Blogs from Somerset, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 13

Today it’s the big journey from Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales down to Bath in Somerset – a trip of between 4 and 6 hours depending on traffic. We packed our bags and said our goodbyes to Lindsay and Anne of Park Hill B&B, we had stayed with them for 8 nights and they were fantastic hosts. The B&B is of an extremely good standard, there were lots of little extras and quirky things like the fridge upstairs with an honestly box. We couldn’t have been happier with our accommodations in Skipton. THE JOURNEY But it was off to battle the perils of UK traffic, we made it safely onto the M6 (major road on west side of country) three lanes each way so you would think traffic would flow, no such luck especially around Manchester, ... read more

Back home now, after nearly 10 months of travelling. Not much seems to have changed, which is strange. Last time I wrote this blog I had just arrived in Koh Samui. The next day I had a day to kill while I waited for Courts and Harri to arrive. I was staying in a town called Chaweng beach, which has got to be one of the most touristy places that I've been, I wasn't a fan, it was a real shame because it was an amazing beach. I hired out a laser dinghy and went for a sail that afternoon which was amazing as I hadn't sailed in nearly two years. The next morning I met up with Courts and Harri. It was really good to see them after 9 months, they haddn't changed. We just ... read more

Hi ya! In England that means hi or hello. Since Disneyland we went to Paris for two days. We went to the Eiffel Tower which was only 15 minutes walk from our hotel. I loved our hotel, our room was on the 18th floor and it was very fancy and it had a good view over the river and Paris. Journal Excerpt: I didn't think the Eiffel Tower was hollow inside until I got up close and I thought it was smaller than what it was in real life. While we were in Paris they had the finish of Le Tour De France. Australia won it! His name was Cadel Evans. I was lucky to be in Paris at the same time. We were at the Louve and the Arc De Triumph while they were racing. ... read more

Geo: 51.3814, -2.35745I can't believe I forgot to tell you about the Bath Abbey Tower! All the clotted cream I've beeneating must be clogging my brain! As I previously mentioned, tour buses from London really clog up the city, but as we were leaving our second tea yesterday, it was about 4:45 and the crowds were noticibly thinning. We decided to have a look in the Abbey....essentially a big church. We noticed a sign that said "Tower tours" and the last one was at 5pm. We bought our tickets and waited in the assigned area. Much to our surprise and delight, we were the only people who bought tickets! Our own private tour!What does the tour entail? Well, 212 steps up a very narrow circular stairway to see where they ring the church bells and the ... read more

The scenery from the train, as we speed across the southern English countryside is as one would expect. Rich green fields, in dispersed with rough looking regional towns. Rustic looking farm houses and terraced town homes compete for our attention. We arrive in the beautiful ancient town of Bath and here will stay at Belmont House, with Annie and Archie as our fabulous hosts. Belmont house is a traditional Georgian dwelling and very cosy. No sooner have we dropped our bags then we are out the door. Bath is one of those places that is truly tourism focused and it works well. One of the welcoming features is the free walking tours, organised by the local tourist board, both informative and fun. For several hours we stroll the streets and receive a detailed explanation of how ... read more