Day 1 UK

We leave for our 6 day England tour at 8am, from our hotel in Hammersmith.
Our driver is Lee Williams ( hard to forget that name) and the guide Hugh Davies.
The tour group of 47 is very multicultural, with 6 different nationalities represented.

We travel from west London to east London, passing Hyde Park, Harrods, Parliament sq, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and along the Thames river. We pass construction of the 2012 Olympic game site with various stadiums in the process of being built.
As we travel the 2 hrs to Cambridge, Greg and I are trying hard to stay awake, and fail. The countryside is undulating land made up of cereal crops. We stop for a Cornish Cream Tea - tea and scones with clotted cream which has a 60% fat content. Yum.
Cambridge in the 12 & 13 th century was an important centre for theology and education, and many famous scholars have been educated in the walls of Cambridge, Queens and Kings university. We check out the quaint shops, churches bridges ( silver and mathematical bridge) and punts. St Botolphs Church is the saint for travelers, so we pop in for a blessing.



Back on the coach we head for York, a city that was originally settled in 71AD, by the Romans,and then the Vikings. We pass rich fertile farming land, coal fields, Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood country and Grathman where Margaret Thatcher was born.
There is sadly no roman or Viking remains or buildings left in York. Although a city defense wall has been partially returned it's former glory.
York Minster, is a stunning cathedral that took 252 yrs to build, and was completed in 1472. It is suffering from lack of funds to restore it to it's original glory.



York is also well known for it's Railway Museum, chocolate and sweet production.

The tour guide, Hugh is a typical englishman, it makes me chuckle just looking at him. When he takes us on our walking tours, he dons his taupe coloured trench coat, long black umbrella, and leather suitcase. He raises the umbrella high so we know at all times we he is....I feel like I am part of a movie. All he needs is his bowler hat.
We arrive at our Leeds Hotel at 6:15 and dinner at 7:15.

Love Leanne and Greg xxxx


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Location:Leeds