Shrewsbury, Shropshire UK

First of all, thank you to all of you who have already entered my 1st Anniversary Giveaway!  If you haven't, be sure to check it out. :-)

Now, on to the matter at hand:

Fans of Brother Cadfael may remember Shrewsbury, home to the fictional medieval monk. It was because of the Brother Cadfael TV series that I wanted to see Shrewsbury. I was not disappointed. Although Derek Jacobi had resigned his monkhood to become Queen's Council to a young Sihk boy* in London, I decided to visit the medieval town anyway. *reference to the movie The Jury. Worth renting!!

 wiki

County: Shropshire, nestled against Wales on its western border

Shrewsbury Abbey seen from the Abbey gardens
Yes, I could imagine Brother Cadfael tending his many healing herbs.

It was a bleak March day along the River Severn, which wends its way through Shrewsbury, making for one-way streets and confusing driving for the uninitiated. The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, and its source is in Powys (which rhymes with 'cow hiss,' I am told)* in the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales. It eventually empties into the Bristol Channel which empties into the Celtic Sea.

Massive columns of Shrewsbury Abbey Nave
Kevin at the tomb of Roger de Montgomerie, first Earl of Shrewsbury

Another tomb in Shrewsbury Abbey
A Mr. and Mrs. Jones (at least that's the name they gave!) 

Shrewsbury Abbey was founded by Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's main advisors, in AD 1074.

Lady Chapel
Look at that gorgeous ceiling!

Shrewsbury Castle

Things would be much more beautiful in June or July, but in March the price is right.

And this beautiful, massive structure, the train station

Shrewsbury on a cloudy day

There is so much more of the countryside surrounding Shrewsbury that I would like to see. And I would love to go into Wales next time. The Welsh language is so intriguing with all its double consonants and long, unpronounceable words - like

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

*And just in case anyone was wondering, I wish life came with a pronunciation guide. It's one of my pet peeves: finding a name on a map or in a book - and not knowing how to pronounce it. Fortunately, it became less of a problem with the advent of Google. :-)

Have a great weekend!  And BE SURE TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!!