Today we are travelling to Wells with our friend. Mickey the dog is staying at home. Yesterday’s trip was a bit much for him, so he’s looking forward to a quiet day at home with the dog sitter.

Wells is a beautiful old town with a history dating back to Roman times. With a population of around 10,000, Wells is the smallest English town with a cathedral. Today is market day in the large square in the historic centre. Everything you can imagine is on offer here. Fruit, vegetables, cheese, handicrafts, flowers and food. The market barker is announcing the best offers.

Wells has been a bishop’s seat since the 10^th century. The bishop’s palace is surrounded by a defence wall with a moat. Swans in the moat can ring a bell when they want to be fed. The swan keeper is teaching the swan chicks how to do this. Oh, it’s so cute!

We visit the chapel and the bishop’s residence with beautiful wallpaper and funny green dragons on the stairs. A crozier and several historic bishop’s copes are on display here, which the bishop wore during coronation ceremonies and other events.

We’re getting hungry. So we stop off at the small cathedral café, which – like all museum cafés in England – has an amazing range of food on offer. Gabi eats a baked potato with tuna, our friend a quiche with salad and I have a fish chowder, a very rich fish soup with potatoes.

In the cathedral, we marvel at the architecture. The three scissor arches of the crossing, where the nave and transept meet, seem to be unique in the architectural world. The two-storey chapter house is just as unique, but we are unable to visit it. It is currently closed for filming.

Another special feature of the cathedral is the astronomical clock from the 14^th century. Its dial shows 24 hours, minutes, lunar months and other astronomical data. It is one of the oldest surviving church clocks.

Now we take a look around outside and visit the Bishop’s Garden before escaping a little rain shower into the Bishop’s Café.

Before heading back, we take a look at the oldest continuously inhabited street in England. Here we really feel like we’ve travelled back in time.

Mickey the dog is happily waiting for us at our friend’s house. He snuggles up next to me on the sofa. We order pizzas for dinner and are delighted. They taste really great.