The Bell, the inn we slept in last night, was orginally a cottage built in the 1600s and was really lovely however it wasn't wifi friendly - the walls are far too thick. :) After moving into every one of the cute little rooms on the ground floor, I finally stood right beside the router to write the blog. I got a few strange looks but what can you do?
Since this trip was very last minute, we didn't plan anything other than our first night's stay. This means that we spend about an hour every day deciding where to go, booking a place to stay for that night, and then deciding what we want to see. Add to this the hour it takes me to write the blog and it feels like a good chunk of time is taken out of our day. But it's all fine. The days are very long here. It's still quite light at 10 pm. We're not sure when the sun comes up, however I've been awake at 4:30 am a couple of times and it's like the middle of the day.
As we left The Bell (in Charbury, England), it was raining and did pretty much the rest of the day. It was cold (high 50s) and windy so a less than ideal day for sightseeing, but we spent a lot of time in the car so it worked out just fine. We wanted to get to Llangurig, Wales where we were to spend the night at a B&B called The Old Vicarage. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive but it took us most of the day.
Some interesting things we saw along the way. Road crews, garbage collectors, etc. (those who work "on the road") all wear neon yellow pants and coats with reflective tape on them. You can't miss them - which is the idea. Rarely do you see a stop sign. There are stop lights in larger towns. Rather than a stop sign you'll see a "give way" (which we translate as"yield"). Many of these signs are covered by trees/vines so it's as if they aren't there. Once Dave had to hit the brakes quickly due to a hidden sign, the road curving and a car coming around the bend.
We stopped for a snack and an 80 year old lady (she told us how old she was) started talking to us. Her family was to board a boat to go to Canada (ON) near the end of the war but her dad got sick so they'd didn't get on the boat. They heard later it had blown up. They didn't try again. She was quite passionate about the recent vote to leave the EU. She's in favor and has a strong dislike for the Germans (who are a big part of the problem - apparently). She says "England will be fine", but then she said she's worried how her granddaughter will get on.
Once in Wales we found ourselves in an adorable place called Rhayader. We snuck into the tourist info place just as they were closing and we're really glad that we did! We discovered that there was the 9 mile Elan Valley Trail just on the other side of town. It's a very winding road that goes through the Welsh mountains.
Words can't begin to describe the majesty and beauty of this region. Stunning, breathtaking, unbelievable, etc. etc. The mountains are very old so they're more like really high hills. The "hills" are covered with "lumps and bumps", some trees, miles of pasture, outcroppings of rock, 1,000s of sheep, every shade of green you can think of, and a few homes scattered here and there. You could see the sun shining on the mountains in the distance as we stood in the rain. I took a lot of pictures but I know they won't capture what we saw. There were lots of places where we could pull off the road to enjoy the view. We're constantly saying "wow" and "amazing". At times we were on the road and completely surrounded by the mountains. We could see the winding road cutting through all the green. There were also what I called enchanted forests along the trail. They seemed magical.
Dave found a farm and stopped to talk to the young guy working there. His dad has 2,000 sheep which only come to the farm 3 times a year. The sheep mix with the neighbors sheep but it all works out somehow. They were all over the place - even on the sides of the road. They don't even bat an eye when a car goes by.
We stopped at the Nantgwyllt Church (love the spelling here!). We had to cross a very old and narrow stone bridge to reach it. Very musty inside but still used during the summer.
We found a pub, built in 1600 called The Triangle, for supper. It was beside a rushing river. (There's so much rain here that the water moves very quickly. All the foliage/trees etc. are very lush. We wonder how the farmers are ever able to make hay.) Supper was lovely. We headed to our B&B and were most disappointed to find out that it didn't have wifi. The listing said it did. Not having wifi is a huge inconvenience and will take up more of our day tomorrow as a result.
One thing I learned today: The castles that we plan to see tomorrow are one of the "World's Wonders" - as is the Great Wall of China. Excited to see them!
One new thing I experienced today: Stepping out of a bathroom (literally one step) and I was on the road. If a car had of been coming by, I'm sure I would have had a heart attack.
Most powerful moment of the day: The beauty of the trail/mountains. I couldn't help but think of the song "How Great is Our God".
