Clevedon in the evening

Wednesday 19 August - Finally a summer day, balmy and sunny. We had a lovely barbecue for dinner than drove over to Clevedon to watch the sunset and the lights come on at the pier. It really felt like a proper visit to the beach with people swimming and boating and the sound of the waves lapping on the rocky shore.

Tea on the River Trail

Sunday 16 August - Took the bikes for a spin to along the Kennet Avon Canal to Beese's tea house. A Bristol, institution this restaurant is located right on the edge of the the canal. Ferry boats and canal boats often stop for a meal or a drink. We each had a yummy burger followed by tea and cake. Then we took a small ferry across the canal and biked back on the other side of the canal.

Upper Slaughter

We passed by a magnificent manor house on the way into Upper Slaughter as well as a butterfly bush swarmed with butterflies. We first visited the church here and picked up a bag of local apples for 50p. From the church we found the old school house, covered in flowers, still with an old metal bell on the exterior. Down the hill from the schoolhouse we met the river Eye again as it forded the road. Nearby was a house with an impressive number of dove holes in its facade. We walked along the river for a bit before coming upon another luxury hotel where we got directions for the footpath back to Lower Slaughter where we got in the car and made our way to Stow on the Wold. Where we did a quick tour of the town as the shops closed then went on to pass through Chipping Camden with a quick stop to see its wool market then on the M5 and back to Bristol.

Lower Slaughter

Perhaps unfortunately named, the slaughters really delivered the Cotswold charm that we were seeking. We parked in Lower Slaughters by the church, which was small but housed some lovely stained glass. The river passed nearby and we followed it a bit as it passed along a hotel. We spotted trout in the river which had impressively clear water that was moving quickly. We doubled back along the river passing charming stone cottages festooned with summer flowers. The river leads to the old mill fitted with an old fashioned wooden water wheel and a brick smoke stack. At the old mill we perused the shop which had gifts and garden supplies and the best strawberry ice cream I have ever had before walking up the road to Upper Slaughter.

Cotswolds revisited

Saturday 16 August - Another trip to the Cotswolds to visit some of the villages we previously passed by or through but didn't have time to visit. It was a bit of a rough start to the morning but we eventually got on the road, heading north to the Cotwolds. Our first stop was the busy town of Tetbury where we walked around the market and visited some of the shops. The place was chock-a-block with antiques shops and quite a few gardening shops as well. Back to the car and on to Bourton on the water. A charming village with a picturesque stream running through the village and delicate footbridges spanning it, however the place was heaving with tourists and it was difficult to enjoy the scenery or even to walk around. We stopped for a quick lunch of fish n' chips and a meander around the town then made our way to the Slaughters.

Clevedon Pier

Directly after watching the balloons we drove to Clevedon. A lovely little seaside village, famous for its picturesque pier. The pier was built in 1868 during a period of great seaside resort towns. We had our packed breakfast of coffee and pastry (bought at the baker in Weston S.M.) then walked along the beach to the pier. The pier doesn't open until ten so we walked around the town, visiting the high street with its shops and then walking along the poets walk to a lookout tower and on to an old church before looping back to the pier itself. The ornate supports makes the thick metal look delicate. At the end of the pier is a lovely pagoda style building where one can buy tea and cakes and sit out on the pier to enjoy the view. There are a number of benches at the end of the pier and benches line both sides of the length of the pier. While we were at the pier we got to watch the 1930's style ship the Balmoral, dock and launch from the pier. We relaxed for awhile in the sun on the pier than walked back to the beach before heading back to Bristol for lunch. (apologies for not using my own photos. My camera was disappointingly set to a wierd setting and all my images are washed out).

Below the Balloons

Sunday 9 August - Once again we forced ourselves to wake up early to see the balloons but it was definitely worth it. We drove to a different location in order to see the balloons from a new angle. We managed to fins a spot just below Ashton Court where we could see the Balloons inflating in the distance. We had an excellent view of the balloons lifting off and most of the balloons floated in our direction if not directly over us. A few balloons nearly landed just near the car before regaining height and moving on. It was the best viewing of the launch we have had.

