April 14, 2016 - Happy 65th Birthday to Fred. In Vienna to Celebrate

Grüb Gott All,  

As you have guessed today is Fred's birthday and we were up handily and headed out to Schloss Schönbrunn via public transit. For 2.30 euros we could get the tram and then the train that took us to the outskirts of the city and the Palace. We got on the tram and tried to purchase our ticket from the driver who pointed to the back and a box. A passenger pointed out the box to us and I proceeded to drop my coins into the box and nothing happens as it keeps returning my coins. Fred finally sorted it out and I laughed saying typical tourist. By the time we sorted out out tickets we thought that we are at our stop, we got off the tram only to find out it was one one stop too soon. Thankfully it was just a short walk to the next stop and the train.

Schloss Schönbrunn is the former summer residence of the Habsburgs. It was build on land acquired by Maximillion II in 1569. It was a wooded area outside the city and during the Turkish Siege of 1683 the woodland was destroyed leaving the land available to build on. The palace was built between 1695 and 1713 to the designs of architect Johann von Erlach. Today, however, little remains of his original plans. The Empress Maria Theresa ordered most of the interior be redesigned in the Rococo style  and the facade was altered in 1817-19 when it was painted the characteristic Schönbrunn yellow. The picture above on the left is of the back of the palace taken from the garden. Picture taking was not allowed in the palace and they were really strict on the matter so we purchased a couple of postcards of the three rooms we were most impressed with. They were also strict on the number of people entering at any one time. Tickets to enter the palace are time-stamped with your entry time, which is strictly enforced.

The picture on the right is of The Great Gallery in the Palace. We did a walk about in the gardens, which we imagine must be very pretty in the summer but we were just a bit early in the season to see much other then the bare beds, the fountain and  the Gloriette that overlooks the gardens. To see more picture's of the gardens check out my Facebook wall. We spent a couple of hours exploring the palace and grounds and then headed back into Vienna for some lunch and libations.

The picture at the top is the birthday boy enjoying a brew while we had lunch at the Billabong Bar which was near our hotel. Rested and tummies full we headed off to explore an area that I saw earlier in the day when we got off the tram, which looked interesting.  It was a fountain that I saw in the distance and behind it was the Soviet War Memorial, pictured below.

With sightseeing done for the day we headed back to our hotel to relax, download pictures and get ready for the big game tonight. We had booked a table in the Champions Sports Bar that is part of the Marriott for the Liverpool vs Dortmund game, one that Fred would have bought tickets for had we been home.  As I said before the Austrians love their footie so we were looking forward to a exciting night being Liverpool supporters among a great number of Dortmund supporters. It was an all you can eat buffet that consisted of various salads,wings, ribs, chili, lasagna, nachos and burgers. A lot of food for 17 euros each and the bonus was the drinks were cheaper than in the hotel bar because it was a sports bar.  It was a fantastic atmosphere and a perfect end to Fred's birthday as Liverpool beat Dortmund to qualify for the semi-final of the Europa League.

Auf Wiedersehen,

Sandy & Fred

April 11 - 13, 2016 - Vienna and Birthday Celebrations

Güten tag meine freunde,

April 11 we were off to Vienna to celebrate Fred's 65th birthday. We started by driving to Gatwick airport as flight times were much better than those leaving from Manchester and they were also cheaper. The drive down was a long 5 hours as the traffic was horrendous and I am sure very tiring for Fred. There were for me a few holy shit moments as a passenger and there was a truck that drove very dangerously darting in and out of lanes at the last moment. It was unfortunate that the truck did not have a number that asking"how is my driving" as many do in the UK because I would have taken delight in telling the company what I thought of the driver.

Our flight from London to Vienna was just over 2 hours and non eventful. We were off the plane and out of the airport quickly as we only had carry on luggage only and customs was a breeze.We took the City Airport Train (CAT) into the city which was a short 16 minute ride then a 10 minute walk to our hotel. Once checked in we headed out to stretch our legs and check out the park that was across the road from the hotel. The picture on the top left corner is of a statue of Johann Strauss. The one on the right is of the floral clock with the Kursalon Palace in the background.
We walked around the park for a while and then headed back to the hotel for dinner and plan out our strategy for exploring the city on the 13th.

