Week 6- Eyam and York

Last week my students and I went to the plague village of Eyam.  This village quarantined itself in the 1640s to prevent the spread of plague to surrounding villages.  Like much of the UK -- the village is still much like it was over 300 years ago.  The bummer was the cold and rain the day we went. 

 

There is a great museum about Eyam and we all enjoyed that!! (pictured here)

 

We also went to Chatsworth the same day.  It is a beautiful castle/manor where the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire reside (and the family has for about 500 years or so).

Absolutely beautiful place.  There was a flower show going on within the castle.  The paintings on the ceilings from many of the rooms were amazing.  Again the cold and rain prevented us viewing the gardens, stable and petting zoo.

 

Over the weekend, Jacob, Erica and I went on the school sponsored trip to York.  The kids loved the Jorvik viking centre.  A viking settlement from 1000 years ago has been uncovered in York and a large educational center was built over the dig site.  It was like Disneyworld meets the vikings.  There were "animatronic" vikings and a ride around a recreated viking city.  They even had terrible smells to demonstrate what it would have been like (I could have done without that part!!)

 

 

We also visited the National Railway museum and the York Minister -- the biggest gothic style cathedral in Europe.  The choir was practicing and the voices and organ were a great addition to our tour of the Minster.  In the lower area you could see the remains of the Roman columns that first marked the building site and then parts of the Norman church that was built. The modern cathedral (ha) from the 1400s was built over these previous walls.  York was a mix of Roman walls, vikings and cathedrals.  We also saw the street called the Shambles where the shop district scene from Harry Potter originated.

 

We really loved visiting York!!

Week 5 - Ireland

Cliffs on Moher in Ireland

I am behind in the blog again.

  Week 5 included going on a 4 day trip to Ireland.  My mother-in-law, Ann and her husband Dan traveled with us from Nottingham England to Dublin on Ryanain last Thursday.  We boarded a green tour bus called the "Paddywagon" on Friday morning and spent the next 3 days touring southwestern Ireland.  We stayed in Galway on the coast and went to Killarney and Cliffs of Moher.  That was the most beautiful site we saw. 
Prior to getting to the cliffs we stopped along the road and climbed up hills that were completely stone -- not the green grassy hills you expect.  The kids built their own mini standing stones and carved their names on a large rock to mark they had been there.  That was Jacob's favorite thing.

We also rode a horse and buggy around a national park in Killarney.  Erica was asked to drive the horse and sit with the driver.  She sat beaming a wide smile through rain and mist and didn't care one bit.  That is all she talked about for days.  She says it is her favorite thing we have done on this trip so far.  The horse was named Rosie -- I told her David would be pleased in honor of his Cincy Reds.

We finished our trip to Ireland by climbing up the very narrow and very tall spiral staircases up Blarney Castle and kissed the famous stone.  That is not easy to do.  Laying on your back with your head down into a hole in the rain is a bit unnerving.  But we did it.  Erica was so brave didn't question doing it one bit. 

This is another castle we stopped at -- Bunratty Castle.  Near Cliffs of Moher in the O-Brien lands

 Behind the cliffs of Moher. It was sunny and beautiful but very windy!!

 

Heading to York for the day on Saturday Oct. 6.  Planning to see the Viking "city" that has been uncovered -- Jorvik Center and the city walls and gates.  Also have to go to the National Railroad museum -- it is free and full of steam engines for Jacob to enjoy.  Also the largest gothic style cathedral in Europe.

Week 4

We spent Saturday 22nd of September in London for the first time.  My mother-in-law, Ann and her husband Dan Nalin arrived this week and we met them in London for the day.  The day was sunny so it was a perfect day to take a boat cruise on the Thames River and an open air -double decker bus tour of the city.  London seemed very big, and extremely crowded.  It was open house weekend, where many of the famous buildings in town are either open for free or open to the public for one day all year.  Even one of our bus tour guides couldn't help saying "hey kids, Parliment, Big Ben" as we drove around a round-about near those famous landmarks. (European Vacation movie quote). 

 Tower Bridge -- the Olympic rings have been taken down now.

We plan to come back to London when David and Jessica come over in November, so we will go up in the "Eye" of London and visit the Tower of London too. 

 

Erica has the "Harlaxton cold" that the rest of us had 2 weeks ago -- at least we hope it is the same virus. Stayed in today and watched movies most of the day-- it is raining and about 55 degrees F.  We did manage to play frisbee in the gym until my lack of athletic skills showed and I got smashed in the lip with the frisbee.  Jacob felt terrible that he accidentally gave mom a swollen lip.  We had roasted lamb for dinner and felt very British. Erica tried it and liked it, Jacob passed-couldn't eat his  Time is going faster, we are entering week 5 already. Counting down the days until David and Jess get here -- we are about at the half way point of our 90 separation.  TOO LONG!!  Going to Eyam the plague village with the nursing students on Tuesday and leaving Thursday for 4 days in Ireland with my in-laws.  Looking forward to seeing the beautiful countryside of southwestern Ireland and the city of Dublin. 

