Here is the Christmas trip to England:
Castlerigg stone circle in the Lake District of northwest england (near Keswick). The circle was built a very long time ago, and is of uncertain origins. We think the sheep built it, they seemed to have time on their hands.
The town of Conwy, on the coast of North Wales. The centre of town is surrounded by a late-thirteenth century medieval wall with turrets and walkways for defence. The shape in the top right of the picture is Conwy castle, built at the same time as the wall. The night we stayed there, we attended the Conwy folk club music night at the Rose Street Pub, where we were regailed with interest-being Americans and all. They played some traditional Welsh folk songs, and managed to take an ale break between every one. Although we entered the raffel, we were not successful in winning the single malt highland whiskey (much to our chagrin).
Conwy bridge, near the castle.
The moat of Beaumaris castle, on the island of Anglesey, Wales. Built in the late 13th century by King Edward I in order to subdue the country of Wales once and for all. The castle was an important port, with its moat being connected to the sea and iron rings in the walls for larg ships to tie up to. It was never finished in its entirety, but what remains is spectacular!!!
The main living quarters and jousting green at Beaumaris castle. Ivanhoe comes to mind.
Isle of Anglesey, North Wales. The town with the longest name: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, see it there on the railway sign. It means "Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio near the red cave." It dates from 1848. The official short version is Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, better known on the maps as Llanfair P.G.
Here is a bit for Daphne DuMarier fans. Jamaica Inn, located on the Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. It definetely is a bleak and lonely place- very well suited for smugglers and wreakers of all sorts!
Penzance harbour. Although there was a wonderful vegetarian restaraunt, we did not hear the cat-like tread of any pirates.
St. Michaels Mount, located in Marazion near Penzance. It was built to match Mont St. Michel, off the Normandy coast, and dedicated to St. Micheal in the 5th century. At low tide, there is a walkway that leads to the castle. We got there at the peak of high tide, and did not feel like swimming, as it was rather chilly for a paddle.
Land's End...the westernmost point in England.
The last lighthouse in England.
I've always wanted to go to sea.
Three multi-coloured polar bears.
The HMS Victory, Lord Nelsons flagship in the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson was fatally shot on the deck towards the end of the battle, and died below deck. He did not want to be buried at sea, so they put him in an empty provisions barrel, filled it with rum, and sailed him home in style.
HMS Warrior, the first iron clad ship in Britian, in dock at Portsmouth, home of the Royal Naval Base.
The mast pool in Portsmouth. This is where they floated and stripped logs into masts. This area is one of the oldest sections of the Naval base, some of it having been bombed in WWII, and rebuilt in a particularly uninspired manner.
The hostel in Dentdale, Yorkshire dales. It is an old shooting lodge, built in the 1700s. There was a little creek outside, and a sheep pen across the road.
Bolton Castle in the Yorkshire dales. Mary Queen of Scotts was imprisioned here on her way to the Tower of London. She brought with her 4 carts, 20 carriage horses and 23 saddle horses, and 5 more carts and 4 more horses arrived with her belongings the following week. The residents of the castle were also required to accomodate 30 men and 6 ladies from her retinue, while 20 more of her servants stayed in the village of Castle Bolton at the Queen's own expense. It doesn't sound as though she was terribly inconvenienced by her captivity.
A peaceful river in the dales, near Hawes. Hawes is the home of the famous Wensleydale Creamery, and we were rewarded upon arrival by the chance to tast about 10 different varieties of Wensleydale! The Creamery was built in 1897.
Queen Victorias view of Loch Tummel, near Killiecrankie Pass, where the MacDonald massacre took place. In the background are the Glencoe mountains.
Me, Mom, and Marie, dressed for the weather in fine Scottish wool.
Hadrians Wall- built by the Romans to keep the Celts out of England.
The Royal Scottish Country Dance Scociety annual ball. It was the most fun we've had in years! The first half of the ball was very stiff and formal- during the banquet, however, 70 bottles of wine were consumed in the period of an hour. Needless to say, all those old people were quite a bit more happy during the second half, and the ball really got going!