Today‘s weather is forecast to be overcast again. I decide to head northeast to Landshut which is a town mentioned in my guidebook due to it’s colourfully painted buildings. At 1026 I catch the S6 to the Hauptbahnhof. There I buy another Bayern-ticket for the day. The train I had planned to catch is waiting, but it‘s for a different company and goes to Prague. I‘m not sure if my ticket applies, and I can find anyone to ask. To be safe, I decide to wait for the next train. In the meantime I walk through the area around the station. I find the museum area with some galleries and a large monument.

At 1124 I‘m back at the station and on the train to Passau. It will take me to Landshut, calling only at Freising and Moosburg. We arrive at Landshut at 1212. From the large station and 20th Century buildings around it, I start to wonder if I‘ve been led astray by my guidebook. I walk in the direction of the towncentre and things are not looking very colourful at all.

Then, after 20 min walking I come across the Altstadt and lots of colour! There is a massively wide street lined with all manner of colourful and cute shaped buildings as well as a very imposing church. On the hill there‘s also a castle. The small streets off the Main Street are also beautiful, hiding little gems. Being New Year‘s Day, there aren‘t many people around which makes it perfect for photography. There is a light drizzle of rain, but not enough to cause me problems.

I wander up and down and around the streets for a couple of hours before making my way back to the station.

I catch the 1448 train back to Munich. So far on this trip there have been very few people on the trains; this train is full and finding a seat is more challenging than usual.

Seeing the Larpool Viaduct inspired me to make a "small" diversion when I reached the end of the train line at Whitby. By this time it was around 1:30pm. My original plan for the day had been to spend the afternoon exploring Whitby, grab some dinner there and hopefully take advantage of the early evening light before catching the last bus back to Scarborough. But now I really wanted to find the viaduct and explore it a bit. At the time it seemed easy enough and shouldn't impact my overall plan.

On my map it appeared easy to get near where the viaduct was and I estimated it should only take 30-60min to get there. As I walked away from Whitby there were opportunities to take some snaps.

I managed to find the viaduct quite easily. It used to carry trains across the valley when the train line ran from Whitby to Scarborough. Now it's part of a bike and walking trail. 

On one side the river bends as it heads towards Whitby. 

On the other side I could see the train line that carried me earlier. I knew there was a walking trail on the river side of the track. I just needed to figure out how to get there! 

I found one walking track off the viaduct and weaving below. Totally unexpectedly, I came across this horse hitched to a tree with no one else in sight. At the end of the day I would see the same horse with rider as the bus turned into Robin Hood's Bay on the way back to Scarborough. 

I continued on my mission to get to the river side train track. My map app had some tracks marked on it so I had a strong feeling I was going to succeed. In the end it became clear my only option would be to walk to the nearest village Ruswarp where there was a crossing across the train line. 

So I walked. 

And walked. 

And walked. 

Before reaching the crossing and getting on the river side of the train track. 

Although it was a long and unplanned walk, it was lovely and I made sure I paced myself to enjoy the journey and not just anticipate the destination. 

Eventually I made it to the viaduct and it was worth it. 36m high, 279m long, 13 arches and 5,000,000 bricks, it was very impressive. 

From there I continued on the river track back to Whitby. I noticed the triangles of the roofs on the buildings on one side of the town as they cascaded down to the northern bank of the river. 

Captain Cook came from around this area so there are quite a few Captain Cook themed museums and buildings in Whitby. 

Whitby contains a number of streets preserved in time and thankfully devoid of parked traffic. I wandered around as I headed towards the famous abbey on the southern side of the river. 

Leading to the abbey are the famous 199 steps.  

At the top of the steps is St Mary's church and graveyard. It struck me that these stones were like the souls of the departed still looking down and keeping an eye on the inhabitants of the town below. I can't decide whether that's comforting or creepy. 

Next to the church are the ruins of Whitby Abey. These ruins date from the Benedictine abbey constructed around the 13th century. I hadn't been all that interested in exploring the abbey because it seemed quite decayed. But since I was there I decided to get a ticket and look around. 

