Summer 2023 UK Sites – Conwy

So apparently I’ve had this thing going on. Said “thing” was the post about my Scotland leg of last summer’s visit to the UK. I started it last fall and kept picking away at it. It never felt right – and I don’t think it’s my best – but a few days ago I decided the heck with it, I was going to finish and if it sucked then so be it.

And it’s as if someone pulled a cork. With that out of the way I have this urge to start talking about a few individual sites I visited, places which made an impression on me for one reason or another. Don’t worry – I visited 63 separate sites but only expect to post about a few. I’m going to start with one of the simpler ones, Conwy, mainly the castle but also a little about the town.

I used this image in an earlier post but it’s one of my favorites and I wanted a picture showing the entire castle. I took this while walking along the walls.

Wales in the 13th Century

Before I get to Conwy, a bit of background seems appropriate. Those of you familiar with the English conquest of Wales can skip this however I will be brief.

Basically, England had been having trouble with its Western neighbor for a long time. The Welsh liked to raid into the more fertile, wealthier English lands and just caused trouble. Various English monarchs had tried to do something about it. They established the Welsh March where nobles held lands bordering Wales in order to suppress them. Sometimes this worked, sometimes not, depending on the strength of the English. There were occasional treaties but these never changed the situation much. And yes, I’ve just condensed 250 years into one paragraph.

When Edward I became King of England he decided enough was enough. His father, Henry III had negotiated a treaty with the Welsh in 1267 but Edward didn’t care for it, invaded Wales and signed a new treaty ten years later. Within a few years this evidently wasn’t good enough and he set about on a full-scale invasion and conquest. His strategy was a new one. Once he entered Wales and took control of a section of territory, he built strongholds, towns , and settled nobles loyal to him to hold the area. This took a long time but by 1300 the conquest of Wales was largely complete. Sure there were uprisings and small-scale battles – and I believe Wales became independent for brief periods thereafter – but in general Wales became part of England from that point on.*

My impression – and I read on this maybe two decades ago so this as well as the previous paragraph is VERY generalized – is that Edward I succeeded where his predecessors had failed for two main reasons. One was persistence. This was a personal characteristic but Edward I has always come across to me as someone who, once he set his mind to something, pursued it relentlessly. He just did not accept that his vision of what should be wouldn’t eventually become reality. The second was his castle-building and the placing of armed forces in Wales.

An interesting contrast is sometimes drawn between Edward’s success in Wales and his failure in Scotland. One reason is certainly that Scotland was able to raise enough manpower to field actual armies and that during key battles English commanders, quite frankly, screwed up. But the other is that he did not build a bunch of castles in Scotland and settle his people there. The reason for that is simple – money. He had spent so much on his Welsh fortifications that the treasury just did not have the funds to pay for something similar in the North.

Conwy Castle

Initially I had thought about visiting several of the North Wales Castles – Caernarfon, Harlech, and Beaumaris – in addition to Conwy. A good chunk of what are often called Edward I’s Iron Ring of Castles. But the reality of having just so much time in the UK set in. In the end, Conwy was one of the easiest to reach by rail from Shrewsbury and it became my choice though I think Caernarfon could be an option for a future trip.

The building of Conwy Castle and the settlement of the town was part of Edward’s Welsh conquest. The site was designed to dominate and control the River Conwy, a major waterway, and the Conwy valley, located in Northwest Wales. Building began in 1283 and was completed by 1287. In addition to the castle, walls were built and a town established. The area had been settled before this however Edward expanded this by laying out a town grid pattern and enclosing a substantial area within defensive walls.

Conwy Castle dominated the landscape from the moment I got off the train. I set off in its direction, found it easily – and then wandered around for a decent amount of time before I found the entrance. There was some construction taking place so one obvious route was closed off but I finally saw where others were walking and made my way there.

The Castle was not hard to find. The way it dominates the landscape is impressive.

One of the interesting aspects of Conwy is that it does not have a gatehouse, just gates. I’d categorize the structure as mostly intact but it does not have a roof and hasn’t since the 17th century. There are three levels you can make your way around, mostly, though none of these are 100% complete. But it is well-maintained, has fences in various places for safety, and is compact.

West gate entrance from the West Barbican. This was a small area and I couldn’t step back far enough but there are towers on either side of the wall.

The overall impression I have of Conwy is that it is utilitarian. Yes, it is designed to be imposing and dominate the area, but it’s actually relatively small and compact. The castle has eight towers within a fairly condensed space. The various rooms and halls are much smaller than at Lincoln Castle or the Tower of London.

