Days 80, 81, and 82

(Dan’s comments are italicized)

• Train to Cardiff
• Train to Chester

With some sadness, we said goodbye to Brian and Cwmaman and headed off toward Chester.

Chester is a very interesting city as it was a stronghold during Roman times and continued to be an important city through the middle ages to the present. On top of that, it’s beautiful (though, once more, the weather could be improved upon!) During the Roman occupation, the river was deep enough to accommodate ocean vessels. However, the river silted up and the city lost favor for a time after medieval times.

Chester is famous for its black and white buildings; for some reason, they stir a warm, fuzzy feeling in me…

…though I don’t think Dan finds them quite as appealing! 😂 Actually, this is the only building we found with such small entry doors. I love the style and complexity of this architecture, but I also love the juxtaposition of small and tall.

Sadly, the Roman ruins are just that…ruins (and we’ve been spoilt in continental Europe!) but other sights made up for it. We especially liked the clock (built to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria) and the cathedral (in use for almost a millennium).

Although Chester’s Roman ruins aren’t well preserved, the modern day government is trying to save what it can. Much is still buried underground but some has been moved to be displayed at the Roman Gardens. While we walked through the gardens, we saw a guide providing a “summer experience“ for families. The children played Roman soldiers with foam swords, and adults defended while cowering in a box formation with shields. I could hear the thwacks of the foam swords on shields (and unguarded legs) from 100 meters away.

The tradition of a town crier is continued too (Monday through Saturday at noon) at the Town Cross, which is essentially the center of old Chester.

Between the parks and the river walk, there was plenty of beauty. And I found the house I’m going to buy when I win the lottery!

Walking the city walls was fun…parts of them were reminiscent of the city walls of Dubrovnik and the Great Wall of China, though with the addition of moss on the walls! And not NEARLY as many tourists!

It was especially lovely to see the beautiful cathedral from the back side and to walk under Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee clock

But of all the wonderful things we did in Chester, I think my favorite was exploring the ruins of the old St. John’s church (the new one is over 900 years old) and having fun finding interesting angles.

It’s been a lovely visit to Chester, but tomorrow we’re on the move again…