We had a leisurely breakfast before heading out around 9:00 am. Our hotel was very conveniently located near the city centre and made walking to all the major sites, with a few exceptions, very easy. First, we headed off  towards Hero's Square. The buildings are all very ornate. It was a lovely day already, sunny and warm. Our first stop was the Spanish Riding School. Sadly, there were no shows until Saturday and Sunday and by then we will be back in the UK. We did, however, see some of the horses as they were being lead to another building.

The picture on the left is of the Swiss Gate which, we passed as we entered Hero's Square. There was so much to see and photograph that you will have to check out my Facebook Wall to see everything. There were numerous statues around the city to Archduke Charles and while in the Hero's Square we saw two that date at different times of his reign. We continued our walk stopping for many photo opportunities along the way.

Fred kindly poses and salutes in a guard box as we enter the Josefs Platz. Our next stop was Stephansdom located in the heart of the city and is Austria's finest Gothic edifice. The foundations of the original church date back to 1147 but the earliest surviving features today are the 13th century Giant's Door and the Heathen Towers. The church suffered severe damage during WWII bombings, but the rebuilding was a symbol of hope as the country emerged from the ashes of the conflict. This church can be seen above on the left.

Our walk took us through the Museum quarter and then lunch before we visited the Karls Kirche. This church was built  in honour of St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) who was the patron saint of the fight against the plague. The plague in 1713 took more than 8,000 lives and in the same year Emperor Charles VI (1685-1740) vowed to have the church built. In 1716 the foundation stone was laid. The construction took over 20 years to completed was consecrated on October 28,1737.

The interior of the church is magnificent, but personally I think what detracted from its beauty was the installation of an elevator and stairway that took you to the top of the cupola.

The pictures to the left and right are of Karls Kirche. The outside and the beautiful fresco on the cupola. We took the elevator up and Fred made the walk up the staircase to get closeup shots in the cupola.

We stopped and had a bit of refreshment at the Billabong Bar on Parkring before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest. We covered a lot of miles today with a good 8 hours of walking. We could not have asked for a better day 20C and sunny. The hop on hop off bus was rather expensive, especially when you consider most of the major sites are clustered close together and were within walking distance.

We had wanted to have supper in the sports bar, but as there was a Champions League match on that night and the Austrians are big footie fans bookings were required. So it was supper in the bar at the Marriott. It has been a full day with a lot of ground covered. So bedtime and an early start for Fred's big day!!

Auf Wiedersehen,
Sandy & Fred

Dec 26 - Jan 5, 2016 - Our Last Days with the Kids

Greetings All,

Our trip back to Liverpool was uneventful and we made very good time as traffic was light. Paul did the trip singing songs with us, reading and pointing out buses, trucks and sheep. Fred was off to the football match, with Bryan and Alison is spending the afternoon with us. The picture above left is of our dinner for after the game. It was mostly finger foods as everyone has had such big meals over the last few days. We had a great visit with Bryan and Alison and  Paul was charming as usual.  On the 27th we headed into town to get
some wellies for Paul so that he can go outside and jump in the puddles. The weather had been horrible and wet so outside time had been very limited. We found some wellies and he spots a Minnon Brolly, Paul sized so Grandma bought it for him. The crowds in Town were once again crazy and Paul wanted to head off on his own swinging his brolly. His Mom put a quick stop to his wandering and he had a meltdown. Poor little guy just doesn't understand that we were trying to keep him safe. I made a quick stop at Marks and Spencer to return a pair of pants and then we headed back home. Now with proper shoes Paul was able to get outside and jump in puddles till his heart's content.

The picture below left is Paul enjoying his supper after a tough day. He had decided that the salad fork made a better eating utensil than his own little fork.

