Posts in tag

England


Are you planning a jolly holiday in London? Our time in the City was just shy of three years. Not insignificant, to be sure. But not qualifying us as experts, either. That being said, the following is a compilation of the many emails I have sent over the years, in answer to the blog’s most frequently …

First, let it be known: The UK is short for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Quite a mouthful! It is a sovereign state (in the same way as France or the USA) but is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A country of countries. And today …

When Bryant is out of the country on a deal for work, I find myself doing one of two things with my lonely evenings: (1) on-line shopping, or (2) biding my time watching old Cary Grant movies. Guess where Bry prefers me to indulge? This past business trip, I came across a Cary Grant movie …

SUNDAY. After church, we hiked up to an English Heritage site, Tintagel Castle. This 800 year old castle (800!), built on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic, is where, legend has it, King Arthur was born.   MONDAY. Before our trek to Land’s End (not the popular chain store, but the southern most tip of England), we took a scenic …

The White Cliffs of Dover are said to be one of England’s “most recognizable landmarks”. 300 feet in height, and nearly 10 miles long. And majestically white. They are the closest point in England, across the English Channel, to mainland Europe. In fact, on a clear day, you can see France from these cliffs. Over our …

To prepare the family for the Yorkshire Dales we listened to James Herriot’s novel, All Creatures Great and Small, en route. The children got lost in the anatomically correct terms appropriately used in Dr Herriot’s short stories, and slept most the drive.  But Bry and I were taken – both by the book and by the Yorkshire Dales, itself. We stayed two weeks in a cottage found …

The Beatrix Potter House, ‘Hilltop‘, located in the Lake District, is indeed found atop a large hill. I wanted to rent bikes to explore the heralded north country. And the family indulged me for a day. Auntie joined us. Three adult bikes, one child tag-along, and a trailer for the boys. ‘Have you ever fancied the view from the …

We have always been Roald Dahl fans.  And, after we learned of it, we hastily made plans for a day-trip to the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, just outside of London, where the author once resided. (This picture comes directly from the museum website) Our family opted to take London public transportation to our destination – we …

We should have spent more time in Somerset and at Bath.  But.  I fell into the canal.  So.  We didn’t. Our family left very early in the morning, on a train from London, south west to Bath.  And the train ride through the English countryside was breathtaking.  We probably passed two hundred sheep.  And a fox, …

I had an idea.  The children were keen.  So, we collected rocks from a nearby park and then built our own rock structures. Collecting rocks was fun.  Getting the rocks to balance on top of each other . . . more difficult.  Soon after we began, I pulled out the hot glue gun. This idea of …