The lush green grass was like a luxurious carpet connecting the ruins.

I was surprised at how substantial the abbey had been. 

By this time it was about 5:00pm. My original plan would have involved finding some dinner and then wandering around to do some photography in the late afternoon/early evening light. But I was exhausted. The extra walking to find Larpool Viaduct had not been in my plan and I'd used up my energy. The light was starting to look fantastic, beautifully lighting up the sides of the buildings but I couldn't bear the thought of wandering around for another hour taking pictures. I decided to listen to my body and head back earlier than planned.  

I caught the 5:43pm X93 bus back to Scarborough. On the way back the light on the fields and moors was better than I had seen so far, but I just couldn't get the camera out. I was done. I have one more day here tomorrow so I will probably try to hatch a better plan. 

Today was another one of those days that turned out quite different from the original plan. The day got off to a good start after a less noisy night and a better sleep. I went for the buckwheat pancakes and berry compote for breakfast and they were fantastic. As I enjoyed my breakfast I reflected on how it feels like I have been away for an eternity. That's a really nice feeling to have. And there's still just over a week to go! 

I also reflected on a funny trend I've noticed. The few times I've engaged in conversation with locals I've often remarked on how beautiful I think the UK is. The standard response has been along the lines of "yes, but you have better weather". Like they can't recognise what they have. When I respond that I'm not a fan of the hot weather they don't know what to say next. 

I headed off quite early. I needed to get to Pickering at one end of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. I briskly walked the 10min to the train station where the 128 bus to Pickering departed. I was there in plenty of time for the 9:10am bus. Pickering isn't that far if you travel direct but the bus did dart in and out of a few villages, something I was very happy with as it gave me more insight into the area. We passed through more green fields and villages with lovely stone cottages. The bus was a double decker and I decided to be brave and sit up top at the front. I say brave because last time I did that was in a bus from Windermere to Bowness last year and I really didn't enjoy the experience. But this time was OK and I got a great view. 

Pickering is a small town with a generally vintage feel. There was an open air market with a variety of things on sale, but nothing I was overly interested in. 

I headed straight away to the train station to get my bearings and secure a ticket. The station and surrounding areas purposely appear frozen in time, like this tea room. 

After wandering around Pickering for a little while I decided to head back to the station. My train was due to leave at 12:00pm and I got back there just as the 11:00am train was departing. 

The platform is decked out in 1930s style. Others on the line reflect other eras including the Goathland station which has been used for the Heartbeat TV series and first Harry Potter movie. 

I had some morning tea in the tea rooms at the station and bought a book from the gift shop while waiting for the train. Shortly after 12:00pm toots heralded the train as it rounded the bend into the station. 

This train was more substantial than those on the North Wales railways. The sound of the steam as the engine gained speed was so iconic. We even got a free fine layer of soot blown in through the windows.

The scenery along the line was quite varied. There were buildings dotted though the countryside and green fields. 

As well as stretches through the barren North Yorkshire Moors. 

This row of houses appeared out of nowhere with no evidence of other buildings to form a village. 

Part way along the trip I noticed a "passenger" hitch hiking on the outside of the window. He held on for quite some time, helped by the leisurely pace of the train. 

All up the journey took about 1.5hr. Towards the end the train went under the massive Larpool Viaduct. I wasn't able to get a great photo from the train but that led to the changes in the rest of the day. 

The hotel was about 15 min walk from the railway station. It was a bit of a struggle in places, but you never know from the map. The hotel looks lovely and the room will be perfect. It's compact but I have a lovely sea view from the bed. 

The weather was lovely and I immediately re-grouped to set off. It's wonderful to get the fresh excitement of exploring each time I arrive somewhere new.  

I headed towards the town centre and beach. This is the south beach and you can see the ruins of Scarborough Castle on the hill. 

In the opposite direction a series of bays fade into the distance. This is very similar to the view from my window. 

