Did a tour of Waterford Crystal this morning and watched them blow and cut the glass which was very interesting. Saw some amazing pieces of work including replicas of Ashes trophy, 9/11 memorial piece, and a chalice commissioned by the Queen for her diamond jubilee. I ran into friends from Rocky in the showroom - you wouldn't read about it! We continued on to Cork (where all the cruise ships come in and where the Titanic left from). The Ruby Princess was in port...

A walk around Cardiff mall this morning and some souvenir shopping while others toured Cardiff Castle. Drove on the M4 past Port Talbot to Pembroke (where the Queen's corgis come from and the home of Strongbow). After lunch, went to Pembroke Dock and boarded the ferry to head across St George's Channel. 4 1/2 hours later we were in Ireland (Rosslare Harbour). Headed through the county of Wexford then alongside the River Suir to Waterford (through the south-east c...

Drove out of Devon county and into Somerset. Stopped at Glastonbury (England's version of Nimbin!). Legend has it that the Holy Grail is buried at Glastonbury Tor. We spent a few hours at Bath and went through the Roman Baths. Water was green and slimy, but very pretty town with the River Avon passing through. The Crescent and the Circus (most prestigious addresses in Bath) very impressive and easy to picture life here in Georgian times when everyone came to Bath...

Took an early morning boat ride from Plymouth harbour and into the Tamar river, which forms the border between Devon and Cornwall. Started at the Mayflower Steps where the convict ships bound for Australia left from. There is a big naval base here and many fortifications from centuries past. Plymouth was heavily bombed during the war and most of the old city was destroyed. Just across from our hotel is a church with only it's outside walls intact. It was left li...

Joined our Trafalgar tour this morning and, thank god, most of our fellow tourists are Aussies! Our first stop was Stonehenge (raised 4500 years ago) followed by lunch in Salisbury. The Salisbury Cathedral has the tallest spire in Britain (440 ft) and has only 6 ft deep foundations. It was built in the 1200's and houses the best preserved copy of the Magna Carta (one of 4 originals). We then drove on to Plymouth and had our welcome dinner at the Mussel Inn, Down ...