Cardiff, Gloucester & Stratford-upon-Avon

Today's pictures are downloaded from the internet - our camera's memory card is kaput. 

Friday night we stayed at a Holiday Inn in downtown Bristol.  There was too much traffic into and out of the big city, but the hotel was good. 

Josh is collecting flags of countries he has visited, so we had an incentive to go into Wales. Saturday morning, we crossed Bristol Channel on Severn Bridge and parked next to the Millenium Stadium where the Cardiff Blues would later that day be getting their clocks cleaned by the Glasgow Warriors rugby club. I asked the parking manager if all 7000 fans would be crazy. His reply, "sure, but not as bad as you lot." 

We peeked inside the Cardiff Castle, toured the Docks and the refurbished wharf, saw the port where Robert F. Scott departed on his fatal Antarctic expedition, and lots of coal and railway and shipping history, mansions and palaces of the 3rd Marquess of Bute, richest man in the world in the 1860's. 

Severn Bridge across the Bristol Channel

Cardiff Blues Millenium Stadium

The keep at Cardiff Castle

19th century advertising slogan

Then we drove to Gloucester, where a rugby match had just finished. The town was overrun with happy fans in red and white striped jerseys.  

Gloucester Cathedral

The actual house of the Tailor of Gloucester, at No. 9 College Court beside Michael's Gate

We slept just outside Birmingham, then visited Stratford-upon-Avon in beautiful Warwickshire.

Warwickshire countryside

Shakespeare's birthplace house

King Edward VI grammer school and Guild Chapel

Royal Shakespeare Theater

The Garrick Inn, from the 1400's

Next time, original photos.