Day 24 London - Bath

We met up with Jason at Earl's Court Station later than we wanted but it's getting harder to get going in the morning. The four of us are getting very tired but still keen to push on. Got to Heathrow Terminal 5 to pick up our rental car. We had booked a Hyundai I30 but being late notice we where offered a choice of 2 others. One for our quoted price the other a Citreon DS5 Diesel with all the trimmings and GPS for another 10 pounds a day. Decide to take the Citreon. Next do you want to pay for the Fuel OK take that also. Do you want extra insurance 20 pounds a day. I tell him we have travel Insurance he said that's fine but you have to pay any damages upfront. I decide we will take that also. An extra driver was 10 pounds a day and Sharon was happy to do all the driving. So off we go with another $380 aussie dollars gone from the account. Jason telling me I got ripped off with all the upselling. He is probably right but still works out a lot cheaper than the 4 of us catching tourist buses to where we want to go. At least this way we have the freedom to go and do what we want with no time constraints. He wasn't convinced especially about the insurance.

We find our nice shinny car and we all pile in. Sharon & Jason in the front seats Katie and I in the back. First problem it is the most advanced car Sharon and I have ever seen. Everything electronic. Wheres the ignition there is none its a push start button. Where is the hand brake lever there is none its a push button on the console. Katie was a great help she knew where everything was. Wheres the boot lid where the mirror adjust because all the mirrors are folded in. Katie decided to get out of the car and show Sharon more things about the car. She slams the door into the car next door. First mark on the car. After about 15 mins in the car park we are off very slowly down the winding very tight car park and onto the motorway towards Stonehenge.

Its a very nice car. Opened all the sunroofs 3 of them and let in the light. It was a very wet gloomy day the worst we have had on our whole trip. After about an hour we stop for a break for breakfast. Porridge for Katie, Pancakes for Jason and toasted sandwich for Sharon. I didn't eat I had breakfast before we left. Finished off everything and through the rain back to the car. Sharon presses the button the dash lights up into reverse and we go no where. Jason & Katie are giving Sharon advise press the starter button again all the dash lights go off. Go through the process again the dash says disengage clutch. Sharon says that she has so she presses the starter button again the dash lights up. Jason & Katie says the car must be running I thought I'm very deaf or it is a very quiet car I can't hear anything. Puts it into reverse don't go anywhere. At this stage Sharon is getting flustered and Katie and Jason are still giving advise I stay quiet. Sharon finally puts her foot on the clutch and the car starts. Disengage clutch means put you foot on the clutch so it will disengage it from the gearbox. So off we go back on track to Stonehenge.

When Sharon and I were last at Stonehenge you came to a fork in the road one left the major motorway and one right that took you to the Stonehenge tickets and entrance. You walked under the road and up to Stonehenge. Lots of people but you could walk all the way around where there was less people around. They have now grassed over the road so access to Stonehenge is by the major motorway to a roundabout a couple of km away. We make our way to the car park buy our tickets at the recently opened tourist information centre. They now have a great audio and visual display in there exhibition room. Artifacts from the area and well worth seeing. It opens up outside to a mock display of one of the stones. It is set up so you can gauge how many people you would need to move one of the stones. You press a button pull on the rope and it points to how many men are required Both Jason and I need 100 men. Someone else tried it, didn't even register. Next you line up for a bus to take you to Stonehenge. It had been raining heavy with extremely cold winds when we arrived and decided to wait until it cleared. Everyone else had the same idea so masses of people now wanting to get on the bus.

Arrive at Stonehenge with lots of people around and walk on the new pathway. They are trying to control the numbers here over 1,000,000 people visit Stonehenge a year. So in the near future you will have to book well ahead to get to Stonehenge. I expect it will be controlled like Neuschwanstein Castle ( Disney Castle ) where you are allotted a set time and if you roll up without a booking you may or may not get in. By comparison Neuschwanstein Castle has 2,000,000 visitors a year. 

The pathway only goes a third of the way around now so no 360 degree view. That's why in the exhibition room you stand in the centre and get a 360 degree view on video of Stonehenge through the ages. Katie liked Stonehenge it one of those must see tourist traps, but we are glad to get on our way.

