European Adventure Part VIII: Day Seven

DAY SEVEN

It was time to pick up my Mom and brother and to head away from the city out to Cornwall. I was especially excited for this day, not just to see my family, but on the way to Penzance we were stopping by Bath! I was a little nervous about all of the driving that was coming up, but at least I wouldn’t be doing it alone.

The sunrise on my way to Heathrow

OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING

The sun had barely risen when I hopped in Charlie the Jaguar to go to Heathrow. I made my way to the airport okay, but the parking garage stressed me out! All of the spaces seemed so small. I also like to back in instead of pulling into space (it just seems safer to me) and that was proving impossible. My family was calling and texting me, but I couldn’t bring myself to take my hands and eyes off the wheel. I finally found myself in the airport enjoying some hugs. We stopped to grab some breakfast and treats for the road.

I drove us back to the hotel, and while my family enjoyed some wonderful showers, I went for a walk in the estate’s park. I couldn’t help but put the 2005 Pride & Prejudice soundtrack, especially “Dawn” and “The Secret Life of Daydreams” as I enjoyed my ramble. The sun was shining, there were ducks enjoying their antics on the lake, and the temperature was perfect. It was moments like this that I’d been hoping and praying for when I would think about going on this trip while stuck in my apartment during lockdown. I don’t know if I can describe what a beautiful morning it was.

Wandering around the estate

On my ramble

BACK IN BATH

With my family showered and refreshed, it was time hit the road. It was such a relief to have some with navigating, especially since my GPS was acting up. I really love driving about the English countryside. It’s rolling hills are so beautiful and peaceful.

Soon, we were descending the hills into the town of Bath. I’d found us a parking lot in advance, and my plan was a Classic Jessica. We were going to walk a really big loop through Bath, hitting all the place that I wanted to stop by, grab some food, and then head back to the car. We had about four more hours to Penzance after Bath. I was a little nervous driving about Penzance in the dark. Even though I knew the town, all my mind could think about were how small the streets were! I wanted to try and navigate that in the light, if possible. Of course, it’s winter and the sun sets at like 4:00pm, so the chances were small.

Outside the Jane Austen Centre

The baths in Bath

Being back in Bath was delightful! Our first stop, of course, was so the Jane Austen Centre. Where I once again lost my mind in the gift shop. In addition to fun little things for myself, I was also picked up some items to give away at the Jane Austen Winter Tea. I hoped my guests would be delighted!

We also stopped by this shop called Wool since my Mom is a big crocheter. Nick and I just sat on the curb outside while she lost her mind. The two places that I found for us to eat were closed or booked up, so we stopped by an oldy but goody - Nandos!

All too soon, it was time for us to head back on the road.

A LITTLE CHAOS DRIVING IN THE DARK

One of Nick’s photos of the Clifton Suspension Bridge (Photo by Glass Bottle Photo)

We were planning to stop at the Clifton Suspension Bridge so that Nick could take some photos in the golden hour. Well, golden hour had come and gone, but we were determined head to the bridge anyway. It was dark, and the roads were crowded. I was going to have to make this crazy right turn across traffic, and couldn’t manage to do it, so we drove around in circles for a little bit. When we finally got to the bridge, there was a toll to cross it, which I didn’t realize. There was a little stress while trying to pay the toll (I was too far away from the unmanned booth), get back in my car, drive through before the gate came down, all while trying to avoid being honked at by the cars behind me. We got across without incident, and I had to remember once again that drivers over here are so much more patient. There wasn’t going to be angry honking. Sure, they might shake their heads at you, but they’d wait until you go through. For some reason, that calmed me down about driving for the rest of the night.

My Mom and I sat in the car while waiting for my brother to take his zillions of photos of the bridge. The wait clearly worth it, as you can see from the photo above. It was only 5:00pm, but it felt like it was 10:00pm. The restaurant at the inn we were staying in closed at 9:00pm, so we planned to call them to ask if they could stay open for us once we got on the road.

After leaving Bristol, we headed straight for Penzance which was about three and a half hours away, on M and A roads, thank God. Nick and Mom dozed in the car while I barreled down the road. I really appreciated what a solid car Charlie is. The drive was a pretty uneventful, except one time when GPS tried to take us off the highway and on a B road. I looked at the proposed turn onto a dark, abandoned road, and said no thank you. I looked at the map when we got to Penzance and was glad I made that choice.

Soon, I could see the dark emptiness to my right that could only be the ocean as we headed South, and before i knew it, we in Penzance. The streets were bigger than I’d remembered, and I had no trouble navigating them. We got to our inn, Artist Residence, and checked into our adorable cottage. The cottage came with it’s own parking space, and I had a TIME backing into that thing. I did it though!

We made it in time for dinner, and enjoyed some delicious food and drink before packing it in our cottage for the evening. What a day!

UP NEXT: A slow start to the day, and then exploring St. Ives