Monthly Archives: October 2025

October 29, 2025 · 9:39 am

WALES – Brecon Beacons, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff

The beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park covers over 500 square miles on the border between Mid and South Wales. We drove up from Hay-on-Wye into a mysterious area that contains some of the highest peaks in Wales, includes a UNESCO Global Geopark and is an International Dark Sky Reserve. And soon the Park will reclaim its’ original Welsh name and become Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. We encountered a way of preserving land into a National Park that was very different from American National Parks. In the US, we tend to value wilderness and little development in our parks. Here, local agriculture is preserved along with the stunning views and remarkable landscapes. Roman forts and Celtic settlements were part of the park along with the rich natural beauty and remote rugged mountains of the area.

Merthyr Tydfil took its name from a martyred daughter of a Christian King in 480 CE. It is noted for its industrial past and was known as the “Iron Capital of the World” in the early 19th century. The world’s first steam-powered railway journey happened in Merthyr in 1804 appropriately from an ironwork to a canal. By the mid-1850s, Wales became the world’s first industrialized nation, as more people were employed in industry than agriculture, with Merthyr the biggest town in Wales at the time. The Donetsk region in Ukraine was originally developed as a mining and iron work area by a man from Merthyr in 1870. By the early 20th century Merthyr began long decline as mining and smelting jobs left the area culminating with a TV report listing Merthyr as one of the worst places to live in the UK.

Our interest in this post-industrial area was, of course, the story of its library. The new library was built on land donated by the local ironworks in Dowlais neighborhood and opened “with a flourish and a key made of gold” in 1907 with funding by Andrew Carnegie. The neighborhood today was a little rough, and the library reflected the faded beauty of its former glory days. Inside were many paintings of the area’s industrial past. Some romanticized the history, and others suggested a worker’s hellhole.  One writer in 1850 while visiting Merthyr observed “It is like a vision of Hell, and will never leave me, that of those poor creatures broiling, all in sweat and dirt, amid their furnaces, pits, and rolling mills.” We later learned that in the epic series The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien, who lived in Wales, used the image of industrial Merthyr for the place he called Mordor. Even the names are similar. I had a fascinating conversation with a local man who was a socialist and very aware of the struggles of the workers in Merthyr. He suggested that I learn more by reading a book called Merthyr Rising which describes one of the world’s first industrial worker’s resistance to the inhumane working conditions of the newly emerging Industrial Revolution. He was a delight, and I will certainly read that book when we get back. We finished up the day photographing another Carnegie funded library in the struggling former-industrial town of Treharris. This one was undergoing a beautiful restoration and will reopen soon.

The Welsh capital of Cardiff was a delight. It feels like a very comfortable place to live, and we were impressed by the sparkling culture and cuisine. But like in San Francisco, the booming economy of the city is also leading to increasing income inequality and an unaffordable cost of living for many people here. Like the province of Quebec in Canada, Wales is proudly and thoroughly bi-lingual.

The next day we went to the Big Pit National Coal Museum. Set in the Blaenafon Industrial Landscape, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the best mining museums in the world. It is one of the oldest and most important of all the large-scale industrial coal mining developments in South Wales and one of the last working coal mines in the area. The history of this place was hard and came alive through the wonderful use of historical photographs posted throughout the tour. We did the hour-long underground tour with an ex-miner and a group of other interested folks. There is no better way of understanding the claustrophobic world of a miner than being in a mine when they turn out lights and you stare into blackness. This well-formed museum touched me with its good use of history, photography, illustrations, installations and art. Plus, I will never forget the visceral tour of the mine.

Returning to Cardiff for our final night, we dined at the Botanist. There are a series of these throughout the UK and the last one we went to was in Birmingham, England. It is loosely based on a theme of early 19th century woman’s illustrations for botanical texts. The food was delicious and both places were fascinating. The next morning, we bought some of the famous Welsh cakes that were originally the food for miners but now are slightly sweet delights needed to continue a long library road trip.

Next stop: Bath and beyond…

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October 27, 2025 · 6:08 am

THE SOUTHWEST – Hereford and Hay-on-Wye

Our longest drive of the trip was from York in the central northeastern part of England to Hereford in Britian’s southwest near Wales. In the Hereford Cathedral Chained Library, we visited the largest surviving chained library in the world. In the early 17th century, collections like this could be found in libraries and cathedrals, but this is the only one to survive and still to be chained. The chaining of books was the most effective security system in European libraries from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. The library contains about 1,500 books, dating from around 800 AD to the early 19th century, including over 200 medieval manuscript books. The books are still examined today by scholars who come from all over the world to study them.

