This'll have to be quick because I'm now on the other side of the Atlantic and faced with the somewhat monumental task of moving our household and family across the country... in a few short weeks!
Monday of our last week -- met our friends at the train station and enjoyed a lovely evening with their jet-lagged and exhausted selves.
Tuesday -- beautiful weather for the second day in a row. The day included a cathedral tour, climbing-up-the-Tower, walking around town, card-playing... Evensong at the Cathedral followed by a yummy dinner at a Spanish restaurant in town.
Wednesday -- day trip to Lindisfarne (the "Holy Island"). Perfect weather. Really nice. Dinner tonight at a Thai restaurant.
Thursday -- the rains came down. Quiet day -- didn't do much, me just mainly getting ready to leave and the rest of us taking it easy, shopping, Chris finishing up his work. Our plans to visit a local 13th century manor house and gardens were scratched due to the weather. A Castle tour was on the itinerary but there were no guides... I guess the students weren't available, it being a graduation day for a lot of them. Early dinner at our flat. Some of us went to Evensong at the Cathedral.
Friday -- our friends departed for Edinburgh, we packed up and headed in the opposite direction, for London. Nice weather -- I took the Underground just a few stops to the National Gallery and enjoyed a few hours there, just me and my audioguide! Very much the perfect way to do an art museum, I've decided.
Saturday -- last "full English" breakfast and then off to Heathrow. Flight home was uneventful. I watched 3 movies.
So there it is. I would add photos but they are on my laptop and I'm too lazy to go get them. Not really, I'm not lazy, but I am prioritizing, and moving the photos is NOT on the top of my list.
Thanks for reading over these last few months!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Day 76 (June 17): Durham
Last Sunday in Durham.
After Mass we had the pleasure of a visit and lunch with a family and some of their friends from the church. Their two oldest children had their First Communion at that morning's Mass. We enjoyed eastern Carolina-style barbeque, yummy quesadillas and salsa, and sangria! It was a very nice way to spend our last Sunday afternoon in Durham.
Long naps, a long walk for Chris, reading, and a bit of TV. Good day.
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| we have really enjoyed Mass at St. Cuthbert's |
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| there's a sweet little garden in front of the church |
After Mass we had the pleasure of a visit and lunch with a family and some of their friends from the church. Their two oldest children had their First Communion at that morning's Mass. We enjoyed eastern Carolina-style barbeque, yummy quesadillas and salsa, and sangria! It was a very nice way to spend our last Sunday afternoon in Durham.
Long naps, a long walk for Chris, reading, and a bit of TV. Good day.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Day 75: Durham
This evening the Olympic torch relay came to Durham City.
The only other time we saw the Olympic torch was in 1996 when it came through Durham, North Carolina -- on its way to Atlanta. So yeah, there's a theme there, I think.
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| waiting on Framwellgate bridge |
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| any minute now... |
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| this looks promising |
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| there it is! |
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| there it goes |
The only other time we saw the Olympic torch was in 1996 when it came through Durham, North Carolina -- on its way to Atlanta. So yeah, there's a theme there, I think.
Day 74 (June 15): Durham
Last full Friday in Durham. Lotsa rain.
Chris and Caroline checked out the Chinese buffet in town this evening. I am making good progress on Great Expectations and finished Wives and Daughters tonight.
Chris and Caroline checked out the Chinese buffet in town this evening. I am making good progress on Great Expectations and finished Wives and Daughters tonight.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Day 73: Durham
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| we bought Caroline a DU sweatshirt yesterday |
This evening I got to attend a lecture given by Eamon Duffy, who is a very famous and highly-regarded historian from the University of Cambridge. That was cool.
And so now I'm watching Wives and Daughters for a little while before bed. The Van Mildert students are having some sort of carnival thing and have rented a ride of some sort and are screaming with glee outside our flat. Fortunately it's not as loud as last night's event was.
These English uni students know how to live it up.
Day 72 (June 13): Durham
OK so today didn't actually prove to be all that exciting after all.
In the morning I walked into town to give Chris his lunch. Walked back home.
After lunch Caroline and I walked into town to do some shopping and errands. Accomplished everything, walked back home.
