Tag: travel

THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – CARDIFF TO CASTLE PEMBROKE.

The picture above is Pembroke Castle in 1880 and there is will be more about this castle below. I must admit that writing these blogs gets increasingly difficult. It’s not that the places are forgettable but rather there is so much to tell. The drive from Cardiff was divided into 3 parts with Tenby being the last leg before we struggled to find our lodgings in Pembroke. Our first sight of the beaches at Tenby was very encouraging but finding our accommodation was a task. We knew we were near the Pembroke Castle, but we couldn’t find the number in the street. Parking in these towns and villages always involved paying for a meter and here we had to park and find the property before we could drive to it. Once we had parked the car we walked down to the street where we had rented our lodging and low and behold a small cluster of even smaller flats was sitting under the hill on which the castle is located. It was small inside and close to a noisy road but it was for a few days only so we moved our car and found the key box but the code had been changed. Fortunately one of the neighbours was watering her garden and she helped us contact the owner and obtained the code. We had arrived. The property was about the size of a two car garage with a loft so not a lot of space.

When driving in through Tenby we decided we would visit Caldey Island you can see it in my first photo on the Horizon and the beaches the next day.

The following morning the tide was in so that was a good start, and we lined up to buy our tickets. We were warned that depending on when we returned, we may have to use the tractor. After noting this we did not think of it again as we thought it would affect us on the island – surprise surprise we were wrong. Below is a series of photos of the harbour and below that the crossing.

The island had been a retreat for Monks and a teaching facility but whilst this continues the island is now a retreat for everyone and we were not alone on the boat. My first photo below shows what the Monks have been doing in their spare time – decorative chairs for visitors and as you walk further onto the island you encounter the monastery, and the Monks quarters a café gift shop and post office. Whilst we had a coffee, I spotted some local wildlife – a partridge and her family running through he grasses on the edge of the open ground where the visitor could rest eat and drink their lunch. The tourist information informed us that there was a lighthouse on the island but not where it was located – its on the seaward side of the island on high cliffs. We were not certain that we would make the distance however halfway there were ruins of the monastery and by the time we had reached and looked through them we could see the lighthouse and thought “that’s not too far”. My pictures below show the ruins and the walk to the lighthouse the lighthouse and the general view of the seaward side of the island.

We spent a few hours on the island by which time the tide had turned. Although we had seen a tractor at the island ferry jetty it did not appear to be in operation. On the ride to the island, we had passed an island with ruins which appeared to be part of the castle ruins. On our return the tide had receded such that the island was now accessible on foot with people scaling all over the island and ruins, and the Boat Rescue volunteers boat shed was now on stilts. A tractor had pulled a portable landing down to the water and now we knew what it meant when they say, “the tractor will be in operation”. Our launch tied up to this mobile pier and all passengers clambered off onto the pier then the beach. There was a considerable stretch of beach to walk across to get to hard land. We followed the crowd across the beach up to the High Street in the town and there found a pub “Coach and Horses” with great ambiance and enjoyed lunch and a drink watching the beach goers and the shoppers going by.

Kerry had picked up a brochure for Picton Castle and Gardens and I had a desire to go to a Wales whiskey distillery – Penderyn whiskey distillery. Both sites were nearby so on the following day we tripped out to Penderyn Distillery and Picton Castle.

The castle may have once been a fortified castle but it has gradually changed to a manor house and gardens. The gardens are used by the castle owners as a garden centre, café and various other uses. My pictures start with the walled section enclosing the working buildings – the garden centre, book shop, café, the mower museum and the mortuary (the castle was used as a hospital during WW2 when they converted the butchers shop to the mortuary).

We strolled through the gardens. Relaxing and enjoyable the gardens were laid out in various areas starting with a pathway through the undergrowth for kids (even big kids) with the workers buildings prepared as they might have appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. There is a fairy garden with 10 fairy houses for the children, and we found each one, I think. Amongst the fairy houses was the original ice house for the castle. This is an underground shelter where workmen would cut out the river ice and store the ice in the ice house so the family could have ice during the summer.

Behind the wall work area is the manor house. It has been decorated for the same period. The children’s toys have been retained and are presented in a museum in one to the towers of the house.

We had visited the whiskey distillery before going to Picton Castle and did the tour as they claimed to have a secret to produce the best whiskey. Penderyn is the name of the whiskey, and I have brought home three samples of the brew. The distillery is modern in its design because it is resurrected from an earlier distillery and modernised. We arrived before opening time and to our surprise there was a coffee van open for trade for visitors like us – it is a converted horse float. Once the distillery opened and we were allowed to look around I took some photos that appear below. The bottle with the clear liquid is the refined whiskey and this is placed in a used cask and the whiskey draws its colour from the cask. To be legally sold as whiskey it must be aged in barrels for 3 year and 1 day. As I stated I have brought some samples home. 

Pembroke Castle (Welsh: Castell Penfro) is a medieval castle in the centre of Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in Wales. The castle was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke. A Grade I listed building since 1951, it underwent major restoration during the early 20th century.

In 1093, Arnulf of Montgomery built the first castle at the site when he fortified the promontory beside the Pembroke River during the Norman invasion of Wales. A century later, the castle was given by Richard I to William Marshal, who became one of the most powerful men in 12th-century Britain. He rebuilt Pembroke Castle in stone, creating most of the structure that remains today. The castle is open to the public and is the largest privately owned castle in Wales. Oliver Cromwell left the castle in ruins during the Civil War and it lay in ruins until 1880 when it was restored.

Pembroke Castle is literally around the corner from our accommodation. Kerry had had enough of castles and left me to do what ever I wanted. So I walked around the castle but when arriving at the entrance was daunted by how busy it was and I was feeling that I also had enough of castles. Below is my tour circumnavigating the castle which is the off the High St in Pembroke. The mounted knight is a memorial to William Marshall who served 5 Kings of England. The picture of the barred opening is the former access to the river – you can see this in the picture from 1880.