Nightglow revisited

We had a bit of a rest after returning from Weston-Super-Mare than biked over to Ashton Court for the second and final nightglow. We got there in much better time and were able to get as close as possible to the balloons. We also stayed for the fireworks which were impressively synchronized to music.

Wonders of Weston-Super-Mare

We had heard a number of disparaging things about Weston-Super-Mare so we were not expecting to spend much time there after visiting the sand sculptures, however, we were very pleasantly surprised by the town. We walked along the beach where they have donkeys for rides and horses with train or fire engine style carts that run up and down the beach. A small "train" takes visitors from one end of the beach to the other along the promenade. There is a long pier but sadly it recently suffered a fire and is currently under renovation. We visited the bustling shopping area and were impressed by the butcher, baker and especially the greengrocer lined up in a row. We walked to the end of the beach where there is a marine lake. This was created to counter-act the fact that low tide draws the water hundreds of miles from the shore. The Marine lake is a small cove of damned up water which remains full at low tide and is refreshed at high tide. A clever path along the far edge of the lake makes it seem as if visitors are walking on the water. We had a lunch of fish and chips on the beach, then making our way back to the car we were stopped by a procession of people dressed and marching toward a recreation civil was battle on the beach. Hundreds of participants we costumed and equipped for the planned battle, it was an impressive sight. Just before leaving we wandered through the games area where all the rides and attractions are well maintained and of vintage decoration. We saw a lovely steam powered carousel spinning rather rapidly as well as old fashioned two person swings and a carousel featuring vintage cars. We tool a ride on one of the earliest fair ground rides, a steam yacht. Although it was powered by steam and did not seem too frightening it was an impressive ride. The only safety feature was that we had to hook our arms around the back of the benches to hold on as it swung back and forth lifting our feet off the ground, it was a fun, if slightly terrifying experience.

Sea Creatures in Sand

After breakfast we made our way to Weston-super-mare to see the sand creations at the Sand sculpture festival. The display was very impressive. There were a few free-standing sculptures: a man sitting, a donkey ride, a vw beetle and a castle. The main feature was a massive display of sealife. Leading intothe display was a recreation of the city seafront with buildings and the ferris wheel, set on a sea with boats and buoys bobbing in front. The display itself featured all manner of sea creatures from whales to sea turtles, walrus, seals, sharks, fish coral and even some swimmers and divers. It was fantastic the number of textures and effects that can be accomplished with sand. The sculptures were in the open air and we learned that the type of sand is crucial, because the sand used absorbs the rain without dissolving.

Balloons and Breakfast

Saturday 8 August - We watched the Friday evening Balloon launch which was quite a disappointment. Well over an hour late starting the launch only consisted of 17 widely spaced balloons. We decided to get up early on saturday morning and watch the 6 am launch. Per usual it was late starting but it was a n excellent launch, there was little wind so we saw lots of balloons grouped together. Afterwards we intended to go out for breakfast but England being England nothing was open till 9:30 at the earliest so we got some pastries at the grocery store and ate them at home.

Nightglow

Thursday 6 August - To open the 2009 International balloon Fiesta held at Ashton court, event organizers put on another of their infamous "nightglows". Although Ian and I watched a launch last year, the weather was so rubbish that we didn't see any of the nightglows but we made it to the opening one this year. It was a bit of a challenge to get there as the suspension bridge was closed even to pedestrians so we had to drive down to Ashton court and then walk a ways to get to the gate and then into the center of the grounds where the event was being held. We were 25 minutes late and sure that we had missed the display but in typical English fashion things were late starting and we made it just in time. It was an excellent display in which the Balloons lit up, using their flames, choreographed to music. It was beautiful to watch and a very unique event. There were fireworks after but it paled in comparison. It was a long trip home, first walking to the car and then driving the detour and then sitting in traffic, we didn't get home till midnight but we had a good evening.

