Jolly Old England

Some would say I’ve been very fortunate as far as travel goes, and I would have to agree. Mostly because of my jobs, I’ve visited forty-nine of the fifty states and all but two Canadian Provinces. My non-work wanderings have taken me to nine European countries and the continent of Australia. As you may have guessed by the title, one of my favorite places to visit is England.

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Tower Bridge

There are two reasons I enjoy visiting England. The first is that’s where my wife was born and lived before we were married, so visiting there means she gets to go home and I get to see some great people who have accepted me as part of their family. The second reason is there is so much to see and experience in a country that could fit in the state of Texas. Bustling cities, quaint country villages, seaports, and best of all, we almost speak the same language.

When I tell people I’m going to England, they immediately think of London. It’s the same as when I say I’m going to New York. A picture of New York City pops into everyone’s mind. True, London is always the first or last place we visit while in the country. The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Churchill’s War Room, The Clink, and so many more places to visit, we never run out of places to see and things to do. London rivals Broadway when it comes to stage plays and nightlife. But England isn’t just about London.

One year, we joined a coach tour and explored Devon, Cornwall, and Dorset, three counties in the country's South. We left London a little after eight in the morning, and in less than two hours, we were taking pictures of Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II passed away several days earlier, so the town and castle were resplendent in flowers and various tributes to the late monarch. As famous as the castle is, Windsor has another building that garners an equal amount of attention. It’s called The Crooked House. The building was constructed in 1687 and is the oldest tea house in England. I’ve seen it several times now and still wonder how it’s still standing.

The Crooked House 1687

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Windsor Castle

We spent just enough time in Windsor to see the sites and grab an early lunch, then it was back on the coach for a trip even further back in time to the Roman Baths in the town of Bath. Our hour-and-a-half ride gave us time to appreciate the English countryside while cruising along the motorway. Our tour guide explained a brief history of the baths as we approached the city.

The first structure on the site was a temple constructed from 60 to 70 A.D. Over the next three hundred years, the baths and several other buildings, along with wells and plumbing were constructed. I tried to imagine as I looked down from the balcony surrounding the pool what it would have been like swimming in the warm water heated by geothermal springs.

No one swims here today. The water contains deadly bacteria, but it’s still amazing to see the statues and the buildings as they have withstood the test of time.

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The Roman Bath

We departed Bath for a brief ride to Bristol. This would be our home base for the next couple of days.

On our second day, we traveled to Brixham, an old seafaring town where we were fortunate enough to see a replica of the Golden Hind, Sir Francis Drake’s Ship. I say fortunate because the ship is sailed from location to location so everyone can visit it.

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The Golden Hind

While we walked around town, we found this guy waiting for his order of fish and chips.

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Over the next few days, we visited a Middle Ages, farmhouse and pubs, cathedrals all constructed in the fifteen hundreds, and manor houses of the once rich and powerful. One stop was Plymouth. Many Americans have visited Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, but how many of us have seen the original stairs the Pilgrims walked down to board the Mayflower? I have now seen both ends of their journey.

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Plymouth Harbor steps to the Mayflower.

Of course, no trip to the south of England would be complete without a visit to Stonehenge. This was my second trip to this fabled structure, and it still fascinates me. The effort it took to transport these massive blocks of stone from a quarry twenty-five miles away and then stack them on top of each other is mind-boggling. To this day, people still ponder its true purpose. Was it a massive calendar, a temple, or something completely different? We may never know.

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Stonehenge

Our tour finished where it began, in London. I’ve left out so many places we visited and sites we enjoyed, but this would last much longer than anyone would want to read. My suggestion is to see all that England has to offer for yourselves. I’ve attached a couple more pictures showing some people I met along the way.

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Beefeater

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Ghost Busters

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