Ain't No Roman Wall High Enough

Chester might have the most complete city walls in all of Britain, but when the Romans constructed them they sure as heck weren't counting on an invasion by thirsty, sun-loving Scousers (Liverpudlians). Then again, neither were we.

Our first overnight excursion from Didsbury took us through rural Cheshire to this former Roman fortress (known as Deva Victrix), close to the Welsh border. It is very much a tourist town nowadays, a fact we naively brushed aside given that we had arrived on a bank holiday long weekend. Our trip coincided with a burst of English sunshine that sparked locals and visitors alike into a manic, irrational contest for the nearest outdoor table on the banks of the River Dee - seemingly to guzzle lager and bask like albino seals. I was terrified; the photo shows me rapidly searching our guidebook for clues to avoiding crowds of sunburnt Brits.

When we eventually escaped the riverside masses, I quite enjoyed our tour of the city's attractions. We wandered along sections of the wall and through a historic cobbled shopping district called 'The Rows', watched re-creations of Roman patrols and marvelled at the Chester Cathedral (see below). Just don't ask me to go back there on a public holiday...