In the bay I noticed what looked like a sailing ship. Initially I was excited to see such a ship, but then I noticed it was moving awfully fast. When I zoomed in I realised it was actually a "pirate" motor boat doing short trips into the bay and back. 

Beneath a bridge walkway that connects parts of the foreshore I noticed that the pylons were home to a colony of gulls. 

The old town has narrow streets and lovely old buildings. 

I walked all around the harbour. This is the view looking back to the hotel. 

And this is the view looking back to the town centre. 

I continued walking around the cliffs on which the castle is perched. This leads to the north beach. 

Numerous residences and guest houses are perched at the top of the cliffs with a fantastic view of the bay. At this stage I noticed the clouds were starting to look quite dark. 

I made my way up to cliff to explore a little when the first drops of rain fell. This street is typical of so many with small guesthouses sitting side by side. 

The rain got heavier and before long it was pouring. Luckily I had come prepared with jacket and umbrella. It briefly stopped again, giving me an opportunity to devour a delicious cone of icecream on the foreshore before the rain returned heavier than ever. It was time to retreat to the hotel. 

It's coming up to 7:30pm now and the rain has passed. There's just puffy clouds, a little bit of light on the cliffs in the distance and the soft sound of waves. 

The forecast for today was rain. And that suited me perfectly. As usual, I've been setting myself a ruthless pace on my holiday. Today is roughly half way through and I'm exhausted! I needed a slow day to recharge and rain is good for making me slow down. 

For the first time I savoured breakfast and took my time. Only then did I realise how quickly I'd been trying to get through it on the other days. Last night I was too tired to write up my blog so I spent sometime sitting down in the lounge this morning writing up the entries. After that I was feeling quite sleepy so I decided to have a late morning nap - something I rarely do. I slept for nearly 2 hours! That's unlike me so I know I must have needed it.

When I awoke I could have happily stayed in the hotel but the weather outside was OK, grey but it wasn't raining. I had been doing some reading and had found something I wanted to explore. I've seen that there is a cable car going up to the Great Orme, the rocks/hill to the side of Llandudno. I'm not keen on cable cars at the best of times. But this morning I discovered that there is a cable tram that also goes up there. That sounded OK and fairly unstrenuous, so I decided to give it a go. 

The tram takes you up in two parts. Halfway there is a cable house and you change trams. 

At the top it was blowing a gale and lightly spitting of rain. It wasn't enough to get wet, but it was enough to wet my lens when I pointed towards it. All the same, I managed to get a few OK shots. It would be spectacular up here when the sun is out. 

On the side of one hill were hundreds of names and messages made out of stones. I liked the idea - a much less destructive and more transient way of leaving your mark. 

There was a cafe at the top which was a great refuge from the wind and ideal for coffee and some cake. 

There's a cemetery up there too. 

As well as masses of this yellow flower. Unfortunately, I didn't get close enough to be able to get a good shot. The best I could get was from the tram while it was moving. 

When it came time to come back down I made sure I secured prime seating position as determined on the way up.  

That was quite enough activity for the day. Tomorrow I'll be getting up early to attempt a steam train adventure, so I'm planning a very early night tonight. 

I chose Llandudno as a base for the Welsh part of my journey because it's central to the places I wanted to visit and seemed like a reasonable spot in its own right. 

The hotel is on the promenade overlooking the sea.  

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The sun was valiantly trying to peek out from the clouds so I went for a quick stroll around town. There were some people on the pier but I imagine it would get much busier here on the weekends in summer. 

It provided great views back to the beach and coast. And it was a great spot to pause for a drink.

Llandudno is sort of on a peninsula and it's possible to walk to the other side. Along the way I could see the houses perched on the side of the mountainous part at the end of the peninsula. 

The view on the other side of the peninsula is just as beautiful.

All of the official signage here is in Welsh and English. At the station, the train announcements were made in Welsh first and then English. 

My hotel room is a sea view room. Unfortunately they're doing some major extension work requiring scaffolding at the front of the building, but that doesn't prevent me from still getting a clear view of the sea as you can tell from this picture. 