There’s a Conwy Castle floor plan at this site in case you want to have an idea where in the castle I’m talking about.

After passing through the West Gate the first area I reached was The Outer Ward. This is a fairly large open space where soldiers could train and people could move about. And obviously, in the event of an attack, it serves as the place where defenders move about into positions.

The Outer Ward, the largest open space within the walls.

Adjacent to the Outer Ward are several rooms including the Great and Lesser Halls and the Chapel. This was an area where I strongly felt Conwy’s more strictly military purpose. These rooms are substantially smaller than in Lincoln or Dover Castle or The Tower of London, the castles I had visited previously. I’m sure the people living there were comfortable but with Conwy, it was designed to be impressive from the outside. The inside was not meant to be an ostentatious show of wealth.

This is The Great Hall. You have to use your imagination a bit. The floor of the hall has fallen in revealing storerooms below. Think of this space as having an entire floor at the level of the doorway at the far end of the picture, or the raised area to the left. It is quite small compared with rooms of the same name in other castles I saw in the UK.

Beyond the Outer Ward and rooms is a smaller space, the Inner Ward. This included the King’s Hall and Chamber. Edward did visit Conwy in 1294 and was actually besieged there in 1295.

The Inner Ward, looking toward the East Barbican and entrance. The stones on the ground on the left mark the site of the granary.

The King’s Hall, located on the south side of the Inner Ward.

Beyond the Inner Ward is the East Gate passage and East Barbican.

Looking at the East Gate Passage from the East Barbican. This barbican is quite a bit larger than the one on the west which borders the river.

This is the space between the outer wall and the various rooms, halls, etc. It was wider than I expected.

The upper level doesn’t take all that long to walk, depending on how many towers you want to go up. I only climbed a couple.

Looking down into the Prison Tower. Interestingly this is right next to the Great Hall. I can’t imagine people were confined in here for very long. If they were it wouldn’t have been pleasant.

What I liked about Conwy, beyond the connection with history, is how easy it is to get a sense of. It is small, compact, but fairly complete. The various rooms are well-labeled. There isn’t a lot of wasted space. Master James of St. George designed a very functional stronghold, though I do wonder if there was some sort of design flaw. There are reports of leaking roofs and rotten timbers by the 1320’s though this may have been due to poor care and maintenance.

From a visitor perspective, I grew to appreciate the lack of a roof in a mostly intact building. In a complete castle such as Lincoln or Dover, I’d wander around inside, look at signs to various rooms, see fireplaces, etc., but I didn’t have much sense of where I actually was within the structure. Locations such as this or the Stuart Palace in Linlithgow allowed me to know where I was in the building and have a feel for the layout.

This picture is taken from the East Wall looking to the West. Immediately below this on the right is the Chapel and beyond it is the Inner Ward.

After I left the Castle I walked the Conwy Town Walls. I mainly walked four sets of UK walls; here, Lincoln Castle, and the York and Chester City Walls. There were bits and pieces elsewhere such as at Dover. Where Conwy was unique was in the texture of the stones which were rough and uneven, and in the slope.

There was a pretty good grade down to the river.

From outside the Walls.

This model was inside the castle. It shows the town layout including the walls. I am not sure how much of the walls along the river remain. I did not walk any of it there.

While in Conwy I also visited The Church of St. Mary and All Saints. It was located fairly close to the walls so I hopped off, visited it, then resumed my wall-walking.

I really enjoyed this visit. One reason Conwy Castle is so memorable for me is that it remains largely as it was during the Middle Ages. After Edward I it never received a great deal of attention and was derelict by the 17th century. Castles I had been in to that point, particularly Dover and Lincoln, had been in continuous use into the 20th century with, as you may expect, modifications over time. Another reason is that this is a place that exists for one purpose – military. It is compact, efficient, and has minimal wasted space. After having seen castles that doubled as Royal Residences, the utilitarian nature of Conwy was a sharp contrast.

References

*My two main sources for this include:

Davies, R.R., The Age of Conquest: Wales, 1063-1415, New York: Oxford University Press (1987). ISBN: 9-780198-201984

Prestwich, Michael Edward I, New Haven: Yale University Press (1997). ISBN: 9-780300-071573

 

Now for Kalamazoo

I was hoping to make Kalamazoo and the International Congress on Medieval Studies last year. Unfortunately I had a family event in New York scheduled for the same time. However I am registered and will be attending this year.