The Hereford Mappa Mundi is unique in Britian’s heritage, an outstanding treasure of the medieval world. It records how 13th century scholars interpreted the world in spiritual as well as geographical terms. The Mappa Mundi is drawn on a single sheet of vellum (calf skin) with the city of Jerusalem located on the map in the center of the world. Superimposed on to the continents are drawings of the history of humanity and the marvels of the natural world. It is considered one of the most important and celebrated medieval maps in any form. We were lucky to get a wonderful introduction to the history of the map by a well-informed, retired man who volunteers for the church.

Hay-on-Wye is a unique place located in Wales on the border with England. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as a “town of books” and is the site of internationally acclaimed literary celebration called the Hay Festival. Bill Clinton has described the festival as “The Woodstock of the mind” and our friend, the writer Rebecca Solnit, has spoken there several times. It also hosts a philosophy and music festival called How the Light Gets In which aims to get philosophy out of the academy and into people’s lives. It even had a self-proclaimed “King of Hay” bibliophile Ricard Booth who in 1977 declared Hay-on-Wye to be an “independent kingdom” with himself as monarch.

The 11th century origins of Hay-on-Wye began after the Norman invasion of Wales. Today it keeps its economy going through bravado, book selling, and tourism. Many of the old buildings have been beautifully preserved with great effort to keep some of the architectural heritage alive. The area around Hay is almost entirely devoted to agriculture.

We decided to take a walk along the beautiful River Wye River Walk (Llwyer yr Afon). This valley and river are considered one of the most beautiful spots in the UK and many people come here to swim and kayak. Some of the best salmon fishing in the UK is here in the River Wye. However, as we walked along this famous river to a beach called the Warren, we gradually became aware that something was wrong in this national treasure. The largest environmental lawsuit in the history of the UK has been recently filed to protect the River Wye and other rivers in the region. The lawsuit is against major corporate poultry producers including subsidiaries of the international pollution bad-boy Cargill, Inc. Big corporate ag pollution is also a major problem in my childhood home of the Central Valley in California. The San Joaquin River is considered one of the worst polluted rivers in the United States, mostly due to agricultural waste runoff from the productive fields of the San Joaquin Valley. It was shocking to see the same tragedy of greedy concentrated wealth overwhelming the local agriculture and environment in the bucolic valley of the River Wye in Wales.

Next stop: Wales
 

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October 24, 2025 · 4:10 am

THE NORTHEAST – Newcastle-upon-Tyne and York

We arrived at a castle in the land of my ancestors between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the city of Durham in England’s northeast. Lord Lumley built the castle in 1390, but he soon lost his head by backing the wrong side of a rebellion. It is now an impressive hotel where we stayed for two nights. We were blown away by the size and opulence of the place and needed a map to find our way to dinner. After dinner, we made our way to the appropriately named Library Bar for a drink where we sampled the Scottish whiskey and the very old, well preserved book collection. Why can’t all bars be like this?

My grandfather emigrated from Newcastle with his family to New York City at the end of the 19th century. According to family lore, they arrived the day the Brooklyn Bridge opened. They were amazed at how friendly the Americans were welcoming them to their new home with fireworks, cheering people and tugboats spewing big arcs of water. At least that is how the legend goes…

On our way to Newcastle, our cabbie was a wonderfully entertaining guy. But he turned out to be a big supporter of Nigel Farage and the British equivalent of our MAGA extreme right-wing party. While we were in his cab, he perfectly articulated the pervasive fear of immigrants felt by many working-class Brits, especially outside the big cities. His fears were like many Americans that voted for Trump, especially among young men. It showed how the rise of authoritarianism in the US is really a world-wide problem. Immigration is one issue the far-Right has successfully seized upon to gain power everywhere. Although the next election here is several years away, I fear that England could make the same mistake of electing a wannabe dictator as our country did in 2024.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a post-industrial wonder. The urban center is one of the most compelling examples today of urban rejuvenation in England. It is a unique mix of urban grit and working-class pride combined with sophistication and culture.

We headed straight to the Lit & Phil and spent most of the day photographing and enjoying the largest independent library outside of London. The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne was founded 1793 as a “conversation club” and was host to a long list of the fascinating intelligentsia of the era. In doing our research last summer, we watched a recent film produced by the Lit & Phil called “Mrs. Affleck’s Affliction”. It sparked our interest, and we were thankful to find this inspiring, dynamic place in the gritty city of my ancestors.

We were not quite prepared for the City of York. Its’ medieval labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways surrounded by a vast 13th century protective wall was inspiring and a fascinating look into a beautiful old English city.

But we arrived on a Sunday afternoon and were unprepared for the vast number of tourists in the crowded city center. We moved slowly through the crowds towards the immense, awe-inspiring York Minister, one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the world. As we were engulfed in humanity, we lifted our gaze to the vaulted ceiling and the heavens beyond in the largest medieval cathedral in Northern Europe. The first church was built here in 627 AD and the current church in the 13th century. Its great age, scale and beauty were profoundly moving.