On the 28th, Fred wanted to show the kids were he grew up as a kid so we headed off to the Wirral after lunch. We visited the three homes Fred lived in, the primary school and the high school he went to which is now closed and has sadly become a dilapidated building.
Tour completed and the weather dry we headed off to New Brighton Beach so Paul could get out and run off some much pent up energy. It was brisk but Paul enjoyed the freedom of running along the promenade. All went well until Paul decided that it was time to take off his hat, scarf and coat and it was very windy and cold. Done we headed back home with a very flustered little man.

On the 29th, the kids and I headed off early into town to see Star Wars "The Awakening". We took the bus in so as not to have Paul upset with us getting out of the car leaving him. It was an 11:00 showing and due to the time of year we were assigned seats on the ticket. We sat a bit closer than I would have liked but we were just off the centre of the screen. In 3D and sitting as close as we were some scenes were quite hair raising and I jumped a couple of times. We have mixed feelings on the film but we enjoyed it.

Grandpa enjoyed some quality time with Paul and met up with us at the docks after Paul's nap. We visited the Liverpool Museum to allow Paul to stretch his legs and all went well. However, once he found a hands-on exhibit for kids he didn't want to carry on. We had a bit of an upset but we did get him off to see other things. There is a special place for kids in the museum but tickets were required and when I looked into the room it did not look like things were run well enough for a toddler with attitude so we headed off. We allowed Paul to walk along till we got into crowds again and he resisted getting into the stroller. Grandpa stopped at the chippy and got a few orders of chips for everyone and Paul settled down enjoying dipping a chip in ketchup until the little pot was done. We explored a bit more then headed back home for snack time and drinks. Supper was barbecued steak, with salad, roast potato and parsnips.

On the 30th after breakfast we headed off into Cheshire and the aquarium. It was about a 40 minute drive to the aquarium and we wanted to be there close to opening to miss the crowds. As luck would have it Paul fell asleep in the car on the way. We arrived and when the car stopped he woke up so we headed in. He loved the fish and ran around from exhibit to exhibit. All went well until we foolishly let him sit in a car that was in a play area for the kids. He was quite content just to sit there until a mother and daughter want the car as she wanted to pay for the ride which we did not do. Melt down time and Meaghan took Paul off out of the area completely to settle him down. At this point I wandered off and explored the walk through. It was quite well done and I spent a good deal of time here taking photo's which you can see on my Facebook Wall. I had lost everyone so I returned to the play area that had a large view of the aquarium to see if anyone had returned. While there they closed down the walk through and I overheard a worker tell another worker that some major issues had arisen with the lemon sharks that were introduced into the aquarium the previous night. I was very curious to know what the issues were, as they must be serious to close down the viewing walk through. Finally united with the family I found out they did get through the viewing walk through so everyone was happy. We headed back to the flat for lunch and nap time for Paul. The rest of the day was playtime with Paul and normal routine.

Our time was passing too quickly and we were struggling to get everything we wanted to do with the kids in. The crappy wet weather had not helped. We had to skip a trip to Yorkshire as flooding had closed off some of the areas we would have been driving through. Fred took the kids for a Pub crawl in Liverpool while I had Paul all to myself. After naps we read, coloured and cuddled. The weather had brought everyone back early as it was raining and very windy with brolly's being broken due to the high winds.  New years eve and we had a meat and veggie fondue once Paul was down for the night. We all struggled to stay up until midnight to watch the fireworks in London. Having an active toddler who is up before six some days and on the go all day sure tires one out and lets grandparents know that we are getting old. It was a wonderful feeling I must say because being a grandparent to such a delightful little man make everything worth it.

New Years day was just a chill out day for everyone. Paul had some outside time just around the flat when the rain stopped for a short period and then play time and Minion Movies. He really loves his minions and has seen it enough that he can say the characters lines before they happen. Dinner was Virginia baked ham, scalloped potato, peas and tarragon carrots. I did special potatoes for Paul as I was not sure he would like the texture of the scalloped potato. He has a wonderful appetite and did have a bit of everything though he did prefer the mini roasties I had done for him.