I have not been since 2015, my longest gap since I first went in 1999. The basic reason was work, at least through 2019. I had a new position beginning in 2014 – they called it a promotion but going by the paperwork-to-pay-raise ratio I’m not sure. With the new responsibilities I never got there and since COVID things have been a bit disjointed.

Based on the schedule it may look very different from when I last went. There are three days instead of five and it seems that the epicenter has moved from The Valley to West Campus. I have a Kalamazoo section of this blog but I’m not sure it’ll be much use any longer, other than the weather being uncertain – anywhere from snow flurries to heat is possible (and sometimes both in the same Congress).

My last couple of years attending I had thought about getting a hotel room rather than staying in the dorms. Leeds convinced me that this would be a mistake, at least for me. At Leeds I was staying in an airbnb downtown, about a mile from campus. When sessions ended I just walked back there. I had almost no socialization other than brief conversations following sessions. I am not a part of the Medieval Academic Community. I have no projects I’m working with people on, no real existing networks. When I have been at Kalamazoo in the past, by staying in the dorms I have made connections with people, drunk some free mediocre wine, gone out to dinner, etc.

So while I’d likely sleep better in a hotel, I will be on-campus. Even this will be different. The Valley dorms are still available (for one last year) but I’ll be staying in the Western Heights Residence Halls. This appears to be a bit of a communal living area. Individual rooms but a common area for about 15-20 people as well as shared bathrooms. None of this bothers me and it looks far more “plush” than the Valley Dorms which I have referred to as “camping with walls.” There may even be temperature control in the rooms!

Leeds vs Kalamazoo

I’ve had people ask me to offer my thoughts on comparing Leeds with Kalamazoo. This will be briefer than I initially thought it might because, quite frankly, I found them similar. Sessions were quite good and the format is largely similar though I do like the use of strands to offer thematically similar sessions – however you see that at Kalamazoo with, for example, Sessions I, II, and III of “Exploring Late Antiquity Frontiers” (not real sessions, I don’t think). The largest difference, as I mentioned, had to do with my accommodations and not staying at the Leeds Conference.

Leeds is a bit more compact though I suspect Kalamazoo will be this year. However going by my 2015 and earlier memory, Kalamazoo was much more spread out with sessions in the valley area as well as the Western section of campus. While there are shuttles this often involved a great deal of walking. Sessions in The Valley area were also subject to excessive heat during warm years. I had plenty of 3 p.m. sessions where I needed an extra caffeine boost to get through, even after windows went up. I didn’t notice this at Leeds though the weather was moderate enough that temperature control may not have been needed.

A big difference between the two is the amount of signage. I mentioned this in a previous post. You have to work pretty hard to get lost at Leeds. I was quite impressed by this. In Kalamazoo you sort of wander around a bit before finding your building though with smartphones and map apps this is likely less troublesome these days. Each building – I believe – also had complimentary coffee (and, I assume, tea).

Food was hit or miss. The main dining hall where I took evening meals had a very good selection. The midday meal was another story. The queue at the main dining hall was impossible unless, I assume, you were right next to it when it opened. There were various small cafes in other buildings. There the food was less dependable. I generally ended up with a pre-fab sandwich wrapped in plastic and a bag of chips (crisps).

I would certainly attend Leeds again if it happened to fit in my schedule. Absent some strange happenstance, like having free airline points I’d need to use or lose on a trip to England before the end of July some year, I’d be hesitant to pay the extra airfare. Certainly if it fit with one of my trips to Europe or the UK I’d be happy to. Though I’d stay on campus this time.

There is one significant difference which concerns me when it comes to Kalamazoo. My sense is that Leeds would get along fine if no Americans were there. Sure, it would lose some numbers and a few presenters, but it would soldier on. I don’t believe the reverse is true for Kalamazoo. At least when I attended it seemed as if international scholars made up a large portion of attendees and presenters. I’m not going to add numbers or anything but this is my impression. With travel budgets being slashed and an increase in remote/distance interactions it concerns me with Kalamazoo.

This may be a reason why Kalamazoo is now three days instead of five. I am hopeful that it is as rich of an experience as it has been in the past. I’ll report back on that after the Conference, as well as detailing how many books I leave with.

 

The Final Leg: Scotland and the Stuarts

Evidently when I say I’ll make a followup post in a few days, this is code for in a few months. I apologize for that. Once home I was busy and quite frankly, I don’t know a lot about the Stuarts who were the feature family for my last three days in the UK.

