Ever been on restriction as a kid?  Sometimes I get put on movie restriction after we see a movie of my choice that stinks.   It takes a long time to get Terry back into the theatre.  I tell you this as background for putting myself on restriction.  I think I’m a bit daft.  I’ve picked places where I know there are going to be crowds, but I just didn’t believe they were going to be BEIJING SIZE CROWDS.   Continue reading I’ve Put Myself on Restriction →

We won’t be going to Chruchill’s birthplace since “CountryLife” took over the palace.  Personally I think Terry was feeling quite gleeful about the whole thing.   I detected a smirk on his face as he got the news.  Can’t say I blame him.  I think he would rather read under the trees.  I got to looking at what to do while in the Cotswolds and found two villages nearby. Continue reading The Tale of Two Cities in Black & White →

This is a university town on steroids.  The University of Oxford is first mentioned in 12th century records, making it Britain’s oldest place of formal education.  At present there are about 38 universities. Continue reading Cap and Gown Please! →

I’m sorry to admit I don’t get Shakespeare. I had to read his works in high school and college.  I liked the movie adaptations better. His written word is hard for me to understand. Perhaps I just wasn’t interested in spending the time to understand. I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to visit Stratford upon Avon in the hopes of being there would get me in the groove.  So I planned an overnight in the village of his birth.  Continue reading Art Thou in the Cotswolds? →

Ever seen a boat graveyard?  In the research I had done for the trip, I found that this portion of Heswall on the River Dee was highly praised by other photographers.  When I told Terry I wanted to go and photograph boats that were beached on grass and mud flats he just looked at me. Continue reading After the Graveyard, We Added Wales! →

We arrive at our hotel on the outskirts of Chester  The small black and white sign to the right of the glass door instructs us to push the black button to ring the bell.  We look through the glass and see an empty hotel lobby.  The interior is decorated like an Englishman’s study with a darkly stained and heavily carved oak reception desk.  Continue reading The Walled City of Chester and Faulty Towers →

GPS can be unreliable at times, so Barry and Dawn, our gracious host and hostess for our next VRBO sent directions.  If you are familiar with Timble, I’m sure they make perfect sense.  Continue reading Green Acres is the Place for Me →

We have driven into the Lake District National Park and have arrived at The HIllthwaithe House.  The hotel is on the mountainside elevated above Windermere, the largest natural lake in England.  The roads remain challenging, but I think Terry is getting the hang of the narrow roads and roundabouts.  I hear a lot of mumbling under his breath, but so far so good.  Our right side rear view mirror is still attached and that’s saying something!  Continue reading The Road to the Ruins on a 30% Grade →