Our visit to Pembrokeshire was done and dusted so now we move onto Ebbw Vale and the Wye Valley which is towards the centre of Wales. Read on to see what we find in “THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – CASTLE PEMBROKE to CRICKHOWELL (Ebbw Vale)”

THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – CARDIFF to PEMBROKE WALES – WEOBLEY CASTLE and KIDWELLY CASTLE.

One of the things I enjoy is to move off the beaten track and find the strange, unusual and forgotten. This is what happened when we were traveling between Cardiff and Pembroke. We earmarked Swansea as a place to take a break on the drive. I cannot recall if Weobly Castle was planned or just happened. I also cannot recall whether it was on the Cadw free list but I think not as no-one was looking after this place to any degree. Anyway, we ended up pulling onto a side road and passed Parc V Blocs farm shop and onto a sheep farm.

The remains of Weobley Castle remaining upon the farm. As we entered the site a sign notified us that we had to go to the shop to order our lamb and pay admission to the castle. The shop was an attachment to the farmhouse and the castle ruins stood beyond the shop standing on the edge of a precipice running down to the flood plain of a river and the sea. The grazing sheep and cattle looked the size of toys. If this was an important place to have a castle, then it was well positioned. My photos show the view from the floor of the castle and generally around all that remains whilst also showing you where they slaughter and dress the sheep carcasses. It felt like we had discovered somewhere forgotten.

We returned to Parc V Bloc for lunch and wondered just who would visit this place. Despite its business description it was a small supermarket café functional hall and pet barn all in one. Outside in the grounds was playground equipment and picnic tables – all in all I even expected used cars and farm equipment but that is going too far.

Next stop was Kidwelly Castle as a break in the trip to Tenby and Pembroke. This one was on our Cadw 7-day ticket and as my photos show it largely ruins except when the Queen is on her throne. As we were leaving the ticket office/gift shop a warrior queen in a glass case stood proudly challenging all passersby and reminded us of Celestial Starfall festivals.

2025.10.21 Kidwelly Castle brochure.pdf 2Download

Keep reading – my next blog takes you to Pembrokeshire when THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – CARDIFF to PEMBROKE WALES.

THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – SUTTON HOO UK to CARDIFF WALES – CARDIFF CASTLE.

The journey from Sutton Hoo to Cardiff is about 4 hours if the Gods are kind. We had a short stopover

Finding the address of your B&B is a bit difficult but we found the GPS in the car extremely good using postcodes to find our goal. However, we never really got a good understanding of the functionality or how to properly use the search function – the space bar could not be found which is ok for post codes awful for an address. The entrance into Cardiff is across a grand bridge but you have to get used to everything being written in Welsh with English subtitles. I found this very off-putting, and I don’t know why – in Europe it is like that everywhere.

The Landlord had organised a parking permit for us which meant we could park anywhere in the street and Neville Street proved to be a major throughfare to the city centre. We ventured to catch a bus – 3 different routes run through Neville St. So when in doubt ask a stranger on the street. This stranger was very helpful walking us to the point where the city centre was at the end of the second street around the corner from our B&B. The castle wall of Cardiff Castle extends to encircle a gloriously wild park, and the former gatehouse has become a coffee shop – very twenty-first century. There are gray squirrels and standing stones and the western gate that is not used anymore.

The wall from the gatehouse to the castle is adorned with animal sculptures but at this time I only photographed the twin lions on a gate to another side entrance being used for a wedding. We planned a visit to the castle and this occasion was a general walk around to learn where we might find various things. The castle walls are intact and dominate this part of town. The following day we went on a more formal visit and bought tickets to go inside. The castle is still in use but not for its original defensive purposes but more of a museum. There is a memorial to all the Welsh regiments raised for King and Country from the Welsh population in one basement area. Very comprehensive and explanatory but equally underlining futility of war. There is a dedication to the 7 VC awarded to soldiers in the Boer War for instance. Along with “modern” memorabilia there is a remnant of the Roman occupation in the form of a wall uncovered in preparation of the basement for this military memorial. The inserted sculptures are modern in the form of Roman sculptures around the time of the construction of the wall.

After that sobering visit Kerry found a friend to share his seat whilst I went across to the most ancient part of the castle- the Norman Keep. The sheltered walkways on the walls of the castle have been reconstructed but where they once connected to the much later constructed residence they are not open into the house unless you pay for the tour. Before visiting the Keep, Kerry and I took in the rooms of the house that are open to visitors. They have been decorated in the style that might have adorned the house when first built.

Kerry returned to her seat with Paddington whilst I challenged myself with a walk up the stairs of the Norman Keep. Rough and uneven, the stairs were a challenge but no defribulator at the top to help me recover. My photos below take you through the remaining parts of the towers (including the long drop that passes for a loo) – and the scenery around the tower and its walls.

Below is the floor plan of sorts for the castle.

2025.10.19 Cardiff Castle brochureDownload

We had both had enough of castles for the day and took time to look around the “High St” of the old town and some of the street art, the church, some of the colourful pubs and a street named “Hayes” Street. On the way home I photographed the walls of the castle decorated with various non-indigenous animals.

Our first day concluded with a walk home and a good night’s rest. The following morning was a new adventure, and you will need to read on to learn about THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – SUTTON HOO UK to CARDIFF WALES – CARDIFF CASTLE.

THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – SUTTON HOO UK to CARDIFF WALES – CAERLEON.

We had heard about some Roman ruins just outside of Cardiff and the Museum – “Roman Legionary Museum”. We have visited Rome and roman ruins in Rome, Verona, Pizza and Cesi and Carsulae outside Terni Italy plus Hadrian’s Wall and Littlecote Roman Villa in Wiltshire, so we were not expecting to be surprised but we were.