One pleasureable experience: Driving on the trail and coming upon a sheep who was laying on the road. We had to go around him because he wasn't moving. :)
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Tuesday June 28
We woke up at a normal time and had breakfast in the conservatory, which is a glassed in type of sunroom. I stayed in the pub to write since the Internet connection was better than in the room. Dave mucked about and looked at maps, planning our day. By 10 am we were on our way to our first stop which was Bampton. This is the small village where part of Downton Abbey was filmed. For anyone who has watched the show, you'll understand what comes next.
Bampton is a very old village where all the houses are made of limestone - which the Cotswold district is know for. (The Cotswolds is 100 mile stretch that was once very wealthy due to sheep's wool. It was settled in the 1100s.) Trying to find the "Cottage Hospital" was our first task. It's really a tiny library. Beside it was Mrs. Crawley's house which is surrounded by a 7 foot stone wall so we couldn't see anything below that. Beside that was the church were many scenes took place. It looked exactly as it did in the show. St. Mary's (the church) has been there since the Norman conquest in the 1050s. We walked through the church picturing the weddings that took place and walked through the graveyard. It was great being able to see these places. The door that Mary came through when she was married to Matthew is actually covered up inside the church but visible from the outside. We also saw the pub and post office from the show. Surprisingly, the town wasn't swamped with tourists. One bus was there while we were but that was it for the day. We were told that when the filming crew was there, it didn't disrupt the village at all. So glad we saw this!
Next we were off to Blenheim Palace - a place the travel guru, Rick Steves, highly recommends. I have to talk about driving here. Almost all of our driving today was on two lane (and I use that term very loosely) roads in the country. At times the lanes are 6' 6" wide. There aren't any shoulders, just 5 inches or so of dirt and then "walls" of plants. The grass etc. on the sides of the roads don't get cut so it's like driving through a tunnel since the grass is 6' or so high. Very winding roads with lots of ups and downs make it a bit like a race course. I'm often startled when a car comes flying around the corner (speed limit is 50 miles/hr) and it looks like it's going to hit us. Dave's doing really well. He does have to really concentrate at times. Grass gets caught in the side mirror on my side and I can hear the grass bushing against the door. Dave hasn't had a chance to use all six gears yet. Okay by me.
Blenheim Palace was built between 1705 and 1728. It's massive and opulent. Winston Churchill is related to the first Duke of Marlborough who was given the land, and the money to build the palace, by Queen Anne for the great job he did winning a battle. Part of the tour was all about Churchhill. We saw the room he was born in. The current Duke (the 12th) still lives there with his wife and 3 kids. They have a staff of 11 people to look after them. They also have a place in Oxford and in an another spot close by. No matter where they're living, all of their meals are made at the palace and their laundry is done there as well. The life of the super rich!
There's a wonderful courtyard. Elton John did a concert there two days earlier. The folks who own the place need a lot of income to keep the place going. Concerts, admission to the palace etc, really help I'm sure. Dave and I have a yearlong membership. You can change a day pass into a one year pass without any additional cost. We thought we might go back tomorrow so see the servants quarters, kitchens etc. The tour was full for today.
Part of the tour was this really cheesy "Disney like" presentation. Once it's started you're stuck until it's over. 35 minutes. As we left the castle is was raining a bit. The first rain since we arrived. The weather has been great. A bit on the cool side today. Needed to wear a coat.
We set off for our lodging for the night - The Bell built in 1600. It's a pub that has a few rooms. Our room was huge and pretty fancy. Much more than we needed but booking online you're not always sure what you'll get. Supper was fish and chips - super good.
One thing I learned today: Winston Church was born 2 months premature and was delivered in a coat room at Blenheim Palace.
One new thing I experienced today: Running over a dead animal on the side of the road (no, on the road as there is no "side of the road") while whipping around a corner with a car coming at us from the other direction. My heart was really thumping. Dave just laughed.
Most powerful moment of the day: Eating in the pub that was orginally a cottage over 400 years ago. It looks "just like" it did then. I love history!
