Gloucester is called the City of Cathedrals, so I was very excited to be there. If you’ve read the previous posts in this travelogue, by now you know my love of clock chimes…but did you know that some cities shut off all their chimes at night?! I’d found this adorable little cathedral called St Michael’s at the Cross in the heart of Gloucester, and it had the most wonderful funky sounding chimes—I knew I had to record them. I stayed up, and then went out before it was time and picked out a quiet doorway where I could tuck in and record the chimes at midnight. I started the recorder, and…nothing. The whole City of Cathedrals was quiet. Not one chime!

Sunday morning I got up before 8 AM to try to record before traffic started up, but no chimes, except for a distant one that tolled from 8:00–8:05 non-stop. I think it was a call to the first service, perhaps? I followed the sound, and recorded it, but it's not what I wanted.

Then Troy and I walked to the Gloucester Cathedral, now known worldwide as a filming site for Hogwarts interior locations in the Harry Potter films. We circled the beautiful building, and I photographed it in the morning light. What a glorious place, but no chimes…. We did surprise a flock of pigeons, though.

This is lovely little St Michael’s at the Cross, and though I missed the first part of the chime, here is most of the 10 AM chime. It’s such a uniquely beautiful sound, you’ll hear why I wanted it…. Then Troy and I ran to the station in time to catch our train!

We changed to a bus in Edinburgh—such a photogenic city.

We were met at the station by Pauline, who has moved from Anchorage to a lovely home on Loch Ard, called the Bridge of Chon House. She and her four dogs welcomed these two tired travelers.

Sunset over the Trossachs, home for next few days, and next hiking destination in a week or so.