The town is a pretty Welsh village. Entry is gained through a single lane bridge, and the main street is clean and interesting. After parking in front of the site of the Roman Bath House at the back of a very popular local pub, we strolled through the village waiting for the building to open.

The pictures below take you on that stroll. First is the Priory – now an accommodation hotel but retaining the features of the former Priory with a pair of hares in the back yard. There are some interest wood carvings of a forest gnome, a priory student in cloche and priory guardian. Then there is the pub, a reused telephone box to house a defibrillator, a pretty pub, and the museum entrance.

The site is the location of the main Roman legion and fort for the subjugation of the Welsh tribes. Life at the edge of the Roman Empire could be short, hard and dangerous so this fort provided the legionaries a place for rest and relaxation, and it was also their barracks. I have included two of the pages from a comic book containing images of the likely appearance of the building, the interior of the enclosed pools, and the garrison. The baths comprised the hot room (“caldarium”), the warm room (“tepidarium”) and the cold room (“frigidarium”) – you can see the English words in the Latin description.

2025.10.20 Isca Caerleon Roman garrisonDownload

The pictures of the bathes with imagery of soldiers relaxing and using the spa follow. Photos of the replicas displayed in the Exhibition Hall are below.

Our entry fee included a visit to the museum. I have included photos of some of the exhibits. The building materials surprised me – properly design pipes and building blocks. They also had the epithets or headstones of graves and cremations.  A stone casket. Partially restored tiles exhibited the beauty of the decorations.

We stopped at the Bull Inn for lunch and encountered Jeremy Clarkson and his farm products. Other things of interest appear in the following photos. St Cadocs’ Church and graveyard. The remains of the Roman amphitheatre and the carvings in the park. An annual event in the village produces these wonderful carvings.

Returning to Cardiff, Kerry, being ever thoughtful, thought she had found another castle – Castle Hensol. We used the GPS in our car and the postcodes for the destination to find everything and it worked perfectly, even on this occasion.  Time brings about change and so it was with Castle Hensol. It was now the centre piece of a gated residential development and golf course. The wine tasting that the advertising had promised had led us on a wild goose chase. After a lot of guessing we found our way only to be disappointed. We needed a booking.

That ends another chapter in our around the world adventure. So, watch out for my next blog on THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – CARDIFF to PEMBROKE WALES – WEOBLEY CASTLE and KIDWELLY CASTLE.

THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – CARDIFF WALES – CASTELL COCH AND CAERPHILLY CASTLE

Castell Coch

Castell Coch is very near to Cardiff and the drive was pleasant without too many narrow roads. Having said that, as we neared the Castell the roads narrowed, and the bush encroached onto a narrow lane. A sharp left-hand turn and a choice of two lanes presented. Fortunately, we took the correct lane into the car park. The Castell is hidden above the carpark. A portaloo was the sentinel to the carpark, and our first red robin came to show us the way forward. The Castell is undergoing renovation to close leaks into the stonework of the castle which amazingly requires that the stonework be given 2 years to dry out as part of the renovation.

Castell Coch (Welsh for ‘red castle’) is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built above the village of Tongwynlais in Wales. The first castle on the site was built by the Normans after 1081 to protect the newly conquered town of Cardiff and control the route along the River Taff. In 1760, the castle ruins were acquired by John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, as part of a marriage settlement that brought the family vast estates in South Wales. He turned it from castle to country house but rarely used it. In 1950 the 5th Marquess of Bute, placed it into the care of the state. It is now controlled by the Welsh heritage agency CADW. The surrounding Castell Coch beech woods contain rare plant species and unusual geological features and are protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The first picture shows the pleasant entrance to the castle. As you approach the castle, you see the former moat. No longer filled with water, it still stands as a barrier to enter the castle so a permanent draw bridge leads you into the castle. The castle is in the care of CADW the Welsh Government’s historic environment service which provides for the restoration and accessibility to these historic places. From the outside it is obvious that Cadw is doing its job. One part of the castle is clothed in a large sheet painted with images of the castle and a story on a large sign about the renovation. The walls of this section of the castle are being dried out. An entrance fee is payable, and the ticket office is on your right as you pass under the portcullis. Yes the castle still has it’s portcullis. The attendant is a pleasant Welsh lady who before taking our money tells us that instead of taking a ticket for this castle only we could buy a 3 day or 7-day pass and supports her statement with 2 brochures of the many places of interest that are cared for by CADW. It cost us a little over £50 for the 7-day pass and gave us a huge saving in respect of the future visits we planned to make.

With our self-guided tour, we roamed the Castell. Many of the rooms were filled with furniture from the past and gave us a good idea of the recent use of the place. The photos below follow our tour. Unusually they have kept and restored the chamber “the Winch Room” holding the machinery that operated the portcullis the draw bridge and the “murder hole”. The toilet has been modernised but remains in its original location such that the waste use to flow out over the castle walls. The Lady of the house had a bedroom in the top of one of the towers and was quite pleasant whist the Lord ‘s bedroom was one floor below. It held a single bed, a fireplace and was rudimentary. We joked about the labour of love climbing the stairs for nuptuals with the lady of the house.

The remaining castle that was open for viewing including the balconies circling the castle keep and the chapel, the keep, and the kitchen. I have included the brochure map showing the layout of the Castell (which appears to mean a non-fortified castle) and a photograph of the ruined state of the castle taken over by CADW.

2025.10.19 Castell Coch brochureDownload

There is no coffee shop at Castell Coch, so we returned to the car as we had heard been informed by the staff that there was a great café nearby. The directions were simply go back to the main road but turn hard left. We followed instructions and returned to the juncture of two laneways and turned hard left and found ourselves on a one-way path to a garden shed which has now been developed as the café. Very rough and rudimentary but it did the trick and even introduced us to a Welsh delicacy. After coffee we headed for Caerphilly Castle which was very nearby.