Tonight I will read through all the pamphlets I have accumulated to plan my activities over the next few days. I'm looking forward to exploring. 

It's not my intention to spend too much time in Oxford. I'm more interested in venturing back into the Cotswolds. So after my arrival it was this afternoon's task to see what I could.

First task was to check in. The hotel used to be the Oxford prison.

My room is in the annexe which is nice and bright. 

My room is top right. 

Opposite is the main part of the hotel. I'm glad I'm not over there - they don't appear to have much in the way of natural light.  I'm sure they'd be nice in side though.

Then I headed out with my camera. Early in my walk I came across a canal/stream with a long line of barges docked. 

They appear to be permanent residences - with postal services! 

From there I wandered into a part of the city that appeared to be residential. This building caught my eye with it's bright red window frames.

Of course there were the obligatory tudor buildings too. 

Soon I was in amongst the university part of the city. 

I popped into the Divinity School to admire the architecture.

While wandering I happened to look up and noticed people looking from a vantage point at the top of one of the buildings - a tower! I had planned to wrap up my walk but instead I sought out the tower with renewed vigour. It belonged to St Mary's Church. The steps are probably the narrowest I've encountered so far.  I'm surprised they didn't ask me to sign some kind of waiver.

But the views were worth it. 

On one side I could hear a violin. This guy was patiently performing down below. 

After the tower it was definitely time to get back to the hotel. However, my journey was abruptly interupted when I stumbled across a crew filming. By the clothes it looked like it was set in the late 50s or 60s. After witnessing a short scene I continued on.

All around Oxford there are bikes "parked" against buildings. I hoped the owner of the owner of this one was a doctor. 

As I approached the hotel I noticed one last building. The angles of the building below the spire appealed to me for some reason. 

Time to start planning my days of walking and exploring further into the Cotswolds. 

I slept solidly again last night apart from waking up around 3:30am. Actually, the waking up is a good sign because that's what I tend to do at home - so I must be adjusting well. Actually I haven't experienced any jet lag to speak of at all. 

After another good breakfast and some planning I headed back to the station. The weather was grey with some blue patches. I think it had rained again overnight. 

My first destination was a little town called Rye. I've seen some photos and thought it would be a quaint place to visit. 

On arrival I was treated by yet another city gate. 

I wandered around the narrow streets with many Elizabethan and medieval buildings before reaching Mermaid Street which is by far the most picturesque. 

After some morning tea in a tiny tea room I headed to the main church which was advertising climbs to their tower. 

The stairs to the top were definitely the steepest and most narrow I have ever experienced. At one stage I could only proceed by walking side ways with my camera bag in front of me. Luckily the views were worth it. 

It was incredibly gusty at the top. I wondered how these birds could be so calmly perched in that weather. 

After the tower I made my way back to the train station past the river. The tide was out, which seems to be a recurring theme for me.  But it did make me giggle at the sign. 

I only had a short wait at the station before my next train to Hastings. 

After falling into bed before 6:30 I slept well and quite solidly for nearly 11 hours. I awoke feeling only a little tired and certainly without any signs of jet lag and was up by 6:00 to head down to breakfast early. It was drizzling a little outside, grey and cold but I had an inkling it would improve.

After a nourishing breakfast I got myself ready to head out on my first adventure. The walk to the station took about 1/2 hour and along the way I adjusted to the realisation that I was back here again and it felt so nice. The rain had stopped but it was still grey and cold - but I didn't mind at all.

First destination was going to be Canterbury. I caught the 9:30 train to Canterbury West. On the way there we passed green fields interspersed with undulations and woods. I would discover that this is typical of the Kent countryside. Upon my arrival I headed to the centre of the town through a city gate.

The cathedral is huge. I thought York Minster from last year was big, but Canterbury feels much more cavernous and has extensive grounds around it. 

The pulpit was rather ornate. 

As you'd expect, there was stained glass everywhere. Some of the most intricate I have seen. 

Along with incredibly detailed ceilings. 

After wandering through each part of the interior, I explored the grounds. The wisterias are out at the moment.

