Yorkshire: Day 1

A last minute decision led us to book a train to York and drive around the Yorkshire Wolds & Moors. We planned an ambitious schedule which included a lot of English Heritage sites that we hoped to visit before our membership ran out.

A 7:47am train on Saturday morning was standing room only so we stood for the 2 hour ride. Two hours later we picked up our rental car and were off to the deserted Wharram Percy Medieval village. The drive to the site was through the Wolds and Intertwined with the Wolds National Way. We couldn't help but stop and take some self indulgent photos of the barley fields rimmed with poppy. The continuing drive highlighted some beautiful moments of the wolds landscape. Wharram Percy, perched on a sloping dale, was abandoned in the 15th century so what all remains are foundation outlines and lumps in the thick emerald grass of unearthed foundations. Church ruins still stand and the churchyard has burials as recent as the 19th century. Not far north of Wharram Percy was Pickering and the ruins of its namesake castle.

Not a terrible lot to see at the ruins but there still stands a motte allowing views across the Pickering landscape. A hidden steam train announced its presence in the valley and the adagio chug of its engine dwindled as it progressed up the sloping valley. As we always do-we lunched at a pub in Pickering town center, the Black Swan. We forgot a picture! Oh well.

We then trucked over to Scarborough, on the North Sea, for our last visit of the day. Beckie could not stop singing "Scarborough Fair." The castle ruins, go figure, dominates a huge outcropping who stands tall above old and new Scarborough. The outcropping and castle grounds have been occupied for 3000 years and saw major war activity during the English Civil War. The castles keep was of course destroyed during the siege and the rest of the site fell into neglect during the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras. During WWI German battleships shelled the town of Scarborough for 15 minutes, then left. Ok. Oddly enough, we parked in a church graveyard (to see Scarborough Castle) and to our surprise Ann Bronte's grave was there. Yes, they allow visitors to park in a graveyard. Scarborough Fair dates back to a Medieval fayre that is still honored with modern seasonal fairs. However, there were none going on and no stories of unrequited love so we left for a return drive through National Forest.

We stayed at a pub inn outside of Helmsley and when we arrived there was a wedding reception in full swing. The owner showed us to our "Family room" and it was revealed to be a motor home. I can count my experiences with motorhomes on two fingers and they aren't exactly stellar. However, this was to quite a high standard and if this was in a hotel room it would be considered quite nice. Phew. However, the food was excellent and the drinks superb; and on the plate some parley, rosemary and thyme.

YORKSHIRE 2011

Yorkshire: Day 2


After waking up to a horse whinnying behind the wall adjacent to our bed, we made our way from our caravan 'room' and in the pub for breakfast. We enjoyed another full English, pulled our things together, and began our drive to Rievaulx Abbey. Along the way, we encountered cyclists from a triathalon, random ruins which couldn't be identified, a grand manor house we didn't bother to enter, and a geocache or two.


We opted for an audio tour at the Abbey thinking we could listen to the history as we walked through in an effort to save time. We still ended up spending more time than we intended, but learned some interesting points:

- Rievaulx Abbey was established as a Cistercian monastary in 1132
- Established on 12 acres and grew to 1100 acres
- At one time house 800 monks, but only 22 were left when Henry VIII dissolved it in 1538


It was a beautiful day, so we were able to capture a fair few amazing photos. I'm sure none could compare to what the Abbey once was. As we walked out of the Abbey, Matt had noticed signs for a national trail enterance, so we set off down the road to find it. Though we walked for quite some time following loads of other trail walkers, we had no luck. We went back to the car and carried on. We were on a rather tight schedule.


Oh wait, was that a sign for a 13th century pub? I know we're trying to make a deadline, but this pub is 13th century. We usually only get to the 15th century pubs. Unfortunately, we couldn't find it within 2.5 miles of the signage, so we decided to turn around and head back to our original destination of Helmsley Castle.


We raced back to the market town of Helmsley (not to be confused with Helms Deep, though we did often refer to it as such). Again, we opted for the audio tour at Helmsley Castle. We both agreed that this tour must have been a record learning experience based on square feet and historical significance. What's that? There's additional info about Robert de Roos? Nope, no time. Better press on. Oh, but there was plenty of time for extra scoops of ice cream in the town centre!


One last bite of cookies and cream and it was off to the petrol station before it closes and then to take the car straight back to York. Good news! The petrol station didn't close for another 3 hours. I know! We can go back to Rievaulx and pick up that mini-syrup jug I saw in the shop... and find that bloody 13th century pub!


Well, we found it. Unfortunately, we were just about an hour too late. The Hare Inn was closed. Disappointed and slightly hungry, we slinked back to the petrol station and then to York to hopefully find some food before our train. Well, a pasty would suffice and since the train was overbooked again, we had to endure the entire ride in First Class. So horrible.

The Wedding

There was pomp, there was circumstance. There was tradition and acknowledgement of England's history. And, of course, there were loads of film crews and tourists.

