I woke up a bit before 8 and had my shower. I got to the breakfast room in the nick of time and had egg, sausage, and bacon and toast, with some interesting tinned tomato. I packed up my gear and checked out, asking the woman to keep my bag until 2.30.
I left at about 9.15 and took some photos on the way. I got to the College after 9.30 but Mel didn't arrive until at least 9.45. Tas was supposed to come with us but she was sleeping off the night before. So we headed to the castle on our own and bought a ticket for the 10.45 tour, costing me £6.50. We had time to kill so we went up the keep first, being careful on the steps, peering out of the arrow slits and savouring the view at the top. Mel pointed out the Anthony Hopkins Centre near the College. He had studied there - I had no idea he was even Welsh. We went back down and wandered, reading all the signs outside explaining our surroundings. Then it was time for our tour, so we went up the appropriate steps and waited at the appropriate place. Dave sent me a message at this point.
A woman met us for the tour - we were the only ones apart from two Korean girls. We were taken through a procession of obsessively detailed rooms in gothic and medieval style. The banquet hall in particular was amazing, with a small gallery up the top for musicians. I suggested to Mel that she persuade the College to hold concerts there, and the guide said that the castle had housed the College at one point. The whole place had belonged to the second Marquis of Bute, who had made his fortune in coal mining. When his son inherited it, he set about decorating it in a medieval style, being obsessed with it. The fifth Marquis of Bute moved out and donated the whole castle to the city in 1949, but taking their removable belongings back to Scotland. Apparently the family had only ever spent a few weeks a year there anyway.
Then the second-last room we went into was pure Jane Austen 18th century. It was absolutely disorienting to walk from a medieval room to that. The children's day nursery was also incredible, with tiles detailing all of the nursery rhymes. The library was also beautiful, with stained glass alcoves. It was an amazing tour. From there Mel and I went down to the tea rooms underneath which had a curved wooden ceiling. I think it used to be the kitchens. I had Welsh tea, Mel had hot chocolate and we both had some free Welsh delicacies - one a flat scone with fruit in it ('Welsh cake'?) and the other was fruit cake soaked in tea. They were both rather nice.
We then went to explore the grounds a bit further and came to the birds of prey enclosure. They fascinated me immediately but my photos make them look like they're stuffed. We went to walk on and I spotted a man flying one of the birds on a line. We went over and I said hello and asked him about the birds. The one he had wasn't terribly interested in flying, but he offered to show us the rest as well. There was Floyd the eagle owl, who was slightly grumpy and kept making a rather indignant squawk.
There was a falcon at the front on the right whose name I've forgotten but who was a cross between a Merlin and a Peregrin. He was nice, but couldn't hunt very well because his size was more Merlin than Peregrin. Then at the back in the middle was Madam but I can't remember what type she was. She was quite large with a surprisingly wide wingspan. she was mottled brown. In front of her was Billy the barnowl who had had a broken wing. The guy had set it, but it still sat lower than the other. As a result, he can't fly very far. Then there was Dad at the back on the left who was very dark brown with a much more hawky beak, though I can't remember what breed he is. He was a very good hunter and actually belongs to the guy. In front of Dad was Smudge, who was a beautiful and very lively kestrel. I liked him the most because he had the most personality and kept flapping his wings. Now I look at the bird book, though, I think his markings are more female than male. Hmmm.
Then we went into the military museum and looked around. We had our imaginations captured particularly by the display about the goat mascots for Welsh regiments. There were heads mounted on the wall from Taffy I, Taffy II, etc., and some were just skulls or horns. We found it hilarious that they had received medals. Apparently the tradition began because a goat had once warned about the approach of an enemy. They had served in many countries and were highly thought of. One of the Taffys had a particular weakness for eating cigarettes and so was rewarded with one every now and again. There was a model of a marking band that was interesting, and a few Australian relics. Then the guy there waylaid us and gave us a lesson on goats, Japanese culture and whirlygigs that they used to put women in as a punishment. He also told us that Mel just happens to live across the road from the current barracks which houses the current goat mascot at the rank of colonel. Mel thought it funny, as did I, that this goat was ranked higher than James. We went to the gift shop to find goat memorabilia but alas there was none. We really enjoyed our castle adventure anyway.
As time was disappearing rapidly, we walked down into the shopping mall (which is quite nice) and got wraps from Boots for lunch and ate them on seats nearby. We saw some interesting fashions walk past. Then we only had time to walk to the guesthouse to retrieve my luggage, then on to the bus station before I had to get on my bus and say goodbye to Mel. I'll go back there to see a concert or two and I'll have Mel visit me when I settle somewhere.
I got the front seat of the coach even though I hadn't got my boarding pass from the Nat Express office (how was I supposed to know?) first off. The trip to London was quite long. We stopped at Newport, then over the Severn Bridge again (I got my camera out this time). I don't think we stopped anywhere else, so straight on to Earl's Court (the traffic was frightful) and then to London Victoria. I had a revolting pasty for dinner and had a reasonably short wait for the Cambridge bus, since the traffic had made us late. I got on the Cambridge bus on the front seat with a small number of other people and was treated to a nice drive-by of the Thames all the way from MI6 at Vauxhall to Tower Hill. The lights were beautiful and the Eye was running and lit up.
We made a stop or two around Stratford and then headed north through the inky blackness to Cambridge. We arrived just after 9pm, having made a stop at Trumpington park and ride. I got off and made straight for the taxi rank, asking the guy to take me to Oakley Lodge. It was a shortish journey but still cost me over £6. I checked in, extremely exhausted by then, met the dogs, paid, and was shown to my room. I had a shower, watched a little bit of TV, and went to bed at around 11.
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