Cousin Nikki arrives....

After pounding it back on the motorway to Stoke Mandeville from Devon, we got home in time to prepare a dinner for the arrival of Nikki and her friends Lisha and Robin, who have been backpacking for the past month around Europe. They looked great, although tired from luggiing around packs so long. I remember the feeling. We had a great night, closed down the Stoke pubs, which wasn't hard on a Tuesday night, and got a long nights rest. The next day we got up to a beautiful morning, and although I was feeling a bit sick for some reason, we headed out to a hike in the Chilterns, at Whitehall Cross. Beautiful view from the top....



I caught Marina standing in the breeze staring for a full minute out over the vast farmlands and lavender fields, kind of bending back like the blowing grass.... cheesy I know, but I like the picture...



Continuing on from the summit, Marina was digging the added attention from our new companions....



After hiking down through some beautiful glades and dark woods, we came upon...surprise, surprise... A PUB! In England? ;) So we thought this would be a good time for some refreshment. Plus, this was the same place (the Plough) that was rude to us before that I blogged about. Much friendlier today, and there was a cool tire swing alongside the beer garden.



We made it back home, saw the girls off to London for their last night in Europe, and suddenly I started to feel more sick. Well, I felt lame all morning, but had to pull through with Elena on my back and Marina on my shoulders.... Anyway, I went to bed at 4pm, and didn't get up the rest of the day or night. Some strange bug. Killed me for 24 hours. So, sorry Nikki if I acted a little down that day, I was trying to keep everything together but felt something evil lurking..... Even missed the 5k at Wadston Manor that night. Bummed. But Lori made it along with Nettie and Jonathan, and ran very strong after our training mission in the hills of Devon a couple nights earlier!



Today, Lori and I are off to Paris. Looks like miserable weather today, then beautiful for the next two days. Should be a blast. Grandma and Papa are all geared up for their solo time with the kids. I think they will have a blast.

More in 3 days time, and then, we are on our way home next Weds! What a trip....

The Moors of Devon... (day three)

Woke up to sunshine!!!! Scrambled out of the B&B fast and headed towards Dartmouth and the beach just to the south called Blackpool Sands. Very beautiful beach, used as the training ground called "Green Beach" in the windup to the D-Day invasion. Now a public beach, that is kept really nice, and is hard to get to, so not too many people out the day we were there. "Papa Lance" and Marina testing the waters....



We spent hours on the beach just enjoying the sunshine and the warm breeze (believe it or not for mid July, those two elements have been quite rare...), and there was a great food & drink bar on the beach that had a gluten free menu...nice. And beers for a decent price, so we lingered well into the afternoon.



The girls hunted rocks and shells, and Elena rolled around the sand until she was almost too tired to stand. They drained themselves on the beach.



After we extracted ourselves from the cozy confines of our beach blanket, we headed into Darmouth, the town on the mouth of the river Dart. Beautiful place. Tons of sailboats coming and going. Lots of restaurants lining the tiny streets to choose from, and the day was winding down into a nice ending. We had fish and chips and then set off wandering the little streets. We found the old pub, "the Cherub" which was built in 1380, a pretty old bar, and then continued up the big stairs that bordered it, right up to the top of town.



Some of the streets up top were only 6ft wide, and some of the doors, under 5ft tall.... as you can see here, this is the reason my head is covered with lumps...



After this, it was back down to the marina to catch the bus back to our car. One more view of the scenery....dreams of my own sailboat one day.....

The Moors of Devon... (day two)

After a nights rest at the inn, we got up to a bit of a sketchy morning weather wise, but Penny (Lance's sister) was leading the charge to get us to the moors, so we set off to meet up with her in Bovey Tracey, on the edge of the park. After touring the House of Marbles, which was a combination art gallery and museum to marble manufacturing through the ages...pretty interesting actually... we set off for Hay Torr in the Moor. Following Penny and Lance through the tiny roads winding through hedges. You literally can't see anywhere from the car. Just a wall of vegetation speeding by.



Climbing up into the park it got foggy. Felt about right for my images in my mind of the moor. We set off for the Torr, which is one of the big rocks atop the hills of the moor. I couldn't see very far, but my impression of the moor was a very cool place to strap on a backpack and go wander for a few days, camping out under the stars where people have done the same thing since prehistoric time. Lots of prehistoric rock stacks and lines and stone circles exist in the moors. Plus castles and Roman ruins.