Matt and I had debated even going down to see it, but in the end it was the idea of being part of the masses and experiencing the energy and ambiance. We had gone down the night before to look at what might do for a viewing point(apparently just missing Prince William's hand-shaking session. Blast). We didn't arrive too early in the morning as I wasn't counting on being able to see anything anyway. Loads of people had camped out along the route and if I'm not in the front row, I can't see anything. We leisurely arrived around 8am; people were gathering quickly. An inflatable projector screen with TV feed was set up in Green Park and many people were happy just to stay there and celebrate. Souvenirs, especially flags, were offered at every turn.

We walked along the Mall and down toward Horseguards; there was no getting into or through Horseguards. I'm sure you didn't see it in the TV footage as it looked like a cream wall by then, but behind that cream wall was a military fortress with what I imagine to be vast amounts of ammunition. We had seen them building up the wall a few nights before. They certainly had everything covered.

We finally settled into a space three rows back along the Mall. It seemed like I might see a bit if I went up on tip-toes, but once the procession started there was no hope. Everyone was clammering to get a photo and a glimpse. I watched most of it from the video screen of the man in front of me as he filmed. The crowds were excited, but not quite as loud as you would think. I'm guessing it was because everyone spends so much effort trying to take photos and video, they forget to wave or don't want to spoil the video with their shouting. For the crowds outside, the service was fed through speakers. Everyone cheered when Catherine completed her vows... as though there was a question of whether she'd go through with it or not. It was fun to hear our cheering on the TV footage when we watched it later.

My favourite part was standing on the Mall with the Battle of Britain thundering overhead for the flypast. What a massive flying fortress. It was then that I finally broke into tears. I'm sure everyone had a grand time, but I sincerely hope they appreciated the history and tradition that was associated with all the pomp.

I have to say, it made me think of our wedding and how fantastic I thought it was. I loved my dress and still think it was better than Kate's (though I did like hers as well), but we could have done with some trumpeters. I can't believe I forgot the trumpeters! Rookie mistake.

Royal Wedding

Brussels and Bavaria

Before writing about our amazing trip, I have to admit that Germany, sadly, was never on my list of places to go while we were here. However, one day the romantic road in Bavaria was mentioned, photos were found, and planning for the most fantastic trip began immediately after.

Of course, we wanted to take advantage of Germany's bordering areas as well so we began our trip in Brussels. It was an interesting, Flemish town with the Grand Place as the main attraction. Yes, we had Belgian chocolate and Belgian waffles, which I still say taste just like my Great-grandmother's Good Friday doughnuts. But I think the best bit of Brussels was the Belgian beers (see 'Delirium' pics)... you just need be careful because some are much stronger than they look! A nice place to visit, but I didn't feel cheated only being there one night.

The next stop was to pick up the rental car and drive over to Wiesbaden, Germany to see our friends Marissa and Dan Rock. The Rock's were very hospitable, allowing us to stay with them and showed us around. We had a lovely time floating down the Rhine, looking at castle ruins, and eating some very yummy cheese and homemade chocolate chip cookies. I would go back to Wiesbaden just to stay with them again! You can tell they've been in Germany a while since they seemed like locals. It was great to see them and catch up because the last time we saw them was at their wedding.

From Wiesbaden, we started off on our 5-day driving tour of the Romantic Road beginning with the city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. On our way over, we stopped in the town of Darmstadt where my Great-grandmother's mother apparently lived. We briefly visited the town of Wurzburg and the Marienburg Fortress. The fortress was fairly deserted since we were there just before the start of the tourist season. It was an imposing feature. In Wurzburg, we had some very yummy cheese pretzel thing. They're not big on vegetables, but their breads and meats are very yum! Wurzburg was great and it already felt like we've seen a lot but Rothenburg was yet to come.

We arrived in Rothenburg around 4:30pm. After spending some time walking around and looking in shops and shop windows, we found a lovely place for dinner (yummy stuffed cabbage and dumplings!) and came back to the square for the Night Watchman Tour. It was one of those town tours with a guide dressed in period clothing, but this man was fantastic! He put on such an interesting accent (a bit like a German Snagglepuss)that Matt and I both bring into conversation now and then. He was very informative, speaking of the origination of the town, it's growth and lack of growth, and it's role in WWII. In the Medieval era the town was extremely wealthy and therefore a frequent site for kings to visit and live off their hosts. Their wealth was also their downfall since many armies wintered in the city and depleted their resources. The Nazis occupied the town towards the end of the war and the U.S. planned to bomb the town. However, the Secretary of State knew of Rothenburg and didn't want to bomb it so he instructed the Army to give the Nazis a chance to vacate. The Nazis took that offer and turned the city over. There is a picture of the arched bridge where the town was handed over,

The next day, we spent as much time as we could walking around the city atop the wall, searching for a cuckoo clock, and eating schneeballen ('snow balls' which were made of twisted strips of dough formed into a ball and lightly fried; coatings optional). Rothenburg o.d.T. was a very difficult place to leave! But in the afternoon, it was off to Nordlingen to continue our trip.

