8 May 2014 Ellesmere (and Chester by train)

Ellesmere

2014-05-08 05:30:00

So we did not moor at  Chirk last night as planned...came on to Ellesmere, much better for us, while M&Lwent off to Chester for the day by train. Lovely mooring spot within easy walking distance of everything.
Had a roast on boat followed by M's signature dish...real home made choc fudge sauce over vanilla ice
cream ( L's signature dish from Tescoe's )this characterful old waterside store just out our window.

Starving boaters !

Waterside also..

M headed for the safety of inside as we crossed Pontcysylite Aqueduct from the opposite direction.

These are the 18 piers that we put our trust in. Could never capture the actual height or feeling of being
suspended in the sky.

As we enter...then looking over the edge.

Will trot off to the pub& try to get this away. 12.30.Thursday 8th.

To Chester by train

L & I departed early this morning, off to find the bus stop. A bus ride being the first leg of our journey to
Chester for L's mid morning appointment with an opthalmologist.

Having done a little research the night before the plan was to catch the bus to Shrewsbury then a train to
Chester. However when the bus to Shrewsbury arrived the driver advised we wait for the next bus due,
going to somewhere called Gobowen and catch the train from there - thereby saving us about 30 minutes.
So we decanted from the bus, somewhat sadly on my part as I'd being keen to see a little of Shrewsbury, the
setting of the Cadfael Chronicles, the 12C who dunnit series by Ellis Peters which my mother, my sister and I
had greatly enjoyed.

Upon arriving at Gobowen the bus driver was again very helpful and gave us directions to the train station
where, he said, we could get a nice cup of tea while we waited.

The Gobowen station waiting room - now the ticket office and tea room - how very, very civilised.

The ticket office was in one corner and the tea room servery in the other, the rest of the room being taken up with tables and chairs. The ticket seller told us we had 20 mins to wait, plenty of time for a cup of tea he suggested. Obedient little bunnies that we are we did as he suggested and shared a muffin as well.

Boarding the train, as B has told you, we found it full of women of various ages and the odd bloke dressed to the nines. We were bewildered for awhile, initially thinking wow, what sort of dress code do they have for the office in Chester, until a couple of young ones across the aisle from us pulled something feathery out of the plastic bags they were carrying and started comparing them. L twigged, having had a similar experience in Melbourne years ago on Ladies Day of the Melbourne Cup - "it must be a race day in Chester" he whispered, "they won't be so cheerful or looking like that at the end of the day" he added. Fascinators was what was being examined.

Sure enough when we reached Chester station we found it heaving with race goers. Asking a harassed looking attendent for directions he suggested getting a taxi to where we had to go, as the town was crowded with race goers for Ladies Day.

This we did. I don't remember anything of the rest of the day. Except that L found the English eye injection procedure far more stressful and painful than the monthy procedure back in Australia. So we taxied straight back to station and retraced our steps to Ellesmere and bed for L in our floating home, NB Emily. Betty's delicious roast was greatly appreciated.