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Wells Cathedral, Swan Hotel, Wells Street Market & Vicar's Close

After a day of touring Stourhead and The Newt , it was back to our hotel in Wells - The Swan. This is an older hotel with a bewilderingly complex floor plan. Narrow hallways, multi-level staircases, and endless turns, it was like something out of the Winchester widow's house. I was unable to locate my room after checking in and had to seek assistance.  The previous night, I had dinner in the hotel restaurant, and had fish and chips with traditional mushy peas. It was delicious.  Before leaving for Stourhead that morning, I walked down the street filled with quaint shops. A street market was in the process of setting up - Proceeding down the next few blocks leads you to Wells Cathedral and the surrounding area - Down a side street to Vicar's Close, Europe's oldest street with original buildings intact. Dating back to the mid-fourteenth century, the 27 residences were built for Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury. The houses are mostly occupied by students. I thought it was a bit of ...

Roses In The Garden - a book review



by Ngoc Minh Ngo

Photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo celebrates rose gardens throughout the world in this beautifully produced book. 

The author photographed a total of 11 gardens across the globe (Italy, Morocco, Spain, USA, UK, and Japan). Beginning with the Italian garden Ninfa (often referred to as the most romantic garden in the world), her photographs have a dreamy quality that transports the reader to these exotic locales. Closer to home, Floret Farm in Mount Vernon, Washington, is included in one of the chapters.

All types of roses are included in the gardens but the majority feature old rose varieties. Many of the gardens have roses growing in wild abandon, intermingled in hedge rows, spilling over walls and fences and surrounded by pastures and rolling hills. A pictorial index lists all the roses and the gardens where they reside.

This stunning book was published by Rizzoli Books and is available on Amazon and in bookstores.






Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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