We drove through the town of Dinkelsbuhl on our way. Another fabulous example of Bavarian architecture and painting. We saw what we thought were Panzer speed limit signs along the drive. Nordlingen didn't have too much to offer, but it was a nice Bavarian style town. Around 11pm, the town crier was actually heard to cry out, 'All is well.' Whew! I was getting worried! Although, the city came alive in the morning when the central market stalls went up. Breakfast was served!

The third day's destination was Fussen and the Neuschwanstein Schloss (Castle). Even people who don't know this castle by name, know it by sight since it was the inspiration for Cinderella's castle in the Disney film. Frankly, this whole trip felt like a living Disney film, but in a good way... not in the 'small, small world way.' This castle was the brainchild of Ludwig II who went a bit mad in the end. It was certainly a dreamworld, even then, full of gold, gems, indoor plumbing, and tapestries depicting scenes from Wagner's operas. Fussen itself is a desirable location because of its charm and proximity to Austria (apparently the place to go for cheaper petrol - which we took advantage of). The hills were most definitely alive and beautiful and welcoming. Fussen was also special to us because it was the town where we finally found our cuckoo clock! Of course, we didn't buy it right away and it would be over a month until we made that decision, but we absolutely love it (don't worry, it has a night switch)!



The fourth day of driving was to take us to Munich. The Bavarian Alps are simply stunning and pictures can never do them justice. Their majesty was hard to say goodbye to as we made our way to Munich but we hope to be back. This is obviously a bigger city and not as quintessentially Bavarian, but interesting for its own reasons including the unfortunate beginnings of the Nazi party. The Hofbrauhaus was fun and must have been the inspiration for the German area of Busch Gardens. We enjoyed the band, pretzels, dumplings, and the biggest glass of dunkel (dark beer) I've ever seen! We walked around Munich also seeing the Glockenspiel (original 'small, small world?), the victorian market, Nymphenburg Palace, and surfing in the English garden.

The next morning, it was more pretzels and a go at the weisswurst (I was sceptical, but not too bad with mustard!), a walk around the town again and back to the airport to return the car and be on our way back to London. It wasn't a 'longed for' experience, but certainly one that we will remember fondly and never forget. We need to get back to Bavaria and the Alps.

Brussels and Bavaria

And a walk through Kent

This time we took the train down to Royal Tunbridge Wells, beginning our day by wandering around the farmer's market and taking in the sights, smells, savories and sweets. After enjoying a lamb burger with a bit of mint jelly and purusing the Pantilles, we started off on our walk through the Kentish countryside. We have always felt the best way to experience the UK is via walking.

It was a cool, but comfortable day and the rain held off until the end. We stopped twice for a pub break and swift half. The first was by chance. We thought we were faithfully following our ordinance map and came to the Hare and Hounds in Bidborough. After a nice sit, we started off quickly realising that we were a bit off our specified trail. A little wandering and winding around later and we were back on track.

About halfway through the hike, I realised with full understanding that I had chosen to wear the wrong pair of shoes (and no, of course I didn't wear heels). By the end of the trip, I was feeling entirely crippled. Lesson learned. About 6 hours from the start of our journey and a short visit to the town castle, we found our way onto the high street of Tonbridge. Unfortunately, we had to settle for Thai food rather than pub since no one was serving by that time.

It was a bite to eat, some time to rest our feet, and a welcome respite from the wind. Unfortunately, they didn't have a good drink menu and with the state of my feet, I could have used it. Nevermind, it was back on the train and home again as fast as we could. Enjoyable as it was, it's a good thing it was Saturday because I couldn't even stand on my poor feet the next day. Shame, but still worth the sights and experience.

Kent Walk

A drive through Kent

We had decided during the week that we weren't taking enough advantage of our time and our English Heritage membership, so we booked a rental car for the upcoming Saturday and planned a drive through nearby Kent. Obviously we wouldn't be able to see everything Kent has to offer... there are many beautiful gardens and notable places... Dickens and Darwin. Too much for a single day's journey, but we had a good go at it.

We started in Sutton Valence, a village with ancient ties and a ruined castle, and wound our way through and back and over to Royal Tunbridge Wells, which is known as an historic spa town. Unfortunately, we didn't get to experience that part of it. At the end of our delightful journey, we were sitting in a pub, enjoying our pies and mash and planning our next trip down. It would be a walk this time and we were planning it for next weekend...

Kent drive

New Year's Eve 2010

Though we had seen them last year, we decided we should take advantage of our residence and head toward the Thames to see the fireworks again. This year though, we thought we wouldn't stay up as late. Down to the river, watch the display, back on the Tube for home.

Everyone knows you have to get into the area early for any London event, so we were there by around 9pm. Once there, we found where we would want to be for the event and began a little tour around to people watch. Well, this turned into a mini pub-crawl... mostly to stay warm! The pubs were crowded with people, most drinking and some eating. Many of them had homemade sandwiches available for those that didn't want to sit down or were too late for supper. Very interesting atmosphere.

At 11:30pm we made our way to the steps near the Duke of York statue by St. James' park. It was a good view of the Eye and the fireworks beside it. Take a look at our video and the pubs we added to our list! The video is a little bit long

New Year Eves 2010