My stay in Stirling was different from the other three towns. I was in a lovely Airbnb but it was located on the outskirts of town, over a mile’s walk from the city center. So while I made my visits to various places, I did little in town once I was finished with that. Once I’d made my visits and got back I never felt up to walking the mile or so back to look for a pub or restaurant.

After leaving Lancashire I had a little time the first evening so I walked about a bit, including to a market. I was able to see the newer version of the Stirling Stone Bridge. The original which features so prominently in the Battle of Stirling Bridge was taken down and replaced by a 15th century version. It’s still stone and old. However this bridge is substantially wider than the one that existed in the 13th century if the accounts of the battle are at all accurate. Rather than only being able to ride horses two abreast I suspect you could fit five or six.

The Stirling Stone Bridge. I walked over this twice a day.

The following morning was Stirling Day. There wasn’t great signage from where I was staying but the Castle is impossible to miss from anyplace in town. So I set off in its general direction and eventually came across a track up Gowan Hill which was marked. It was a good hike but the hill had some pretty steep grades broken by more level sections so it wasn’t too bad overall. And by this time I’d spent a month walking about 10 miles a day, sometimes up hills, so the hike was not a problem. There was a sign off to the side (and straight up) giving directions to The Beheading Stone. I mulled over going that way, googled the stone and looked at some pictures, and thought better of it. I’ve seen rocks before.

I reached the Castle a little before opening and wandered around a bit. Stirling Castle gave me a different impression than most of the English castles I had seen. In England they tended to be tall, with, in most cases, towers and spires; projecting wealth, majesty and power. Stirling was different. It has a lower profile, is blocky and massive and seems to be a part of the earth. It dominates the Stirling landscape and the Forth valley and looks almost like an extension of the natural rock formation. I’m not sure how to accurately describe this impression.

Stirling Castle from about halfway up the path.

I took several pictures to show the way the castle dominated the Forth Valley. My Airbnb was located in the cluster of houses at the far right towards the top of the picture.

There are a couple of interesting features inside the castle, some medieval and some not. There was a fair amount of emphasis placed on the Stirling Heads. These are round wooden carvings created around 1540 under James V. The subjects of the carvings range from important contemporary and historical figures to mythological. They were also fascinated by unicorns.

Within the castle are various displays and exhibits so you can see, for example, the Queen’s Hall, the King’s Hall, waiting rooms, etc.

This is the Queen Anne Gardens on the south side of the castle. They were not actually built by Queen Anne but took her name. They date from the 17th century.

Wooden head depicting one of the Seven Labors of Hercules, battling the serpent.

Following Stirling Castle I went to the Church of the Holy Rude. Yes, this is the name, people think I’m joking when I say it. The name stems from The Holy Rood, the True Cross. The first Church on this site was built in the 12th century but it burned down. The present structure dates from the 15th.

View of the Church from the Castle. The cemetery must have some notable people buried there as tours were taking place as I walked over.

Consecration Cross from the Church of the Holy Rude. These note locations within a church where the Bishop anointed it during consecration. I thought I’d show something besides another nave.

The next day I visited Edinburgh – pronounced Edin-borough for ignorant Americans like I was before this trip. The first thing you see on exiting the train station is The Scott Monument, in honor of Sir Walter Scott. I wandered over and walked around but I was there well before it was open and am not sure I’d have bought a ticket in any case.

The Scott Monument. It is impressive.

I had decided before leaving that morning that the Cathedral and Castle were my two main spots to visit and they were not hard to find from the station.

In the upper left of this picture you can see the Towers of St. Giles Cathedral, or the Edinburgh Kirk if you prefer. To the right of the cathedral is the castle.

There was a decent climb but I wouldn’t rate it on a scale of UK hills as much of it was stairs. It was quite easy to navigate however. Once you finish the stairs you come out on High Street and The Royal Mile.

I had a little time before the Kirk opened so I strolled up and down the street. I’ll mention that there are two items prevalent in Scotland which leaves little doubt where you are – kilts and whiskey. There was a museum nearby, The Scotch Whiskey Experience. I did not tour the museum but visited the gift shop where they had for sale the smallest bottles of booze I have ever seen. Think of the little ones you see on flights, then scale those down to about 1/10 the size. If you want to get a pet mouse drunk these would be just the thing.

While in Scotland I saw probably a dozen kilt shops. I didn’t buy one. Nobody needs to see my legs.