I was tired. Too tired to go back out again (via my tired legs and feet) to go to Chris's talk which he was giving last night. Turns out good I didn't go because then he went out to dinner and wasn't home until late. So Caroline and I had a quiet dinner & evening at home. Well, sorta quiet. One of the colleges (across the road) was having an outdoor party so there was loud music blaring, but it did end (mercifully) by 11 pm, so that was good.
Another day-in-the-life in Durham, U.K.
In the morning I walked into town to give Chris his lunch. Walked back home.
After lunch Caroline and I walked into town to do some shopping and errands. Accomplished everything, walked back home.
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| sky was dark and sun was shining on the river, looked cool |
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| flowers growing on the side of a stone building |
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| pretty wall decorated in flowers |
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| more pretty flowers |
I was tired. Too tired to go back out again (via my tired legs and feet) to go to Chris's talk which he was giving last night. Turns out good I didn't go because then he went out to dinner and wasn't home until late. So Caroline and I had a quiet dinner & evening at home. Well, sorta quiet. One of the colleges (across the road) was having an outdoor party so there was loud music blaring, but it did end (mercifully) by 11 pm, so that was good.
Another day-in-the-life in Durham, U.K.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Day 71: Durham
Nothing much to report about today except for that I finished Nicholas Nickleby and walked 2 miles to get a Starbucks latte.
Tomorrow should definitely be more exciting.
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| pretty field that I walked through on my way to the Starbucks (tiny cathedral tower in distance) |
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| pedestrian tunnel that goes under the cathedral |
Tomorrow should definitely be more exciting.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Day 70: Durham
Cloudy & rainy day here in Durham. Chris and Caroline came home just after lunch. We had a quiet afternoon. I'm almost finished Nicholas Nickleby.
This evening I attended a Taize prayer service at the Cathedral. It was great. I'm so glad I went!
When I got home it was close to 9:30 pm and though the sun had just set the sky was still bright and turning pinkish so Caroline and I headed to our favorite hill to enjoy the prettiness and take some pictures.
p.s. Erin is on her way back to North Carolina today. She should be there by now.
This evening I attended a Taize prayer service at the Cathedral. It was great. I'm so glad I went!
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| the skies cleared and the sun came out during the service and shone brightly through the stained glass |
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| the river is calm and clear tonight... what a difference a few hours makes |
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| the flowers on the hillside are perfect |
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| the hills are alive... |
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| so pretty and pink |
p.s. Erin is on her way back to North Carolina today. She should be there by now.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 69: Durham (and Exeter)
We had lots of rain last night and the night before and so the river is very high. This is unfortunate for the rowers and city planners and those who were looking forward to the 179th Durham Regatta. The whole event (which was to occur yesterday and today) was cancelled.
I took a walk this afternoon along the river and through town. Two nice ladies (from Cambridge) asked me for directions, which I gave them. That was fun.
The sculpture is "The Journey" and depicts monks carrying the coffin of St. Cuthbert. (The one lady said she didn't like it at all.)
The river under the Old Elvet bridge was quite calm (whereas on the other side it was running very fast). I took a few photos of the boats and the valerian growing on the bridge.
p.s. Chris and the girls were in Exeter today and taking the train back to London this evening.
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| river is very high and the water is fast & rough |
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| it's also really brown today |
I took a walk this afternoon along the river and through town. Two nice ladies (from Cambridge) asked me for directions, which I gave them. That was fun.
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| this is what they were looking for -- it is a bronze copy of the wooden original |
The river under the Old Elvet bridge was quite calm (whereas on the other side it was running very fast). I took a few photos of the boats and the valerian growing on the bridge.
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| you can rent these boats |
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| my attempt at an artsy picture |
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| I'll call this one "Still Life with Boats and Valerian"... |
p.s. Chris and the girls were in Exeter today and taking the train back to London this evening.
Day 68 (June 9): Durham (plus London to Exeter)
The girls and Chris left early this morning for London.
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| waiting for the train... |
So I get a few quiet days here, by myself!
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| there goes the absent-minded professor |
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| I'm pretty sure I've been dismissed |
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Day 67 (June 8): Durham
In-between day. The girls and I did some shopping in the afternoon which was quite successful -- we bought a few really cute dresses for them in the Indoor Market in town.
