Windsor Castle

The route:  from our Hotel (County Hall) =>
Tube to Paddington Station =>
Rail to Windsor Castle ....

The Tower, The Eye

The Tower of London and London from the Eye of London.....

Bristol to London

Arrived London by rail from Bristol. We stayed at the County Seat hotel on the south bank of the Thames.

Began site seeing. It was cold and grey.

We saw a Scot on the street.

We saw a blue chicken together with Lord Nelson who is turning over in his grave.

We toured Buckingham Palace, i.e.  the "Actual Buckingham Palace" because the queen is away in Balmoral (wherever that is) which mean us commoners have the run of the London palace. Well. not really, but the opulence was overwhelming. Too bad we couldn't take pictures.... :-(

Banbury, Croughton, Heyford

Today we drove a circle route through the Midlands returning to Bristol.

Thornbury (near Bristol) -> Banbury -> Chacombe -> Croughton -> Upper Heyford -> Thornbury

Banbury

Lived in Banbury in 1980.  Recognized the central square with its Banbury Cross.  Everything else seems to have changed.

Ride a cock house to Banbury Cross.

Chacombe

A country estate were we lived the first six months in England in 1980.

Croughton

A US Air Force communications station were I worked from 1979 to 1982.

Upper Heyford (RAF Upper Heyford)

Formerly on the front lines of the Cold War, the base reverted to British control after the end of the Soviet Union.  Today it provides low cost housing and serves as a business park.

Whitby to Bristol

Arrived Bristol after six hours navigating the maze of central England's motorways. We stayed at Thornbury Castle built in the 1500's as a home for the 3rd Duke of Buckingham who was beheaded by Henry VIII who then confiscated the castle for his personal use.  Henry and Anne Boleyn vacationed at the castle in 1535.

Thornbury Castle

Lake District to Whitby

Arrived at Whitby on the North Sea coast.

Whitby

Arrived Whitby after several hours drive from Lake District. Settled into the Marine hotel on the river  near the ocean. The hotel which is part of a pub is wonderful. This section of Whitby reminds me of the boardwalk at Ocean City, Md. 

Tomorrow we leave for Bristol. 

Whitby Abbey

The original Whitby Abbey was destroyed by Danish raiders during the late  8th century.

The ruins of today's Whitby Abbey are the second monastery on this site built in 1540 and ultimately destroyed by German battle cruisers during WW1.

Buttermere and Honister Pass

Buttermere - The 'Mere' of Meres....

Our only climb while in the lake district was just north of the town of Buttermere.

The red speck in the picture below is Irene's rain slicker...

The photo below is my favorite landscape view of the country side.  The lake is just north of Buttermere