs of Moher as we take the scenic Black head coastal route and cross the lunar landscape like Burren. We have time to explore Galway on foot before we get to the railway station where we catch the 6:05 for Dublin Heuston arriving at 8:45pm. We stay at: Ashling Hotel, Parkgate St., Dublin 8. Tel: (353) 1 677 2323.
Day 18 Sunday 31stMay.
Today we leave Ireland. We depart Dublin Ferryport at 8:20am on a conventional ferry and arrive at Hollyhead at 11:35am. Then at 12:47 an express train takes us to London.
We stay at: Britannia International Hotel, 163 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SJ Tel:(44) 20 7712 0100
Day 18 Monday 1st June
The England and Ireland Rail Tour ends this morning. Our Grand European Rail Tour Begins this afternoon.
You can follow our travels at: http://grandeuropeanrailtour2009.blogspot.com/
Day 1 Thursday 14th May
We disembark the “QM2”passengers at Southampton around 7am, then tour by double decker bus to Lord Montague’s residence “Beaulieu” in the New Forest where we spend 3 hours exploring its Abbey, Palace, and car museum.
At we catch the 2:45pm train for our journey to our London Hotel.
At the hotel Fay and I and nn other passengers from the QM2 are joined by nn passengers who arrived by Flight NZ39 to commence our EIRT 2009 tour.
We stay at: London Tower Bridge Travel Lodge Lloyds Court Business Centre
1 Goodman Yard London E1 SAT Tel: (44)2077 020138.
Day 2 Friday 15th May.
Fay and I will buy an Oyster card which will let us hop on and off buses, trains and river boats all day to see the sights of London Town.
Day 3 Saturday 16th May.
More of the same.
Day 4 Sunday 17th May.
More of the same.
Day 5 Monday 18th May.
We now have our BritRail England pass and our tour leader has suggested we use the pass and travel to Looe, a small Cornish fishing village on the mouth of the River Looe.
Day 6 Tuesday 19th May.
At 10am we catch the train to Norwich arriving there at 11:52am. Various activities are suggested. We stay at the: Lansdowne Hotel 116 Thorpe Rd., Norwich. NR1 !RU Tel: (44) 1603 620 302
Day 7 Wednesday 20th May.
Suggested train trip to Cambridge for a hop on hop off bus tour around the University of Cambridge.
Day 8 Thursday 21st May.
We leave Norwich at 8:57am by train for Peterborough change trains and head for Newcastle-on-Tyne arriving at 12:57. The main group will go to the hotel and then do “their own thing”while Fay and I stay on the rain until Edinburgh to visit Fay’s niece. We will head back to Newcastle in the evening. Thistle Hotel Newcastle, Neville St., New-Castle-on-Tyne NE1 5DF Tel: (44) 871 376 9029
Day 9 Friday 22nd May (the start of our fifth week)
We have the opportunity to travel by either steam train (part of the way) or diesel (I assume) to Whitby on the east coast. We are scheduled to arrive back at our hotel at about 7pm.
Day 10 Saturday 23rd May.
We depart Newcastle at 9:24am and head for Liverpool via Carlilse arriving at Liverpool around 4:57pm. The Adelphi Hotel Ranelagh Place Liverpool L3 5UL Tel: (44) 871 222 0029
Day 11 Sunday 24th May.
We are sightseeing in and around Liverpool.
Day 12 Monday 25th May.
We depart Liverpool Central by train at 10:15am bound for Chester and then Holyhead where we board a conventional ferry at 1:50pm to take us to Dublin ferry port arriving at 5:05pm.
Our Hotel is: Ashling Hotel Parkgate St., Dublin 8 Tel: (353) 1 677 2323.
Day 13 Tuesday 26th May.
Unplanned local sightseeing.
Day 14 Wednesday 27th May.
Free morning in Dublin.
At 12noon we transfer by tram to Connolly Station to catch the 1:05pm train to Wexford arriving at 3:37pm.We stay at: Whites of Wexford Hotel, Abbey St., Wexford Tel: (353) 91 22311.
Day 15 Thursday 28th May.
We catch the 6:48 train and head in the direction of Killarney. We change trains at Waterford, Limerick, cork, Cobh and Mallow before arriving at Killarney at 6:29pm; taking 11 hours and 41 minutes. We have two hours of local sightseeing in Cobh. We stay at: The Fairview, College St., Killarney, Co Kerry. Tel: (353) 643 4164.
Day 16 Friday 29th May. (Fay and I commence our 6th week.)
We have an all day road coach trip around the “Ring of Kerry” reputedly the top scenic tour in south west Ireland.
Day 17 Saturday 30th May.
Depart Killarney on road Coach for a full day of scenic touring up Ireland’s west coast to Galway arriving at 4:30pm. We then cross the river Shannon on the Tarbert Ferry to County Clare. We see ythe Cliffs of Moher as we take the scenic Black head coastal route and cross the lunar landscape like Burren. We have time to explore Galway on foot before we get to the railway station where we catch the 6:05 for Dublin Heuston arriving at 8:45pm. We stay at: Ashling Hotel, Parkgate St., Dublin 8. Tel: (353) 1 677 2323.
Day 18 Sunday 31stMay.
Today we leave Ireland. We depart Dublin Ferryport at 8:20am on a conventional ferry and arrive at Hollyhead at 11:35am. Then at 12:47 an express train takes us to London.
We stay at: Britannia International Hotel, 163 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SJ Tel:(44) 20 7712 0100
Day 18 Monday 1st June
The England and Ireland Rail Tour ends this morning. Our Grand European Rail Tour Begins this afternoon.
You can follow our travels at: http://grandeuropeanrailtour2009.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