Otherwise, the walk up the moor is like walking on short shorn golf course grass, with patches of ferns and rocks scattered around. And big cow and wild horse pies all around at the top. Once we got to the top rock, Lance, Lori, Marina and Elena and I walked up the big Torr as far as we could go. There was actually steps worn into it.



Lance went the rest of the way to the top, and took along his umbrella to signify himself in the fog for the photo.



After hiking around the moor and playing in the rocks for a long while, we got back to the cars and Penny led us to a real Devon cream tea at a village called Lustleigh. It was a beautiful little out of the way village, with one pub and one tea house. After the major tea session, we walked around the village. Some really cool cottages there, including this one behind my mom and Penny which probably would sell for $4M+..... home sweet home.

The Moors of Devon... (day one)

On the road again....much to the dismay of my girls. Elena is a trooper in general, at least driving in the car is nothing that a "baby thumb break" can't cure (Marina's term for her sisters vice). But Marina has a rough time. Car sick, too hot, hungry, "head feels like it is going to spin off", you name it. The twisty roads and roundabouts don't help.....but oh well. Fun with kids! And the smell in the car...whew...wherever that comes from.... ;)



The great thing about England though, is there are pubs everywhere, and some have great beer gardens. This one we found just in time before total child mutiny in the car. Beautiful creek running through the back garden, with picnic benches set up.



We all feasted, and some imbibed, and the girls got to run around a little.



After a couple hours more, we finally arrived at our B&B, the Higher Torr Inn. A working 200 acre sheep and cattle farm on the outskirts of Moors, and about 30 minutes drive from the beaches. The weather was looking threatening, so we hunkered in for the night.



But not before we let the girls blow off more steam on the playground that our hosts had set up in one of the animal sheds. And mom and Lance set to a heated competition of table tennis.



Tea, books off the shelf, and bed. The next day was a hike into the Moors....

Squirrel Den Remodel and Thai in Oxford

Downtime in Stoke Mandeville...



Spent the week between Kent and Devon, besides the jaunt to London, mainly clunking around Magpie Cottage, working on the garden, mowing the paddock, weed whacking and freeing trees from the stranglehold of vines. Also cooked a few nights for mom and Lance since they have been so good to us, and baby.



"Squirrel Den" is the area of the property that the girls found intriguing from the start, and when the rains let up, we finally got out there to uncover old stone paths and patios, stairs and other treasures buried in the dirt and overgrown hedges. Someone did a lot of work in this garden, who knows when, and it's been buried by time. So we have had fun with the girls working solidly right beside us helping to rediscover it.



The friday before leaving for Devon and the Dartmoor National Park region, Netty and Jonathon invited us out to the town of Oxford to go out for drinks and dinner. Very good time. They came over and picked us up, while dropping off their daughter Sienna and all of her princess outfits for the girls to play with. Elena was literally shaking as we were getting her dressed up in princess clothes for the first time in weeks. Pretty funny.



We went to Oxford and saw what all the fuss is about. That would be a fun place to go to school. Tons of universities, with the big one in the middle. Street after street of ancient buildings, shops, bars, pubs. And lots of youngsters running around. It was getting late when we got there, so none of my pictures really turned out. Plus we were in a hurry to find beer and get on to dinner. So first we popped into this really old pub. Had to duck the whole way through the place, very small, and table listed to one side. Just like you would think it should be.



Had a few beers then off to a small side alley to a door into a buried medieval building for a great Thai dinner. We closed the place down (literally) and then headed back home. Great time with Netty and Jonathan. Motorhead fans we come to find out!

Off to Devon the next day...much longer journey that I have looked forward to for a long time since grandpa used to talk about it and show me pictures.... didn't dissapoint.

Lon-Done (aka a day in London with 2 under 5yrs)

Went to mighty London today for my first time. Crazy, been through Heathrow several times, and in England for several weeks before, and never set foot in London. Cool town. But I think Elena's "Baby" had the best time. Here she is posing with St Paul's in the background.



