Above: The coastlines around Tintagel castle: You can see the coastal trails that people hike along.
July 13th-14th (Days Twelve and Thirteen): TINTAGEL AND BATH
We drove into the village of Tintagel mid-morning and had an orientation walk through town. Look for the Tintagel Old Post Office which is a 14th century stone house. The road to Tintagel Castle is pretty steep so jeeps ferry people back and forth for a small fee. It's worth it. Tintagel Castle in mythology is supposedly where King Arthur was conceived. You can pose for a photo next to a statue of King Arthur above the castle ruins. I instead walked around and marveled at the scenery. I wanted to spend the day here hiking on the trails. The cliffs around the castle were magical and one of my favorite parts of the tour. Actually, I was so captivated by the scenery that the castle ruins felt like an afterthought. That is how gorgeous this northern area of Cornwall is. After lunch we headed into Bath and had a walking tour of the city. The group met for a final dinner together and then the tour was over, except for those still around for breakfast the next day. The next morning I took the National Express bus at 8:20 a.m. with direct service to Heathrow arriving at 10:30 a.m. (I bought this ticket before I left for England too). Then it was just a matter of waiting for my 2:30 p.m. flight to the States. If I were to do it over again, I would have stayed in England one more day to just sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and unwind from the tour by exploring Bath or London in my final 24 hours.
MUSINGS ABOUT DAYS TWELVE AND THIRTEEN
- Reflections on the tour: I started this tour without any expectations. I did not know much about Southern England and I had only been to the bigger cities London and Bath previously. I had never joined a tour group where I didn't know anybody else. Would this work out? This Rick Steves tour of Villages of South England far exceeded my expectations. I learned so much about the history of England and about present day culture and issues. I had conversations with local people. I ate great seafood. The balance of activities kept me interested. The physical beauty of the region, especially in Devon and Cornwall, was amazing. I enjoyed being around the other tour members and the guides, Mark and Liz, made the trip all the more special. Most importantly, I learned more about myself. I became a more confident person. I was truly happy during this trip. I realized traveling solo does not mean traveling alone. This coming summer I will be traveling on my own for five days in Florence, Italy before I join up with a painting group. I would have not done that before taking this England tour. Now the hard part begins: "Which Rick Steves Tour do I want to take next?" Thank you for joining me on my travels. As Rick Steves says, "Keep on Travelin'."
WALKING TOUR OF BATH
A Sketchable Moment
I had not done a lot of plein air drawings until this trip. It is different sketching on location because you don't have unlimited time. The light is constantly changing or your tour bus might be leaving in 30 minutes. I grew as an artist by increasing the speed of my sketching and by using colors as impressions over realism. Looking back at my sketches now I can remember the mood and feel of the place by what I chose to focus on in my work.
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Solo Travel Tips |
Slowing Down |
Stepping Up |
What brings you joy in your daily life that you can bring with you on your trip? How are you going to reflect on your amazing travel experiences? Trips can be stressful and by building in time for happiness and reflection you can help conquer the anxiety or frustration that at times will try to creep in. For me it is drawing and painting, so I used my sketchbook to record meaningful moments during the trip. For you it might be writing in a journal, photography, sitting with your morning cup of coffee, listening to music or reading a book. Take care of you! |
One important lesson I will take away from this trip is to try not to schedule more than two main activities in a day. This Rick Steves Tour normally had us at one site or activity in the morning and one in the afternoon. I found this worked well for me. The idea of scheduling a "vacation" during your vacation, I believe, is also important. At times on this trip, I still found myself being anxious if I didn't see everything on "my list." You have to believe you can return, and even if you don't, you want to enjoy what you do see. |
Day 12 Walking + Running: 5.7 miles Steps: 13,954 Flights Climbed: 32 floors Day 13 Walking + Running: 6 miles Steps: 14,492 Flights Climbed: 0 floors |