Arrived Heathrow at 5:35am local (daylight savings) time. Wondered about how we'd catch up with Mum, Robert and Karen, and who should be in the queue ahead of us but Karen. After 5 min, Mum called us to the UK queue (which was empty) and we cruised through. Picked up our bags and found the Avis desk. They took us in a courtesy bus to their office. We ended up all piling into a Mitsubishi Space Wagon.
Headed out on the M4, then got off at the Newbury Turnoff. The traffic hoons along at 80-90 mph. Robert described it as car racing. I nearly crashed into the back of a car that had stopped in the middle of the road as I looked at a sign. Slammed all the pedals to the floor! Talented move. The wee engine revved well, but stopped with cm to spare.
We wandered around Salisbury Cathedral, which was an impressive sight, built around 1250AD. Mum couldn't walk too far as her ankles had played up in a big way on the flight over. They were round wee things and she couldn't put any weight on the left one. After Salisbury we checked out Stonehenge from the road. Looked good, but not as imposing as it should be.
Actually, some of that was probably due to the gorgeous day we had for our first day here. Hot enough for shorts and T-shirts. Driving with the sunroof back, windows down,... Hunters on the tape deck! Way cool.
We decided, on the way to Lands End, to head for St Ives instead. Got there around 4ish and found (after a ragged run through the narrow lanes that compromise the city centre) [because of some signage confusion!!] a hotel at the top of the hill on the way to Lands End to stay the night for £12 each.
Mum needed a rest. Robert, Karen, Mike and I wandered into town after four very welcome showers. It was nice to have a shower after all that travelling.
St Ives is a gorgeous wee place. Some of the terrace houses were selling for £90k to £200k, not bad at all.
Robert took a Cornish Pastie back to mum for dinner. Karen, Mike and I had a meal at an Indian restaurant.
Back home at 9:20pm. Everybody is asleep! Me too!
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