IT IS A MISTY EVENING in Exeter, England. We duck into the ancient Ship Inn, order baps and batons (which turns out to be a liver sausage sandwich) and imbibe the atmosphere. Unfortunately, we are 400 years too late to quaff a brew with Sir Francis Drake, but we admire his taste in pubs. "Next to mine own shippe," he wrote in a letter in 1587, "I do most love that old `Shippe' in Exon."
Spring fever has reached epidemic proportions in Llangollen, Wales. Wading families and energetic dogs swarm all over the rocky river in the middle of town. We perch on a low rock wall, watch the bustling scene and soak up the sun.Two friendly English women patiently explain the rules of lawn bowling atop the Hoe in Plymouth. We are so captivated by the uniformly dressed women, their white hats and the meticulously manicured green, we never do really understand the game.
As a fog horn sounds its mournful warning, we climb a long, steep flight of stairs to the crest of a cliff for a grand view of the fishing village of Polperro. The exercise primes our appetites; on the way down we wander into a tiny 600-year-old inn and feast on a hot Cornish pasty and fresh crab sandwich.
Such serendipitous moments can be as satisfying as Great Britain's most celebrated sights - its famous castles and cathedrals, the Tower of London, Stonehenge, the Roman ruins at Bath.
The trick, of course, is to have it all. The answer for us was an escorted motorcoach tour billed as "Britain at Leisure," which had time built in for individual exploration and didn't require a change of hotels every day. The idea was not to trade one forced march for another but to have time to absorb, reflect and enjoy.
Neither of us wanted to tackle the drive-on-the-left rental car challenge. We didn't have time to research an itinerary, write for reservations and send deposits, but we didn't want to miss anything either.
Our budget was not equipped for many surprises. We knew a tour would eliminate the large majority of uncertainties involved in currency fluctuations. As for hassling with luggage and tips, who needs it?
Our coach mates turned out to be a lively and congenial group made up mostly of Australians, with the addition of a few Canadians and Americans. We enjoyed many good discussions since we could eat wherever we wanted at meals and our seats were rotated in the coach daily.
Our accommodations in London at the Royal Horseguards Hotel were wonderfully convenient. We could walk to the River Thames, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, No. 10 Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Park, West End shopping and the theatre. Appropriately, the Royal Horseguards were literally around the corner. We had a day and a half on our own before joining the tour, which we filled with everything from "Les Miserables" to high tea in the Royal Horseguards Residents' Lounge.
The first day, our coach followed a route through Thomas Hardy's Wessex into Devon with a stop at Stonehenge on the bleak Salisbury Plain. This oldest monument in Europe was developed, according to our guide, in three different phases beginning in 2500 B.C. The purpose of these mysterious monoliths is not fully understood but is believed to be part of ancient sun worshipping ceremonies and other pagan rites.
We stayed overnight in Exeter, known for its remarkable cathedral. With an exterior adorned with the largest surviving group of 14th century sculptures in England and an impressive vaulted interior ceiling, it is considered the finest structure in Devon. We had time to ramble about town, walk to the river and visit several pubs including Sir Francis Drake's favorite (and ours), The Ship Inn on Martin's Lane.
From Exeter we headed for Plymouth, passing misty moors, fields of bright yellow gorse, grazing sheep and the famous Dartmoor ponies. Every American should visit the historic seaport of Plymouth where the Pilgrim Fathers and Mothers launched their arduous voyage in quest of religious freedom. We were surprised to find the contemporary town to be a thriving port and busy commercial center. The best views of the sound are from the Hoe, a great green hill sprouting a lighthouse, flowers and a cluster of statues honoring everyone from Sir Francis Drake to World War II soldiers.
After a leisurely browse through Polperro, once a favorite smugglers' haunt, we spent several hours strolling the massive ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. Reputedly the site of King Arthur's grave, this great abbey was at one time the richest and most beautiful in the country. Today it offers mute testimony to the power of the Roman Catholic Church in England before Henry VII's dissolution of the monasteries.
The lovely Georgian city of Bath has come a long way since the legendary Prince Bladud and his pigs were cured of leprosy by bathing in the mud near the hot springs. This was one of the few places we felt rushed during our tour. We had barely enough time to tour the Roman baths, a triumph of engineering if there ever was one, and take a peek inside the cathedral.
We spent a pleasant morning roaming about the expansive grounds of St. Fagan's Folk Museum. This repository of traditional Welsh culture offers stately St. Fagans Castle and gardens as well as a fascinating look at rural life. We learned about everything from fishing and saddlemaking to tanning and gorse grinding.
The highlight of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, was our medieval banquet. Much had transpired in Cardiff Castle prior to our rollicking evening. Once a Roman fort, a Norman Castle and a fortress in the Anglo Welsh Wars, this stronghold was besieged during the English Civil War and restored by the Victorian genius Burges. The castle, with its 18-foot-thick walls and courtyard full of preening peacocks, provided a memorable setting for our feast. No one can say our group didn't fully enter into the spirit of the evening as we downed mugs of mead, devoured roast chicken and lamb and lustily joined in the singing.
After photographing the ancient ruins of Tintern Abbey in the fertile Wye Valley, we arrived in the attractive community of Llangollen. We could not pass up the cottage of "the two most celebrated virgins in Europe," the eccentric Ladies of Llangollen, with its oppressive, wall-to-wall oak carvings.
Our favorite castle was the magnificent structure at Caernarfon at the southern end of the Menai Strait where Prince Charles was invested Prince of Wales in 1969. A stirring audiovisual presentation helped us relive the colorful spectacle. Of the many exhibits, perhaps the most intriguing revealed the reasons for King Edward I's involvement with Wales. Starting with the king's quarrel with Llywelyn the Last, it covers the resulting Welsh wars of the 1200s and the massive castle-building following each campaign.
Our tour traveled on to the Lake District and through Scotland before returning to London, but we had pressing obligations at home and had to bid our friends adieu.
*****
(ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)
Want to go? The details of touring Great Britain
The cost of a 21-day "Britain at Leisure" tour through England, Wales and Scotland ranges from $1,535 to $1,625 depending on the season. Solo travelers may save up to $449 by participating in the twin share program. For itinerary details and to find out exactly what's included, request the 1990 brochure by calling 800-582-8380 or write Insight International Tours, 745 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA 02111. For reservations, see your travel agent.
Insight International Tours has 12 escorted tours to Britain and Ireland in 1990, ranging from the four-day "Gems of Britain" for $285 to the 22-day "Grand Tour of Britain and Ireland" for $1,680 (per person, high season).
For a combination of independent city stay and escorted countryside tour, Insight has the nine-day London and Britain or London and Ireland, which include four days of motorcoach touring in the country.