Phyllis Dale’s Journey in Europe Update 6 Wales to Bath, England I left Ludlow, England on a train that was to take me to Haverfordwest, Wales. Unfortunately, there was a problem and the train needed maintenance so we detrained in Cardiff and put on another train which was already quite full. I was surprised that there were mothers with babies standing in the front of the car. This would not have been allowed on Amtrak. Little by little at each stop, the train became more comfortable because the passengers were getting off at their stations. There are rail cars that have room for bicycles. Since students and workers use their bicycles for transportation. This is a big help for them. The rail trip was beautiful as the train traveled close to the Irish Sea. The views were magnificent. My friend, Michael met me at the Haverforwest station. I was looking forward to seeing him, his wife, Maggie and his family. He took me to the B&B where I would be staying in while in Wales. The owners of the B&B were absolutely wonderful to me and I have adopted them. It had been a long time since I stayed in this type of accommodation. Each time, I had been disappointed. Well, I sure wasn’t this time. They gave me a room on the first floor with a bath across the hall. They spoke Welsh however, when needed they speak English. I felt like family from first stepping through the front door. The last morning, Jeanne made me fresh Welsh Cakes. How thoughtful. It was hard to say goodbye as it was when I had to leave my friends, Michael, his family and his sister, Rosemary. I’ve known them since I met Rosemary on the Delta Queen in 1991 and have visited their homes in Wales…now 6 times. Michael and Maggie took me to some areas in Pembrokeshire where I hadn’t been before. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! The photos I eventually send you will show you what I saw. I also saw Michael’s beautiful granddaughter only 10 months old. His daughter, Catrin and her husband, Dave are two excellent parents. Being with them along with Michael and his wife, Maggie was so special. His sister, Rosemary who lives nearby, was getting ready for a test at the hospital so I didn’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked with her. I understood why Rosemary was anxious about the procedure. However, this didn’t stop her from making dinner every night. She knows that I will be back ASAP. Her friend, Sara was staying with Rosemary at the time. Sara is a chiropodist and was so sweet to give me “happy feet”. That was a first for me. There is so much to tell you about the fantastic time I had with my friends. They know I love them. I left with many, many special and loving memories. From Haverfordwest, I took the train to Bath, England changing in Cardiff. Shortly after leaving Cardiff, we went under the Severn River through a 4 mile tunnel. Not a problem, the train was going pretty fast and was through it in no time at all. In Bath, I am staying at the Best Western Abbey Hotel. The building was built in the 1700s. I picked the right hotel because the location is perfect. It’s in the most beautiful area of the city…at least that’s what I think. There are gardens of flowers and hanging “posies” all around the exterior of the hotel. Close by there are excellent restaurants if you don’t want to dine in the hotel. I must say breakfast in the hotel is excellent. I decided to have dinner last night at a Moroccan restaurant only about 10 yards away. The décor is authentic and the food delicious. For dessert, I had baklava. Oh my goodness….fantastic. I have had excellent and free Internet access so I’ve been able to get a lot of work done in my hotel room. Tomorrow, I leave for Newcastle where I will stay for 5 days. I will tour one day however, the other days I will be working with my free WiFi. Then on August 27, I board the ferry to take me to Holland…across the North Sea. I will send another update from Newcastle. I am still working on getting the photos uploaded. Not an easy task. In a couple of years, I would like to take a small group back to see the United Kingdom once again by rail Until next time…Cheerio...and a pot of tea. Love from Bath, England, Phyllis
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 20:20:17 +0000
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