Caerphilly Castle

This castle is also controlled by CADW. Where Castell Coch had been in the bush/forest, Caerphilly Castle is a famous castle located in a modest size town. Parking is always the trick to visit a castle. How long are you going to need and how far have you to walk to reach it. In the pictures below I start with a view of part of the castle, followed by another view. It is immense. The moat is more a lake and the drawbridge shows how wide the moat is at its narrowest point. Inside is a secondary defensive wall. A make-believe dragon pit has been added to match myth with reality. One of these towers has been partly demolished by the Roundheads when they formed the Commonwealth in the 17th century.

The Castle has been decorated to tell the story of a queen of England married to her King at 13 and fifteen respectively and her surviving to give birth to 18 children and outliving her King and then surviving the aftermath of his death. For some reason my photos have not survived. A truly magnificent castle. We spent our time in the castle finishing with lunch on the deck of a hotel overlooking a magnificent view of the castle. Note in the picture on the left above that there is a “bloke” holding up the tumbling tower. It is in fact a prop and the tower is tilted by a bomb placed by the Roundheads Army which over ran the castle in the 17th century.

Attached is the Cadw brochure from our visit.

2025.10.19 Caerphilly Castle brochureDownload

Our plan is to return home and rest up as we will have a big day tomorrow when THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – SUTTON HOO UK to CARDIFF WALES – CAERLEON.

THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – CARDIFF WALES – CARDIFF BAY BARRY ISLAND AND PENARTH.

To the south of Cardiff is a bay having the obvious name Cardiff Bay. We made our way around to Barry Island. It’s the middle of school break and the middle of summer – everyone should be at the beach. Well not in Cardiff. We took a walk around the township and the beaches were deserted and the carnival had not started. Oops we have arrived too early it doesn’t start till 10.00 am. Even so the weather is not inviting you onto the beach and the water is hardly more than a mill pond – not exciting at all. The beach huts are polished and painted but no body is around. There is a clever beach side kids climbing wall with one lad having a go but he is a bit small as yet.

The Bay played a part in the second World War and a demounted concreted base stands testament to the place where the telescope was replaced by a gun. We walk around the headland path and come across an automated lighthouse and it is the sentinel for Nellie Point. My late Mum was named Nellie and I felt a little chuffed that she had the same name as this Point. The path comes to a dead end where it ends in a cliff and a small beach. A passing local tells us there is a pathway on the other side of the beach, but the gradient is so steep that locals call it “death hill”.  So warned, we turn around and walk back. After collecting the car, we take a drive around to a different beach where Kerry pulls out our picnic thermos of coffee and some biscuits. This beach is covered in pebbles and has been severely eroded.

We decided to extend our trip to another beach side at Penarth to the east of the Bay. Lots more activity over here. Penarth is famous locally for its pier – the Brits love these piers. They also love oddly designed public baths. In the pictures below is what looks to be an odd house with a tower when in fact it is an odd public bath house – go figure. The beach is backed by some dramatic cliffs and steep walks up the hills. The pier is very long due to the shallow waters. You can see in my pictures a boat sitting in the boat channel and how far off the land they sit.

Emblazoned on the wall of the kiosk at the commencement of the pier is a memoriam to Miss Kathleen Thomas who braved the chill water in 1927 to swim from Penarth to Weston-Super-Mare on the English side of the Bristol Channel. The plaque suggests that no one else has beaten her time for the swim. I reckon its just too bloody cold.

The ice cream shop beckoned. So, ice cream in hand we weaved back to our car parked some distance from the pier and ended our beach side tour for the day. As we walk to the car we pass a passage where sheltered in the back is small cottage taking advantage of the seaside views.

Tomorrow we will commence our castle hunting with a visit to Castell Coch and Caerphilly Castle. Watch for THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – CARDIFF WALES – CASTELL COCH AND CAERPHILLY CASTLE.

THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – LONDON HEATHROW UK to IPSWICH & SUTTON HOO UK

We left the Best Western Chicago and I had forgotten I took this picture of our accommodation for our overnight stay in Chicago for comparison with our Hotel in Ipswich UK. Our accommodation in Ipswich was actually outside of Ipswich in a suburb called Pinewood nestled on a brook surrounded by a suburban setting. Called the Muthu Belstead Brook Hotel it presented as a restored manor with appropriate furniture and appeared very comfortable, but we had lost 1 night of our booking through the American Airline stuff ups. The external appearance reminded me of a health resort, but the internal furniture appeared to be styled in Victorian/Edwardian style.

After checking in we walked around the property and booked dinner in the main restaurant where we enjoyed drinks before dinner then pasta for me and pork belly for Kerry. I had my appetite for a change and emptied my plate. Kerry was unable to finish her dinner. Kerry had been driving for the most part of the day and we were both tired and needed a good night’s rest. Before bed we organised our suitcases for the following morning. A quick walk around at the setting for the hotel, a visit by an inquisitive squirrel then off to bed – tomorrow Sutton Hoo.

We were early to rise ate a hearty breakfast then drove to Sutton Hoo. We had lost a whole day through airline stuff ups so there was some urgency about getting to Sutton Hoo and then to Cardiff.

Where we had been in suburbia, Sutton Hoo was in farmland. We turned up at the front gate at 8.00 am and it was closed. We could see others entering by a side or staff entrance so we worked out we would have to come back. What to do – we decided to go back to Woodbridge the closest village and have a look around and we are glad we did. Narrow winding streets as usual but they had given the entrance streets including the High St some thought and made each one way reducing the road blockage by removing tightly parked cars and only permitting parking by permit holders. We had seen advertising that a restored water mill could be visited near the marina on the river. However, we were too early by a month, so we decided on a coffee stop. The photos following commencing with the Red Lion Hotel, followed by the rail station, a local resident going to the railway station (he volunteered for a photo), a sign board about the village history, the Anchor Hotel in bright colours, the marina, and a sign board about the Tide Mill (an early example of green technology).