One pleasureable experience: At the palace I bought a book on the history of tea. I love tea and feel so much more at home here in regards to this. Every hotel room has a kettle and tea (and instant coffee). It's assumed that people want tea here. At home, it's assumed people want coffee. I often feel left out/the odd person since I don't drink coffee at home. Here I'm one of the "regular" people. :)
Bampton is a very old village where all the houses are made of limestone - which the Cotswold district is know for. (The Cotswolds is 100 mile stretch that was once very wealthy due to sheep's wool. It was settled in the 1100s.) Trying to find the "Cottage Hospital" was our first task. It's really a tiny library. Beside it was Mrs. Crawley's house which is surrounded by a 7 foot stone wall so we couldn't see anything below that. Beside that was the church were many scenes took place. It looked exactly as it did in the show. St. Mary's (the church) has been there since the Norman conquest in the 1050s. We walked through the church picturing the weddings that took place and walked through the graveyard. It was great being able to see these places. The door that Mary came through when she was married to Matthew is actually covered up inside the church but visible from the outside. We also saw the pub and post office from the show. Surprisingly, the town wasn't swamped with tourists. One bus was there while we were but that was it for the day. We were told that when the filming crew was there, it didn't disrupt the village at all. So glad we saw this!
Next we were off to Blenheim Palace - a place the travel guru, Rick Steves, highly recommends. I have to talk about driving here. Almost all of our driving today was on two lane (and I use that term very loosely) roads in the country. At times the lanes are 6' 6" wide. There aren't any shoulders, just 5 inches or so of dirt and then "walls" of plants. The grass etc. on the sides of the roads don't get cut so it's like driving through a tunnel since the grass is 6' or so high. Very winding roads with lots of ups and downs make it a bit like a race course. I'm often startled when a car comes flying around the corner (speed limit is 50 miles/hr) and it looks like it's going to hit us. Dave's doing really well. He does have to really concentrate at times. Grass gets caught in the side mirror on my side and I can hear the grass bushing against the door. Dave hasn't had a chance to use all six gears yet. Okay by me.
Blenheim Palace was built between 1705 and 1728. It's massive and opulent. Winston Churchill is related to the first Duke of Marlborough who was given the land, and the money to build the palace, by Queen Anne for the great job he did winning a battle. Part of the tour was all about Churchhill. We saw the room he was born in. The current Duke (the 12th) still lives there with his wife and 3 kids. They have a staff of 11 people to look after them. They also have a place in Oxford and in an another spot close by. No matter where they're living, all of their meals are made at the palace and their laundry is done there as well. The life of the super rich!
There's a wonderful courtyard. Elton John did a concert there two days earlier. The folks who own the place need a lot of income to keep the place going. Concerts, admission to the palace etc, really help I'm sure. Dave and I have a yearlong membership. You can change a day pass into a one year pass without any additional cost. We thought we might go back tomorrow so see the servants quarters, kitchens etc. The tour was full for today.
Part of the tour was this really cheesy "Disney like" presentation. Once it's started you're stuck until it's over. 35 minutes. As we left the castle is was raining a bit. The first rain since we arrived. The weather has been great. A bit on the cool side today. Needed to wear a coat.
We set off for our lodging for the night - The Bell built in 1600. It's a pub that has a few rooms. Our room was huge and pretty fancy. Much more than we needed but booking online you're not always sure what you'll get. Supper was fish and chips - super good.
One thing I learned today: Winston Church was born 2 months premature and was delivered in a coat room at Blenheim Palace.
One new thing I experienced today: Running over a dead animal on the side of the road (no, on the road as there is no "side of the road") while whipping around a corner with a car coming at us from the other direction. My heart was really thumping. Dave just laughed.
Most powerful moment of the day: Eating in the pub that was orginally a cottage over 400 years ago. It looks "just like" it did then. I love history!
One pleasureable experience: At the palace I bought a book on the history of tea. I love tea and feel so much more at home here in regards to this. Every hotel room has a kettle and tea (and instant coffee). It's assumed that people want tea here. At home, it's assumed people want coffee. I often feel left out/the odd person since I don't drink coffee at home. Here I'm one of the "regular" people. :)
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Monday June 27
We had quite a late start to the day. Waking up at 10 am will do that. Yes, we slept for 12 hours. Breakfast ended at 10:30 so we had to hustle to get there in time. We've found that the English love white bread. It seems to be the only option. I spent some time in our cute room writing yesterday's blog. I was almost done when the Internet disconnected and I lost about half of the post. So frustrating. I went and sat in the pub to try again. I was able to finish it up there but couldn't review it which I find challenging. That perfectionist streak coming through there. :)
We left the Inn about 2 and headed out to see if we could see something of Highclere Castle - from Downton Abby (a show we've seen every episode of). Unfortunately it was closed to the public. Very close by was Beacon Hill. It's 860' to the top. Before we headed up there we drove on some back roads (which we probably weren't suppose to be on) that are used by the farmers. The whole area is covered with massive fields of wheat (heads still very green - tidbit for Ivan), poppies (not sure what those will be used for) and pasture for the sheep. No sheep out and about today though.