I thought these lights were interesting. 

After buying a beautiful book on song birds, I made my way through the town to Canterbury East station, stopping for some lunch along the way. 

For some reason, this house caught my eye.

Finally, just before the station, I came across a wheel anchored to the wall. No idea why. 

After a 1/2 hour wait at the train station I boarded the train to my next destination - Dover. 

One of the reasons for staying in apartments during some of this trip was so I could do some washing. Last night I put on a load. By the time I went to bed it was still going. I went to bed anyway, thinking it would finish soon. This was about 9:00pm. I was tired and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke around 1:00am the washing machine was still going!  I reckon it got itself stuck in some kind of loop. I tried changing the cycle to drain the machine but it just kept filling itself up. So I turned the water inlet tap off. Finally, the machine drained. I was able to spin the load but I couldn't get the drier to work. I went back to bed to leave it for the morning. This morning I tried again with no success. I was going to have to dry the clothes in the room. I was worried that might take a while so I cranked up the heating. 

I wanted to visit York Minster today, so after messing with the washing machine and having my breakfast I headed out. I intended to be there ready for opening time at 9:00am. 

In the early morning I was able to walk through the city. I discovered a number of narrow streets lined with quaint shops in varying styles, some dating back to the 1400s. With hardly anyone around, it should have been the perfect time for pictures but the light wasn't very helpful. I took better pictures when I came back later in the day. 

There are lots of sweet shops. 

When I got to York Minster it was hard not to be impressed by the grandeur. It was equally hard to fit into one photograph! As I marvelled at the size I reflected on how much more imposing it would have been in the 1400s when it was finished and the buildings around it would still have been small. 

As impressive as the scale of the building is, the architecture has an unsettling side to it. I couldn't help seeing the structure as an instrument of power and control over the people. 

Inside was equally as impressive. Again, it was difficult to capture the scale in a single picture and what should be the most cavernous part was inaccessible due to stage and seating being constructed for upcoming performances. Nonetheless, I managed to see most of it. These are only a few of the shots I took. 

Beneath the Minster is a crypt with interesting artifacts including parts of earlier Roman buildings. 

It was possible to climb the 276 steps to the central tower, which of course I did. The steps were really narrow all the way up. 

Half way up we walked along the roof line. Check out those flying buttresses.  

The views were spectacular. 

In one direction I could zoom in to make out the silhouette of a massive power station on the horizon. 

I ended up spending a couple of hours in the Minster. Longer than I'd expected. Afterwards I walked back through the streets which were busier by now. There is an open air market, part food and part crafts. I bought a little print of a painting by a local artist. 

At some stage I needed to pick up tickets for my next train trip on Wednesday. I had purchase them in Australia but needed to pick them up from the station. I also need to reserve seats. Unfortunately, I accidentally left my credit card in the machine (more about that in another post).

I rang the apartment agency regarding the washing machine. They were understanding and are trying to get someone to look at it. They gave me some tips on how I might be able to get the load I've done dry and they're drying nicely now. It will be nice to have some clean clothes.

Around 2:30pm I made my way to the river to join a 45 min river cruise. It took us a little way along the river in each direction. The guide was very informative, but there wasn't an awful lot to see that I hadn't already seen on foot. 

I spent the remainder of the day wandering around, taking more photos. I won't post them here due to slow wifi. 

All things considered, it was a good day. Just a couple of bumps along the way. 

The places I visited yesterday were beautiful but I still felt that I had only scratched the surface of Cotswolds beauty. After all, I hadn't seen a proper thatched roof cottage yet! So today I decided to go even more off the beaten track. I picked up some good walking maps from Bourton-on-the-Water yesterday and planned a trip around a place called Chipping Campden.

First up I needed to catch the 801 bus again but this time all the way to Moreton-in-Marsh. I had to change buses at the train station. The signal box at the station was very cute. 

Next I caught the 22 bus to Chipping Campden. The bus wound through Bourton-on-the-Hill, Blockley and Broad Campden. All of them looked gorgeous but only Broad Campden was going to be easy enough for me to get to. By the way, I think the names of these places are just as beautiful as the places themselves. 