Packing, laundry, and generally getting ready for another departure in the morning.
Packing, laundry, and generally getting ready for another departure in the morning.
Day 66 (June 7): Bowes Museum & Barnard Castle
Today's outing proved a bit more challenging due to the fact that we missed our bus connection because of a late bus leaving Durham, and had to wait for the next bus in a town that was, well, not the least bit interesting. So we walked up and down, ate our sandwiches, looked at our watches, and just tried to enjoy the fact that we were sitting at a bus stop in a random village in northeast England, in the rain. (We did have rain jackets and umbrellas so no worries there. We've learned to be prepared for rain at all times.)
Then, the bus that came through and picked us up took a rather roundabout "scenic" route to our destination... but again, the bright side here is that we got to see some more of the English countryside for nothing extra!
Turns out if we'd gotten to the museum when we'd originally planned that we'd probably have had too much time. So it all worked out.
The museum was interesting, mainly for its fabulous building and over-the-top collections of paintings, porcelain, furnishings, and household decorations. A lot to look at so at some point one does start to kinda "glaze over".
Also in the town is Barnard Castle (ruins) which we visited in the light rain, after a short walk down the High St. and a stop in Costa Coffee.
Fortunately the bus ride back to Durham was efficient and uneventful.
Then, the bus that came through and picked us up took a rather roundabout "scenic" route to our destination... but again, the bright side here is that we got to see some more of the English countryside for nothing extra!
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| the Bowes Museum |
Turns out if we'd gotten to the museum when we'd originally planned that we'd probably have had too much time. So it all worked out.
The museum was interesting, mainly for its fabulous building and over-the-top collections of paintings, porcelain, furnishings, and household decorations. A lot to look at so at some point one does start to kinda "glaze over".
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| I don't remember what was so funny but I like this photo |
Also in the town is Barnard Castle (ruins) which we visited in the light rain, after a short walk down the High St. and a stop in Costa Coffee.
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| girls are peering through the opening to the river below |
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| today was Caroline's 14th birthday |
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| inside one of the castle towers |
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| view of the river Tees |
Fortunately the bus ride back to Durham was efficient and uneventful.
Day 65 (June 6): Durham & Raby Castle
The girls and I woke up the next day with the energy for a half-day outing and, realizing that one of the places we were interested in visiting was only open Sunday through Wednesday, we studied the bus timetables and routes (online) and headed out!
There was some stress at the beginning but it all worked out and we arrived at Raby Castle shortly after it opened for the afternoon.
The current Lord and his family still live in the Castle. (That is why it isn't open every day, all day, I expect.) Parts of the Castle date back to the 14th century when it was originally built. The interior was quite impressive, but not overwhelming.
The outing was really quite perfect, topped off with a visit to the Castle's tearoom for a late lunch, plus dessert and hot drinks.
We took the bus back to Durham with no trouble. A really good afternoon out.
There was some stress at the beginning but it all worked out and we arrived at Raby Castle shortly after it opened for the afternoon.
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| there are also gardens to enjoy |
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| with really cool 200-year old yew hedges |
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| front door |
The current Lord and his family still live in the Castle. (That is why it isn't open every day, all day, I expect.) Parts of the Castle date back to the 14th century when it was originally built. The interior was quite impressive, but not overwhelming.
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| no photography is allowed inside but I took lots of pictures outside |
The outing was really quite perfect, topped off with a visit to the Castle's tearoom for a late lunch, plus dessert and hot drinks.
We took the bus back to Durham with no trouble. A really good afternoon out.
Day 64 (June 5): Back to Durham
Uneventful day, travelling back to Durham via train through the beauty that is much of Scotland.
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| crystal clear loch and reflected hills |
Day 63 (June 4): Train to Mallaig
This was our second trip on the "Harry Potter" train -- the Jacobite steam train that departs from Fort William and chugs its way through the Scottish Highlands to the "sleepy little port town" of Mallaig.
Once in Mallaig the girls and I took a little walk up into the hills above the town. It was a perfect day and a pleasant walk!
At the end of this trip we were pretty tired and eager to read and relax in our hotel room, watching a bit more of the Jubilee celebrations on TV.