Whilst enjoying coffee in the sun a local woman sitting at the opposite table had started talking to Kerry telling her about a local tradesman reconstructing an Anglo-Saxon long boat by hand. It was a tossup – the long boat or Sutton Hoo – Sutton Hoo won.

Arriving for the 2nd time a few minutes after 10.00 am we found that there was already a dozen or more families parking up and headed for the entrance. We joined the rush and were greeted by an enlarged recreation of the dead Kings war bonnet now widely recognised as the symbol for Sutton Hoo. The site and displays are controlled by Britain’s National Trust and most of everyone else were Trust members returning to the site. The ticket office is in one of the restored farm buildings and encircling it are the main exhibition hall, the gift shop and the cafeteria. In the fore court is a reconstruction of the Kings war boat based on the impression of the boat left in the mud of the burial mounds (the boat being made of timber it had disintegrated some time ago leaving only its impression). Our time was divided into visiting all exhibits in 2 hours, so we made our way to the burial mounds about 10 minutes’ walk away. Following a dirt path there are a few exhibits to inspect on the way to the burial mounds, one of which was this up turned bow of a boat and “throne” within it. Trekking through the field gave me a clear view of the farmhouse which we would visit before leaving. There is a viewing tower (4 stories high with no lift) overlooking the burial mounds which you can no longer inspect – they are all enclosed away from prying fingers as there are still some to be opened and things to find. Information stations lead the visitor through the exhibits.

The viewing of the mounds left us about 1 and 1/2 hours to view the exhibition hall and the house. I was feeling some disappointment by this time. I had hoped to have access to the burial chamber. All the mounds are fenced off and the ones that have been opened have been resealed. So, when we got to the exhibition hall the small amount of the contents discovered has been moved to the British Museum and some mint stuff was available on loan. For example, the disintegrating pail shown in the photos below, whilst other imitation relics were on display. My photos follow.

I visited the house owned by Mr & Mrs Pretty, who were the owners when local gardener and amateur archaeologist Basil Brown started unearthing the most important find of 6th to 7th century Anglo-Saxon burial practices. It is filled with artifacts of the time of excavation, newspaper articles photographs and include working rooms for the Trust workers and archaeologists working on the site. A movie of the discovery and excavation has been made, and I believe it is still available, and it is a most interesting story.

Our time was up as we must be in Cardiff tonight. Keep an eye open for my further blogs when THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – SUTTON HOO UK to CARDIFF WALES UK.

THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – SAN FRANCISCO USA

We arrived in San Francisco on time and ready to start our holiday. Our son Ben arrived at the airport as planned and Angus is with him to greet us. It is great to see both and during the ride to their home we hear all the gossip about Felix George our 1-month-old grandson number 9 amongst grandchildren. Angus is a little uncertain as we drive to their home. We are having a brief stay so that we don’t disturb their routine greatly. Part of the plan is to stay at the motel shown below for a couple of days and catch up with them each day. Peet’s coffee is nearby and we make use of that along with Taco Bell which we gave a big swerve. Felix at 1 month.

Jee greets us with Felix in her arms, and it is a great start to our holiday. Angus introduces Felix to us and I share some toast with Angus – peanut paste and honey I recall. Kerry gets as many cuddles as she can with Felix.

The few days fly quickly, lunch with Dad (Ben) at his new work (well a café near work really) and playing with Angus who loves building forts and racing his cars through the fort and knocking it all down, but we now have a game of “lets clean up”. Next is a jigsaw puzzle then cleaning up out in the yard. Kerry is cleaning the leaves off the back deck, and I am helping but Gus wants to help so he gets the broom, and we all play let’s clean up.

And so it goes, nothing special just being together.

We visited the local “Farmers Market”. Angus was somewhat disturbed by the spider on the wall of this house. Whilst there we notice there is a lot of street art in downtown Alameda and we captured a few to show you. Kerry and I took a walk through Alameda and stumbled across a museum of pinball machines from their inception to today. Every kind of machine I have seen and many I had never seen. We took photos to record our visit and spoke with the owner who serves behind the counter and gave us the run down on how it all started with the purchase of some of the earliest machines.

All in all, a couple of special days. On our last day Ben picked us up from the Motel to visit Jee with Gus and Felix for final farewells and then dropped us at the airport with plenty of time to catch our flight to London via Chicago, but it would prove not a smooth transition. Our flight departure is delayed then our flight arrival is also delayed by a plane broken down in the air gate meant for us to dock. Read about it all in my next blog “THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – SAN FRANCISCO USA to LONDON HEATHROW UK”

“THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – “TOKYO TO KAGOSHIMA, KOCHI, PORT KOBE & HOME”

Day 11 Kagoshima

Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyūshū, Kagoshima is the largest city in the Kagoshima prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the “Naples of the Eastern world” for its bay location (Aira Caldera), hot climate, and emblematic stratovolcano, Sakurajima. Kagoshima is constantly bombarded by ash from the eruptions of Sakurajima and is at risk of a major volcanic disaster. Sakurajima (‘Cherry Blossom Island’) is an active stratovolcano. A stratovolcano is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. The lava flows of the 1914 eruption connected it with the Ōsumi Peninsula. It is the most active volcano in Japan. Sakurajima is serviced by the Sakurajima Ferry which runs 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

There was not a lot about this port that thrilled us, but a volcano was another matter. We docked at a purpose-built cruise terminal, but as you can see from my photographs it was overcast. We did not book any excursions again deciding to explore for ourselves. So, we caught the shuttle to the city and made our way to the Sakurajima Ferry Terminal. As we did so we came upon a circus – well more of a small town in caravans and containers.

