Plan B - Learning Curve, Historical Places, etc.

Example of an actual two way
road! Yup, those are sheep!

As a result of the accident, I've had to learn to drive in Great Britain. I must say, it's a "right carry on" and "hard work" driving on the wrong side of the road. The "round abuts" are terrifying and shifting with the left hand is no piece of cake either! Some roads are, well, not really roads at all but lanes that have all sorts of uses including sheep herding.  My favorite road sign so far is: "Oncoming Vehicles in the Middle of the Road." REALLY, they need a sign for this? Seems to be the norm is you ask me! Also saw a sign with a picture of a military tank on it, no words, just a tank. I kept a keen eye out for one of those babies but fortunately, didn't encounter any! Navigating is also challenging. Road signs are obscured by plant growth and lane markings are often on the road surface. Traffic lights are more than a bit confusing as well. There could be as many as 3 traffic lights in an intersection and your challenge is to figure out which one applies to you! I must say though, it's getting better each time I get under the wheel and has given us mobility, so it's well worth the effort!

Downtown Holywell

Home base for this trip is Holywell, or Treffynnon in Welsh. It's the fifth largest town in Flintshire North Wales with a population of about 6,000. It lies to the west of the estuary of the River Dee and takes its name from St. Winifred's Well, a holy well, dating back to the roman period. St. Winifred, according to legend, was beheaded by the son of a local prince when she spurned his advances. A spring rose from the ground at the spot where her head fell. She was later brought back to life by her uncle, St. Beuno. The reputed healing waters of the well is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales and the town advertises itself as the Lourdes of Wales and has been a pilgrimage since the 7th century. In the 18th century, the town became an industrial center and grew around lead mining, cotton milling and copper production in an area knows as Greenfield Valley which is now a park and heritage center.

Cappuccino at St. Pio's Cafe

In addition to hospital visits and handicap access, a theme of the trip so far is small cafes where we get gorgeous cappuccino's and maybe a light snack. St. Pio's Cafe, the closest to Michael's house is run by Franciscan Friars at a Friary on the grounds of Eglwys Dewi Sant or in English, St. David's Church. They make a lovely cappuccino and a Welsh Rarebit to write home about! Poking around on the book shelf, I found a book of Catholic Trivia where I discovered the origin of bonfire. Just in case you ever need to know, bonfires, originally "bonefires"were fires lit on public streets with the bones of oxen, sheep, etc. hence the name bon-fires. A combination of wood and bones is called St. John's fire as these were burnt on the Feast of St. John, Dec 27.

Stately home at Bodnant Gardens

Armed with a wheel chair borrowed from the British Red Cross, one of our first trips out was Bodnant Gardens. The garden spans about 80 acres, is situated above the River Conwy on ground sloping towards the west and looking across the valley towards the Snowdonia Mountain Range. Controlling a wheel chair on this type of terrain proved to be quite challenging and provided yet another learning opportunity into the obstacles faced by the disabled! I finally parked Michael and the chair on the level ground in front of the property's stately home and explored grounds myself! After the garden tour, we were tired and hungry and couldn't resist stopping at the Bodnant Welsh Food center which showcases homemade breads, cakes, pies, meats and cheeses. We loaded up on savory pies, sausages and a variety of cheeses and headed for home.

Speke Hall, a stately Tudor Home near
Liverpool

To keep ourselves occupied, we are visiting local historical attractions. Basingwerk Abby in Holywell, is not to be missed. It's a ruin very near the Greenfield Heritage Center that belonged to the Order of Cistercians in the 12th century. It's assets were sold following the dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 by Henry VIII. Another visit was to Speke Hall, a stately Tudor home near Liverpool. This home features creative things such as a priest hole, a place to hide a priest from local authorities when Catholicism was illegal, and a whispering room, a small access above the parlor for eavesdropping on your guests. The history here is just fascinating and is absolutely everywhere!

Friday Teashop Toddlers:
Pam, Wendy, Marion & Sally (L-R)

Michael's friends have been very gracious, offering to include me in activities such as hiking and climbing. I've been on several hikes and walks taking in local history, scenery and cafe's in quaint villages. In addition, I've been trad climbing at Gogarth on Anglesey which has stunning views of the Irish Sea and sport climbing at Castle Inn, a crag in the "car park" of a now closed pub.

Though the trip hasn't gone exactly as originally planned, things are busy and going well. I've had time to kick back, relax and learn about the people and my surroundings.