It's raining. It's raining, again.
Okay. So this is what you expect when you come to England, and of course you just get out and do something anyway. Except it's wet. And dull. And grey. And slippery.
*wrinkles nose* Ahem. On to plans for the (hopefully) sunny future: I'm thinking about travelling by bus to Edinburgh on the 13th or 14th, staying a couple of nights in Stirling at Willy Wallace Backpackers (recommended by Joy), then going on through Glasgow to Skye. There, I'll do a tour of the Isle of Lewis and go castle-hunting, then get on the train to Inverness on the 17th, spend a couple more nights to look around, take the bus to Newcastle (Durham, Alnwick Castle), then to Sheffield and a night in the YHA in Sherwood Forest. Then, back by bus to London.
Sounds good, don't you think? I'm a little worried that my budget will leave me, oh, about £5.00 a day for food. Hmmmmm... But then, how much is a can of baked beans?
Must get back to planning. Wish me luck!
Have just re-read, and realised that I haven't said anything about what I've been doing the last week. (*bursts out laughing* I've just flicked over to an ancient version of Robin of Sherwood on itv3, and it's filled with melodramatic, good-looking bandits with long hair and extremely close-fitting tights. Now they've got soldiers in full chain mail and helmets sprinting through the forest. Wow...)
Anyway, this week I've seen Kenilworth Castle and Birmingham, as well as Northampton itself. Kenilworth was fantastic: shrouded in mist, incredibly atmospheric, and almost deserted. There's something to be said for castle-hunting on dull days. :) Steven, partner of Linda, has given me a book called Lancaster and York: the Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir, the first part of which deals with 14th-century lord John of Gaunt. Kenilworth was his, two centuries after the first tower was raised there. The Great Hall dates from his time, and you can still see the fireplaces in the cavernous kitchens on the level below - there are carvings on the walls, carvings in the walls (graffiti from the 1700's), a spiral staircase up to the corner balcony. It's beautiful.
Okay. So this is what you expect when you come to England, and of course you just get out and do something anyway. Except it's wet. And dull. And grey. And slippery.
*wrinkles nose* Ahem. On to plans for the (hopefully) sunny future: I'm thinking about travelling by bus to Edinburgh on the 13th or 14th, staying a couple of nights in Stirling at Willy Wallace Backpackers (recommended by Joy), then going on through Glasgow to Skye. There, I'll do a tour of the Isle of Lewis and go castle-hunting, then get on the train to Inverness on the 17th, spend a couple more nights to look around, take the bus to Newcastle (Durham, Alnwick Castle), then to Sheffield and a night in the YHA in Sherwood Forest. Then, back by bus to London.
Sounds good, don't you think? I'm a little worried that my budget will leave me, oh, about £5.00 a day for food. Hmmmmm... But then, how much is a can of baked beans?
Must get back to planning. Wish me luck!
Have just re-read, and realised that I haven't said anything about what I've been doing the last week. (*bursts out laughing* I've just flicked over to an ancient version of Robin of Sherwood on itv3, and it's filled with melodramatic, good-looking bandits with long hair and extremely close-fitting tights. Now they've got soldiers in full chain mail and helmets sprinting through the forest. Wow...)
Anyway, this week I've seen Kenilworth Castle and Birmingham, as well as Northampton itself. Kenilworth was fantastic: shrouded in mist, incredibly atmospheric, and almost deserted. There's something to be said for castle-hunting on dull days. :) Steven, partner of Linda, has given me a book called Lancaster and York: the Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir, the first part of which deals with 14th-century lord John of Gaunt. Kenilworth was his, two centuries after the first tower was raised there. The Great Hall dates from his time, and you can still see the fireplaces in the cavernous kitchens on the level below - there are carvings on the walls, carvings in the walls (graffiti from the 1700's), a spiral staircase up to the corner balcony. It's beautiful.
Birmingham was better than I expected, obviously industrial but with some gorgeous buildings in the town centre. The art galleries in the museum alone was worth going for - and I was allowed to take pictures! Yes! :) Can't post them, but they're there.
This Robin Hood thing isn't half bad. Might be worth watching while I brainstorm.
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