Climbing Beacon Hill was an adventure. I was wearing sandals with little tread. The area had recently had significant rainfall and part of the path was greasy mud. On the sides of the path was that deadly plant we saw on our trip last year. The one that grows crazy tall and has white flowers. Emilee will remember what it's called. If you touch these guys you can get really sick. So we're trying to get up the hill without touching the plants or slipping. No time for hospital visits. Once past that section the path (at a 45 degree angle) turned to grass. We sure got a workout!
The view from the top was spectacular. You could see the Engish countryside for miles. And there, off to the left, was Highclere Castle! The flag was flying so the owners were home. It was about 75 degrees with the sun shining and a slight breeze. Perfect weather and an amazing view. We decided that the climb was well worth it.
Back in the car, we headed off to Winchester - which the folks in the pub told us was a 'lovely spot". We walked around a bit and then stopped for a drink and a pastry. It was about 5 o'clock at this point so most of the shops were closing up. Winchester Cathedral (the building of it started in the 900s) was in the heart of the town. The ticket booth was closed so we were able to get in for free - nice. It, as all churches here are, was beautiful. One thing that makes this church especially interesting is that Jane Austin was buried in it. Outside we found a tombstone of a man in his 20s who apparently died (in the early 1700s) of high fever because his drink wasn't the right temperature. No kidding. It said so on his tombstone - which also warned others not to make the same mistake. We wondered what really gave him the fever.
As we started back for our Inn, we looked for an interesting place to eat. The Carpenters' Arms was were we landed. (I don't know why so many places have the word "arms" in it.) The soccer playoffs are on right now and the game was to start at 8. The British team was playing. The menu offered some interesting options. We started with "ham hock and chicken terrine with rhubarb purée and toasts". I found it rather bland but Dave liked it. For the main course Dave had roasted pork belly on bubble and squeak (poached egg with Hollandaise sauce and cumbrian ham crisp) and I had a bacon chop (super salty pork chop) and chunky fries. Dave's pork came with a piece of very well done pork rind which he loved. Me, not so much. Dessert was sticky toffee cake and ice cream. Does it sound good Laura?
We got back to the Inn about 9 and found a new TV channel - Dave ja va. Seriously! Still awake at midnight. :(
A bit more info on the car - since I figure the boys are interested in this. It's a 6 speed 308 diesel that gets 70 miles to the gallon. I know Dave wants to see how fast it will go. Everytime he steps on the gas to pass someone he gets excited about how much power it has.
One thing I learned today: When served tea, get the tea bag out as soon as possible. It's far too dark by the time it gets to me.
One new thing I experienced today: Shopping in a grocery store with lots of teens on a school trip from an Eastern European country. It was crowded but great fun! I love being with people who are different from me.
Most powerful moment of the day: Enjoying a wonderful supper with the love of my life where both of us were totally relaxed and stress free. The pace of our days here is slow with no pressures. What a gift!
One pleasurable experience: Hearing the waitress say "cutlery" and chocolate bar. Words we don't hear in MI.
We left the Inn about 2 and headed out to see if we could see something of Highclere Castle - from Downton Abby (a show we've seen every episode of). Unfortunately it was closed to the public. Very close by was Beacon Hill. It's 860' to the top. Before we headed up there we drove on some back roads (which we probably weren't suppose to be on) that are used by the farmers. The whole area is covered with massive fields of wheat (heads still very green - tidbit for Ivan), poppies (not sure what those will be used for) and pasture for the sheep. No sheep out and about today though.
Climbing Beacon Hill was an adventure. I was wearing sandals with little tread. The area had recently had significant rainfall and part of the path was greasy mud. On the sides of the path was that deadly plant we saw on our trip last year. The one that grows crazy tall and has white flowers. Emilee will remember what it's called. If you touch these guys you can get really sick. So we're trying to get up the hill without touching the plants or slipping. No time for hospital visits. Once past that section the path (at a 45 degree angle) turned to grass. We sure got a workout!