St Giles was impressive, as were all of the cathedrals I saw in the UK. There was a church on site from the 12th century but the present structure dates from the 14th.

St Giles Cathedral.

The altar, viewed from the nave.

I wanted to show a picture of at least one choir, or quire, though this is far from my best one. Though you can’t see it, each of the segments is actually a seat, reserved for some individual, either of high clerical or secular office. So one would be for the bishop, another for the King (or Queen) of England, etc.

From the Cathedral I made my way to Edinburgh Castle. Similar to Stirling, it was more massive than towering. It was also a Royal Residence.

Edinburgh Castle.

There was a lot to see here. Various rooms the Royals lived and worked in, guard halls, kitchens, etc. They also have a unique feature, the One o’clock Gun. Basically, they fire the gun each day at 1 p.m. Crowds gather near where the gun is placed and wait for it. It reminded me of people clustering around the Prague Astronomical Clock. I myself did not wait around for the gun to fire but was on the grounds when it did and it’s loud. I did not enter a large section of the castle. The Scottish Crown Jewels are housed in what is called The Royal Palace and there was a long line so I passed on it.

The Great Hall

After leaving the Castle I ate lunch at a nearby pub and checked one more item off my to-do list by having haggis. It was good. Somewhat spicy but not overly so. I’d have it again.

Haggis with neeps and tatties. The haggis itself is underneath the potato. My airbnb host recognized it immediately when I showed him the picture.

I wandered around High street and the Royal Mile for a bit before heading back to Stirling. It is quite the tourist trap and at the time I was glad I wasn’t with a companion or I’d have likely been wondering how to ship things home. If shopping is your thing I highly recommend it.

For my final day I had originally decided to visit Glascow. This made sense, right? I had three days so I’d take in Stirling and the two largest Scottish cities. But on the train back I started looking at what medieval sites there are in Glascow and didn’t come up with much beyond the Cathedral. I was half convinced I’d do something different and asked my airbnb host who confirmed that Linlithgow would be worth a visit.

I don’t know what I might have seen if I’d stuck to my original plan but in retrospect I was quite glad I changed it. The town is the site of a royal palace constructed beginning in the early 15th century and is the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. The palace is well-preserved and makes for a very nice place to visit. It happens to be one of the sites without roofs but in good shape otherwise. This is something I’ve come to appreciate as, when you are higher in the structure you can get a nice feel for the layout. Conwy Castle was another similar location.

Linlithgow Palace. It is not a castle, built for defensive purposes but constructed as a royal residence. St. Michael’s Church is immediately to the right.

You could walk around several levels of the palace, an inner courtyard, and below the ground level were the kitchens and storerooms. They did not have furnishings, etc., such as were at Stirling and Edinburgh Castles. I really enjoyed this visit – if you’re in Scotland I highly recommend it.

The Central Courtyard of the Palace. The structure in the center is a fountain, built in 1530. There was some renovation work taking place so this was as far back as I could stand to take a picture to try to capture the scale.

Taken from the upper level of the palace. I included this to note that as I was taking pictures up there the thought crossed my mind that this was my last opportunity to accidentally drop my phone. This would have been a Very Bad Thing though I’m sure I would have dealt with it. I need to find a case that allows you to hook a lanyard to it.

For those thinking of visiting, not just the UK but any place, I encourage you to think about visiting some of the less famous sites. Linlithgow makes a nice example of why. When I visited a large site like the Tower of London or Lincoln Castle, people there were very businesslike – and busy. At Linlithgow, those working the site were students on their summer jobs. They had a passion for and ownership of the site you don’t see, or I didn’t anyway, at these busier locations. I spoke with a couple of them shortly after entering, spent several hours walking around, and spoke with them again. There are portions of the palace where all levels were intact but in other areas only the walls remained and the levels above the ground were gone. There was a lot of renovation going on – you can see the scaffolding in most of my pictures – so I asked if there were plans to restore the upper floors.

I was surprised by the response, “We’ve talked about it. The problem is that we don’t know exactly how they were laid out or what the different rooms were for. We don’t want to do something historically inaccurate.”

I felt the same sense of ownership and enthusiasm visiting Debbie at The Halls in Norwich as I did here. And I had the same experience visiting local churches where parishioners rather than the National Trust were in charge. Nothing against the larger sites or those working at them; they do a great job. But I really enjoyed having the time to have one-on-one conversations with people who didn’t have to worry about a crowd moving through a section of a castle.

