British Out-Takes #2

And now, a few Parthian shots as we embark for the Green Island...

Dog walkers: why not carry the little bags home
with you or put them in the specially-marked bins?

Worth another look; I think all cathedrals should have bouncy
houses

I had never seen a goose egg (literally) before

We never miss the dress-up room

Sure...pony hair brushes...I wondered why there
were so many volunteer workers in the library at
Stourhead

War is hell

Fixer-upper of the day

Another look

The contagion spreads: now Britain has frozen food stores, called
Cook, to rival Paris' scores of Picards; I think they should be
called Defrost

A slight extra charge for the oddly-shaped ones

Finally, at an outdoor store in Newbury, my favorite British
confection, Romney's Kendal Mint Cake (no relation to Mr. 47%)

Part of Stourhead Forest; reminded us of Montana

Coming soon in a special edition: Marmite
Tic-Tacs

Does your community have a toilet scheme?

Organ on wheels at Hereford

"Despair not, my child...the cathedral tour only
lasts an hour"

Water bowls for short and tall dogs

Belt and suspenders approach

Nice sculpture at Brockhampton; for sale, too...900L

The Brits have gone batty

So much to like about the National Trust

Ancient fire engine at Croft

WWI display at Croft

"Reporting for duty"

Clive of India presents the recipe for chicken tikka masala to
Maharaja Gupta IV, thus ensuring the viability of the Diaspora
and the prosperity of Indian restaurateurs for all ages...

And carry on

No ladies night here

Checking for toe jam (Penelope)

Bodnant Gardens

Part One of our tour of British homes and gardens ended with a bang...Bodnant Gardens in Wales was perhaps the best yet, both traditional garden and an extensive parkland, filled with rhododenrons and azalaeas, dozens of great specimen trees (including at least one UK Champion tree), terraced gardens, ponds, bridges, pavilions, pretty much everything. And in bloom too.

It begins dramatically, with the Laburnum Arch, a couple
hundred feet of intense color

Another bug hotel

And then, color, color, color

A cascade down the slope; we were a day or so past the prime,
but the petals on the ground only added to the effect

Thus

And thus

Primula, a new interest

A bed of primula

Another cascade

Ditto

Wales, very near Snowdonia

The house and conservatory; alas, not open to the public

Llanddulas Encampment

After Powys, we drove on across northern Wales, aiming to spend the night in or near Conwy, within range of Bodnant, our next home and garden. But an intriguing site popped up on Wildcamping.co.uk, right on the sea, near Llanddulas, and we spent a pleasant evening there, listening to the enormous tides come and go.

There, right on the shore

With signage; and other campers too

And a nice walking path

Just beneath the coastal defenses

With a view

Looking back up the coast toward Liverpool, which is evidently
around the bend

One of the larger wind farms at sea we've seen

Sunset over the Irish Sea