The National Railway Museum was also a surprise and one of the biggest railroad museums in the world. It contains over 100 locomotives and was crammed with fascinating stuff. My inner seven-year-old was set free here.

Another unique site in York was Barley Hall. It is a restored medieval townhouse, tucked down an obscure alleyway, and included a permanent exhibit of the life and times of King Henry VIII. Again, it was a great introduction to a cleaned-up version of medieval England.

English pubs are pretty special and one of the best of this whole trip was the properly British pub called the Blue Bell. It was incredibaly small in a 200-year-old room with a smoldering fireplace in a wood-paneled space, with a décor untouched since 1903. The English couple next to us were retired British military, he a colonel and she a nurse. During their time in service, they had been stationed everywhere including Bosnia at the end of the war and in Northern Ireland during the time of the Troubles. We had a rousing and fascinating conversation with them fueled by a few pints. Despite some of their difficult assignments in the British Army, they were some of the funniest people I have ever met. It was a gift for us to mix it up with the locals at the Blue Bell in York. As travelers, we have come to appreciate the kindness of strangers.

Next stop: the Southwest – Hereford and Hay-on-Wye.

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October 20, 2025 · 7:48 am

THE NORTH COUNTRY – Carlisle, Edinburg and Lindisfarne

It is horrifying to watch the crack-up of our country. It is even stranger to watch it happening from afar. Nothing has prepared our nation from an autocratic takeover. We thought our system of checks and balances and separation of powers would protect us. But Trump is ramping up his takeover by sending troops into American cities, uninvited. Everyone we spoke with here in the UK expressed outrage at what is happening in the US and offered sympathy for our plight. We can only hope that on our return to our dear home of San Francisco we will not find National Guard troops and ICE agents swarming the streets. Marc Benioff and Elon Musk be damned. We are steeling ourselves for what may be a bumpy return.

Our trip to the far North of England continued as we left the Lake District and landed in Carlisle, close to the Scottish border. Our friend John Darwell and his partner Katrin live in an old school building surrounded by English farmland. He is a retired photography professor and is well known for his many published photo books. Katrin, originally from Germany, currently teaches photography, philosophy and other subjects at local universities. We obviously had a lot in common. They also have an adorable puppy named Rosie who is starring in her current role as the Terror of Cumbria.

The next day we visited two attractions in nearby Carlisle, the Carlisle Cathedral and the World Heritage site called Hadrian’s Wall. The Cathedral was surprisingly glorious, and the ancient Roman wall lived up to its world class status. The Wall was a Roman frontier built starting in 122 AD to mark the edge of the empire and to keep the Scots out. It stretches 73 miles across the entire width of Britian, and we visited one of the better-preserved parts of the remaining wall. We later took a hike along a ridge in the late afternoon Northern light. While walking across the undulating hills and beautiful farmland, we looked to the North and finally saw Scotland.

The United Kingdom is a complicated political place. As we drove north the next day, we didn’t see when we transitioned from England to Scotland. Although they are two separate countries, with separate parliaments, Prime Ministers, and histories they are also deeply bound together. A few years ago, a vote on Scottish separation was turned down by the Scottish voters. Although, BREXIT shook things up, it seems like the United Kingdom will remain united, for the time being.

As Americans, we really did feel like we were in a separate world from England when we arrived in the Scottish capitol of Edinburgh. We went to an exhibit at the National Galleries of Scotland of the artist Andy Goldsworthy. He is English but now lives in a rural part of Scotland. He uses the landscape and nature as the basis for his art, and we gained even more appreciation for his work by being in the place of his inspiration. It was the same appreciation we experienced for the writer Wordsworth after being in his home in the Lake District.

Edinburgh is a city of hills, castles and cathedrals. We got an unintentional but exceptional workout climbing around the steep hills of the old city and the Royal Mile. We were inspired by some whimsical photos made in the 1960s of the library staff dancing on the reading tables of the Scottish National Library. But the more interesting Central Library of Edinburgh was across the street and was originally built by the famous Scottish native Andrew Carnegie.

One of the great experiences of traveling is finding the best of the local food. In a pub called Teuchters Bar & Bunker we encountered a new cuisine of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties as well as Cullen Skink. None of this food is healthy but when in Edinburg…I even tried a very peaty Scottish whiskey and some toffee sticky pudding. Next week I’m going on a diet. To work off a very small fraction of our heavy meal, we walked home through the misty and wonderfully moody dark streets of Edinburgh.

