to marker, to market...

day 11---June 28, 2009
ahh...the breakfast here! there must be 14 kinds of fresh fruit and several dried fruits and pastries and eggs and ...yum!

There's a market on the Quay (waterfront right down form the hotel) on Sundays so away we went. There was some junk but there was also some pretty neat stuff, too! Beautiful photos taken by the folks selling them, jewelry, wind chimes being made right there..came upon a really funny man form Blythe who makes all kinds of leather things. He heard our accents and struck up a conversation about US politics and stuff. He was quite amusing! We were asked by everyone we purchased from if we were there "on holiday"... a funny concept 'cuz this town is not on the regular tourist line (just for the nifty-bridge nuts like me!) Spent time and money on the waterfront....pretty fun! Cloudy and overcast...perfect outdoor shopping weather.

Walked across the swing bridge...bridge has been on that site for hundreds of years and this one was pretty old itself. Wish I could have seen it operate but supposedly it rarely has to "swing" anymore...drat. Made Cat walk across the Millennium Bridge again...LOVE IT still! Watched it open and close again too..and this time a boat actually passed under it. The other bridges were rail or rail/road combos and you had to get on them somewhere up the hill in the city, so I could only admire them. Did have to walk under Poo Bridge again...really awful! You had to be there to appreciate the nastiness of underneath this bridge....nothing like it....absolute and total YUCK!

We walked up Killer Hill to go to a store for bottled water and drinks. (The hotel, like the one in London, has no vending machines, no ice buckets, so you have to go hunting. Yes there's a restaurant and bar, but for a bottle or can of soda or water you had to go shopping.) A lot of places were closed as it was Sunday, and it was a far smaller crowd than yesterday. Did find a grocery/hardware/garden store/restaurant combo...interesting! Of course when you go up the hill you have to go down....at least we had the route figured out.

The sun finally came out and it ended up a nice warm day!

Went back to Lloyd's for dinner (where we ate Friday and where we saw the excitement Saturday). It was way more dull and quiet than the last 2 evenings! Had wonderful chocolate brownie-fudgey stuff at the hotel later...all the walking makes one hungry~!

This town really isn't a tourist destination. The Millennium Bridge is pretty amazing and how it was brought down the river and put in place is wild. They are tyring to revitalize the waterfront and parts are nifty, other parts not so much. Did not hear any other American English though we were told there was another family in town from the states for a wedding! Glad I came since I love bridges!

Realized that Hanover Street is a block over and we are overlooking Hanover Gardens! good name!

Off to Edinburgh tomorrow!