January second and Fred called his hairstylist, Ashley, in Ormskirk to ensure she was open as we wanted to get Paul a hair cut before he went home. So we headed off after breakfast. Paul was in his Liverpool shirt as Ashley is an Everton supporter. Once again Paul fell asleep in the car and this time we had to wait in the parking lot until he woke (Paul was up at 5:30 this morning). Finally awake Fred and I took him off to the barber while Mom and Dad headed off for a coffee. Ashley told Paul his grandpa was a nutter and we proceeded to try and get his hair cut. Sadly this event was not going to happen, Paul got extremely upset and put his hands in the way of the scissors so we passed on the cut both for Paul's and Ashley's sake. Once down from the chair Paul throws kisses to Ashley and says Bye Bye a number of times. In other words Grandma and Grandpa get me out of here.  We set off to try and find Mom and Dad letting Paul walk and he took off running. The area we were in is all pedestrian so we did not need not worry about cars, until he decided running downhill was fun with Grandpa at his side. With the rain now starting to fall heavily it was now time to be picked up and head for a dry spot. We headed back and waited until Mom and Dad returned. We decided to head to Southport as Paul has had his nap and even if it were raining there are overhangs that would keep us dry. We enjoyed a walk along Southport's main road and had lunch at Pizza Express. We then headed  to the Pier with the weather having cleared so Paul could run and get some much needed exercise and fresh air. The picture above left is of the kids with Paul on the pier. After a good outing in the
fresh air and some freshly made donuts we headed home. Supper this night was Fish and Chips from our local chippy "Steves". The kids trip would not be complete without a fish and chip dinner from the chippy. As you can see from the picture on the right our boy loves his fish and chips.

Our last day in Liverpool and we headed off to the World Museum in Liverpool. The weather was once again wet and horrible so the museum was a perfect place to get Paul out to let off some steam. Seems a host of other parents had the same thought in mind and it was very busy. Paul lets off a lot of steam and our trip to the museum was a success. Supper sadly was just leftovers from New Year's day, good food but not much of a send off for the kid's last night in Liverpool. Packing everything to take back was a major challenge for Christopher. Fred had also done a pre-pack of the car to ensure we could get everything in. It was a tight fit but the guys manage to get everything in as well as a dive bag with some equipment that our eldest son wanted.

January 4th and we were off after breakfast to Cambridge. Meaghan's friend, Kirstie, who she went to school with and was one of her bridesmaid's is now living in Cambridge. Fred and Kirstie had been corresponding trying to set up time so that the girls could meet up. They finally got a date and location that worked which was at the end of the kids trip. We booked in at a Marriott at Huntingdon, which is just outside Cambridge which also has a pool. We took full advantage of the pool as Paul loves to swim. He was quite the little daredevil as you can see by the picture on the left. He was supposed to sit before jumping in but there was a bar around the pool which he took full advantage of by standing on it before jumping in. He impressed a mom who was in the pool with her kids with his swimming abilities as her kids were somewhat afraid in the water. I explained that he has been taking swimming lessons since he was 2 months old.  We had a nice visit with Kirstie, her hubby Jonathan and son Nathaniel a sweet and tiny 6 month old. I held him and it was like holding a feather when compared to Paul. We had supper in the hotel once Kirstie and family had left and our waitress while good was rather presumptuous. I ordered a large red wine and was asked immediately if I knew that it was a ⅓ of a bottle of wine. Though somewhat taken aback, my response was so what I am not driving anywhere. When she served our dinners she presented them as mom, dad, grandma and grandpa which I had no issues with as she was otherwise very good at her job.

