One enjoyable day was spent with friends, Mary and Ted, I'd met on Russian Tour in 1985. We visited Baddesley Clinton, a medieval moated manor house with hidden secrets. This enchanting property owned by the National Trust and has seen little change since 1633. During 1590's it became a refuge for Jesuit priests and contained hiding places, called "priest's holes," created for their survival during the era. In the late 19th Century the family re-created a sumptuously furnished Chapel and added stained glass.
A few days later, a quiet journey on National Express Coach dropped me off in Bangor, Wales. With my backpack secure, I made it to the local hostel in about 15 minutes. It is an old Victorian house with a view of Snowdonia. A railway completed in April of 1896 climbs the slopes of Snowdon, climbing to a height of 3,140 feet. The hike was a little intimidating to me so I chose to do lesser walking trails and view the mountain from below. Bangor is on the coast and every morning I loved being awakened to the squawking of sea birds.
Days later, a train to Holyhead, ferry to Dun Laoghaire, and then to Dublin, I found my way to the hostel. Dublin International Hostel was once a convent and the hostel restaurant had served as the nun's chapel. I explored the immediate area on foot the next day and found a super market about a mile away - my usual source of food for the trip.
The following day my sojourn took me south to Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains. The heather was just starting to bloom and our tour bus stopped at a magnificent waterfall cascading down a sloped mountainside. Glendalough International Hostel was once a school. Located nearby are the 12th Century monastic ruins that had been considered the most advanced learning center of Europe in its time. The large circular tower allowed the monks to watch for marauding Vikings who came periodically to pillage the community. Access to the tower was by a ladder that could be pulled up after everyone was safely inside. Thus keeping them safe until the marauders left. The monastery building itself has a stone roof, thus making it safe from potential fires. Many trails and two lakes made trekking around Glendalough a pleasurable experience.
Back in Dublin for two days before returning to Wales was not something I like to think about so will move on. Several days were spent in Conwy, Wales. The castle stands tall on the sea front and the castle wall enclosure is accessible to the public. The floors in the turrets are long since gone, but metal stairs and walks, bridge the crumbled area making possible a walk of the medieval walls and a grand view of the harbor. This modern and spacious hostel is located a steep walk above town. Sitting on the waterfront each day for a brief time provided a quiet respite from my exploratory walks. I particularly enjoyed watching the locals eating fast food and feeding the sea birds remains of French fries. I returned to Bangor for a few more days before returning to Maggie's.
A few days later, I was off again - this time for several days in Aberdeen, Scotland - a beautiful northern city on the eastern coast. From Aberdeen, P&O Scottish Ferries provides service to the Shetland Islands.
There was an 18-hour layover for departure on Norrona, a Smyril Lines ferry. In Lerwick, time was too brief to do much exploring but one could get a feel for the town of. Like all North Atlantic areas I've visited, the buildings were painted in bright colors. Sod roofs were not unusual. Both colors and sod roofs were to become common sights during the rest of my tour on the North Atlantic. After a 3-hour stop in the Faroe Islands before arriving in Seydisfjordur, Iceland - ferry landing on the eastern coast of Iceland. Seydisfjordur is a friendly town and the hostel is close to the harbor. During my stay I met an interesting American lady who works and lives in this small town. From the locals I heard how she has done more to pull the community together and brought music into their lives. She is an amazing person who I was honored to meet.
I hitched the next day to Egilsstadir where I caught the Ring Bus around Iceland. I got a life about 1-½ hours later and was in awe at the numerous waterfalls cascading down the 700 to 900 meter mountainsides during my walk. Some Icelandic people picked me up in a 4-wheel drive and thankfully delivered me to the Visitor Center/bus stop. They had just completed an arduous trek across the interior of Iceland to the coast. Though happy they'd done it and survived, it would be the last time for them. From Egilsstaoir, we went through Reydarfjordur, Breddalsvik, Berunes, and Djupivogur to Hofn. There were no beds available so I camped out for the night. It was about 2 a.m. when the winds picked up and coming off the glaciers it became piercing cold. I abandoned my campsite seeking shelter in the three-sided building in the playground.
From Hofn, we traveled through Nesjaskoli, Jokulsarlon, Skaftafell, Kirkjubaejarklaustur, Viki Myrdal, Skogarskoli, Hvolsvollur, Hella, and Selfoss to Reykjavik. I spoke with a lady on the bus, living near Hofn; she said temperatures dropped last night to 5°C. It was hard to believe I'd survived the low temperatures the night before. When asking about the long and dark winter nights, I was surprised to learn that bright light during the full moon, makes it possible to read without artificial light. I can only assume that the light is magnified by the reflection off the snow. In Reykjavidk, the hostels were full as were many of the guesthouses and I was able to get a bed at the Salvation Army Guesthouse located near the center of town. Regretfully, my plans to visit Pengvillir - the oldest Parliamentary Site - were not possible. I was able to explore the town and see, albeit at a distance, some of the points of interest of this unique town. Three out of five Icelanders live in the greater Reykjavik area. Homes and buildings are heated naturally with geothermal heat brought up from underground, thus clean air.
From Reykjavik, the bus took us through Borgarnes, Bifrost, Hvammstangi, Stadur, Blonduos, and Varmahlid to Akureyri. I walked part of the coastline before sacking out in the local hostel. The next day we left for Egilsstadir passing through Breidamyri, Reynihlid, Grimsstadir, Modrudalur, and Jokulsarbru where I caught the local bus back to Seydisfjordur, returning in time to catch the ferry back for the next day.
The ferry dropped us off at Torshavn on the isle of Nolsoy in the Faroe Islands for three days. In the oldest part of Torshavn is fort Skansin, built to protect the inhabitants against pirates in olden times. Sheep Islands, Vestmanna Bird Cliffs, and Viking Settlements are among the many special places I was unable to visit. One day I will succeed in seeing puffins, the birds I keep missing on my trips north. The hostel in Torshavn is modern and spacious and located near to the Hotel Foroyar - a Best Western Motel - and operated by them. Many services of the hotel were extended graciously to the hostel patrons. Situated on the hill afforded a marvelous view of the area.
Our overnight stop at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands allowed a little more time to explore the town before heading back to Aberdeen. After several more days in Aberdeen, I was back with Maggie. The day before I left, I had the opportunity to spend some time on a boat in the English Canals. It was a pleasure traveling some distance through seven locks - a great experience. It was surprising to learn there are over 2,000 miles of canals in England. This trip was made possible through Maggie's friend and neighbor.
It was great to miss the greater part of the hot Borrego summer.
