The Newport Hilton is in the middle of nowhere. It is the worst hotel we have stayed at so far. Desperately in need of refurbishment. There is no place close to get something to eat so we opt for some food from the bar which turns out to be surprisingly edible. That was after discovering that the same food from room service incurred a 5 Eu charge. It is a late start today - Breakfast and luggage at 8, and leaving at 9.
This morning we set out to travel through Wales to Fishguard where we will catch the ferry crossing St Georges Channel to Ireland. The countryside is so green. It is hard to believe it is the end of summer when this whole island is just green, green, green. All the road signs are in Welsh and English. One thing that strikes me is how polite the drivers are in the UK. There is little horn honking or rude gestures. People stop to let others through - they signal this by flashing their lights. Even in heavy traffic, I haven't seen close calls or ignorant driving. Refreshing.
We haven't seen much of Welsh towns and only a little of the countryside. It isn't very different to the English countryside we have recently travelled through.The road signs are in both English and Welsh which makes for interesting reading.
All the farms we have seen have hedgerows between the fields rather than fences. Once, the whole of the island would have been covered in this low scrub, under the huge canopy of trees. The hedgerows are kept because they are important. They are used by wildlife, from insects to foxes, to travel and for shelter. This is why the farmers keep them instead of using fences.
The ferry is big and a huge difference to the one we crossed to Greece in. This is clean and spacious and doesn't smell of engine oil. It was quite cold up on the deck so we spent most of the three hour journey inside. The coffee was dreadful. We dock in Ireland at Rosslare.
We have checked into the Granville Hotel, in Waterford. It is a beautiful old building with a lot of history. The duty manager came aboard the bus to welcome us and tell us about the evening's arrangements for dinner. Dinner was superb. Beautifully prepared and served professionally by the waiters. The bathroom has a towel warmer, not currently needed, the towels are soft and fluffy. Besides the usual tea and coffee, there are biscuits and mineral water.
Dinner was wonderful. After dinner there is an Irish coffee making demonstration. We all get one afterwards. It was smooth but I found it a bit strong.
This morning we set out to travel through Wales to Fishguard where we will catch the ferry crossing St Georges Channel to Ireland. The countryside is so green. It is hard to believe it is the end of summer when this whole island is just green, green, green. All the road signs are in Welsh and English. One thing that strikes me is how polite the drivers are in the UK. There is little horn honking or rude gestures. People stop to let others through - they signal this by flashing their lights. Even in heavy traffic, I haven't seen close calls or ignorant driving. Refreshing.
We haven't seen much of Welsh towns and only a little of the countryside. It isn't very different to the English countryside we have recently travelled through.The road signs are in both English and Welsh which makes for interesting reading.
All the farms we have seen have hedgerows between the fields rather than fences. Once, the whole of the island would have been covered in this low scrub, under the huge canopy of trees. The hedgerows are kept because they are important. They are used by wildlife, from insects to foxes, to travel and for shelter. This is why the farmers keep them instead of using fences.
The ferry is big and a huge difference to the one we crossed to Greece in. This is clean and spacious and doesn't smell of engine oil. It was quite cold up on the deck so we spent most of the three hour journey inside. The coffee was dreadful. We dock in Ireland at Rosslare.
We have checked into the Granville Hotel, in Waterford. It is a beautiful old building with a lot of history. The duty manager came aboard the bus to welcome us and tell us about the evening's arrangements for dinner. Dinner was superb. Beautifully prepared and served professionally by the waiters. The bathroom has a towel warmer, not currently needed, the towels are soft and fluffy. Besides the usual tea and coffee, there are biscuits and mineral water.
Dinner was wonderful. After dinner there is an Irish coffee making demonstration. We all get one afterwards. It was smooth but I found it a bit strong.
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