Southwest Trip - Day One

On Wednesday, 24 October we left London dark and early, bound for the southwest of England. We were pleased to see that the coach company had honored our request and sent Martin Featherstone as our driver. He is the best. He is more like a university professor in demeanor and bearing than our usual London-lad drivers. He also happens to live in the southwest and knows the area like the back of his hand, which made my navigating job much simpler. He knows all the best and most scenic routes and has a world of information stored in his head.

Our first stop was Bath. It is a beautiful place and we were blessed with great weather. We proceeded south to Wells, a great little village with a magnificent Cathedral. We went on to Exeter just in the nick of time. We arrived in time to go in the Cathedral there as well. It is one of my favorites with its magnificent ceiling bosses and exposed stone ceiling. We had supper in Exeter at McDonalds. I know that may seem like heresy to some, but very little is open after five that fits our tight budget. Anyway, the point of the story in the first place is that the interior design is fantastic: all chocolate brown and chartreuse with very modern-classic furnishings. I'm not kidding: all Arne-Jacobson 1950s classics like the Ant Chair, the Swan Chair, and the Egg Chair -- so cool. After supper we were dropped off at the hostel where we spent the night.

This is us standing in front of the Royal Crescent in Bath

This is Kris reading about the Assembly Rooms made famous by
Jane Austen, whose presence is everywhere in Bath.

This is No. 25 Gay Street where Jane Austen lived after her father's death as her conditions began to worsen. We have a model (bookend) of this door in our bedroom bookshelf.

At the bottom of this street is her last abode in Bath.
Her star must have risen because the house she
lived in Winchester was nice.

We both love this view of Robert Adam's Pulteney Bridge
on the wier of the Avon River.

Kris, Eliza, and Amy in front of Wells Cathedral

Bartons, Ringers, and Taylors in front of
Exeter Cathedral as the day closes

McDonald's Image from internet

Supper at the super-cool McDonald's in Exeter -
Arne Jacobson chairs from the 50s