Italian Garden, English Jazz

Sunday 2 August - After a very liesurely breakfast and some window shopping and Lunch in Bath Ian made our way to Iford Manor, near Bath and Just outside Bradford-on-Avon. The manor, which was originally medieval but revamped in the 18th century is built into a hill that sits along the Frome River. There is an impressive stone bridge surmounted by a statue of Minerva which one must cross to get to the Manor and its parking lot. The spot is best know for its Italianate gardens, deigned by Harold Ainsworth Peto beginning in 1899. There are a delightful tangle of paths which lead you through the gardens, each opening onto a new garden, architectural feature or vista. There are lots of sculptures, water features and columns sprinkled throughout the grounds as well as some more surprising features such as a larger than life size, seated, stone sumo wrestler which smiles down at visitors from a wooded hill. There is also a lovely oriental themed garden, a humorous statue of a dog enjoying a good scratch and of course the charming cloisters area where events like opera and classical concerts are held in the very intimate setting. Ian and I went to Iford to enjoy one of the three to tea performances. These take place on Sundays from 3 to 4 and feature local artists playing within the gardens. It was wonderful to hear some jazz in this unusual atmosphere and then stroll around the gardens. It was an excellent way to end the week

Fireworks at the Festival

Back home in Bristol we had a lovely dinner of moules frites accompanied by strawberry rhubarb crumble made from our recently purchased rhubarb, and then hurried down to the Harbor for the fireworks. This weekend Bristol was hosting its annual Harbor Festival which features musicians, dancers and performers from all over the country, performing in different locations around the harborside for free. We went last year and enjoyed the circus performances, some dancing and some music. There wasn't much to tempt us to venture into the crowds this year except the fireworks. A wonderful display, set to music and set among the cranes of the harborside and the masts of visiting tall ships, it was an excellent way to finish a great day.

Castles, crypts and coffins

Farleigh-Hungerford castle was quiet a different experience from that at Nunney. The castle is set apart from the nearest village and is a rolling expanse of ruins rather than the compact, well preserved castle we found at Nunney. However, there was an excellent audio guide that came with the entry, which explained the castles history and the rather intriguing actions of some of its residents. The castle was built by Sir Thomas Hungerford in the 14th century and was expanded upon by later generations. The castle is involved in stories of murder and imprisonment, as well as family battles over loyalty to the crown. The castle passed in and out of the Hungerford family a few times but was finally lost by a spendthrift descendent in the late 1600's. One of the best features was the chapel with magnificent tombs, in stone and marble, as well as wall paintings, some from the Victorian era and one massive figure of knight thought to be 600 years old. There was also a crypt with rare lead coffins including two for children. It was an excellent visit despite a downpour in the middle. We also took a nice walk along the river that runs by the castle before heading through Bath and back to Bristol.

Summer Fayre in Somerset

Saturday 1 August - Finally an outing to see some castles. we have driven by and seen the exterior of a number of castles, but I was determined that we should really see some and get more than a passing impression. With that goal in mind we made our way to the village of Nunney in Somerset. In the center of the town, surrounded by its own tiny moat is the picturesque Nunney Castle. It is a relatively small castle but "looks exactly how castes are supposed to look". It is French in style with the classic four towers and connecting curtain walls. It can be accessed by a bridge across the moat, however we were unable to get across as the area was roped off because of the Nunney Summer Fayre that was taking place. Despite the intermittent rain we had a great time wandering through the village and perusing the many stalls offering food, fudge, second-hand items, jewellery, plants and gifts. We picked up some fresh local rhubarb and a lovely and massive ceramic mixing bowl for a song. We watched the Morris dancers performing and enjoyed some freshly made doughnuts. We also visited the charming village church with its own second-hand sale and refreshments. We had a cup of tea and some sweets which we enjoyed in the pews before leaving the bunting bedecked town and heading for our next castle, Farleigh-Hungerford.