Monday, July 24, 2006

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Today we depart London for our road trip. We started out walking to Victoria Station and catching a bus to Marble Arch where Alamo Car Rental was located. This turned out to be a challenge finding. I jumped off the bus too early, causing us to walk almost a mile. I heard about that! Finally we locate the rental location. I had originally had a compact car, but decided to get a car that had a GPS in it (I had a hell of a time finding places in France). This turned out being well worth the extra money. It was a Vauxhall Vectra. It was a nice mid-size car, except for being a standard. Driving a standard is no problem, my truck is standard, but being jolly old England this car's steering wheel is in on the right side, and being there puts me shifting gears with my left hand. Also, they drive on the wrong side of the road there. Now I've driven on the wrong side of the road (and not just when I was drunk) in New Zealand, British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and Trinidad. However I wrecked the rent call in the Bahamas because I panicked and wound up on the right side of the road, which was the wrong side of the road there. But that is another story (can't go back there either as I'm sure there is a warrant for my arrest for failure to appear).

Anyway, driving on the left side of the road goes against everything you have ever been taught and general driving experience. You can't relax because it's an unnatural feeling. Every time you approach an intersection and have to turn, you must think about the turn, or instinct will take over. Traffic approaches from the wrong direction (this applies to walking as well when entering a crosswalk), so you look right first, left, then right again. Add to that shifting with your left hand (thank God the pedals are in the correct place), the wife telling you how to drive, and being in a heightened state of awareness makes for an interesting drive. Just keeping the car in the center of the lane is a challenge as you feel you should be in the left side of the lane rather than the right. The wife did not like it because sitting in the left seat she wanted a wheel and a brake pedal. Not to mention the curb and parked cars are on her side, which its the same in America, but some how she feels this is different. She wants me to hug the strip on my side, which is where the oncoming traffic is.

Anyway it took us two hours of horrible traffic to get out of London, but finally we are on the motorway and I'm getting the hang of it again. Off to Bodiam Castle we head.

Bodiam Castle

Bodiam Castle is located in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, supposedly at the request of Richard II in order to defend the surrounding area from French invasion. However, recent research suggests that the castle was built more for show than as an effective defense.

The castle is completely surrounded by a spring fed moat. The south side has a central tower called a postern tower. To the right of the postern tower is the castle's great hall. The turret at the left houses the well. Most of the castle interior was destroyed during the English Civil War. The north side of the castle has the gatehouse and bridge. The turret on the left contains the chapel.

The castle was acquired and restored by Lord Curzon and willed by him to the National Trust in 1926.

Southwest view Bodiam Castle

West view Bodiam Castle

North view Bodiam Castle

Jeana and Jim and the north face of Bodiam Castle

Stonehenge is a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument located near Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. It is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. Archaeologists think that the standing stones were erected between 2500 BC and 2000 BC although the surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury henge monument, and it is also a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge itself is owned and managed by English Heritage whilst the surrounding downland is owned by the National Trust. This Monument is found in Wiltshire, England.

Stonehenge to Cardiff Wales 91.3 miles

We departed Stonehenge for Cardiff, Wales. We contemplated stopping in Bath, England to see the Roman Baths there, but opted to head on to the hotel before nightfall. We arrived at the Holiday Inn Cardiff City Center just before it dark. I'm not as nervous driving now, but I did not want to push my luck driving at night.

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