Date: 2008-02-02
To: Wales
Miles today: 0.0

Gills parents only live a short distance from the Welsh boarder. Gill had a full itenary for me, every moment was planned, it was going to be a busy few days.We were off to Wales, and as we ventured on the hills got larger and the valleys got deeper. The roads also changed, beleive it or not they got narrower, it was only possible to fit one car on the roads, so if you came across someone you had to reverse back to you found a small space so the other car could pass. Ted informed me that the roads are simply the old tracks that the farmers used, and they tend to follow the contour. Roamn roads are straight, and the grid system has been imposed upon the land. English roads wander all over the place rarely is their a straight section, the hedges mark the boundaries of the property and in many cases are right up hard against the road, they are so impressive. The houses are build right up against the road, and the car just slides passed them, there are so many small villages, and the architecture of the houses is stunning. We drove over to Lake Vernwy which is in the middle of Wales, Gill found the driving down these narrow winding roads terrifying, for me it was thrilling, nothing like I have ever experienced before. As we approached Lake Vernwy the land was covered in snow, it was such a delight, and the lake itself was nothing like I have ever seen before, it provides drinking water for Liverpool. It was a black color, and the dam wall was an architectual marvel, just like everything around here. We went for a walk with snow under our feet, it was rather cold, but I was too excited to feel it. I was taking so many pics, and have so many to show you soon, promise I will add some soon to give you an idea of what I am talking about. We had to drive back to pick up Ted and Cynthia from the hospital back in Shrewsbury. Ted was having a cataract removed, we sat in the room with all the patients who had just been operated on, and I could not understand a word they were saying, the accents were so strong. Cynthia informed a few of them that I was from Australia, so they had a few questions for me, I had to get Cynthia to interpret for me. Most wanted to talk to me about neighbours and home and away, it was so funny. In the afternoon we went for a walk around the village of Worthen, and went and saw Gills grandfather who is 103 years of age, everything in England is so old. The village was so English, we purchased some bread from the little local post office it was like stepping back in time. Ted was in good spirits after his operation and we talked a little about my trip to the US. he knew about the AT because he has read bill Brysons A Walk In the Woods. Ted suggested that I might get rapped by a hill billy up in the southern appalachian mountains, and then wished me a good trip. He is such a funny bastard, i think he would fit perfectly into Australian society. It was time to leave Worthen and head to Dudley where Gill lives. First we went back through Shrewsbury which was stunning, my camera was working overtime. The steetscape was fascinating with many of those balck and white building, Victorian Tudor, there is a replica at the portsea pub. These buildings are everywhere and some look like they are about to fall down as they are built at such strange angles tilting out over the street. There was a castle, the Severn River, and many old churches, there is nothing in Australia that I could even compare to the beauty of this town, it is just so quaint and English. After some more driving along more country roads we ended up at Gills house in the black country, it was straight to bed for me.