This morning we disembarked from the Eclipse and took a cab to the Premier Inn. Since we were there before 10AM, we left our luggage and took a train to Winchester. We had never been there before so we thought it would be a good idea.
When we arrived in Winchester, we were looking at a map, when a gentleman approached us and was very helpful in providing ideas on what to see....he then offered us a ride to the city center. I was a little nervous to accept but he was an elderly gentleman very well dressed and turned out to be very kind!
He dropped us off at the bottom of High Street at a statue of King Albert the Great. Scholar, soldier, statesman, King Arthur restored Winchester after the Dark Ages and made the city his capital.
Across the street from King Arthur, we visited the Abbey House and Gardens. This is the official residence of the mayor built on the site of a nunnaminster founder by King Arthur's wife, Queen Ealhswith.
We walked thru Cheyney Court Gardens....just beautiful!
Our walk lead us by the Winchester Cathedral. Would have liked to visit the inside but we really didn't have the time.
Winchester was once a walled city and we walked up High St. To see the West Gate that is all that remains. The view down High St. Was beautiful thru the gate.
The Great Hall.....the only surviving part of Winchester Castle, once home to the Domesday Book, this 13th century hall was the center of court and government life.
The Round Table, closely associated with the legendary King Arthur, has hung here for over 700 years.
Queen Victoria
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Eleanor's Garden
After our tour of the Great Hall, we decided to head back to Southampton.....but on our way to the rail station, we just had to stop at a local pub for a beer! We struck up a conversation with 2 locals and thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the local pub!
It's real interesting hat this was a spur of the moment tour and we really had a great time!! Then it was time to return to Southampton....check in to our hotel and get ready for our pub dinner with some of our new cruise mates...
Tomorrow we board the Ruby. Hopefully the volcano in Iceland will not interfer with our cruise!
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