First Glimpse

Refreshed after a good night's sleep and a hearty British breakfast at The Coach and Horses Inn, we set off to explore the rest of Chepstow. No flat terrain here, like Wangaratta, so we are feeling the benefit of a couple of days walking up and down the streets of this lovely town to get some good last minute training into our legs.

Yesterday we caught a glimpse of the castle but today we saw it in all its glory. Constructed in 1067, the strength of the castle must have been very great and, combined with its fine position, made it almost impregnable. Built on the summit of a lofty cliff, which is perpendicular on the river side, its walls seem a continuation of the rock, from which towers and battlements rise up in varied and picturesque groups. What was grim and threatening in its day of power and pride, is now softened into beauty by time and decay. Yes, that was a quote from someone else...

As we walked around the castle a small pathway along the back led us to a fence which stopped our progress, but we did glimpse the River Wye for the first time. Oh what a disappointment! The river is brown.

The Wye River is tidal. The water can rise up to 14 metres above low tide levels, depending on the time of year. This explains the colour. The tidal rise continues until beyond Tintern, over eight miles upstream.

Allan stood with a foot in two countries today. The border between Wales and England is in the middle of the river.