Our time together was quickly coming to a end. After breakfast Meaghan, Paul and I headed to the pool for one last swim together. This time Paul impressed the old dears who were there for exercise. We had a lovely chat with one lady before heading back to the room. Paul to have a bath and nap and me to shower. Fred arranged for a late checkout and Paul slept right up to check out time. We got to the airport in good time as the traffic was good and Fred helped them get their bags checked in. We said our goodbyes and I was quite proud of myself as I completely held it together .

I hope you have enjoyed this blog though not about travels for us but family time with our family and precious grandson.

Till our next adventure,

Grandma & Grandpa

December 23 - 25, 2015 - Christmas in Cheltenham

Greetings all,

On the 23rd we were up early and drove on some primary and secondary roads to get to Cheltenham for our Family Christmas at John and Adrienne's. We had rented a two bedroom apartment that was walking distance to their home. The ride down was good with sing songs and story telling. Paul loved Jingle Bells and shouted "Hey" with his fist in the air at the appropriate time. Once we had checked in and organised ourselves we headed over to John and Adrienne's to meet up with the rest of the family. Paul charmed everyone and we all enjoyed a lovely meal and made plans for the following day with options that John threw out for all to consider. A tour of the Cotswolds on the 24th was the favoured option. We were up and at John's place at the appointed hour, however, the Farwell/Mowatt's were just up and having their breakfast. Finally, everyone was sorted and we headed off. Our first stop was to be Kineton to watch the start of a fox hunt, however, the heavy rain delayed the start so we headed off to Bourton-on-the-Water.

The picture on the right is of the river which usually is more of a wading stream. It was the highest we have ever seen the river. Paul had a gingerbread man and it was starting to fall apart. So thinking I was being smart to avoid the cookie breaking and falling on the ground, I broke it along where it was cracked. Big mistake, Paul immediately started crying and demanding that I fix it giving me both parts back, what a failure as a Grandma I was. Mommy finally settled him down and Paul forgot about the cookie as he now had discovered puddles and he merrily went along hitting and splashing in every puddle he could find. I headed off to the bakery and found a replacement gingerbread man for later in the day. We now headed back to Kineton for the start of the hunt as the weather had cleared.

The people on the hunt all get a tipple of some sorts from mulled wine, cider, champagne or beer. Tracey lucks out and was offered a mulled wine which we all had a sip of. There was no fox nor a false fox, also no horn was blown. The Huntmaster just greeted everyone, and started them on their way.

From here we headed off to Cold Aston, another small village in the Cotswolds for lunch at the Plough Inn. Our daughter-in-law, Meaghan, has traced her family to this area. Paul had been
amazing, especially, as his schedule was once again thrown out of whack. Paul is not a fussy eater at all and had a bit of my
meal, his mom's meal and his dad's meal. After lunch the gang minus us, Paul and Meaghan headed off to explore Chipping Camden. We headed back to Cheltenham to get Paul down for a nap as it was going to be a long evening for him, as the John and Adrienne open gifts on Christmas Eve.

With nap time over the four of us took a walk around town with Paul helping Grandpa push his stroller to get him some exercise and fresh air before heading back to the house to meet up with those who went touring, for drinks, supper and presents. The tree was totally overflowing with presents and amazingly Paul had not taken much notice of the gifts when he was in the room. Dinner was a delicious cannelloni made by John and Adrienne with a lovely salad made by Tracey. Wine flows for all and once again our host and hostess outdo themselves. After dessert of a variety of treats presents get opened.
Paul got right into the festive mood as you can see from the picture on the right. He played with each gift after opening it or read his books as he received them. After the gift exchange we headed back to our flat so Paul could get ready for his second Christmas and Santa.

I had seen an idea on Facebook for kids, where on Christmas Eve  they get a special box to prepare them for Santa's arrival. So I had done such a box for Paul, new PJ's, a wash mitt, a little treat and a book "The Night Before

Christmas" and a mouse that I had made. After his shower and new PJ's we settled down to read to Paul his Christmas Story. He really loved his story time and in general he enjoys books very much. We read the book twice before he went down for the night.

