goodbye london

Passing through London Heathrow Airport on the way back to the US.

A few last minute photos to be taken.

Thank you UK for a wondeful vacation.

You spoilt us with some Great British Summer sunshine (what a surprise and a luxury!).

a real english castle

Who can resist exploring a real castle when they visit England.   The nearest one to us was Arundel Castle in West Sussex.  Built at the end of the 11th Century, this castle is set in 40 acres of beautifully kept gardens and manicured grounds. With a drawbridge, Keep, Chapel, Portculis and unique artwork, tapestries, furniture, not forgetting the history and all Kings, Queens, Dukes and other monarchy that have passed through, Arundel has everything you could wish in a castle. Definitey worth a visit if you find yourself in beautiful Sussex.

Oh yes, there's plenty of armour, weapons, steep winding staircases, a dungeon and deep well to keep the kids interested. 

all the fun at brighton pier

Staying with Grandma in Brighton isn't complete without a trip to Brighton Pier.  She gives them bags of 2 pennies and the kiddos get so much fun playing on silly machines and trying to win worthless prizes - this time they came away with a 'diamond' the size of a small orange, and a small statue of the singer Psy (Gangnam Style)!  A couple of rides at the funfair and then it's icecream time.  Two hours of fun and great memories.

the great british seaside

We've enjoyed the beach and wonderful little town of Southwold on the UK Suffolk coast. 

Strolls on the beach, sandcastles, fish 'n' chips, icecreams, paddling in the very chilly sea.

Here's a few of the very typical beach huts that can be found at many UK seasides.

All in a row and looking so pretty with their fresh coat of paint and personalised names.

How lucky we were to enjoy some gorgeous sunshine in the very unpredictable UK summer!

Happy Summertime!

london calling

Playing tourist in London.

So great to show my kiddos around London and all the wonderful sights, sounds
buildings, history and the places I was taken to as a child.

Changing of the Guard

at Buckingham Palace.

hello again

Yay. I'm back in the land of internet access again!  Missed my blogging and yours too.

So a lovely flower to say hi again.  An orchid found growing in the fields at my sister's home.  Just a few centimeters tall and peeking through the long grass.

We've been on a whirl wind tour of the UK.  Leaving a not so sunny NL, we drove to Calais in France to the Eurotunnel and once aboard, 35 minutes later we were in the UK. First stop for a few days with family in Tring, Hertforshire.  Next stop was to my sister near to Edinburgh for 5 days.  Then 5 days at a cottage in the beautiful countryside of Derbyshire and finally back south to Brighton before heading home to NL once again. Yes, we sure did clock up some kms these past 15 days.  And we can hardly believe our luck that the sun has been shining on us nearly every day!

Its been fun seeing the kiddos playing with their cousins and enjoying all kinds of fun summer activities. Visiting farms, swimming, rock climbing, making new friends, collecting bugs, playing outdoors late into the evenings, windsurfing, sailing and picnics in the sun.  Not to mention the bucket loads of icecream that has been consumed!

Can't wait to catch up with all my favourite blogs and hear how your summers have been going too.  First  though, I need to unpack!

sheep racing!

Yes you did read the title correctly!

How hilarious it was to see sheep racing at Mead open farm in Hertfordshire.  Six sheep, six mini jumps and a little teddy bear jockey tied to the back of each sheep.  All in good fun, and you can even win a medal if you pick the winning sheep!  Baaaa!

'glamping' in the uk

Camping ain't what it used to be apparently!

My memories of damp sleeping bags, bumpy ground, cold showers, and tents getting half blown away are all in the past.  

Now its all about the 'glamping'!

jollydaysluxurycamping.co.uk

devonyurt.co.uk

featherdown.co.uk

With the comforts offered above, and the look of that gorgeous hot tub, I think I might be persuaded to give it another try!

essential vacation purchase

Well, not my usual vacation purchase.  But, as we are heading to England and Scotland over the summer, I need to be prepared for every kind of weather!

So as well as swim suits, sunlotion and t-shirts (forever optimistic!), raincoats and umbrellas are needed and also a lovely new pair of wellies!

Here's hoping I won't have to wear them! 

Happy summertime friends.

tartan

Whilst visiting my mum in Scotland these past few days, Ruby and I were invited along to our very first Ceilidh at my nephew's school.  Of course, it's all about the tartan isn't it.

bikes, of a kind

Only in England would you get such a bicycle race as this!  Its not quite the Tour de France!

On 5th Sept, a three hour, once every ten years, cycling race, took place in the UK.  Known as the Knutsford Great Race,  all participants cycled on original Penny Farthings, Dandy Horse Machines or Bone-Shakers, bikes that date back to the mid 19th century.




Can you imagine how difficult it must be to keep balance on these old bikes?  And the speed some of the cyclists go at too?  Taking bends must be deadly don't you think?

The circuit is just 1km, but this year's winner managed to do 107 laps in the 3 hours.

I think I'll stick with my Trek bike.

boats

We saw these colourful little boats in the harbour at the privately owned village of Clovelly in North Devon.  A beautiful little village, perched high on steep, traffic free, cobbled paths that wind down to the historic harbour below.

And there was this little boat named 'Doris'

Just like Nanna Doris who was with us at the time.

cornwall (part II)

Beach life.

When the tide is out, this is what you'll see.

Photographs taken at Sandymouth beach, nr Bude, Cornwall, UK.

A wonderful National Trust beach.