Travel through these enchanting areas of Great Britain with Rick Steves as your guide. He offers historical background, spectacular sights, and practical information for each segment of the video. Starting in North Wales, Steves gives a brief history of the area and then takes you on a tour of castles and forts. The final part of his expedition in Wales is a journey to the top of Mount Snowden, Britain's tallest mountain, via a steam train ride. Steves is especially charming when he has conversations with local Welsh people telling their stories. Of course there are the obligatory shots of sheep in the Welsh countryside and a trip to a wool mill. He gives useful information about driving a car on the "wrong side of the road" and how to go about renting one. Then it's off to the Cotswold villages. Here Steves visits four different villages all reminiscent of a Tolkien Hobbit village. While standing beneath a thatched roof, even Steves can't keep himself from using the word "quaint" to describe its delicateness and charm. In this segment he gives useful information on how to stay in a youth hostel (not just for the youth, as he discovers). Finally, it's off to Bath, a small city filled with Georgian buildings and classical columns. Steves takes a tour of the 2,000-year-old Roman baths and an excursion to the Museum of Costume. Just outside Bath is Avebury, home to the largest Neolithic ceremonial circle, which still mystifies archeologists. This travel log ends with Steves's returning his car and having to go home, and always realizing at the end of a trip how there is never enough time for exploration. Check out other travelogues in this series, as they are truly "how-to" and packed with information. --Samantha Allen Storey