The next morning, we drove 30 minutes north in the rain to the small town of Dunsfermline. Here was the birthplace and childhood home of Carnegie and here he built the world’s first Carnegie Library. It has been wonderfully restored retaining elements of the old library with a beautifully designed new addition. Of course, this is Carnegie’s hometown, but it was curious there was no mention of the complexity of Carnegie’s career. During his lifetime, his library building campaign doubled the number of public libraries in the United States. But he also treated his steel workers horribly, sometimes calling in troops to violently crush strikes at his steel mills. Perhaps his library building later in his life was to atone for his sins as he was building his empire. He was a complicated man rather than the purely great man depicted at the Dunsfermline Carnegie Library.

The weather in northern England and all of Scotland is famously bad. Remarkable, we have been spared the worst of it. But now a big storm was heading our way as we left Scotland and headed to the remote Northeast corner of England. We quickly drove by the wonderfully named town of Burwick-upon-Tweed and headed to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Driving ahead of the approaching storm, we were warned to consult the tide tables as many cars have been stuck on the causeway that connects the mainland to the island. On Holy Island, is an ancient abbey first built in 643 AD. Many invaders have ravaged this religious community since then including the relentless Vikings. The Normans and countless others followed. Today it is a breathtakingly beautiful and lonely place. The ruins of the abbey were haunting and our hike out to the Norman Castle showed us the sweep of the land and the dark grandeur of the North Sea. Fortunately, we made it off the island before the rising tides and threatening storm.

Next stop, the Northeast…

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October 4, 2025 · 11:54 am

AMBLING, RAMBLING, AND SCRAMBLING ON THE FELS, VALES AND TARNS OF THE LAKE DISTRICT

We spent two nights at the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in the Great Langdale Valley of the Lake District National Park. Since 2017, this area has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in recognition of its unique hill-farming culture. In the morning, we hiked up most of the way to Stickle Tarn and Bright Beck, a little jewel of a lake. It was located above the by, in a thwaite, by the beck, and from it came a beautiful mountain gill.  A ring garth separated the inbye land from the fell side.  The connected valleys of Great Langdale and Little Langdale take their name from the Old Norse for “long valley”.

Our hotel was located on a site that has been occupied for 300 years. It was at the foot of the highest mountain in England, and serious hikers and climbers outfitted with serious equipment were taking advantage of this special place. It wasn’t crowded and it was dripping with history. Dinner at the Climbers Bar was a highlight. The meat pies were superb, the pints were great, and the toffee sticky pudding was simply the best I’ve ever had. We were fascinated by how the English (we were the only Americans) all had dogs, and brought them into the pub.

Historically, this area has been occupied for many thousands of years by many people including the Vikings, Celts, Romans, Normans, Welsh, Scots and English. Before the Norse settled here, Welsh was the language spoken in this area. The linguistic heritage from these people is astonishing and is especially felt in the beautiful place names of this remarkable place. Parts of the nearby contested border between England and Scotland were called the Debatable Lands and large clans of bandits called border reivers roamed this ungovernable area for hundreds of years until most of it was taken over by the king of England.

The famous English romantic poet William Wordsworth did much to increase the appreciation and protection of this lovely valley, writing about the Blea Tarn in his poem The Excursion and Dungeon Ghyll in The Idle Shepherd Boys. Wordsworth was a poet who helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature and remains one of the most recognizable names in English poetry. His work emphasized a deep connection and admiration with the natural world and the working people of this area. The little village of Grasmere has an illustrious literary heritage. We made a pilgrimage here to Wordsworth’s home called Dove Cottage where he wrote much of his early poetry. It was stirring to see where he wrote his formative work while he lived in this tiny, cramped cottage with his large family.

It was sad to see how the nearby villages of Ambleside and Windermere have become crowded, exclusive, over commercialized tourist-traps. Like Thoureau’s Walden Pond in Massachusetts, a place that had attracted creative artists seeking solitude has now become overrun by admiring fans and rapacious capitalism. Perhaps it speaks to a need for many to connect with something real rather than virtual. Certainly, the physical beauty here is astonishing and the literary legacy is inspiring. But I was happy to lose the crowds in our rear-view mirror and be far from the maddening crowd.  

As we left the Lake District, the last place we visited was the Castlerigg Stone Circle, which is part of the English National Trust. Built over 4,500 years and like the better-known Stonehenge in southern England, this quiet magical place only reinforced our fascination with this mysterious and beautiful part of England.

Driving the medieval and impossibly narrow roads of the Lake District was part of my cruel initiation into motoring in England. Ellen said she almost threw up as our oversized car scrapped against the hedges and ancient rock walls as other oversized cars, trucks and busses were barreling in the other direction inches from my face. All of this while driving on the wrong side of the road. I still hold on to the steering wheel with my two-fisted, white-knuckled death grip, but, despite a few close calls, I am gradually feeling more comfortable while driving in England. Miles to go before we sleep…

Next stop: the North.

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