The ferry terminal was easily found and operated on the “you are going to have to return” basis so you only paid for a one-way ticket. As you can see from my photos below it is a large car ferry with 3 stories of passenger seating – Sakurajima is a tourist spot obviously. The ferry terminal at the other end was quite impressive and clearly well used. You can make out the volcano in the background and the steam venting from it.

Here is a gate not to the shops but to the Tsukiyomi Shrine. So where are the shops? The settlement according to our map was 4 streets wide and 5 streets deep and the fabled pottery shops were not to be found. Well, it is still winter so no tourist shops to be seen. We followed Yogan Nagisa trail, a concrete paved trail following the coastline of the island.

Look at the beach in the photos below – the island is so obviously volcanic. We stumbled across a local secret by following the trail – hot spas for tired feet. Kerry very quickly had her shoes off and stuck them into very warm volcanic water and as you will see from the pictures the volcano is still active, has 3 peaks and a major eruption is predicted in the next 30 years – watch the headlines. Apart from enjoying the sunshine and the bushy surroundings there was not a lot to do.

We found our way to the High School, and you will see from my photo the volcano dominates the island. All along the trail we were followed by the Black Kites we first saw in Port Keelung. I stopped to get a photo of the volcano. It was still shrouded in cloud, but we could see one of the peaks/calderas of the volcano.

We caught the ferry back to Kagoshima (the ferries are about 10 to 15 minutes apart). Most of the ports had a welcoming and farewelling ceremony and even though Kagoshima was not the biggest and best they were the most enthusiastic. One group followed us to the end of the dock.

Day 12 Kochi – Glendon’s birthday

My birthday started with this surprise awaiting me on my return from breakfast.

I was not feeling on top of the world but thought I was well enough to look around the dock. We could see some industrial buildings on a high plateau of earth likely made from reclaimed material from the harbour. So, we headed for the plateau via over 100 stairs from the road below the plateau and found another mini brewery – South Horizon Brewery. It was not open yet. They had two small delivery vans out front and in the loading dock which caught my eye and whilst I checked them out Kerry had attracted some interest from staff in the brewery, and they opened for the day. Coffee and cake for the first time on an excursion and we were joined by two other Aussies who sat with us (I think he was Kevin, but I cannot think of her name). They had done a lot of traveling also and we swapped tales for an hour or more all the time in the shadow of the ship so to speak. They had got out of bed a bit earlier than us and had walked around the plateau, so they headed for the ship whilst we continued our walk. Unfortunately, my unsettled stomach brought me back to the Brewery urgently and that’s when Kerry bought the beer so that I could remember the name. We then returned to the ship, and I rested for the remainder of the day. My chemo treatment strikes back in strange ways.

That night we dined with Barry and Sandi in the fine dining restaurant taking coffee on deck 10. Not as good as a roof top in Rome but pretty damn good just the same. We hatched a plan for tomorrow with the Rowlands to see Kobe.

Day 13 Port Kobe

Feeling much better, the 4 of us caught a cab to go to Kobe’s Rokko Cable Line a funicular railway that climbs Mount Rokko. It offers stunning views of the city and surrounding areas. Our Japanese is lousy, but I don’t know how to confuse funicular with herb garden. Our lack of Japanese worked in our favour, and we found ourselves at the first station of the Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway not the Rokko Cable Line. This elegant “walk-in-the-sky” ropeway offers a comfortable 10 – minute ride with panoramic views of all of the colours of the seasons while looking down upon Kobe as well as sweeping views of Kyoto and Osaka. The ride up on the ropeway took us through station 2 onto station 3 and the top of the gardens and it was beautiful and panoramic despite the overcast weather.

Upon arriving at the last station, I was surprised to see clearly Austrian / Swiss architecture. The flowers were amazing, and this led us to make our way through the gardens to station 2 but on the way, we spotted the flowerpot men, gothic garden chairs, the glasshouse and its café and verandah deck where Barry and Sandi discovered the foot baths –

ooh they liked it. And then just as we went up we had to come down.

Here are some more random photos – the Japanese version of an iced coffee, me at rest and us in the verandah cafe.

At station 2 we decided to take the ropeway to the first station down to the streets of Kobe. Oh O, we had a passenger with us, but he had enough and crawled away.

Kobe has an odd passion about sewerage covers throughout the city with different designs on each lid, so I photographed some as we made our way back to the ship. We also walked past the former US Embassy building.

That night we decided to visit the town at night starting with Chinatown (very odd in Japan) which was just across the road where the ship’s shuttle dropped us. We dined in a Chinese looking restaurant drinking Japanese beer, or was it?

Back to the ship and the next day was at sea as we prepared to disembark at the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal. I packed my camera in my suitcase, and we made our way to Osaka and then home to Brisbane – Tokyo Haneda Airport Terminal 1, Travel to Osaka

(Japan Airlines) Osaka Terminal 1 Travel to Brisbane (Jetstar).

A great welcome back to travel and cruising – Kerry has already found our next holiday and you can expect some further blogs from me. Until next time – May you have fair winds and following seas.

“THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – “TOKYO TO ISHIGAKI JAPAN, HUALIEN TAIWAN, PORT KEELUNG & TAIPEI TAWAIN, & PORT NAGASAKI JAPAN”

Day 6 Ishigaki, Ishigaki Island

We had returned to the MS Noordam and set sail as the sun struggled with the rain. We continued in our south westerly course to Ishigaki Island. Located in Okinawa Prefecture, Ishigaki Island is the biggest and busiest of the Yaeyama Islands, located 400 kilometres southwest of Okinawa’s main island. The advertising for Ishigaki describes its greenery, city comforts, cozy stays, and its very own airport. We had not booked any excursions, but we did get off the ship and took the shuttle bus into the centre of town and strolled around. I have posted below my photos which include the peculiar bus stops in the main street, and the typical café in most towns (a selection of drinks from a drinks machine) whilst the purpose-built establishment is locked up behind. There was not a lot in the town to interest us until we got to a park (with the café) which had not rated a mention on the ship’s literature. Prominently positioned on the corner of the park was a shrine housing the World Peace Bell and beside it the Bell of Smile. I have included the inscription for the Bell of Smile. There is also a sculptured Dove of Peace, and a piece of a bullet riddled wall but without an inscription in English I am uncertain as to its origin or meaning. I am guessing it is a piece of the destroyed Okinawa which would account for the bloody big bullets someone was shooting at the wall.

I found it difficult to find interest in shopping and there seemed little else to do unless you wanted to get in a car/taxi and drive around to see beaches or astronomical observatories. So, after an hour or more we were back to the bus and returning to the air-conditioned ship with all its amenities. At 5.00 pm the gang plank was pulled up, and we were on our way to Hualien Taiwan.

Day 7 Hualien Taiwan

8.00 am the next day we were tying up at the dock at Hualien. This is Taiwan and immigration checks are necessary even if you are not leaving the ship. The Spaniards built mines for gold in Hualien in 1622. Permanent settlements began in 1851, when 2,200 Han Chinese farmers from Taipei arrived. Settlements in the area remained small by the start of Japanese rule. On 25 October 1945, Taiwan was handed over from Japan to the Republic of China under Kuomintang government. In January 1946, the incoming Kuomintang designated Hualien City a county-administered city of Hualien County and to be the county seat. On 3 April 2024, a major earthquake struck near Hualien.

We had planned another walk about. We made it as far as a marketplace on the dock full of trinkets and things we did not need. After browsing through the markets, we changed our mind and returned to the ship and a good book. A rest day was in order.

Days 8 & 9 Port Keelung & Taipei Tawain

Port Keelung is the port for Taipei the capital of Tawain and officially known as Keelung City. It is a major port city in northeastern Taiwan. Keelung was first inhabited by the Ketagalan, a tribe of Taiwanese aborigine. The Spanish expedition to Tawain (formerly Formosa) in the early 17th century was its first contact with the West. By 1624 the Spanish had built San Salvador de Quelung, a fort in Keelung serving as an outpost of the Manila-based Spanish East Indies. The port changed hands a number of times with the Japanese occupying it in the late nineteenth century.

The dock and port was very busy and more sophisticated than any of the previous ports we had visited in the last few days and the view from the dock was a good introduction to the city. Immediately visible was the temple on the hill. We had not booked any excursions, so we disembarked and hit the road. We searched for the access we had been told about at the ship’s briefing on the Port and located the high tower shown in my photos. Fortunately there was a lift or we would still be climbing. Street art was quite commonplace where space permitted. I followed Kerry to the bottom of the tower and took photos of this remarkable viewing platform. The ship filled the picture to give you an idea of size. The temple could not be accessed due to maintenance, but it was still an impressive building.

We had spotted the white Buddha and thought we could find our way to it. Along the way I was surprised we passed a lion donated to the community by Lions Club of Kobe Nada and Keelung Central. We came in a side entrance to the plaza and were greeted by a familiar symbol the swastika and surprised to see it – it clearly has other meanings. Co-Pilot informed me “In Japan, the swastika is a symbol with a long history, particularly in relation to Buddhism. The symbol, known as manji in Japanese, is traditionally used on maps to indicate Buddhist temples.” We had our first experience of using eastern toilets here as well as having the best view of the port right down to the silos on the other bank of the harbour. We exited through the front gate and walked downhill toward the temple again. There is a bridge connecting the temple with the White Buddha and from there I was able to photograph the temple viewing platform showing its construction. You will see the MS Noordam again and those silos on the other bank.

We walked through the back streets until encountering a canal with its decorated bridges, the mix of old and new and the scooters. I had noticed a large number of hawks/eagles circling over the harbour. They were circling to catch fish. Co-Pilot tells me that “Keelung is on a migration route for birds of prey, with many species passing through or stopping over, especially in spring and fall. While many raptors are migratory, some residents, like the Formosan Crested Goshawk, can be found in Keelung’s mountainous areas. Keelung is also known for having black kites, which are a type of raptor, and the city has even implemented fines for feeding them, recognizing their importance as a protected species.”

As the ship was stopping overnight, we decided to take in Keelung City by sunset. The idea was to visit the Hollywood style announcement of the city by night. Kerry was keen to visit the sign saying, “It’s just over there”. So just before sunset we set out to find our way on foot. I found a non-descript lane which basically said “this way” to take us up the hill. Now Kerry has the habit of counting stairs. She did so on this occasion also. Once she got to 200 stairs, I didn’t wish to think anything further about that. We passed houses with small shrines and open doors and damn scooters busily buzzing bottom to top, more Buddhist temples and finally a sign – we had arrived. You will see two photos of the sign “Keelung” below, one from beside the sign and the other from the streets below. Yes, we did that in the rain.

We made our way through the night market and the streets generally. The streets were so packed we were shouldering through the crowd. I was getting very tired by this time and Kerry kindly returned to the ship with me otherwise she would still be looking for me in that crowd. The next morning, I got a picture of Evergreen Hotel. Now we had flown with EVA airlines on many occasions. Evergreen is one of those Asian vertically integrated companies from airlines to hotels to transport and everything in between and here is one of the hotels. I also snapped a picture of a building which turned out to be a hospital – who would have guessed if you were not Taiwanese and where the hell do you park.

The following day we joined Barry and Sandi Rowland on the excursion of Taipei City Centre and Taipei 101, Chang Kai-Shek Memorial, National Palace Museum & Martyrs’ Shrine. We started with the National Palace Museum. After entering the museum, the great man greets us inside the front door.