Jason had found some out of the way places and head off. Much nicer than being on motorways. Driving through rolling misty hills. Katie was enjoying this much better. We are heading to a village called Nunney. It has a castle ruin. We pass the turn off to Nunney and Jason finds us another way in through very tight fitting laneways. We find the ruins next to an extremely fast flowing muddy river.

Nunny Castle was built in 
"1370s by Sir John de la Mere, a local knight who was beginning to enjoy royal favour. Extensively modernised in the late 16th century, the castle was held for the King during the Civil War, but quickly fell to Parliamentarian cannon in 1645: not until Christmas Day 1910, however, did the gun-damaged portion of the wall finally collapse."  We all enjoyed walking around the moat and through the castle ruins.

We were going to look for a nice pub for lunch and Katie yells out I found one. Through the castles ruined window there was a view looking out to the local called Georges. We all agree to try it out. After a walk through an old church and cemetery we head for the George. Kitchen was closing in ten minutes but they let us in to a great meal and some ale. Lovely English pub and Katie is enjoying being away from all the tour groups and starting to realise how off the beaten track is far better. After lunch head off to more great scenery and end up in Bath. We headed up to the highest point to overlook the city.

Great view and after a while with the sun sinking at 3.30 in the afternoon decide to head into the city for a walk. Sharon was getting stressed out driving in the narrow streets , I don't blame her. We look for a parking lot and find an underground one and proceed to go down the very narrow driveways. Find a spot Sharon parks next to a pylon and I can't get out. Crawl over to the other side open up the door bang the door hits the next car mirror. This 20 pounds a day insurance is looking pretty good at this time.

We walk out of the carpark into almost dark it is now 4.00pm. Have a wander around town. It's to dark for photos. Lots of people around still shopping. Head back to the carpark after about an hour. Sharon has to back out to let me get in the car. All in and off we go to the very tight fitting exits. Sharon is getting worried about maneuvering through the exit ramp. Katie assures her there is plenty of room. CRUNCH Sharon hits the rear passenger fender on the exit pylon and wants to check out the damage. I say don't worry that's why we paid the extra insurance. Finally get out of the car park with a very nervous Sharon and follow the directions on the GPS. It sends us down a very narrow road with cars both sides of the road. It's a dead end road and no were to turn around. Sharon now is a mess and Katie says she will drive the car out so they swap seats and Katie is now at the wheel. She puts the car in reverse and the car goes forward over the kerb crunch there goes the front end of the car. Jason and I get out of the car to help guide Katie out of the very tight spot. She backs the car back between push bikes pot plants and cars. After a few attempts gets out by just missing a car by an inch. Back on track with Sharon in the drivers seat and head back to London. There is very little parking available throughout London and we are leaving the car outside Jason's were he has parking permits for visitors. Sharon does well getting through London traffic and requires a stiff drink by the time we are finished for the day. She finds a parking spot in Jason's street. The street is on a hill and has about a 15 degree incline. Sharon pulls in and needs to back up the incline a little to get the car properly parked. She has now had enough and gives up and refuses to back the car up. She insists I do it. I get in the drivers seat with about 2 feet in front of me before hitting the car in front. Go to grab the hand break to use to hold the vehicle in place while I reverse up. There is non off coarse only that stupid little electronic button on the console. I put the car in reverse try to go backwards up the hill the car goes forward. Much closer now to the car in front. What am I going to do. I know, I will leave the park brake on take up the clutch and release the brake. The car stalls and rolls forward. Now getting even closer to the car in front. I remember these cars should have hill start assist. Press the starter release the handbrake release the foot brake and the car stays great hillstart technology. Put the car in reverse hit the accelerator the hill start releases and the car goes forward again. Now I'm starting to shake. I can't give up no one else is going to do this. Just decide to give up on technology and just drive the old way ride the clutch up the hill. So up I go park the car and Jason says I missed the car in front by an inch. Sharon wanted me to hit the other car so she wouldn't be alone with her crushed fender.

Back to the tube and our apartment for another fun filled day of adventure.