A Summer Road Trip (cont'd)

Jottings from the pages of a road trip journal ...

1977 August 20 (Sat)
After a good night's sleep in the hotel, we left at 9.30 am for a day look at Cardiff, capital of Wales.The shopping centre was busy and looked not unlike any other in other cities of England i.e with department stores like Littlewoods, M & S, etc. We also walked by the City Hall which looked quite different now in daylight - less beautiful. We went to see a part of the docks and clearly this part of the city is not very new - in fact it looked deserted!

Tintern Abbey (CNB 1977)

Then we left at 11.30 and headed for Newport, another port after Monmouth, for the Wye Valley. For the length traversed between Monmouth and Chepstow, we followed the Wye River and the views were magnificent. At times the trees made a natural tunnel of green! We turned back from Chepstow and stopped at Tintern to look at the famous Abbey ruins. Then retracing the road we made camp at a farm - there were no facilities except a cold water tap and ... a ground toilet!

After a meal of tinned soup and salad (very crispy and nice) we went for a walk along the Wye River bank but for a short distance only because of 'Keep out' signs which M thought was very disgusting. Then we walked up to Cleddon Shoots and Waterfall but as it rained lately so the path was slippery. But we made it up another way. As it was getting dark (nearly 8 pm), we made our way down again. I must say I felt quite afraid as nobody else was around and the sky was really getting dark. We got back to camp and made kuku (Persian omelette) - must say its a bit tedious but it was interesting to cook and eat in the open by candlelight. Then M read a book while I cleaned up and we went into our bags.

August 21 (Sun)
It rained a little in the night but in the morning it was fine as we headed for Chepstow to cross the Severn Bridge at 11. In Bristol we walked an hour in the city centre, quite near the docks. We saw the civic centre with the two golden deer on its rooftop and the cathedral nearby.

Clifton Bridge(CNB 1977)

Then we went to Clifton to see Brunel's famous suspension bridge over the Avon Gorge. It was a piece of engineering genius started in 1836 but only completed in 1864, after Brunel's death. After this we headed for Bath, the lovely Georgian city with its famous Roman Baths. It was indeed more beautiful than last I saw it in in 1975. There were flower baskets everywhere and indeed impressed M to say that its the loveliest city he'd seen in England. Likewise for me too.

We passed the shops on Pulteney Bridge and entered the Parade Gardens. Then we walked the little streets between the rows of shops. Later M went to see the Roman Baths while I waited outside the Cathedral (I had seen the Baths before). Then we saw the famous examples of Georgian town planning - the Circus and the Royal Crescent.

We left at 4.30 pm for Cheddar to pass along the Cheddar Gorge. Indeed it was an impressive sight of steep rugged rocks with some green ivy and foliage growing. We set up camp at Church Farm camping ground, on the eastern end of Cheddar, a little town famous for the cheddar cheese. There were many other campers and 'caravaners' there. After a dinner of packet rice, eggs and salad, we played some badminton. After the game we walked in the town and had drinks at a pub. But at 9.30 pm it rained and we had to run back all the way to the camp. As we didn't have our cagoules or the umbrella, we had a thorough drenching because the rain was quite heavy and there was also thunder and lightning occasionally. After changing in the car we got back into the tent and went to sleep.

To be continued ...

A Summer Road Trip

Jottings from the pages of a road trip journal ...

1977 August 15 (Mon)

Chorlton (CNB 1977)

After some hectic shopping and getting the MOT for the car, we left Chorlton-cum-Hardy at 8 pm, heading for Shrewsbury. After passing Northwich and Whitchurch, at 9.50 pm we set up camp near Wem, 4 miles off the A49. Must say it was not easy putting up the tent quickly by the car headlights. After some tea we got into our (sleeping) bags.
Notes: Chorlton-cum-Hardy (a suburb of the city of Manchester) - our home from 1977-mid 1980; Wem is a small market town in Shropshire

August 16 (Tue)

(MB 1977)

It was nice and dry and we left Wem at 9 am, reaching Shrewsbury half an hour later. This city looks a bit like Chester with black and white buildings. Leaving Shrewsbury we went on to Church Stretton. Here we spent four hours walking up The Long Mynd, coming down via a stream valley, and the Old Radnor Forest. The weather all along has been nice and cool. I must confess that my new walking shoes hurt a bit although M felt 'nothing'. After passing Ludlow, Leominster (cities again reminding one of Chester), and Kington we crossed the border into Wales (at 5.30 pm), and spent the night in Walton. By this time it was raining and even by the next morning it was still doing so. 

Notes: Shrewsbury, birthplace of Charles Darwin, is a beautiful Shropshire medieval market town lying on the River Severn; Church Stretton - another historic market town in Shropshire; The Long Mynd - part of the Shropshire Hills area of great natural beauty; Old Radnor Forest - a rock dome.

August 17 (Wed)

(CNB 1977)

The rain just fell and fell and by 2 pm we got fed up of being caved in the tent and got out for Kington, about 4 miles away. Here we walked up to Hergest Ridge along the Offa's Dyke path. There was rain, wind and mist but it was a wonderful experience walking amidst the bracken and watch the mist rising up. We only met three other people on the lonely ridge. At 4.30 pm we left and after packing headed for Rhayader to spend the night near Devil's Bridge. All along, the Mid Welsh countryside were beautiful - lowlands of grazing sheep and farms and uplands of heather. The camping ground which was owned by a farm was quite full, especially of families with
caravans. The wind was particularly strong.