There is a lot of Chinese artifacts here and I have provided a few photos of what caught my eye. I suggest all of this was liberated from the Peoples Republic of China by Chang Kai Shek escaping with the nationalists army to the island of Formosa later renamed Taiwan.

Back to the bus and next, we observed the changing of the guard.

This was followed by the visit to the Chang Kai Shek Memorial & Martyrs Memorial where they also changed the guard. A grand plaza spread over acres of central Taipei with a huge monument to Chang Kai Shek. It included a Performing Arts pavilion and Museum and the Shrine.

Finally, we visited Taipei 101 which was the world’s tallest building at one stage. The design based on the natural design of bamboo gives the building a different appearance. On the way I spotted this piece of street art also. Foretelling the future?

The bus returned us back to the ship as we depart tonight and are at sea until we reach Nagasaki.

Day 10 Port Nagasaki

We had booked the excursions to Ground Zero and Atomic Bomb Museum and Nagasaki Peace Park, & Atomic Bomb Museum. Barry and Sandi were on this tour with us, so we travelled together as you will see.

Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Nagasaki became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through to 19th centuries. Part of Nagasaki was home to a major Imperial Japanese Navy base during the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War. Near the end of World War II, the American atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Nagasaki the second city in the world to experience a nuclear attack. The city was rebuilt.

First excursion stop was Nagasaki Peace Park, & Atomic Bomb Museum. On arrival the bus parked in front of a large brick building with sculptures in front of it (my last picture below) but that is not what we came to visit – we walked past this building through a park of sorts into an underground shelter with a staircase following the walls to the bottom of the shelter – a bit like the Gugenheim Gallery in New York. This exhibition covers the devastation caused by the atomic bomb, the process that led to the dropping of the atomic bomb, and the history of nuclear weapons development. Permanent Exhibition Rooms show the city, scenery, and life of Nagasaki residents before the atomic bombing August 9, 1945. I have seen some of this material previously but the very first thing you see here is time standing still – the moment of the explosion in the form of a distorted clock found amongst some of the remains that had not been vapourised. There are the reconstructed remains of a Jesuit Church a remnant from Portuguese times and the photographic evidence of the remains in situ in 1945. I suggest a visit to https://nabmuseum.jp/ to see the remainder of the museum. The images are shocking as a result I lost the desire to photograph anything further.

Our second stop was Ground Zero and Atomic Bomb Museum. I found this far less confronting but still devastating to grasp the enormity of the bombing. Nagasaki’s Ground Zero and the Atomic Bomb Museum are crucial sites for understanding the devastating impact of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Ground Zero, marked by a black stone monolith and concentric circles, is the exact location where the bomb exploded. The hypocentre, or Ground Zero, is the point directly below the blast where the atomic bomb detonated.

Memorial Park:

Ground Zero is located within Nagasaki Peace Park, a space dedicated to commemorating the victims and promoting peace. Urakami Cathedral Pillar: A damaged pillar from the Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed by the bomb, stands nearby as a poignant reminder. To access this site, we had to pass through a park – Nagasaki Peace Park.

Established in 1955, and near to the hypocentre of the explosion the park’s north end has the 10-meter-tall Peace Statue created by sculptor Seibo Kitamura of Nagasaki Prefecture. The statue’s right-hand points to the threat of nuclear weapons while the extended left hand symbolizes eternal peace. The mild face symbolizes divine grace, and the gently closed eyes offer a prayer for the repose of the bomb victims’ souls. The folded right leg and extended left leg signify both meditation and the initiative to stand up and rescue the people of the world. The statue represents a mixture of western and eastern art, religion, and ideology. Installed in front of the statue is a black marble vault containing the names of the atomic bomb victims and survivors who died in subsequent years.

In 1978 the city of Nagasaki established a “Peace Symbols Zone” on both sides of the park and invited donations of monuments from different countries around the world. Beside these monuments lie the foundations of an obliterated building. The following monuments can be seen in the park:

“Cloak of Peace (Te Korowai Rangimarie)”, by Kingsley Baird from New Zealand, 2006.; the plaque reads: “The statue symbolizes consolation, protection, and solidarity. It also expresses ambivalence, reflecting conflicting interpretations of historical events.”

“Tree of Life: Gift of Peace” (Punu Wankalpainya: Kalypa Nyinanytjaku) from Australia, unveiled 18 April 2016; the sculpture of a bronze tree cradling a ceremonial piti (dish) originates in the Anangu communities of Yalata and Oak Valley/Maralinga in South Australia. The plaques which are in Pitjantjatjara, Japanese and English, read “The tree gives life to make the piti (dish) that is used for carrying food, water, and babies. It represents the sharing of resources between families, communities and nations for peace and harmony.” The sculpture also recognises atomic survivors worldwide.

Amongst the memorials and fountains were beds of flowers seeming incongruous in that setting. To reach Ground Zero there is an escalator with a travelator incorporated in it. Very novel and practical. Well, I told you Barry and Sandi were there and here’s the proof.

We returned to the ship and recovered with a walk around the deck. As we walked around the deck, we encountered another visitor in the harbour MS Norwegian Sky. I was fascinated by the black kites floating in the air over the harbour and we were joined by a lonely kite on our walk. As we circled around the ships deck some naval vessels hove into view. Despite the evidence we had witnessed today, we remain on guard not at peace.

We regrouped with Barry and Sandi at the bar on deck 10 and giving views over the bow of our ship and concluded the day with our first clear sunset of the cruise.

We are nearing the end of our cruise. We are headed to Tokyo so our adventure will continue for a few more days. Watch out for “THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – “TOKYO TO KAGOSHIMA, KOCHI, PORT KOBE & HOME”