Vacation '98
Wed Jun 17
Arrived in New York City on the red-eye.
Visited Meridian Machinery
and drove the length of Flatbush Avenue to visit the
Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Thu Jun 18
Concorde
Its like you get on the plane in New York in the morning,
you have a long fabulous lunch,
and you get off in London in the evening.
Fri Jun 19
We stayed in London at Harrington Hall in Knightsbridge.
We went to the Bermondsey antique market first thing
in the morning. On the way back into the city we toured the
WWII light cruiser HMS Belfast.
After lunch we walked to St. Paul's.
Sat Jun 20
Went to Harrod's in the morning and then took the train to
Manchester.
Sun Jun 21
Attended the 50th anniversary of the
SSEM,
the first stored-program electronic computer,
also known as the Baby.
Our friend Chris Burton headed the project to recreate it
and successfully reran the first program 50 years later to the minute.
Mon Jun 22
Chester
We visited the old walled city, walked the wall
and ate lunch in an old pub.
Errdig
This house features the lives of the servants as well
as the family.
Sychnant Pass Hotel
We stayed here three nights, its run by a couple;
he runs the front of the house and she prepares the meals.
Ate dinner there every night, the food was excellent.
Our trusty Renault mini-mini-van "Jacques" is on the far left.
Tue Jun 23
Bodnant
A huge estate and garden.
Conwy
This is the town we stayed near.
It is one of Edward's castles with a planned town.
We toured the castle and walked the remaining sections of wall.
Wed Jun 24
We went to the Isle of Anglesey and toured Plas Neuyd.
Beaumaris
Another of Edwards castles, this one is bigger and
very cool with a moat and passages within the walls.
Afterwards we drove to Mt. Snowden back on the mainland.
Thu Jun 25
Ffestiniog Railway
We took this narrow guage former mine train from Porthmadog on the ocean
to Ffestiniog and back.
Portmeirion
This is a wonderful Italianate folly village.
The TV show "The Prisoner" was filmed here, among others.
We stayed in
Upper Pilot house.
Fri Jun 26
On our way to visit Chris and Valerie we toured a working
slate mine (the one the railway served) with a fascinating
reconstruction of Victorian mining practices in the old
caverns, visited an old mill site where they still run old looms,
then walked around an aquaduct carrying a canal (with canal boats!)
across a valley.
Sat Jun 27
Snowshill
We stayed a week in Spring Cottage in Snowshill village in the Cotswolds,
right across the street from the manor.
Sun Jun 28
This was the big 4-garden day.
We visited 14 gardens all told while we were in the Cotswolds.
All of today's gardens were open on the National Garden Scheme.
I only saw two of them.
Mon Jun 29
Broadway
We toured Snowshill Manor, then went to nearby Broadway.
We had a relaxing drink at the ancient Lygon Arms, the oldest
part of it dates to the 16th century.
Tue Jun 30
Sudeley Castle
Three queens lived here starting with Catherine, Henry VIII's
last wife, after his death.
There are many lovely gardens, two in the ruins of the old
Banqueting Hall.
Wed Jul 01
Hidcote
We went back to this famous garden and spent the whole morning.
Kiftsgate
This is an interesting more modern garden, part of it on a
steep terraced slope.
Its also home to the enormous old Kiftsgate Rose, which
covers two trees.
Blockley
Joanne read about this "gastro-pub" in our area.
The food was fancy and quite good.
Thu Jul 02
Malvern
For my birthday we started by visiting this factory where
they make roadsters by hand.
Bredon Hill
After the obligatory garden visit to The Priory at Kemerton,
we stopped on the way back to hike Bredon Hill to old
fortifications and a much older hill fort, as well as
nice views of the valley and the Swan's Neck of the Avon river.
Fri Jul 03
Stow
We spent the morning antiquing here.
Sezincote
We toured the India-inspired Jacobean house and the gardens
with an extensive water feature.
Sat Jul 04
Rodmarton Manor
On our last day in the Cotswolds we visited Bibury, with an
old mill and row of cottages, then looked in at this wonderful
arts-and-crafts garden before heading back to London to
turn in Jacques at Heathrow and back to Harrington Hall.
Sun Jul 05
London
We spent four days in London.
We visited the Museum of London,
the British Museum,
had a picnic in Hyde Park,
shopped for art and antiques,
and went to shows ("Rent" and "The Phantom of the Opera")
Wed Jul 08
QE2
We spent 6 days on the crossing. The weather was fine except
for one day when it was rough enough Joanne had to take something.
There was plenty to do and, gaining an hour nearly every night,
we could stay up late if we wanted.
Mon Jul 13
We had our own table in the Coronia restaurant for every meal,
but sometimes we went to the Lido buffet near the stern.
On the last formal attire night (International Night) we had
our picture taken with Nelson, our sommellier and Karan, our waitress.
Tue Jul 14
Early this morning we came in to New York City.
Wed Jul 15
The Plaza
We stayed here two days in New York.
We shopped, visited galleries in Soho
and went to an organ concert and a show ("Art" with Alan Alda.)
Sat Jul 18
On Thursday we flew to Boise for Joanne's sister's wedding.
Denise and Dave's wedding