The view from the top was spectacular. You could see the Engish countryside for miles. And there, off to the left, was Highclere Castle! The flag was flying so the owners were home. It was about 75 degrees with the sun shining and a slight breeze. Perfect weather and an amazing view. We decided that the climb was well worth it.
Back in the car, we headed off to Winchester - which the folks in the pub told us was a 'lovely spot". We walked around a bit and then stopped for a drink and a pastry. It was about 5 o'clock at this point so most of the shops were closing up. Winchester Cathedral (the building of it started in the 900s) was in the heart of the town. The ticket booth was closed so we were able to get in for free - nice. It, as all churches here are, was beautiful. One thing that makes this church especially interesting is that Jane Austin was buried in it. Outside we found a tombstone of a man in his 20s who apparently died (in the early 1700s) of high fever because his drink wasn't the right temperature. No kidding. It said so on his tombstone - which also warned others not to make the same mistake. We wondered what really gave him the fever.
As we started back for our Inn, we looked for an interesting place to eat. The Carpenters' Arms was were we landed. (I don't know why so many places have the word "arms" in it.) The soccer playoffs are on right now and the game was to start at 8. The British team was playing. The menu offered some interesting options. We started with "ham hock and chicken terrine with rhubarb purée and toasts". I found it rather bland but Dave liked it. For the main course Dave had roasted pork belly on bubble and squeak (poached egg with Hollandaise sauce and cumbrian ham crisp) and I had a bacon chop (super salty pork chop) and chunky fries. Dave's pork came with a piece of very well done pork rind which he loved. Me, not so much. Dessert was sticky toffee cake and ice cream. Does it sound good Laura?
We got back to the Inn about 9 and found a new TV channel - Dave ja va. Seriously! Still awake at midnight. :(
A bit more info on the car - since I figure the boys are interested in this. It's a 6 speed 308 diesel that gets 70 miles to the gallon. I know Dave wants to see how fast it will go. Everytime he steps on the gas to pass someone he gets excited about how much power it has.
One thing I learned today: When served tea, get the tea bag out as soon as possible. It's far too dark by the time it gets to me.
One new thing I experienced today: Shopping in a grocery store with lots of teens on a school trip from an Eastern European country. It was crowded but great fun! I love being with people who are different from me.
Most powerful moment of the day: Enjoying a wonderful supper with the love of my life where both of us were totally relaxed and stress free. The pace of our days here is slow with no pressures. What a gift!
One pleasurable experience: Hearing the waitress say "cutlery" and chocolate bar. Words we don't hear in MI.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Sunday June 26
The flight was very smooth and it arrived early which was lovely. The sleeping didn't go so well. I got about 4 hours and Dave got a bit more than that. When we landed in Heathrow we were both quite tired. Going through the the border check took some time as two large planes had just arrived from the US. Had we used our Canadian passports, we could have gone to the almost non existent line. We got our luggage and then needed to find the car rental place. Turns out it was offsite so we boarded a van to get there.
We're both struggling to stay awake at this point. Once we got to the car rental office, we had to wait. What a busy place! Getting a car in Amsterdam is SO much easier. When we finally got up to the desk, we're having a hard time thinking straight. We're used to handing over the paperwork and getting the keys. This time the guy was working hard to upgrade the car. His first suggestion was a BMW which would only cost us 500 pounds (almost $700). That was an easy no. Then came option #2 - also an easy no. Number 3 was harder. He talked very quickly, kept talking about the cost of gas (since we were planning on doing so much driving), etc. etc. Dave was pretty much lost at this point and I was trying very hard to keep up. We ended up with a Peugeot station wagon. Dave loves it because it has a lot of power. This is not a good thing based on his history of speeding tickets when we travel.
We spent a few minutes getting used to the car: steering wheel on the right, shifter on the driver's left side, and everything that normally has a button or a knob was on the "computer screen". Dave was a bit nervous as to how the driving would go but he did great. It really helped that we headed out of London and didn't have to deal with city traffic.
The plan was to head to The Carpenter's Arms - where we were going to spend the first night but Dave spotted a sign that tells us Windsor Castle is just "over there". I just wanted to have a nap. So our sightseeing began within 30 minutes of leaving the car place. Talk about hitting the road running! We're got to the cute little town of Windsor, found a place to park, and headed out.