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| the girls and Grandad in front of the First Class coach |
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| the train stops part way into the journey and we took a little walk to take this photo |
Once in Mallaig the girls and I took a little walk up into the hills above the town. It was a perfect day and a pleasant walk!
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| foxgloves grow wild everywhere |
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| pretty view of the town and the islands of Rum, Eigg, and a bit of Skye |
At the end of this trip we were pretty tired and eager to read and relax in our hotel room, watching a bit more of the Jubilee celebrations on TV.
Day 62 (June 3): Oban to Fort William
Sunday morning was bright and sunny, another beautiful crisp day! In the morning we took a walk up to McCaig's Tower, a "folly" built overlooking Oban harbour, and enjoyed the views.
Our train tour continued with a ride back to Crianlarich where we picked up the Fort William train. This part of the journey takes the traveller along lochs, around mountains and hills, over bridges and up into the Scottish Highlands. We arrived in Fort William, a rather humble loch-side town, in the late afternoon. The town is popular with backpackers, climbers, and walkers as it's the endpoint of the West Highland Way and is very close to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles at 4,409 ft.
We had a yummy dinner in a pub called the Grog and Gruel (I had an extremely yummy mushroom quesadilla) and then embarked on an impossibly long walk into Glen Nevis to see what we could see.
Our lodging for the night was rather humble as rooms were scarce in Fort William this weekend. I shared a bunk room with two pleasant Japanese students while everyone else was together in a four-person bunkroom next door. Shared bathrooms down the hall... I felt very backpacker-y and student-ish.
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| unfinished but interesting nonetheless |
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| looking to the left towards the ferry dock |
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| and to the right (St. Columba's Cathedral is that tower on the far right) |
Our train tour continued with a ride back to Crianlarich where we picked up the Fort William train. This part of the journey takes the traveller along lochs, around mountains and hills, over bridges and up into the Scottish Highlands. We arrived in Fort William, a rather humble loch-side town, in the late afternoon. The town is popular with backpackers, climbers, and walkers as it's the endpoint of the West Highland Way and is very close to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles at 4,409 ft.
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| before dinner we took a walk along the loch |
We had a yummy dinner in a pub called the Grog and Gruel (I had an extremely yummy mushroom quesadilla) and then embarked on an impossibly long walk into Glen Nevis to see what we could see.
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| Ben Nevis is behind this hill, not visible, and about twice as high, apparently |
Our lodging for the night was rather humble as rooms were scarce in Fort William this weekend. I shared a bunk room with two pleasant Japanese students while everyone else was together in a four-person bunkroom next door. Shared bathrooms down the hall... I felt very backpacker-y and student-ish.
Day 61 (June 2): Isles of Mull & Iona
Our plans for today were a day trip to two islands in the Inner Hebrides. At 9 am we queued up for the ferry which would take us from Oban to the Isle of Mull.
Then we rode in a coach across this beautiful island (while being informed and entertained by our driver/guide) to catch another small ferry to the gorgeous Isle of Iona. We had almost 3 hours on Iona, most of which we spent walking and enjoying the views and scenery.
Just before catching the ferry back to Mull, we quickly toured the abbey on Iona which is on the spot where St. Columba and his followers built a church and established a Catholic community way back in the mid-6th century.
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| you probably can't make it out but there is a small castle tower (ruins) in amongst those trees |
Then we rode in a coach across this beautiful island (while being informed and entertained by our driver/guide) to catch another small ferry to the gorgeous Isle of Iona. We had almost 3 hours on Iona, most of which we spent walking and enjoying the views and scenery.
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| taken from the highest point on Iona |
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| my husband and youngest daughter are those two specks on the rocks |
Just before catching the ferry back to Mull, we quickly toured the abbey on Iona which is on the spot where St. Columba and his followers built a church and established a Catholic community way back in the mid-6th century.
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| the restored abbey, built on a medieval foundation |
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| bracken grows everywhere on the mountains and hillsides around the sea lochs |
We at dinner on the ferry because we needed to attend Mass that evening, which we did at St. Columba's Cathedral in Oban.
A bit of relaxing in our room and welcome sleep!
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