Making a Map for my Quest

[beccaelizabeth]

I put all the places I could think of to go on a map for my Quest.
... it only got up to Q by the time I got home. If I'm going to have a proper Quest I think it should go at least A-Z. And that was counting all the Cardiff places as different letters.

I found a Tree Cathedral. It might be mostly two lines of trees, the pictures aren't very clear. But the idea is great. I've been saying for ages that you look at cathedrals and they seem to be trying to be trees. Here's the original: trees, being a cathedral. So I put it on my Quest map. Also nearby there is a butterfly park, called Wild Britain. I may as well go Wild. And there's a Birds of Prey place too. Birds are good.

I need to look at more places in Wales. I found some sort of randomly. There was a gold mine, and an underground Arthur's Labyrinth. And Cardiff Castle. And the Millennium Centre and the Doctor Who exhibition.

... the idea of going to look for a Tourist Information in Cardiff has sudden appeal...

I want to go look at Stonehenge. The fact that it took it being on Doctor Who to make me think, hmm, maybe now is a good time to go look at Stonehenge, is just because I'm a fan and these things happen.

I want to go on the London Eye. It is very tall and has a view of very many things and I think it will be quite a lot scary. So I want to go, and look at things. Also, I read a great Neverwhere story that started with the premis 'There is an Eye that does not sleep', so it is an eye of many stories.

London is made of story. I do not know how many stories I want to wind in to my Quest though.

I need to go to Cambridge after I've been to Cardiff. I think I need to go to the gold place before Cardiff. I don't know the order for most things. I played with them on the map until they made a loop.

Now I'm trying to think of more things I could go look at. Things which decrease the chances of me getting there and thinking 'huh, that was a bit boring, why did I do that?' Because it might be the journey that matters, but if I'm aiming for things it helps if they're shiny things.


Which other bits of the country do I need to go and see?

I haven't checked the railway links yet. Some places are harder than others. Places that are logical by railway are not necessarily (or often) logical by maps.

I think I will only go sideways across the one island this time, not crossing any big waters, just rivers, and not going up and down much.


I decided to start by heading towards Peterborough. Because the bus I only take to Norwich and home again goes from Yarmouth to Peterborough, and I've never started from here and gone in the Peterborough direction. It would be like going backwards. 'Backwards out the window'... wonder where that book went... backwards is a plan that needs some thinking about then...

... also on a more practical level I'm not sure I can get to somewhere to catch a train before I get travel sick. It's really unhelpful to questing to be feeling travel sick.



This isn't a very practical plan. It isn't the sort of thing I do, usually.
Which is the point, really.


Probably I will get as far as Norwich and come home again.

I have been planning to get to Cardiff for a lot of years now though. Since it was where the stories live.



If I start thinking what's the logical or useful purpose of all this I don't come up with anything. But people go look at things just so they've gone and looked at things. There's a word for it and everything. I'm just not in the habit. But I can go if I wants to.

Comments

[beccaelizabeth]

Whipsnade Tree Cathedral is basically opposite Whipsnade Zoo. Going opposite a Zoo and then not going to the Zoo feels silly. The X31 between Luton and Hemel Hempstead (and probably some other places) connects up places with hotels and the Cathedral and the Zoo. So I need to pick a base for a couple nights and then strike out for the Cathedral and then go to the zoo.

I also need to check how fast things go along that road, because it will effect my navigation mightily, if I can't cross the road safely.

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

If you go to Stonehenge you should certainly spend a little time in an around Salisbury plain - it's amazing. Another place you really should get to at some point is Glastonbury - the village and the Tor, not the fields where they have the festival. It really does have the most amazing vibe to it and the Chalice Well gardens are phenomenal. I also personally think Avebury in Wiltshire is more impressive than Stonehenge in its own way.



King Arthur's Labyrinth (if it is the one I've been to near Corris and Machynlleth) is well worth a visit - there's also a craft village and meditation garden.

Cardiff Castle is brill - just beware of the peacocks if you have tea!

Also near Cardiff is Castell Coch which was 'restored' (the exterior is pretty much as it would have been in the 13thC - except for possibly the conical roofs - but the interiors aren't) by the same chappie who was responsible for a lot of Cardiff Castle's Victorian alterations and rebuilding.



Then there's Carleon near Newport (again not so far from Cardiff) that used to be a Legionary centre and still has an amphitheatre which is King Arthur country according to Geoffrey of Monmouth (the real guy, not the one in the Merlin series).

Any other thoughts you want to bounce my way, feel free!

[beccaelizabeth]

http://www.kingarthurslabyrinth.com/
is where I found. There's a Bard's Quest next to it full of stories. Sounds good, if I can get there.

their website says the X 32 bus goes there.

the Tree Cathedral has an X 31 bus that goes there (or mostly to Whipsnade Zoo, which is pretty much opposite).

Clearly I must go to the Cathedral first ;-)


If I start by train from Bristol - which is where the Glastonbury bus ends up - then I go through Newport and Shrewsbury to Machynlleth.
... looking on the names for places on the train route I think I shall have to write everything down, even if I'm not yet stuttering that day...

Glastonbury is a bit hard to get to on account of no train, but there's very many shiny things there. There's a website for pilgrimages, for lots of different religions and paths. And the Chalice Well website is full of shiny. Also useful information: "Between May and September, a shuttle bus runs between the town center, (outside the Abbey), Chalice Well and the Tor" and they reckon it's a 15 minute walk. I usually times that by three for how long it takes me, but still, I can know I can get *back* on the bus, it makes the day easier.

Travelling Britain by public transport means making a web of it.

[beccaelizabeth]

Glastonbury to Bristol, Wells and Yeovil (service 376).

Salisbury to Bristol on the train

Takes hours! Need a base and a day in each place.
... need lots of days.

[beccaelizabeth]

The Pumpsaint, Dolaucothi Gold Mine can only be reached by bus. It takes 3 or 4 hours from Machynlleth, via Aberystwyth. And I'm not sure I'm spelling any of those right.
I will have to think hard about how essential gold is to my plan, or my chances of getting the right sort there.

[beccaelizabeth]

On the Wales Underground site I found the National Showcaves for Wales.
There's a Cathedral there, a stone one, with a Dome.
The photos look interesting but small. The experience would not be small. Would be interesting.

[beccaelizabeth]

The Dolaucothi Gold Mines emphasise the 'panning for gold' section is about the frustration of gold mining, not actually finding gold. Reading up on the geology of the site, the gold is locked in quartz at best, and you can't shake it apart like that. They had to send it to Antwerp for processing to make it economically viable. This is why it's not a gold mine now. But they do sell gold, including by mail order. So if I wish to get bought gold I could do so, and it would mean a bit different having gone around the mines.

the other thing they emphasise is it's no good for people with mobility problems and stout footwear is required. I wonder if anything I own actually counts as stout footwear?

[beccaelizabeth]

Heaphys looks like a cheap place to stay in Glastonbury, with vegetarian cafe breakfast. Single room, en suite shower, up two flights of stairs, availability looks good all month.

... what's the things to avoid in accomodation?

[shahar-amar.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a great list of places. I mean you can alway drop something if it turns out to be too difficult to reach, so a long list is a good thing. :o)

... the idea of going to look for a Tourist Information in Cardiff has sudden appeal...
I trust you know what to do if the people there are a bit too sharpely dressed and all the broshures look ten years old? ;D

[beccaelizabeth]

Some places are turning out to require going places I wouldn't have thought of just to catch the only bus that goes there. Which will be fun.

and, Tourist Information staff? ... yes :-)