Day 2: Friday, July 9, 2004 - I tour the York Minster Cathedral and The York Castle Museum. Ride the train to Manchester where I meet my companions for the Hadrian's Wall adventure.
Day 3: Saturday, July 10, 2004 - We take the train to Wylam and a taxi to Heddon-on-the-wall. Enjoy a great pub dinner.
Day 5: Monday, July 12, 2004 - We hike the wall from Portgate to Wall. Visit Chester's Roman Fort and Museum. Participate in a Quiz night in partnership with a gaggle of British matrons.
Day 6: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - I opt for laundry duty. I visit the Hexham Market and Hexham Abbey. I bus to Haltwhistle where I have a launderette adventure. We participate in a quiz night at the Twice Brewed Pub. We partner up with our B & B host and hostess and win the prize.
Day 7: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - Because of the stormy weather, I visit the Vindolanda Roman Fort as well as the Roman Army Museum (Carvoran) and the nearby Walltown Crags and Quarry. I have problems with my knee but manage to get to Gilsland where I meet up with the rest of the group for dinner.
Day 8: Thursday, July 15, 2004 - I walk to Birdoswald Roman Fort and Museum. I then take the bus to Carlisle where I visit the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery and also tour Carlisle Castle. I retrace my steps to Brampton, have a beer and move on to Walton. We eat at the Centurion Inn and have a most delicious and interesting meal.
Day 9: Friday, July 16, 2004 - I pass on my final chance to hike with my buddies and instead go to Lanercost Priory and ride the bus to Bowness-on-Solway, the end of Hadrian's Wall. We have our final dinner together and summarize our thoughts for Tom's video.
Day 12: Monday, July 19, 2004 - Pam and I decide to take it easy today seeing as the TI office and many tourist sites are closed. We do visit the Ste Croix Cathedral and Hotel Groslot, a 15th century palace. We also do laundry and have a mediocre dinner but a delightful after-dinner dessert and coffee on the Place du Martroi.
Day 13: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 - We visit three chateaus, Blois, Chambord and Cheverny. All are worth far more time than we can give them. Both the train and the bus rides are interesting in their own right. We have a wonderful dinner at an Alsatian Brasserie.
Day 15: Thursday, July 22, 2004 - We explore Bruges on foot, visiting many sites including the Bell Tower, City Hall, Basilica of the Blood, Groeninge Museum, St Mary's Church, an old nunnery, an old brewery, and a beautiful park. Happy hour is happy. We eat our dinner al fresco on St. Steven's Square with good food and so-so service.
Day 16: Friday, July 23, 2004 - We tour the Ypres Salient Battlefields from WW I. The experience is very interesting yet sobering. We also visit Ypres proper, much of which has been completely rebuilt according to the original plans, which were safely stored during the war. We see where "Flanders' Fields" was written, visit the Menin Gate Memorial and many cemeteries and other memorials. We dine at one of the oldest restaurants in Bruges on mussels and other "to die" for dishes.
Day 18: Sunday, July 25, 2004 - We get a late start and find the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museumare too crowded. In spite of the rain, we go to Vondel Park and have a SanFrancisco type experience. After Vondel Park, we visit Leidseplein, the Flower Market, Kalver Straat, and Dam Square. We explore the Amsterdam Historical Museum. The Anne Frank House is next and I respond emotionally to the experience. We have a superb dinner at a near-by restaurant.
Day 19: Monday, July 26, 2004 - We visit the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Have lunch on the Museumplein. We take a canal boat to Centraal Station and visit St. Nicholaas Church. Re-boarding the canal boat we go to the Dutch Resistance Museum which is extremely worthwhile. We take a canal boat back to our hotel and meet a friend from Mattel for dinner.
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