Words can't describe Windsor Castle. It's many, many buildings spread over a huge area. More like a village really. We purchased tickets, went through security, and began the audio tour. All of the areas we were allowed into are still used by the queen. (She was at the castle as indicated by the flag onto off of the highest tower.) The history was amazing. Kings and queens from the 11 century on have lived in the castle. There were many interesting details I wanted to remember to note here but my brain was too tired to remember much.
We were in one hall that seats 160 guests for dinner. There's a mini throne for the queen to sit in. The table is set using a ruler. Everything must to exactly "right" as it reflects on the queen if it isn't. That takes perfectionism to a whole new level.
On the way out, the Evensong service was about to begin in St George's Chapel (the chapel of the most honorable and noble order of the garter). This was an opportunity we didn't want to miss. The church is very old (no date but I'll find it at some point) and ornate. We sat along the sides of the sanctuary on a bench that was divided into separate spots with delicately carved dark wood. A choir began to sing in a different part of the chapel. It turns out is was an all male choir even though there were high soprano voice. These belonged to very young boys, about Deegan and Jon's age (7 or 8) . It was a very traditional service but we very able to sing a bit and we joined together in the Apostles'Creed so we felt a part of it. No pictures could be taken inside but there's one I really wish I could have taken. At one point the priest, in his colorful robes, was standing with his back to us facing the altar (unlike anything we'd picture as an altar). It was so beautiful.
We left the castle and tried to find a map - which are rare of hen's teeth. No success. We drove to Newbury which was about 30 minutes away. Dave's very comfortable driving already. Our first lodging was The Carpenter's Inn. It was built in the 1800s. It has short doors, crooked walls, and steep stairs. It's perfect! We wanted just a little something to eat so Dave went to the pub and got us something to eat.
We were trying to stay up as late as we could so we watched some TV? We made it to about 10 pm (5 pm US time). Our bed was super comfy. We were asleep in seconds.
One thing I learned today:
One new thing I experienced today: "Classic pub chip butty" is two pieces of white bread, one buttered, with French fries inside. Quite bland. Wouldn't get it again.
Most powerful moment of the day: As we were leaving St George's chapel there was a huge marble stone in the floor which said "In this vault lay the remains of Jane Seymour Quuen of King Henry VIII 1537, King Henry VIII 1547, King Charles 1648 and the infant child of Queen Anne." Being the history buff I am, that was great!
One pleasurable experience: England has some interesting names for their channels. My favorite is "Dave". No kidding. That's that name of the channel. Didn't check out the content. Maybe tomorrow.
We're both struggling to stay awake at this point. Once we got to the car rental office, we had to wait. What a busy place! Getting a car in Amsterdam is SO much easier. When we finally got up to the desk, we're having a hard time thinking straight. We're used to handing over the paperwork and getting the keys. This time the guy was working hard to upgrade the car. His first suggestion was a BMW which would only cost us 500 pounds (almost $700). That was an easy no. Then came option #2 - also an easy no. Number 3 was harder. He talked very quickly, kept talking about the cost of gas (since we were planning on doing so much driving), etc. etc. Dave was pretty much lost at this point and I was trying very hard to keep up. We ended up with a Peugeot station wagon. Dave loves it because it has a lot of power. This is not a good thing based on his history of speeding tickets when we travel.
We spent a few minutes getting used to the car: steering wheel on the right, shifter on the driver's left side, and everything that normally has a button or a knob was on the "computer screen". Dave was a bit nervous as to how the driving would go but he did great. It really helped that we headed out of London and didn't have to deal with city traffic.
The plan was to head to The Carpenter's Arms - where we were going to spend the first night but Dave spotted a sign that tells us Windsor Castle is just "over there". I just wanted to have a nap. So our sightseeing began within 30 minutes of leaving the car place. Talk about hitting the road running! We're got to the cute little town of Windsor, found a place to park, and headed out.
Words can't describe Windsor Castle. It's many, many buildings spread over a huge area. More like a village really. We purchased tickets, went through security, and began the audio tour. All of the areas we were allowed into are still used by the queen. (She was at the castle as indicated by the flag onto off of the highest tower.) The history was amazing. Kings and queens from the 11 century on have lived in the castle. There were many interesting details I wanted to remember to note here but my brain was too tired to remember much.
We were in one hall that seats 160 guests for dinner. There's a mini throne for the queen to sit in. The table is set using a ruler. Everything must to exactly "right" as it reflects on the queen if it isn't. That takes perfectionism to a whole new level.