Chipping Campden was another large town, but with lots of very historic buildings in the honey coloured stone of the Cotswolds. I wandered around a bit, but it was very much a sense of more of the same as yesterday. And it was already busy with tourists. 

I was keen to get back to Broad Campden so I headed off down one of the walking paths. 

Broad Campden was exactly what I felt I had missed so far. Small, charming, no tourists ... and a good smattering of thatched cottages. 

I noticed this on the top of one of the thatches. 

All of the walking paths around the village led to beautiful views. 

On one edge of the village was a field with sheep grazing. It was great to be able to get up close. 

My original plan had me walking on to 2-3 other villages. But with this village I really felt that I'd seen what I'd been looking for, plus it was lunch time, plus I was getting a bit tired of walking. So I popped into the Bakers Arms for lunch. 

I had a delicious spiced parsnip soup with crusty roll. Coincidentally, the Bakers Arms was the local bus stop so I decided to stay there to wait for the bus to start the journey back. As with yesterday, connection times for the return trip weren't so good so it took a long time to get back to Cheltenham. This time I was able to take part of the trip by train (via Worcester) which gave me some time to research options for tomorrow's adventure.

I must admit, there were times today when I turned a corner and lost my breath at the beauty and surprise of the scene that appeared before me. Truly stunning. 

The reason for staying in Cheltenham was to use it as a base for exploring the Cotswolds. It's just outside the main Cotswolds area but very accessible. Though based on what I've learnt, next time I would/will stay in one of the small towns to get a more complete experience.

My original plan was also to drive but I've gone off that idea completely. The roads around here are as narrow as Cornwall. So this morning I checked out all the resources I could to plan an itinerary using local buses. It took a bit of jiggling but I came up with a plan that looked good on paper. But would it actually work?

First off I needed to make my way to the train station. Firstly to buy a Cotswolds Discoverer pass which would give me unlimited train and bus travel. And secondly to catch the 801 bus to Northleach. 

Northleach wasn't a final destination. I needed to change buses there. But it was still a good introduction to the feel of the Cotswolds.

From Northleach I caught the 855 bus to Bilbury. Getting off the bus I overhead a woman with an Australian accent asking where the bus stop for the return journey was. I took the opportunity of speaking with her to find that out for myself too.

Bilbury was prettier than Northleach, with a small river running through the centre. 

I wandered around town for a bit and then to the edge of town.

Not the kind of wildlife signs we're used to seeing in Australia.  

The bus back to Northleach and on to my next destination didn't leave until 1:17, so I decided it would make sense to have lunch. There were a couple of options, but the Swan Inn looked the best and was in view of the bus stop, just to be safe. Had a delicious pulled pork burger. 

Also at the Swan Inn was the Australian woman I had spoken to after getting off the bus. Our paths had crossed a bit while wandering around town and we had a chat while we waited for the bus. She is from Newcastle visiting her daughter and having a holiday at the same time. She gave me a good tip for something to see at my next destination. 

We caught the 855 bus back to Northleach and then waited for the 801 bus to Bourton-on-the-Water. This town had yet another feel. By the time I got there it was about 2:30 and it was packed with tourists. Still pretty though.

I had plenty of time before the final bus back to Cheltenham so I followed up the advice I'd been given which was to walk from Bourton-on-the-Water to Lower Slaughter. I know, the name sounds terrible but it's an old word for "miry place". The walk took me along a public walkway between the towns. I bought some maps with these walkways and am considering doing a bit more walking tomorrow. They're really good paths and it's a great way to get off the beaten track. 

And Lower Slaughter was delightful. 

All in all, the day was a bit like stepping back in time. The towns and villages feel like they have barely changed. Only the road signs and occasional modern conveniences remind you that it's 2016.  

The bus back to Cheltenham left Bourton-on-the-Water at 5:10. By now my feet were killing me. It was nice to sit on the bus for a while. The journey took about an hour and a half. I managed to catch some more shots of the scenery on the way back. 

