last night in england….
Yes, it’s our last night. It’s 9:30pm so we still have 24 hours here, but this will be our final English resting place – aptly, a Sainsbury’s carpark.
As we have driven southwards the past few days we have mused over our experience here. It has been a bit of a break, mainly due to the language issue I expect. But it is still different to New Zealand. We composed a list of the things that stand out:
- castles and cathedrals (that’s a no-brainer!)
- stone walls
- thousands of roundabouts, many with interesting sculptures in the middle, many with sets of traffic lights attached….and far too many of them being TOTALLY confusing – you drive in on one lane, which splits into three or four and invariably you don’t know which one you need and it’s a nightmare AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!
- beautiful pink wildflowers at the side of the road
- a heat wave (or so they said – it was over so fast we had hardly warmed up!)
- rain
- huge supermarkets
- pounds and ounces, pints and pence, yards and miles
- rain
- Prince of Wales pub in every town….The Black (or White) Swan too
- every town has a High Street and every High Street has two or three charity shops
- substantial buildings; solid stone, thatched cottages, red brick….
- rain
- The Royal Oak (pub, cafe, guesthouse, restaurant) in every single town
- clotted cream ice-cream, Cornish pasties, vinegar chips, eccles cake, treacle tart, scones and cream, toffee and shortbread (in honour of almost going to Scotland)
The Numbers
Castles: 8 (Tintagel, Scarborough, Helmsley, Warkworth, Chester, Kenilworth, Warwick, Dover – if we go tomorrow!)
Churches/Cathedrals/Abbeys: 7 (Winchester, Wells, Bath, Buildwas, Byland, Rievaulx, Lindisfarne)
Roman Forts & Baths: 4 (Corbridge, Birdoswald, Housesteads, Wroxeter)
Houses Where Grandpa Used To Live: 2 (Chippenham, Harrogate)
Kilometres: 3979
Places we’ve stayed:
* beach/lake ~ 4 nights
* manor grounds ~ 1 night
* side of the road ~ 2 nights
* layby ~ 3 nights
* public carpark ~ 4 nights
* abandoned factory carpark ~ 1 night
* Sainsbury’s carpark ~ 3 nights
* sports ground carparks ~ 2 nights
* abbey carpark ~ 1 night
* castle carpark ~ 1 night
* Roman fort carpark ~ 1 night
* couchsurfer’s driveway ~ 9 nights
* couchsurfing HOUSE ~ 2 nights
* campground ~ 1 night
And to finish, here’s a selection of random photos that the children have taken…
today!
Time on the road: all day!
Distance covered: 310km
Tags: 2008/09, children, food, postcard: England, weather
rayres
I like the pictures the children took. Lovely to see.
I am enjoying all your postings.
Yeah it does rain alot …………..Just like Auckland !!!! He he !!:-)
Breathtaking!
MarthAnn, glad to give you pleasure!
Anne, you’re so right – but it is easier to get dry in a house than in a motorhome LOL We wouldn’t mind the rain so much if we were not in a van I think! We can take two steps at the most before knocking into something in here!!!!!
Loved the photos but sorry to lose you. Could identify most of the locations but where was the first taken? (Could have been in France except for the Church.) Received message from “grandpa” and noted his new (English!) phone number.
Bon voyage.
Heading south? Does this mean your not planning to visit bonnie Scotland? Where to next. Great pics the kids have taken.
Love your insights…I have just been pondering the same thing as we pack up ready to leave and had many of the same thoughts!!! Especially about the round abouts.
Hope you had a great crossing and that the weather clears up in France.
True !!!We do have to luxury of a dryer !!
My boys loved Warwick castle too !! Murray was asked to walk the wheel to fire the Flaming cannon !! He did look Funny in his hat & Tabbard !!
The jousting looked fun,that wasn’t on when we were their,must be a seasonal thing.
Where are the photos of Sainsbury’s?? I used to work for them – best supermarket in my mind – apart from Waitrose – nothing beats Waitrose (you just need to be earning pounds to shop there!!) but Sainsbury’s always had such lovely stores and great food. Jamie Oliver was the face of Sainsbury’s and came into head office one day – VERY EXCITING!!
Anyway – pleased you enjoyed England – although I had to giggle at your ‘rain’ comments – you don’t go to England for the weather – you go for the culture. Go to Hawaii for sunshine (or the Greek Islands)!!
Enjoy your travels round Europe – hope you’re prepared for all the European holiday makers you are about to encounter! The French are by far the classiest campers, but I did love the way the Italians had pot plants and televisions outside their campervans! Are you going to get through to Croatia? It was my favourite spot and the one place I would return to in a flash! Cheap food, stunning beaches – Brilliant!
Leighx
The lovely pink flowers you see on the road banks are probably Valerian – allegedly brought to Britain (as were Stinging Nettles) on the soles of Roman soldiers boots!
Loved the children’s photos and know where nearly all were taken, except the first. Where was it?
We feel apologetic about the English weather and hope you enjoy the sunshine in la belle France.
A bientot (nous esperons)
Fernande and Mike.
Beautiful! I especially love the photo of that ruin soaring up out of the ground as if God put it there.
AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH
I just wrote big long answers to every single one of you lovely commenters and lost the connection and everything with it.
so the short version is
cousin Mike, It’s Helmsley
Aunty Bev, couldn’t get ferry to Coll so we’re off to Greece instead
Leigh – yes to Croatia, Sainsburys pics are coming
everyone else, please forgive me!