England's Countryside & Wales Day 8

Day 08 - Thursday, May 21, 2015 - Snowdonia National Park; Drive to Bath; Visit Architectural Sites

Our wake up call was at 6:30 am and after breakfast we had to have our bags out to the bus by 8:00 in order to leave at 8:15. Arvie is getting to know the sizes of our bags so he was better able to pack the luggage bay.

By 8:21 we left the hotel and were on our way to Bath, our final destination for the evening. The temperature was 50 degrees and the humidity was 82%.

Arvie drove us to the outskirts of the huge Snowdonia National Park to take a few photos of Lake Padarn. The white birch trees were covered with many species of moss with their branches dipping into the lake.

Instead of gravel, the pathways were covered with broken pieces of chipped slate. There were many people walking with beautiful well-behaved dogs. One lady was kind enough to let us take her picture with her dog Jessie.

The dry stone slate fences were a highlight of area. They were made by fitting slate stones on top of each other and then capped with angled layer of standing slabs of slate. No mortar is used in the process.

Because of the low clouds over Mount Snowdon, we never saw the mountain. We did see climbers all geared up trekking up the hillside to make the ascent to the top at 1,085 meters (3,560 feet).

Pebbles asked for a stop for a Slash and Dash in Corwen, Wales at 10:20. There were public toilets to use for 20 pence. At 10:30 we were back on the road heading back into England.

At Birmingham, England we stopped at a Moto, highway rest stop, for lunch at 12:30. We had a whole hour as Arvie had to have his driving break. Rules in the UK are very strict with laws that limit the number of hours a coach driver can be behind the wheel.

The sun was bright in Birmingham and it was very sunny. Several people commented that this was the first day they had been warm!

By 1:40 we were on M5 again, only about an hour and forty minutes from Bath. At 3:00 we exited M5 and entered on to the A46, the route to Bath.

Arvie drove us to the top of the city to an overlook to have a scenic view of the city of Bath. When we arrived at the hotel at 3:45, we checked into the room and received our Internet code.

Because we are going to be gone all day tomorrow on an optional tour, we wanted to get right out and explore Bath as it would be late when we arrive at the hotel on Friday afternoon.

We walked to the Roman Baths, the Polteney Bridge crossing the Avon River, the 7th Century Bath Abbey. We found our way back to our hotel by way of the scenic Avon River Walk.

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the architecture is very controlled. All of the buildings are constructed from a light golden limestone quarried nearby and hand worked to form the large regular shaped building blocks.

We arrived back at the hotel at 5:30, with just enough time to begin the journal and start sorting photos before our Welcome Drink at 6:30. Dinner was served at the hotel at 7:00 so it was about 8:45 when we returned to the room.

Vic finished posting GarciaTrips and we organized our daypacks for our optional excursion to Cheddar in the morning.

Accommodations: Hilton Bath City Hotel - - - Meal: B & D

Ulla and I did a similar trip in our own car back in '93 or '94. Do they still have trees cut like teddy bears in the park?

Enjoying your trip much, reminds me of a three week trip we took there and all our travels on the bus in those areas. Thanks for sharing.

Loving the journal and the photos!

I enjoy the satellite view, can picture right where you've been.

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Day 13: Azores & Madeira: Portugal's Unspoiled Archipelagos

Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.

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