Well I’ve finally succumbed to the Scottish weather because my nose is producing snot on an industrial scale. My nose is showing signs of too much tissue abuse and is now a lovely red colour, similar to the lovely sunset I saw the other night. Scottish weather is sadistic because it first of all gives you a cold and makes you miserable and then the sun shines after a few days of rain and misery but your too sick to enjoy and when you do recover Mr Blue Sky has gone away. 

It’s been a chaotic month and I’ve been meaning to write all about my travels but I’ve struggled to get the time. So this is a quick note to say that I’ll be returning the hire car soon and then it will be time to fly once more, but I will fill in the gaps along the way of the past few weeks. 

I’ve travelled from Land’s end to John O’Groats and a few other places in between and caught up with old friends along the way. I’ve had my haggis and black pudding but I’m now looking forward to a more healthier diet. Mind you they are both delicious.

Well I finally got to go to see where the filmed the Prisoner, of course I’m talking bout Portmerion in Wales. It was a bit driech when I arrived but as usual with these kind of once in a lifetime visits the sun came oot as I was leaving.

It’s a collection of building that were either bought or donated to Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975. It’s a great place to wander whatever the weather. The gardens are full of exotic plants and the buildings are just brilliant an to make it even better there was a cult TV show from the 60’s filmed here. How good is that. If you haven’t watched the Prisoner then you are missing out on one of TV’s strangest events.

This is a place where you need to come and I was surprised that it was only 11 pounds to get in, which compared to other attractions I thought was quite reasonable. The other thing I noticed is that everyone that works there speaks in Welsh which is great………It’s a pity my own country which is Scotland doesn’t push for our native tongue to be taught in all schools rather than French or German.

I arrived in Glastonbury rather late and so by the time I got to my digs it was time to eat. It was a fair drive from Cornwall to here and I find the motorways boring and tiring, there not as challenging as the twisty roads of the last few days but you still need to concentrate.

I thought that the amount of hippies walking around was just the remains of the festival from a few weeks ago but apparently not. There is a core community of the weird and the wonderful which I found interesting and fascinating. Some look like they have just discovered this life and have thrown away the shackles of the modern world to replace with the hippie uniform however not all seem to be comfortable in their new skin and I always feel they look awkward and a little sad. A little sad because they are searching for something and they just are not able to become content with their own skin.

I had an interesting conversation with a young lady from the new age Cathars. Most of the world seemingly looks through this hologram of life and completely miss the reality of it all and it seems as if the illuminati will soon be getting their comeuppance. This is a new age spirituality which I’m sure is just one of the avenues to explore if you wish to when you come to Glastonbury

However I really only came here to climb up to the Tor which is a spiritual hill in the middle of the town which has a long history. My B & B was close in the heart of town and the Tor was only around a half an hour walk, mind you the it’s a fair old climb to the top and your heart will be racing by the time you reach the top, if it’s not someone will have found you on the path lying in the mud.

I went for coffee and the 100 flying monkeys’ cafe, or something like that where I got a double shot Americano and a scone and took out a second mortgage on the house to pay for it. Just before I left I saw a sad hippie wearing only fancy baggy pants, I have a pair just like them, walk in showing off his lovely new tattoo all down is back. His nipples were standing to attention but I suppose that was nothing to do with the fact it was cold outside. The poor tattooed folks have to make the best of any fine weather, doesn’t matter that it’s cold, I’ve spent a fortune on these things and the world is going to see them.

I thoroughly recommend Glastonbury for the history, the cute hippies and the spiritual diversity or maybe you can just sit and watch the world pass the coffee shop window

I came to Port Isaac because of the TV series Doc Martin. I wanted to come to this quaint Cornish village and to see where the Doc lived. It’s easier if you park at the top of the hill and walk into town because you won’t get parked and if your car is bigger than a smart car forget it.

Not much to the place but I’m glad I popped my head in as it gave me another excuse to have a Cornish Pasty.

I went to the mythical castle of King Arthur and what a view you get from the there. If it is his castle then he picked a damn good spot. Very windswept and interesting indeed. In fact you have to hang on when you are facing the ocean ’cause it’s quite a breeze coming o’er the cliff.

There really is not much left of the castle or anything else but the location is great and there are some good walks. The climb down to the beach and the walks along the headland are interesting. The wee town of Tintagel is also old and has many places to grab a bite or buy some bit

I was only in Cornwall for a couple of days and managed to drive in many of the tiny b roads that offer you little error for any mistakes. There are signs telling you that the bridge or road is less than 6 feet wide and even although I’m only driving an Astra there were a couple of times I thought the paint was going to come off. 

Most of the drivers you encounter on these roads are courteous but as usual there are a few that spoil it or should I say nearly hit you. I’ve enjoyed driving the Astra manual once I got the hang of using my left foot for the clutch instead of the break, like I do in my lazy 6 automatic. Mind you I wouldn’t buy one, I do hate front wheel drive and you do get torque steer quite badly at times. 

There is so much to see in Cornwall and I’ve only seen a fraction of it so that means I will have to return. Some of the wee villages are just picture perfect, the only thing they need here is places where you can buy decent coffee. I have sampled a few Cornish pasty’s and I think the beef and Stillton I had today was the clear winner. 

I have passed Stonehenge before but never went in because you can’t actually wander through it which is something I really wanted to do. It’s a lot smaller than I had imagined but to be honest after going their today it is quite interesting. I decided to buy a heritage pass which allows me to get into any heritage site for two weeks and I paid 36 GBP. The entry fee to Stonehenge and the audio guide accounted for half of that so I would recommend buying a pass if you intend to visit a few places on the heritage list.

The sun was shining high in the sky this morning which made the visit to Stonehenge all the better.

This is an amazing Cathedral, it’s stunning both inside and out. I’m not a religious person but the acoustics in the Cathedral when the choir was singing was  better than any stereo system I’ve heard. It’s free to enter but if you want to go on a Tower Tour which I think would be great to do, but I didn’t have time, they will charge you 12.50 GBP.

Salisbury is also a very lovely old city and well worth spending time to explore, however I arrived late on a Sunday and most places were closed. In fact the only places open were the pubs and the Cathedral.
 

I’d been here years ago but it was good to take a second look. It’s an eclectic mix of people,things and food. A great place to just chill and have a cuppa and watch the world go by.

There are many many tourists here but there are also many locals and the feel and the vibe of the place is great. There are also some very weird individuals. I just hope that this is not my future that I captured in this short video.

So when you come to London and you’re sick of the usual places come here and go for a wander,try some of the exotic food and it’s quite cheap too. I got some Indian but there was so much on offer.

If you want to buy the weird or the wonderful or both, come to Camden and meander through the acres of shops. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for it probably doesn’t exist.