On the way out, the Evensong service was about to begin in St George's Chapel (the chapel of the most honorable and noble order of the garter). This was an opportunity we didn't want to miss. The church is very old (no date but I'll find it at some point) and ornate. We sat along the sides of the sanctuary on a bench that was divided into separate spots with delicately carved dark wood. A choir began to sing in a different part of the chapel. It turns out is was an all male choir even though there were high soprano voice. These belonged to very young boys, about Deegan and Jon's age (7 or 8) . It was a very traditional service but we very able to sing a bit and we joined together in the Apostles'Creed so we felt a part of it. No pictures could be taken inside but there's one I really wish I could have taken. At one point the priest, in his colorful robes, was standing with his back to us facing the altar (unlike anything we'd picture as an altar). It was so beautiful.
We left the castle and tried to find a map - which are rare of hen's teeth. No success. We drove to Newbury which was about 30 minutes away. Dave's very comfortable driving already. Our first lodging was The Carpenter's Inn. It was built in the 1800s. It has short doors, crooked walls, and steep stairs. It's perfect! We wanted just a little something to eat so Dave went to the pub and got us something to eat.
We were trying to stay up as late as we could so we watched some TV? We made it to about 10 pm (5 pm US time). Our bed was super comfy. We were asleep in seconds.
One thing I learned today:
One new thing I experienced today: "Classic pub chip butty" is two pieces of white bread, one buttered, with French fries inside. Quite bland. Wouldn't get it again.
Most powerful moment of the day: As we were leaving St George's chapel there was a huge marble stone in the floor which said "In this vault lay the remains of Jane Seymour Quuen of King Henry VIII 1537, King Henry VIII 1547, King Charles 1648 and the infant child of Queen Anne." Being the history buff I am, that was great!
One pleasurable experience: England has some interesting names for their channels. My favorite is "Dave". No kidding. That's that name of the channel. Didn't check out the content. Maybe tomorrow.
Saturday June 26, 2016
Part of the joy of travel is that we have lots of unexpected adventures. We got an early start with this on our way to the airport. We left at 4 pm which gave us two hours to get to the car park - the average time it takes to get to Detroit. What we didn't know was that there was construction, lots of it, between home and the car park. We got bogged down in a construction zone for 30 minutes which was complicated by a huge motor home broken down in the only available lane for traffic.
We thought it would be clear sailing after that but it wasn't to be. The exit that we needed to switch highways was closed and thanks to the amazing signage, we missed the one and only sign with the detour instructions. We spent the next hour trying to get back on the highway. Every exit we tried to use to access the highway was closed. We did get to see the lovely town of Novi, MI which had an interesting connection the next day.
Arriving at the car park 1 1/2 hours late was starting to increase the anxiety as we were told to be at the airport three hours ahead of our flight. The entire check-in process was an abosolute breeze! There were very few people at the check-in gate, we were blessed with precheck so security was a breeze, and the terminal we were in was virtually empty. We had a nice supper about 8 pm and was suppose to board at 9:30.
The plane was pulled out of a hanger and for some strange reason it had been put away without being cleaned. So we had to wait until it could be cleaned. We took off about 11 pm. I fell asleep almost instantly - sleeping pills really help with that. Dave got a sleep eye mask and actually wore it all night. No picture but it was cute. :)
We thought it would be clear sailing after that but it wasn't to be. The exit that we needed to switch highways was closed and thanks to the amazing signage, we missed the one and only sign with the detour instructions. We spent the next hour trying to get back on the highway. Every exit we tried to use to access the highway was closed. We did get to see the lovely town of Novi, MI which had an interesting connection the next day.
Arriving at the car park 1 1/2 hours late was starting to increase the anxiety as we were told to be at the airport three hours ahead of our flight. The entire check-in process was an abosolute breeze! There were very few people at the check-in gate, we were blessed with precheck so security was a breeze, and the terminal we were in was virtually empty. We had a nice supper about 8 pm and was suppose to board at 9:30.
The plane was pulled out of a hanger and for some strange reason it had been put away without being cleaned. So we had to wait until it could be cleaned. We took off about 11 pm. I fell asleep almost instantly - sleeping pills really help with that. Dave got a sleep eye mask and actually wore it all night. No picture but it was cute. :)
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