Mom, Lori, girls and I caught the train into London from Stoke Mandeville...the same ride that Lance takes every day, and then caught the tube to Waterloo station on the far bank of the Thames. Wandered towards the river with the idea to walk the Queen's Walk to the Tate Modern museum and bumped into the mighty impressive view towards the "Castles" across the river through the "Eye" ferris wheel thingy, which is huge.



Then on to the Queen's Walk which is the big walking street along the river where musicians, performers, freaks, beggars and salesman all hang out. As well as everyone rushing down from work for lunch outside. Which we did too. Minor trouble coordinating everyone getting what they needed and fed given that Marina can only find shredded cheese and cucumbers here on any menu to eat, but we did it, and off to the Tate Modern.



Cool place, inside a reconditioned turn of the century power plant. Lots of Matisse, Pollack, Picasso, Miro, and a huge Dali exhibit that we didn't pay to get into because the kids were losing it. Elena's favorite exhibit was a lonely open can of beans that every once in a while had a weiner pop up out of in a strange way, and then recede back into the beans. Hmmm... Baby liked the sculptures.



We had plans to make it over to Kensington Gardens to let the kids play on the Princess Diana playground complete with pirate ship, but the weather was again looking dodgy, it was getting to be rush hour on the tubes, and the kids were frankly making me crazy, so, we hightailed it back out into the country, stopping at Great Missenden on the way to play on a playground and pick up some Chinese food to take home. Lori practiced her zip line technique for Whistler....she's almost ready....

Sorry for the delay in posts....busy!

Working up some catch up material now...

There once was a man from Kent....(day four)

The mighty Leeds castle....

There once was a man from Kent.....(day three)

Woke up to a beautiful morning on race day. I got up extra early to make sure that I had some time to go for a run before breakfast. Lori has been nice enough to get up with the girls while I am out running the footpaths of Ulcombe in the mornings here in Kent. Awesome running. You basically tromp through sheep pastures, wheat fields, little bits of spooky woods, and villages. Never quite knowing where you are going, sometimes getting lost, until you spot the next gate into another pasture or something. Not unlike hashing.... Lyssa and Pete, you guys would go crazy for this stuff. Shiggy, nettle beds and all.

But enough of that. Found my way home after pretending I was a foot messenger for William the Conqueror, couldn't believe my stink, took a shower and came down to our daily "full english breakfast". Let's just say, it's good and includes quarter inch thick bacon, sausage and plenty of marmelade.



We reviewed our game plan again and got ready to set out for our desination of Sissinghurst. It was situated between the closed road sections leading from Tonbridge and into Tenterden, so we hoped we would have an easy into the area, close enough to walk if we had to ditch the car. We were right on the money. Drove right in, right on time (about 4 hours to race time...) as people were beginning to pour into town.



We quickly found a spot on some nice grass, right up against the fence on the street where the riders were set to go through. And it was right across the street from the little carnival and hog roast that the town had set up for the event. Couple of little kid rides, a bouncy house, some steam tractors, and some cold champagne, which mom and Lance secured in order to get some cups for our 3 bottles of wine. ;)



Elena didn't stay happy on this ride. "Too wiggly" she said. Anyway, if you've never seen the tour, it basically involves hours of sitting around in the sun having a picnic and imbibing in beverages of choice, talking with your neighbors from whereever they have come from, and then watching the parade of sponsor vehicles, police, swag pushers, reporters, and support vehicles race up the road ahead of the riders. Lori was happy.....



Then, all of a sudden, you hear helicopters through the trees, and then the roadway clears, and all of a sudden police motorcycles (French Gendarme actually) come racing through and the riders whip past you faster than you can register who it is. In our case, we got two shots because there was 5 man break in progress through our section with about a 4 min gap. So we had 4 minutes waiting for the peloton to blast by. That was pretty awesome.





I only took video of the ride itself, and haven't figured out how to isolate the clips in the video to show the actual race. Or even better, convert the video to something more acceptable in size so that I can load it onto YouTube. ALVAREZ, HELP!!!! I'm a novice on a MAC. (I love it by the way). Johnny, send me an email with instructions on .AVI conversion to something smaller. Also maybe how to get clips out of video. Thanks partner!