Time for a shower, a drink and some bangers and mash in the bar. 

The hotel I'm staying in was first opened in 1838. It's quite grand and it will be a great base for my exploration of the Cotswolds.  

The room overlooks a park. 

The hotel has an impressive central staircase. 

By the time I had regroued and was ready to explore the wet weather had arrived. I waited in the lobby for the first shower to pass before heading out. Cheltenham is a lovely looking city with lots of Georgian buildings. It was too dark and wet to get pictures today but I will at some stage. After wandering a little and stopping for a coffee the rain looked set in so I decided to return to the warmth of the hotel for the evening. 

It was odd sleeping in a single bed last night. It's been along time. But this guest house is very comfortable and it was lovely to have a home style breakfast this morning. 

I managed to get out by 8:30am which gave me plenty of time to get on the 9:10am train to Penzance. As I walked to the station I heard the bird call from Kate Bush's album Aerial. It was note perfect! 

I bought the 1 day Ride Cornwall ticket which allowed me to travel on as many trains and busses in Cornwall as I like in 24h for £10. I definitely got my money's worth today.

As I was waiting for the train I couldn't help notice all the locals in their t-shirts and shorts while I was rugged up in jeans, t-shirt, jumper and jacket. 

The journey down there took about 2.5h but was full of interesting and beautiful scenery. These rows upon rows of houses as we left Plymouth were so striking. 

Then it was into the open countryside dotted with towns and rivers.

This scene caught my attention with multiple generations of industry. 

And of course we passed many stations. 

Then more rivers and inlets. 

When we reached Penzance it was clear that the tide was out. 

I wandered around. It's quite a grey looking town but you can just feel the history of it. 

The weather was very blustery and there were numerous flocks of seagulls circling around. 

I stopped at a little caravan cafe on the foreshore for a ginger beer scone with lime curd and coffee. 

After wandering around some more I made it back to the train station to catch the train back to St Erth. From there I took a short train trip to St Ives.  

As the train came around the corner and St Ives came in to view my breath was a little taken away. It looks so pretty even with the tide out. I can't imagine what it looks like when the tide is in. 

All around St Ives are some very un-English-y sandy beaches. 

I wandered along the promenade. There were so many people out and about. Must get crazy here in summer. I stopped for a Cornish pasty (naturally) which I devoured looking out to sea. This guy was hoping for a bit but it was too good to share. 

I finished off by wandering through the back streets and checking out some of the many galleries. 

By the time I got back to Plymouth it was dinner time so I regrouped and headed out to the area where most of the restaurants are. I'm not so good at solo dining but I was determined to get out there and overcome my fears. Good news is I had a great meal and nobody died. 

I was up early this morning to take photos of Gemla Stan in more even light and with fewer people. It ended up being quite deserted. I think the images have an eerie feeling.

Today's adventure was a day trip to Bath. First I had to work out how best to get there. I finished up catching two trains on the tube to Paddington station and then a conventional train to Bath. I was quite proud of myself that I managed all the connections without a hitch. I really want to go by train so I could see some if the countryside and also practice my train photography techniques for Europe. Along the way to Bath there were some gorgeous towns, often where every house looked identical, as if the entire town had been allocated only one house design.

Bath itself was very beautiful. I hadn't realised it would be so hilly and one if my first sights was the rows of houses in layers on the elevated ground in the distance. The majority of buildings had a sandstone appearance which creates an unusual uniformity even with varying architecture. There was also a mix of winding streets and little alley ways to explore.

Naturally I had to do at least one touristy thing and visit the Roman baths.

Somewhere along the line I popped into the Pig and Fiddle for a quick refreshment.

The river Avon flows through the middle of the town and there was an assortment of boats and barges along it.

By the way, although this post is titled "slow train to bath" that has nothing to do with the speed if the train. As I wandered around the town I suddenly realised that I'd reduced my usual manic walking pace to a very leisurely stroll ... without even trying. Felt nice to slow down.

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