http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Bothan Taistil/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Bothan Taistil en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:37:06 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:37:06 BST July 12 2008Galway Ireland The internet dongle is working What you might ask is a dongle It is a broadband connection that we purchased in England and sometimes it works and sometimes...NO. When it works.... we try to get emails and blogs going. The Internet Cafe system gets old... quick. So for a while this morning we are trying to catch up on news. Getting into Galway http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Galway/Galway/blog-300132.html July 10 2008Killarney to Cliffs of Moher to Doolin County Clare Ireland Leaving Killarney we begin out trek north to the Cliffs of Moher. The roads are again narrow and have either rock walls or hedges instead of a shoulder. There are signs everywhere Road Improvement funded by European Union...what was it like before Which brings us to Ireland's economy...which is quite good. Everyt http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Clare/Cliffs-of-Moher/blog-300122.html The Gap of DunloeKillarney National Park Ireland The Gap of Dunloe is our destination today and rather than take a tour we opted to bike to the Reen Pier and have the boat transport us and the bikes across the three lakes of Killarney the Lough Leane the Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake... to Lord Brandon's Cottage. As we stood on the pier waiting Ireland time is different from http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Kerry/Killarney/blog-298777.html July 5 2008 SaturdayLady's Island to Kllkenny IrelandTree Grove Caravan and Camping Park During the night there was a torrential rain and wind storm but we were safe and snug in our little cocoon. By morning there was sunshine so we took a walk to the beach and the Irish Sea. Today we are headed to Kilkenny and we started on a find road N25 and thought we would save time by taking http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Kilkenny/Kilkenny/blog-298502.html Pembrokeshire National Park to Fish Guard Ferry Wales to Rosslare to Lady's Island Ireland The drive from St. David's to Fish Guard was not a long one just tricky with the narrow country roads. What a wonderful surprise at the dock. We arrived early and the Stena Line Ferry Company was preparing decorations for the Fourth of July. They had flags and banners and even wore cowboy hats http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Wexford/blog-298498.html St. David's...Pembrokeshire National Park St. David's Head is forged of very old volcanic rock some of it dates back almost 500 million years The Pembrokeshire Coastal Trail is 186 miles we won't do all of that. After walking into town... St. David's 2miles we visited the town market sampled some homemade Welsh cakes Yum and went to the art exhibit. On to the Celtic Coaster Bus http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Saint-David-s/blog-298495.html July 2 2008 WednesdayBrecon to St. David's in Pembrokeshire National Park WalesLleithyr Meadow Caravan and Camping A40 is the road we followed toward Pembrokeshire however it changes to A487 and got a bit narrower and eventually close to the sea... it was a path with traffic. St. David's is a large village some say it is Wales' smallest city founded by the Welsh patron saint him http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Saint-David-s/blog-295284.html July 1 2008The Monmouthshire Brecon Canal footpathcycle path The Monmouth Brecon Canal footpathcycle path is just a few hundred yards from the campground so we are off on our bikes to Brecon. Brecon is a country town at the north edge of the central Beacons. Historically this canal was used to move coal today hikers bikers fisherman and recreational barges use it for transportation an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Brecon/blog-294084.html Brecon Beacons National Park Wales The bus came a little after eight am and we took it to Storey Arms and outdoor center and the trailhead. Before leaving we took a waypoint on the GPS. We have a guide and a map but this is all new to us. It is not a loop trail so it will require us to take the bus and hike the trail and then to find our way out of the park across some sheep fields http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Brecon/blog-294021.html June 29 2008Chepstow to Brecon Beacons Wales In Sedbury we are staying at a BB in the field behind the house. Today we joined in for an English Breakfast before leaving it was enjoyable. Sedbury is a short distance to Chepstow but Sedbury is in England... and Chepstow is in Wales. In Wales all of the signs are in two languages...Welsh and English. The Welsh language combines unli http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Brecon/blog-293860.html June 28 2008 SaturdayTrain from Chepstow to Cardiff The walk to Chepstow is about 112 miles so off we go to catch the train at 927. Cardiff is the official capital of Wales since 1955. From the train station we found our way to the Cardiff Castle. This fortress hides insides the vast walled yard and follows the original fort built by the Romans. Long after the Romans left the Norman http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Chepstow/blog-293853.html Minehead Somerset England to Chepstow Wales Today we enter Wales Up early we were trying to avoid traffic on A 39 but I think we both are finally beginning to get used to driving on the left and the need to go slow and wait for larger vehicles to go ahead. This is the way things are done here. The Cardiff area is very busy this weekendsome sort of auto race so we called the Inf http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Chepstow/blog-293270.html June 262008 ThursdayMinehead Somerset Exmoor NP EnglandExmoor Minehead Caravan Camping Park The bus is our way to the access the South West Path today we are going to do a loop trail out along the South West Trail to Burgundy Chapel and back to Minehead we are hiking on our own today. The bus was a bit late but we were prepared with lunches hiking poles GPS trail description and l http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Somerset/blog-293261.html June 24 2008Venton Woodland Springs Touring Park to Barnstable Woodland Spring Touring Park is close to the edge of Dartmoor NP exit. A short hike to Spinsters Rock was our first order of business. Spinsters Rock is a Neolithic remain from about 3500 years ago. Probably a Burial Ground and it would have had a mound long gone. In the mid 1800's the top of the rock fell off and was replace http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Somerset/blog-293048.html June 23 2008Okehampton to Dartmoor National Park England Up early to shop before we leave for our hike. I have learned shopping at Marks and Spenser is an expensive deal so we look for Tesco or Somerfield for food shopping. Dartmoor National Park is England's greatest expanse of wilderness some 365 square miles of raw granite and heathergrowth moor. The hike today meets at Shapley C http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Devon/Dartmoor/blog-292686.html June 21 2008City center of Cheltenham walk to Prestbury and a long walk around the Racecourse It is another rainy morning in England. So we are off to do some shopping and organizing. After lunch we thought we would walk to Prestbury the next village. We stopped at a local Pub and enjoyed the local ambiance. Then returned to walk around the huge racecourse its about a five mile walk. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/blog-292685.html June 20 2008Cheltenham to Bath and home We began today with a bus ride to Cheltenham rail station then took the train to Bristol and transferred to the train for Bath. At the Info Office Wednesday the gal told us about a free walking tour of Bath it begins at 1030 AM. So we were there with time to spare and visited the Bath Abbey before hand. Its construction was originally started as http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/blog-292683.html June 19 2008Cheltenham Racecourse Ready for our hike we took the bus to the town center and walked to another bus to go to Winchcomb. After boarding the bus we were inundated with hikers coming on ... with backpacks and hiking poles etc. Who are you folks and where are you going we had to ask. When we heard they were Ramblers... we felt at home. They explained all about the Ra http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/blog-292678.html SORRY ABOUT THE MISSING PHOTOS WE MISS PLACED THEM bOBJune 15 2008Dover to BladonBlack Horse Campground The drive on the highway from Dover to Bladon was straightforward however getting into the villages with the ever narrowing carriage ways was a bit of a sticky wicket With the steering wheel on the right and driving on the left side it leaves the passenger position vulnerable. W http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/blog-292677.html June 16 17 and 18 2008Bladon Chains to Oxford to Cheltenham RacecourseNOTE WE ARE NOW IN CHEPSTOW WALES We have problems a few photos so they maybe out of order Monday June 16 The only Winnebago Dealer in Europe Dudleys in Ducklington is our stop today. Chris our contact was most helpful and ready to fix the wounded Bothan. While work was being done on the vehicle we got a ride int http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/blog-292495.html