Plus, I have some bonus footage for Pete and Pat once I figure this out..... ;)

I would spend time on it now, but we are preparing to catch the train to London today. Go to the Tate museum of modern art and probably the London children's museum for the kiddies. Back tonight to give it another go.

Cheers!

There once was a man from Kent....(day two)

Turned 35 today. Half way to the exceptional 70 years old. Can't wait. ;) Anyway, what better way to celebrate than to go wander around a medieval castle? So Scotney Castle was the target today. We'd heard that it hosted "the most romantic and beautiful moated gardens in England" which sounded like a fine place to run the chickens awhile.

Scotney didn't dissapoint...



After wandering around the "new house" at the top of the hill, built by the Victorians, you venture down into a valley to the ruins of the "old house" which sat in a moat pond. Very cool.



Pathways led all around the garden grounds, and around the ruins itself. Some of the paths seemed "secret" to the girls, as they were partially hidden by the creeping vines and flowers and hedges and such. So Marina was on fire, running everywhere finding the nooks and crannies. Being "the leader". No one could get in front of her, and she would repeatably come back breathless telling us to follow her.



She chose our ultimate picnic spot, through an archway and down to a little apron of grass behind bull rushes on a section of the moat. Perfect spot that we weren't bothered in at all. Great lunch of various kinds of Marina's gluten free snacks, apples and all of the airplane snacks that I had kept in my bag.



A true unintentioned buffet of miscellaneous what nots. But thank goodness we had that stuff, because we really stayed longer at Scotney than we had planned and we were all on the verge of needing to find a steak and ale pie (and beer!!!)somewhere.....allowed us to stay and enjoy the day a bit longer. We continued around the moat entirely, and then marched our way out of the Scotney grounds. Well worth the trip.



We headed back to Headcorn, got Marina and Elena some Chinese take out, and headed into the outdoor garden of a pub there that had swings and slides and little houses for the girls to play on. Perfect. So, I tried every ale on cask (it was my birthday after all...) and we ate dinner. Lori made a side trip to the store for some birthday treats for me (cupcakes and beer! What a woman) and mom and Lance picked up some wine bottles and food for our trip to see the tour the next day.



After getting home to the B&B after a long day, I sat outside with the girls while they ran around the gardens there picking me a birthday bouquet and chasing rabbits. Mom and Lori went for a run/hike through Ulcombe village. And all was well that ended well, for my birthday. Very memorable.



The Tour de France loomed for the next day......

There once was a man from Kent....(day one)

Well, we made it back from our adventure down south in Kent. What an incredible place that was. Castles everywhere, beautiful countryside filled with wheat fields or sheep, and since the sun was out, some great adventures with the girls and long runs on footpaths between villages for me. Also, thanks for all the birthday wishes. I had an epic birthday weekend. So much to update, I'm going to break the post into days.....

First off, our arrival, and the place. My mom found this B&B in February while we were planning the trip and figuring out how we could get close to the Tour de France. It turned out better than I could have hoped....



It had acres and acres of beautifully maintained sheep pasture as a backyard, which marched up to a hilltop behind the farm. Since we had been cooped up in the car for the trip down, AND the sun was out with a warm wind, we immediately took off with the girls up the pasture, dodging sheep and lambs.






The girls spent a long time searching out badger dens, chasing rabbits (which were everywhere....), and then gathering up some grass for the sheep back down the hill. I caught them in the act here....



After feeding the sheep the fresh piles, we headed back down the hill, got cleaned up at the B&B and then headed into Headcorn, which is the closest villlage from the place about 3 miles down into the valley. Had a great dinner of Indian food actually, since the 3 pubs in town were completely off limits to Marina's belly. But no worries, because as you find here, the British, after their imperial history with India, know a thing or two about Masala.....



Turned out to be a good place to go as well, because after dinner, the owner came over to talk with us and found out we were trying to strategize on where to see the Tour the day after next. She marched us over to a guy in her bar that was a big bike enthusiast and was heading to London the next day to see the prologue. He told us that Sissinghurst was the place to go, because the roads would be all closed around it, and it was near where we were. Plus there was supposed to be things for the kids to do. My mom and I had been vindicated...as that was our general plan to begin with.

So Sissinghurst it would be! But first, we had a day of castle hunting ahead of us....