Right next to the palace is St. Michael’s Church. It was first built in the 13th century but most of the present structure dates from the 15th when it was rebuilt following a fire.

St Michael’s Cathedral. The steeple is designed to represent the Crown of Thorns Christ wore at his crucifixion. It was built in the 1960’s during a renovation. Evidently a lot of people dislike it and preferred something of stone. I’m on the fence – it is certainly distinctive.

St. Michael’s nave.

I wanted to show one image of a stonecutter’s mark. I believe this was first pointed out to me in Norwich. As a church was being built or undergoing major renovations, numerous stonecutters and stonemasons would be hired for the project. Each of these craftsmen would have a distinctive mark to place on something they were responsible for. I started taking pictures of these during the trip.

Stonecutter’s mark from St. Michael’s Church.

Linlithgow was my last tourist day in the UK. One place in Stirling I did not visit was the William Wallace Monument. I kept thinking I would but it closed by, I believe, 5 p.m. in the evening and was a good distance from where I was staying. The following day I traveled to London, stayed overnight at a hotel and caught a flight home the next day.

Summary of my UK Trip

I really enjoyed my 33 days in England. In retrospect my decision to turn the rental car in was the correct one. I did miss popping by some small farm or eating at an out-of-the-way restaurant. However I could get just about everywhere I wanted to by rail and this was quite affordable. If I visit again I won’t even think about a car. Without a car I had the added benefit of getting in a lot of walking. I had days where I made as much as 18 miles, others with as little as 3 but I suspect I averaged about 10 – I saved screenshots from my phone app but haven’t bothered to tally them. Other than a few very warm days I enjoyed this.

Much to my surprise, as time went on I found myself more interested in churches and cathedrals than castles and royal residences. It’s hard to explain why but each cathedral I visited exuded its own character.

If I visit again – and it’s tempting – I’ll focus on the southern part of the country, from Kent to Cornwall. I do think I’ll stay 3-4 days in Norwich. This was my favorite place to visit and even after two days I feel there’s more to see. Also, I didn’t visit Sutton Hoo. I don’t have a good reason for this. It’s near a a rail line and not too long of a trip from Cambridge. I’d like to see Stonehenge as well. And I’ll probably incorporate some time for Ireland into it.

A few favorites from the trip:

Favorite Castle – This is a tie between Lincoln and Conwy. Lincoln is much larger and more impressive but there’s something about the utilitarian nature of Conwy – it has one purpose and being a nice place to live isn’t it.

Favorite Cathedral – I think Durham because of the history with shrines to both Bede and Cuthbert. Westminster Abbey and York Minster were certainly impressive though.

Toughest Climb – It’s a close choice but I’m picking Lincoln Castle and Cathedral. The main reason is it’s straight up on a city street with no let-up, unless you want to pop into a pub or shop. It was also quite warm the day I visited. Stirling Castle may be as much of a climb but it’s broken up and some is in the shade. Durham gets an honorable mention as you get to climb twice – the cathedral is up on the river bank and so is the train station – on the other side. Dover also looks impressive but as it was raining we took a cab up though we walked down.

Favorite place I stayed in – Shrewsbury. I loved the old town feel. Everything is circular and cobbled plus my airbnb was right in the heart of town. Though The Clarendon Arms in Cambridge was my favorite pub.

Favorite Meal – I’m going with the Fish and Chips at Clarendon Arms. I had Fish and Chips four times. Once in London where I almost gave up on it. Also at Newtown and Linlithgow which were quite good. But Clarendon Arms was the best. I will say the the English are very creative with what they do with a burger.

Next Trip

I had been thinking that I would spend a month in Italy this coming summer. I have set that aside. My next big trip will be to spend a month or so in France in 2025. I might have visited this year except for Paris hosting the Olympics. I’d prefer not to be around while the setup is going on for that. This is probably a good thing as I have just started taking a French Class. I have a little French but I won’t be going someplace for a month unless I can carry on a conversation in the native language. Italy will have to wait for 2026.

This year I am tentatively looking at going to Prague for 10-14 days in September. I spent three days there a little over a year ago and loved it. And the historical sites are great. Unlike for much of Europe, these were not damaged in World War II. It is an exception to my previous language statement – so few people (internationally) speak Czech and it’s such a prominent tourist destination that English is quite prevalent. I’ve been told Holland is similar.

So this was my first big international trip. I could ramble on for another thousand words but will leave off here. I enjoyed England and being able to visit some iconic historical sites was outstanding. I am certainly open to visiting again. There is a lot yet to see.