(See previous post for full travel recap)
We landed in England and rented a car to make our way to Port Isaac. First we stopped in a town along the ocean to grab some fish and chips and walk along the beach. Then the plan was to go to Dartmoor National Forest and do a bit of hiking and sight seeing before ending at the hotel. We hit a snag, however, when our rental car got a flat tire (it’s difficult driving on the other side of the road). With the help of a very kind man, we ended up getting towed to Port Isaac.
So although we didn’t end up hiking, we did get to see some lovely sights and we made it to our hotel safely. And of course I have a more interesting story to tell now.
The next morning we had an English breakfast and then walked around Port Isaac a bit while trying to figure out what would happen next with ourselves and the car. We didn’t have a spare tire and no one was able to come out and replace the tire as it was some special kind of thing and they wanted to tow us farther away from our next destination. After hours of being on the phone, Lydia was able to get a final answer. We ended up getting towed to another city and switching out rental cars.
It took us a good part of the day to get the car situation solved so we only ended up going to Glastonbury Abbey before our next stop in Broad Chalke. The abbey was AMAZING, however, and made up for the car trouble. The abbey is comprised of ruins, acres of open space with trails, green grass, flowers, and old trees, an old kitchen, two ponds, and the supposed burial site of King Arthur. I would love to go back there one day. We got there as the sun was setting, which made it perfect. There weren’t many people there either, making it even better.
We made it to our hotel in Broad Chalke later that evening and wandered around the town the next morning. There were plenty of thatched roofs and gorgeous gardens. Each home has its own name there, names like Rose Cottage or Little London. I found them fun and interesting and figured it would be awesome if Gene and I named our house. Now to think of a great name.
After leaving the hotel we visited the Salsibury cathedral and then Stonehenge. Both were fantastic. The cathedral houses the best copy of the Magna Carta (there are only 4 left of the original 40 or so copies). And Stonehenge is a place I’ve always wanted to see so cross that off my list. We then took a train to London and spent the remainder of our time there.
London was busy, non-stop, and expensive. We had fun and saved money by visiting the museums (which are free) and buying groceries to eat at our hotel (dorm rooms converted to a hotel in the summer). We went to the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone. We went to the National Gallery and saw works from Van Gogh and Monet. We walked around the Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. We took a tour of the Tower of London and saw Tower Bridge. We went to Greenwich and stood on the Greenwich line. But probably my favorite part of London was the theater shows we saw. I ended up seeing three plays, two comedies and one drama. What a life it is to see three plays in one week.
Spending two weeks in Europe was amazing and wonderful. We did so many things that it’s hard for me to remember them all. I am so grateful I was able to go to England for the first time and to revisit France. It was a great trip. So great that I think I’m good on vacations for a good year. It’s staycations for me for a while.
Just Lauren 