Week 3 -- Bath, England

     Well we are behind on our weekly blog.  Our most recent trip was to Bath, England and Stonehenge.   We shared our last trip with Memom and Papaw (Kavanaughs) before they left and celebrated Jacob's 12 birthday.  Bath was more beautiful than I imagined.  The Romans bath museum that surrounds the ancient Roman bath from over 2000 years ago was amazing. Erica loved the "walkie talkie" kids audio tour at the Bath.  We just don't understand "old" very well in the US.  Stonehenge was Jacob's favorite place. Dating to about 5000 years ago, it is still a wonder today.  Surprise too, Chevy Chase aka, Clark Griswald didn't knock it down after all -- ha!! 

      We stayed in a B and B that has been on site since around 1090 and the "current" building dated back to the 1500s.  Real modern place.  Erica had to take a "bath" in Bath.  She was the only one, the rest of us just got showers.
      We have switched Jacob's school.  The private boys school was so different and completely intimidating with 14 different classes and teachers rotating through a 10 day varying schedule.  Both kids are now going to the same school  and it has solved a lot of problems.  Jacob is enjoying wearing a sweatshirt uniform, instead of the coat and tie!! His current teacher said she just wanted to be sure Jacob enjoyed being in England -- I could have hugged her  - especially after the difficult time at the other school.

Bath, England architecture

 

 Jacob heading to Hogwarts (at London King's Cross train station)

 

 

 

 

     My nursing students and I went to a very rewarding clinical experience at Dove Cottage -- a day, "spa" for hospice patients.  We have nothing like it in the US that I know of.  The chaplain told us that a hospice is a place for people to stop as they travel along their journey.  It was a perfect description for Dove.  The nurses and staff and "guests" were very welcoming.  I also learned how to properly score Scrabble games!!
     This past weekend we staying here at the manor and explored more.  Jacob has perfected "lawn surfing" and Erica "rolling down the hills".  There is a perfect hill right behind the manner with long, soft grass that allows smooth "surfing" down the hill -- head first on your back with a hoody sweatshirt on.  I have some funny video of the kids rolling and surfing and then me trying.  Let's just say trash bags don't help you slide down, they just cause you to trip easier!! We also went to the local Harlaxton village Anglican church.  I learned it really isn't that different from our Methodist church at home -- we sang a hymn that I have sung before and the communion responses and readings were much the same.  Church building was just a bit older -- about 800 years older -- that's all!!

Harlaxton village church

 

Half the nursing class at Dove Cottage

 

We hope to go to Nottingham and Sherwood forest next weekend and to Ireland the week after.  Ann and Dan Nalin should be here midweek to visit. 
Until next week!!

Week 2
We loved going to Scotland. Went to Edinburgh and saw the castle on the rock -- pictures will never capture how magnificent it is. We all tried Haggis -- even the kids. It wasn't terrible -- kind of like a liver sausage with grain. Couldn't go to Scotland without trying Haggis.
Then on to Inverness -- that is why I wanted to go! We had the greatest day with a personal tour guide -- a 6ft. 4 in Scotsman in a kilt!! He took us to Clava Cairns ( a Scottish version of Stonehenge -- just smaller.) It was built around 4000 years ago. (older than the pyramids in Egypt).

We also went to Culloden battle field -- the site of the 1746 Scottish highlander slaughter by the British. The mass graves are still evident. Really nice museum and gift shop too. (Readers of Diana Gabaldon books will understand how important the sites were for me to visit.) Jacob seemed to appreciate it to and both kids were called up to act out soldier roles in a demonstation. Erica even wore a long dress.
We had lunch at a storehouse/trade house dating back to the 1740s owned by the Munros of Scotland. We saw a common seal on a nearby rock in a bay of the North Sea. We then toured a whiskey distillery owned by the Mackenize family for hundreds of years. Had a taste of Scottish whiskey -- that was actually better than I imagined. We then went to Fraser lands and had high tea at a house that could have been Lallybroch -- built in the late 1600s. It was called Ord House and is a hotel now. Original stone floors are still visible in the hall. Erica just loved the black lab mom and pup and chased some chickens. We held a sword from the 1700s and had a lesson on Scottish sword fighting.

We finished the day with a drive over to Loch Ness -- the water was cold and blackish and the wind strong that day. We did not see Nessie, but did grab a few of the pinkish rocks from the edge of the water. We have become better at managing the train system -- we were on and off at several stations.

Now back to reality and a bunch of student assignments to grade.

This is our beautiful ornate classroom that we meet in and video conference with our fellow classmates at UE.

Manor house- Harlaxton

Week 1

Well, we are 6 days into our big adventure.  Jet lag and tiredness made up about the first 3 days!!  Still hard to go to sleep here when it is 11:00 pm and our bodies say it is 5pm.

Harlaxton Manor is just as beautiful and amazing as I had heard it was.  Surrounding countryside is also so pretty.  Houses and businesses are very different from the US.  Kids are enjoying finding brand names that are American products with British names -- like "Frosties" for Frosted Flakes (complete with Tony the Tiger) and Honey Loops (Honey Nut cheerios).  Had Yorkshire pudding (like a fried bread) and roast beef last night-- feeling British.

Leaving for Scotland on Wednesday -- Edinburgh and Inverness for 4 days!!

  Here is side view of gardens facing out from the front of Harlaxton manor.

 

Great Hall in manor.

 

 

Me with the 9 UE nursing students

 

-- will post more pics soon.  Pictures just don't do justice to the manor, though.  Have to see it.

Melissa