It was pouring rain when we reached Wells, which limited our exploration of the town itself. Technically, Wells (population 12,000) is not a town but a city because it has a cathedral. Fortunately, said cathedral is protected against the elements. Apart from being watertight, Wells Cathedral is a beautiful and complex structure, inside and out.… Continue reading Wells Cathedral and Bath, 11 May
Tag: Churches & cathedrals GB
Hereford Cathedral, 5 May
The principal building of Hereford Cathedral dates from the 11th century, but there is evidence of church buildings from the seventh century. A beautiful building, it is still a cultural and spiritual center for the region. Besides its manuscript treasures, the Cathedral also houses relics of two saints: St. Ethelbert and St. Thomas Cantilupe. The… Continue reading Hereford Cathedral, 5 May
Hereford: Mappa Mundi
You would not use the Mappa Mundi to create a travel plan. Even in the Middle Ages, long before the plotting of latitude and longitude, there were navigational charts and land maps with some degree of accuracy.The Mappa Mundi, instead, represents an idea of the world and what it contains. Accordingly, the map portrays not… Continue reading Hereford: Mappa Mundi
Mar sin leibh an-dràsta
We said “farewell for now” to the Highlands, heading down to Carlisle, with a stop at Rosslyn Chapel. Rosslyn Chapel An architectural curiosity, Rosslyn Chapel achieved notoriety with the Da Vinci Code and multiplied its tourist trade five-fold. The money has been very welcome, as the chapel was falling apart at the time. The purported… Continue reading Mar sin leibh an-dràsta
Oban to Inverness, 30 April
Well fortified with a full Scottish Breakfast, we set out for Inverness, traveling along the Great Boundary Fault, which separates the northern Highlands from the rest of Scotland. The drive through the Glencoe Valley and beyond was a particularly lovely one, despite the rain, which limited our ability to stop and record it. Perhaps another… Continue reading Oban to Inverness, 30 April
Day tour of Mull and Iona
Ferries run several times daily back and forth from the islands and Oban. Buses of tourists cross Mull, traveling from one port to the next. Both conveyances also carry older schoolchildren to Oban and back once a week, because of a lack of secondary schools on Mull and Iona. Indeed, everything and everyone on the… Continue reading Day tour of Mull and Iona
Edinburgh, 25-26 April
A short train ride from Berwick-upon-Tweed, we arrived in Edinburgh and caught a taxi to our apartment-hotel, near the castle. After getting settled, we wandered up the hill to Lawnmarket, where we had decent beer and indifferent savoury pies at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. William Brodie (1741-88) was a respected tradesman by day and a criminal… Continue reading Edinburgh, 25-26 April
London 20 April
Our first full day in London, we explored the neighborhood around St Pancras and King’s Cross stations. We stayed at a nearby hotel, The Megaro, because we would be taking the train north in a few days. St Pancras Old Church Some shrine has been here for centuries, perhaps as early as the 4th c,… Continue reading London 20 April