2003 Discovering Britain & Ireland – Day 21

I’LL BE HERE IN SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW - Dublin to Chester

Today we leave Ireland behind us and travel back across the Irish Sea. The sky is clear with just a touch of mist so let’s hope that it will be a good crossing.  This ferry is bigger than the first one that took us to Ireland!!!! Same story - drive on in the coach – get off the coach – go up the lifts to the decks – and by the time we do that the mist and fog are back so – nothing to do but have some lunch, a drink or two and some more shopping.  I am thoroughly demoralised with the lousy mists so no photos on this journey. We dock - go down the lifts – get into the coach and off we go. We land in Holyhead in North Wales and make our way through the Welsh countryside. Paul tells us that we are coming up on the place in Wales with the longest name – however we do not stop and therefore we don’t get off the coach – we just get to take a photo of the name – if we are lucky enough to be on the right side of the bus and have cameras in our hot little hands – which I am and do -

LLANFAIRPWLLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH.

Now of course everyone knows means – ‘St Mary’s Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near to the Rapid Whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave’.  You didn’t?  Well shame on you!  Am glad I have my Advantix camera so that I can take a landscape photo of that one.  Some people miss out but too bad we are on our way again. A few groans and grumbles.  We pass houses on little islands and I take photos just because I think they are nice.  Wouldn’t it be great to live on something like this?  

We arrive back in England at Chester – what a great place.  

Very Elizabethan with its Tudor Rows and split timber decorations.  Paul gives us a little tour in his very informative way and afterwards we are left to roam by ourselves. I once again take off to see as much as I can and take some more photos. There is a fabulous clock as part of the wall around the city – which is covered in tourists.

I try some Chester Cheese – and walk around the walls of Chester to see the Roman Amphitheatre and the sandstone Cathedral.

The town is packed – but down near the river it is nice and quiet.  We leave Chester City for our overnight hotel – Holiday Inn South. Right out of town in a quiet place so it’s no going back if you miss anything. From what I remember the hotel was nothing flash.  Dinner is provided tonight, unfortunately I cannot remember what it was. By this time I have stopped writing in my journal.  Bummer.  Why are we staying so far out of town?  Would have been nice to go for a walk this evening.

Highlight of the day: The buildings of Chester.