World Travel Guide Online

Before I proceed, I need to introduce an internet friend – Bob – that I met through BootsnAll. He’s 39, living in Broadway of Cotswolds with his girlfriend, Jo, no commitment. They’re going off to their 35 countries overland world tour this November. They will start from Athens, then Turkey etc., all the way to Australia, which will take over a year. He was in Albania one week after NATO dropped their bombs – fancy clearing checkpoints with refugees?

Anyway, they picked me up from Bracknell (they just visited their relatives during the weekend and it’s on the way) and we covered a few places in the west country before heading to Broadway. Mainly Stonehenge, Salisbury, Bath, Wells and Cheddar Gorge. Just viewed Stonehenge from the fence of the autoway (we’re the cheapskates). Anyway, for several Pounds, you just get to be a few metres closer and walk around it but still far from it. OK, the stones are huge, so, imagine moving it from Wales and erecting it. But such a monument is always grander and more informative through a documentary (you know, that kind with fantastic sunset shots).

Salisbury and Wells are known for their respective cathedrals. Salisbury’s cathedral, at strategic corners, there were displays of modern art. Modern art means that it is art if you cannot understand it. I once saw a jumble of toppling red phone booths next to a street, and that’s a modern art display. Some are interesting but often puzzling.

Wells’ cathedral is worth a visit even if you don’t give a damn for cathedrals. It has one of the most complete cathedral compounds. What I mean is that, until I visited this one in Wells, I didn’t know that a cathedral is just part of the compound, which usually includes a Bishop’s Palace (castle-like with wall and moat), Vicar’s Close (a mini village for the Vicar’s choir) etc., in addition to the Chapter House (where chapters of Bible were read, it was expensive to reproduce the Bible in those days) and the Cloister.

Now, let’s talk about Bath, where the Romans took their bath. I expected it to be another preserved old town next to a cluster of modern buildings. But when we were approaching it, Bath appeared to be huge village nestling among the the rolling green Cotswolds hills (Bath is at the southern end of Cotswolds). I didn’t see any ugly modern buildings (they’re quite well-hidden).

We only intended to be there briefly. So, a little regrettably, didn’t go into the Roman Bath Museum, where the poshest bath is. We saw a couple of smaller and less posh baths (free) though. They looked similar to those in Italy, though those in Italy were dry.

Had a sandwich on a bench, a prime seat to watch a street performer playing a saw. Yes, saw for sawing wood, but what came out of it was music. He played by drawing a bow across the (I assumed) blunt side of the blade. A surprisingly pleasant sound.

Bath, like many (esp. tourist) places in UK at this time of the year, has plenty of flowers. Hanging baskets of flowers on lamp posts (as many as 3 per post) and buildings etc. Really pretty. Later, I learnt that there was a competition about how each town decorates itself with flowers. When the seasons over, all would be removed. Another thing is that the facade of the pubs are always among the prettiest places in town. Those B&Bs come

second.

The Georgian houses evoked a 18th century atmosphere. I liked the Royal Crescent, a semi-circle of Georgian town houses. Imagine a typical 18th century scene: horse-carriages, ladies in their bonnets and gowns and gentlemen wearing tall hats and coats. It was interesting to walk down the street too, peeping into the various basement gardens.

Went to Cheddar Gorge later, where Cheddar Cheese got its name. The caves in the gorge were used to ferment the famous cheese. The cheese is no longer made there now and tourism seems to thrive instead. It was a short, scenic drive through the gorge. We parked the car and walked up the gorge, supposed to have good view but soon after we reached the top, it started to rain. Anyway, couldn’t see much in that weather. Next was a long drive to Broadway.

Bob and Jo live in a little 2-storey cottage next to a big mansion (the cottage is within the mansion compound, something like those meant for gardeners etc.). I would be sleeping on the sofa in the living cum study room, with a sleeping bag. We had Indian takeaway for dinner. Though I do take Indian food in Singapore occasionally, the menu is so extensive that there are so many terms which I don’t understand. It was delicious.

OK, this cottage does not have shower facility, just bath. Well, that was the first time I took a bath since baby-time perhaps (and my next accommodation also without shower, so I actually took bath for 5 days in a

row). It was fun and indulging but somehow it just didn’t feel as clean. Still prefer shower, more efficient.

Both of them were really hospitable and nice. Bob sometimes behaves like an over-age child (I mean it in a fun way). He contributes articles about his road trips to a motoring magazine regularly, read a few, including those

on Hungary and Lebanon. There was a newspaper cutting about his interview with a local newspaper about his Albania trip, as he and his colleague could possibly be the only or few tourists in that country then. Understand

that Albania welcomed NATO’s action and thus pro-westerners, but Macedonia was anti and angry words were hurled at him.

Jo just received her degree from Warwickshire College on Equestrian Studies (Bob called her an over-age horse-mad student). She can’t live without a packet of chocolates per day and she’s slim, how enviable! She has this habit of disinfecting the kitchen and bathroom everyday (don’t know how she does it but Bob always complains when he smells the disinfectant).