(MB 1977)

Notes:
Kington is a market town in Herefordshire; Hergest Ridge - a large elongated hill which traverses the border between England and Wales; Offa's Dyke is an earth bank built around 1200 years ago and runs along/near the borders of England and Wales; Devil's Bridge or Pontafyrnach in Welsh is 'the bridge over the Mynach'.



August 18 (Thu)

(CNB 1977)

After breakfast we walked to Devil's Bridge, picking raspberries along the way. At DB we visited the tourist attraction there - the waterfalls, but it was far too 'touristic' for us. At 2 pm we left for Aberystwyth some 13 miles away. Aberystwyth proved a nice little seaside town with narrow streets and a very long promenade. It was quite a busy town with no doubt tourists welling up the 12,000 population. The sun was out but still it was a bit chilly.We left Aber for Fishguard, passing Aberaeron and Cardigan. The coast road enabled us to see Cardigan Bay and the Irish Sea.

On reaching Fishguard at 6.30 pm (after some very winding narrow streets!) we stopped by the harbour and saw what I thought was a sinking ship. Then we retraced the road to set up tent at Fishguard Bay. The wind was ever so strong and was keen to blow the tent away! But luckily there was no rain ...

Notes: Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea; Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire

August 19 (Fri)
I thought too soon, because just before morning there was rain which stopped only at about 9 am. Then we went on a two hour coast path walk. It was really splendid to see the little bays and steep cliffs. All the way there there were blackberries and heather galore! At one spot the yellow gorse and purple heather growing in between the rocks was a lovely sight to see. At the end of the walk we were quite near Fishguard town and from this point could see clearly what turned out to be a sunken Liberian cargo ship (I found out it was grounded in December but because of insurance problems, was still lying there to be recovered).

We left Fishguard at 2.30 pm and intending to spend the night in Brecon, we traveled through Haverfordwest, Carmathen, Llandeilo and Llandovery. But there was no camping ground in sight at Brecon (a market town) or Abergavenny or nearby Pontypool. In fact it was getting dark and the areas around were not too inviting (Brynmawr and others looked like industrial ghost towns!) so we sped for Cardiff which by night almost reminded me of Paris. We stayed at the Balkan Hotel (Bed & Breakfast), draining 8 pounds sterling from our pockets. But the shower (and breakfast the next morning) did us some good because M was very tired.

To be continued ...

Forays in the UK 2

English Rhododendrons (CNB 1978)

My initial forays in the UK were as a student, but two years later I had a husband who also shared the same enthusiasm for exploring this territory. Mostly we drove all over, staying at campsites. But sometimes we stayed at the public inns that offered accomodation. And once or twice, when we really had to, we slept in the car!

Summertime was the best time of course, the English/UK weather being what it is. The campsites had more occupants and the motorways more vehicles. And even at 10 pm, it was still light outside. We thoroughly enjoyed our summertime forays, especially into the English countryside. (Sometimes friends joined us on our road trips).

The rhododendrons of Wythenshawe Park, South Manchester
(MB 1978)

With Angeles & family at Wythenshawe Park (MB 1978)

Wythenshawe Park (MB 1978)

Another view of the Park (CNB 1978)

In summer, the roads in the UK will see many motorhomes going about in search of good camping grounds to stop at. M and I had to be content with our car and tent for two! It was fun and okay because the grounds offered conveniences. When we felt a bit rich we stayed at the 'Bed & Breakfast' inns. I think we covered pretty much the whole of England and Wales and a bit of Scotland. We even managed to make it to Devon and Cornwall, and the 'end' of England, Lands End.

In a camping ground in Mid Wales (MB 1977)

M sitting outside a country inn in the Peak District (CNB 1979)

M stripped down among the wild flowers of summer (CNB 1979)

Basking under the English sun (MB 1979)

M contemplating in Castleton (CNB 1979)

M & our friend Rasool in the English countryside (CNB 1979)

We came upon these Morris dancers on one of our road trips
(CNB 1979)

M contemplates Shakespeare's Hamlet (CNB 1978)

At the Greyhound Inn, Hackforth (MB 1978)

Torquay (CNB 1979)

1977-1980

My Wales

In August 1975, the British Council enabled me and a group of other foreign students to visit Wales, which I found quite interestimg, especially the Welsh language. It is so, so different from the English language. And how is this for the longest name in the world? Care or even dare to pronounce it?

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch

The English translation for this town in Northern Wales is 'The Church of Saint Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by Saint Tysilio's of the red cave', quite a mouthful.

At the town with the longest name (1975)

We had the opportunity to visit quite a few towns/cities other than Cardiff  the capital, Aberystwyth and the above town with the longest name ever. There were also a couple of castles thrown in including Caernarfon Castle.

At Caenarfon Castle (1975)

Ffestiniog Railway ran from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog. It is Wales' narrow gauge heritage railway. We did not take the train but had a chance to see it up close.

The Ffestiniog Railway train (1975)

We were at the crossroads in Wales. Which way to go?

Before embarking on our trip to Porthmadog (1975)

We also visited the slate caverns at Llechwedd. At the gift shop I got a little slate paper weight with the Welsh dragon on one side and the day I visited on the other.

The Welsh dragon on my slate paper weight (CNB 1975)