Day Three: May 17 - You can't get there from here...no, let me rephrase...you can't get there at all

Before we left home Tom had some ideas for our travel day from London to Bath which included visits to two churches (Abbotsbury and Lynchett Matavers) to see 1500 year old Yew trees.  Fortunately, or maybe not, he decided my idea to visit Reading on the way sounded much more interesting...and was it ever!

Colin Gibson, our driver for the next 7 days was late and if there is something that annoys Tom it is having someone not show up on time. Poor Colin (think My Favorite Martian and you know just what he looks like and acts like) hadn't realized that the hour and a half he had allowed for the 45 minute trip into London would take 2 hours and 15 minutes. To put it mildly Colin was distraught. So off we go.

I wanted to visit Reading to see the Reading Minster. At least two of my ancestors are buried there - John Bye (1530-1596) and Anthony Bye (1560-1626) - and of interest to Tom and me, Henry I was buried in Reading Abbey. Colin had never been to Reading (imagine if you will the music from Jaws)...Reading is a city of fair size - think Dover - that consists entirely of one way streets, none of which is straight for more than a few yards...and it has a ring road that circumnavigates the city...and it is hilly...and, yes there is more...it is bisected by a canal...that only has two bridges...

Hurdle One, finding the Minster, was finally accomplished after many shouts of "But I can see it over there!" , wrong turns, ring road, no bridge here and more shouts of "But I can see it over there!". We were on King's Road 3 times and Queen's Road 5 times. It was a lovely church however with lots of good stories attached (jealous step-mother has stepson killed, repents, founds the Abbey). Off we go.

Hurdle Two, finding the Abbey, proved more difficult. We were on King's Road 7 times and Queen's Road 9 times. We asked a city worker, a taxi driver, a postman, an old lady and a business man. In desperation when we couldn't cross the canal because the bridge for cars was in the wrong place we parked and walked the pedestrian bridge. Up the twisting roads we finally came to the ruined Abbey, that is closed and fenced off because of the danger. Well at least we found it, saw a lovely park and the monument to Henry I. We all kept our humor and had a good laugh.

 Off we go. Made it to Bath. Tom reminded Colin to be on time the next day.