I was feeling somewhat disconnected from the Coopersmith's tour. Without a knowledgeable guide and some kind of structure to make sense of what we were seeing and why, there seemed little purpose in riding from place to place on an uncomfortable bus, listening to low-content commentary such as who owned which garden and where their money came from. But, today was the last full day of the tour, so I joined the group for breakfast and decided to see the two remaining gardens on the itinerary. Hope springs eternal . . .
Photo: A beautiful dining space for breakfast at Corse Lawn House
Photo: Fresh-baked croissant every morning
Our first stop of the day was Hellens Manor, where we were treated to the best presentation of the whole tour so far. For the history of this property, see http://hellensmanor.com.
I excused myself from part of the indoor tour to have extra time in the gardens where I was able to make a series of recordings of birdsongs. What a joy! The birds were in extraordinary voice, and with the sound of soft rain on foliage in the background, my recordings were wonderful.
I also had time to talk with the caretaker about the property and how he came to be there. The recordings and the conversation gave depth to my experience at Hellens Manor.
Photo: John having tea at Hellens Manor
Our second stop of the day was Gloucester Cathedral. We had an excellent, docent-led tour than ran approximately two and a half hours, by far the longest time we spent anywhere. There were no gardens, but I didn't mind. It was good to hear the history of this magnificent cathedral from a man who had a lifelong connection with it and a thorough knowledge of every architectural detail.
I took no photos inside the cathedral. I chose to purchase DVDs and CDs instead. For more information, see http://www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk.
By the time the cathedral tour ended, it was nearly 3:00PM. The bus dropped us off around 3:30PM in an area where a few restaurants and shops were open on Sunday and Jane gave us an hour for lunch. It didn't make much sense to eat lunch at 3:30PM since we were having a three-course farewell dinner at 7:00PM, but that's what we did.
Since it was raining, John and I ducked into the first place we saw after the bus dropped us off.
After the late lunch stop, we boarded the bus with one more garden on the itinerary, but since it was so late in the day, Jane suggested we skip it and stop instead in a nearby town where we could get off the bus for half an hour while Kenny went to the gas station to top off the tank for tomorrow's bus trip to Heathrow.
I opted to stay on the bus. Why get off the bus in the rain to wander around a town square when everything was closed? Why didn't Kenny get gas while we were in the cathedral or at our lunch stop, or after he took us back to the hotel. It was all beyond me.
Going to a gas station instead of a garden was a heck of a way to end our tour, but there was more.
After we returned to the hotel Jane called to ask if John and I would share a cab with two other guests whose flight time, like ours, was too early for the "free" transportation to the airport. I explained that I had offered months ago to share a ride when Paul Coopersmith wrote to remind me that we would have to take a taxi to the airport because our flight was scheduled for 12:30PM. He mentioned there was another couple in the same situation. I had priced an estate car for us, which the car service said would accommodate four people, but Coopersmith said it would be too small. When I didn't hear from him again, I booked and pre-paid the car for two. Jane said the information I exchanged with Paul Coopersmith was in the past and "obsolete," and asked again if we would share a taxi? She sounded annoyed; she just didn’t get it. The operative words were: MONTHS AGO. I had to wonder what she told the people who wanted to share a ride.
John and I attended the farewell dinner that night and enjoyed the company of our fellow travelers very much. I wish there had been time to get to know everyone better.
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