Leaving Torquay and driving up to Wales, at one point I was travelling along the freeway and closing behind me was a magnificent piece of automotive elegance – a glorious fluro-yellow Bentley…
I watched it in my rear vision mirror come closer and closer in the lane beside me, and as it started to pull alongside I thought, “I wonder who is in that stunning car?” – and as it slowly passed me, I noticed an equally stunning man behind the wheel.
I then said to myself, “I wonder where one meets a man just like that, someone who is cute and loves Bentleys?”
Proceeding along about ten minutes later, I saw a service centre and, although I didn’t yet need to top up with gas/petrol, something said, “take this exit and get some gas”. Seemed like a sensible enough option, so I did.
I was pulling in behind a fellow who decided to stop mid-way between the pumps (I thought, “seriously???”) but simply reversed back, drove around the huge truck that was next to us and into the next bay where… in front of me, was the yellow Bentley!
He was finishing putting gas in his car as I pulled up and said, “I was lusting after your car as you drove past me on the freeway…”
That started a wonderful banter and he seemed just as lovely on the inside as he was on the outside.
Now, don’t get any ideas… We went our separate ways – but it was lovely that I asked the question – and received the answer only minutes later! Hmmmm, perhaps next time I need to ask a different/better question! 🙂
Finally, I arrived at the glorious BnB in Holyhead, where the lovely, lovely, lovely people who own it had to attend a funeral but had hidden a key for me so I could let myself in.
Across the road was this beautiful cemetery – I love old cemeteries…
I basically unpacked, relaxed, caught up on some emails and they had an early night – for the following morning my alarm was set for 04:30 AM!!!
Pearl, the owner of the BnB, had arranged for a taxi to collect me at 05:00 am to take me to Holyhead Station where I was to board the Statesman vintage Pullman rail journey from Wales to Edinburgh and return – first class, fine dining all the way…
…although when I arrived, there seemed to be no one home!
Eventually, I managed to be united with my train – and what a train!
Seat 1A in first class – does it get any better? Well, yes, it does!
I was thinking… “As much as it will be lovely to have a stranger to share my journey, it would be reeeeeally lovely if I had the entire space to myself…”
A few moments later the Steward came through and told me that the person due to sit in the seat opposite had to cancel at the last minute, so I would have the table to myself…” 🙂
Breakfast began with a Buck’s Fizz… always a good omen when one starts the day with champagne before the sun is even out of its pajamas…
…oh, and there was a woman on the train with a lovely pink Louis Vuiton bag – we bonded over our Louis-s-s-s… 🙂
This (below) was coooool… We were stopped at a station and the train next to us was stopped as well. I saw the couple looking at our train and so we began a conversation…
I held up the booklet and menu etc to the window so they could read them, and we were talking via hand signals… Sooooooo much fun!
You can tell just how still it is out there – the smoke is totally vertical! Not a breath of wind…
As they served a scrumptious late morning tea, the sun came peeking around the curtains…
In case you can’t make it out, that is ice on the side of the embankment…
…and about 8 hours from the time we left, welcome to Edinburgh…
All along our journey, there were men in fields with cameras on tripods; men standing in the rain on platforms with cameras as we went past; and when we arrived in Edinburgh, there were ten or more people there as well, photographing and videoing the arrival of the Statesman Pullman train… I think it’s lovely that there are still so many people who love this history…
A huge amount of work is being done to Edinburgh Waverly Station…
We had some time to kill in Edinburgh, so rather than battle with the German Christmas Market crowds, I decided to turn a taxi into a limo and turned the taxi driver my chauffeur – driving me around Edinburgh…
Back at Edinburgh Waverly Station…
…that has one of the most glorious waiting rooms!
I spent ages admiring the beauty of it all…
…and it was funny – the next night after this journey, after a day of exploring, I was relaxing watching television in my cute BnB, and Julie Walters, on her railway program, was doing what??? Spending ages admiring the beauty of this very same waiting room at Edinburgh Waverly Station!
…the incredible beginning of a four-course dinner…
…this seafood risotto was yummier than it looks…
…followed by delicious soup…
I couldn’t fit in dessert so the people next to me allowed me to photograph theirs…
…only 21:32:21..??? Still hours to go……..
Made it home safe and sound to my lovely BnB… (where not only was the place itself lovely, but I wanted to roll the mattress up, tuck it under my arm and take it around the world with me – it was sooooo comfy!)
After taking this trip, I fell in love with Scotland to the extent that in a fortnight, Prince (my trusty convertible) and I are headed on a road trip to Scotland, to do another vintage rail trip that is on my Bucket List, and to visit Loch Ness in the process…
That is my Christmas present to myself…
Stay tuned!
…and still more posts to come from this journey to and through Wales…
~ Bella