Christmas morning and we had our second Christmas with Paul. He now had the gift thing down pat and opened his gifts with little or no help, once again stopping to play or read each new gift. The big hit of all his gifts seemed to be a yellow school bus that mommy and daddy had given him. After his nap and dressed for Christmas day we all headed back to the house.

The tables were beautifully set, Adrienne had once again out done herself. We all relaxed at various places around the house while dinner was being prepared.
Appetisers and prosecco were served a few hours before the main event.


Grandpa and Paul enjoyed some quiet time playing on Fred's iPad while drinks were enjoyed. Dinner was delicious, turkey, roast potato, carrots, dressing, gravy and brussels sprouts. Everyone enjoyed dinner and there was plenty to go around. After dinner the family all headed off for a walk around the neighbourhood. Fred and I stayed back and completed clean up duty as we had not contributed in any manner to Christmas preparation. Everyone was gone a good hour and returned in two separate groups. Paul had decided that he was walking the whole route and astonished some of the adults he was with.
Once everyone was back we enjoyed various cheeses, crackers and port as well as John's Christmas cake a hit with most members of the family, along with a host of other goods made by Adrienne and John. Sandra, Keith and Nicholas took Paul downstairs and entertained him so that we could spend some time visiting with the rest of the family without having to worry about what Paul was up to. It was a nice little break for us and Paul I am sure. It has been an amazing Christmas with family
The last picture is of Paul wishing everyone goodbye and throwing kisses to all. We headed off to the flat to pack up and get Paul to bed in preparation for an early start as we were heading back to Liverpool. Boxing Day, Fred was off to the football match and we were having company for dinner, Bryan and Alison were coming to meet Paul .

Ta ra for now,
Grandma & Grandpa

December 19 - 22, 2015 - Family in Liverpool

 Greetings All,

On the 19th we were off early, heading to Liverpool via the motorway or highway as my friends in North America know major roadways as. The trip that should have been just over 3 ½ hours was over 5 hours due to extremely heavy traffic and accidents. In an effort to by pass some of the congestion we got off the main road and took secondary roads, finally arriving home with a very flustered little boy. He had done amazingly well considered that he had been restricted in a car seat for so long with only a short break. Finally home we all relaxed and had a relatively early night.

On the 20th Fred took the Christopher and Meaghan with him to do some food shopping while I tackled the laundry. It was game day and the picture above left is of the boys watching the match. They all seemed pretty intent on the game even Paul. The day was mostly spent just relaxing after the trip from London and trying to get Paul back on schedule with his naps and meal times. Paul was very vocal and had taken to pointing and waving his finger around and exclaiming No No No. We made the error of laughing which prompted Paul to carry on. Such Grandparents we are :-). I was tested as a Grandma in the evening as when Paul was put down for the night he cried and cried. I did not interfere though it broke my heart to hear him so distressed. He did as his parents informed me settle down after 20 minutes or so.

I had booked Paul to visit Santa at Dobbies, a local garden centre, on the 21st. We had an early morning time slot and at 9:30 there were already a number of children lined up. Santa's Elf was very good as he talked to the kids he reminded them that Santa had a number of children he needed to give gifts to so that they may not get all that they want or have asked Santa for on Christmas day. The grotto to see Santa was well done and Paul was excited by the large stuffed deers and polar bears. The picture on the right is Paul patting one of several reindeers. Santa on the other hand was not well received. Santa was in a very small dark room and Paul wanted nothing to do with him and clung to his mom. Santa himself was very authentic looking with a lovely real beard though not as chubby as one would think. He gave Paul his gift to which Paul said thank you and bye bye anxious to leave. We tried to take the gift from Paul as it was rather awkward for him to carry but he promptly told us "Mine" in no uncertain terms. We had a good laugh, it did not take him long to get the concept of presents down. We returned home with Paul clinging to his gift. Once in Paul quickly opened his gift which was a plastic shape and hammer toy. After a short nap we headed into town by train to do some shopping. I think everyone must have been off work as the crowds of people were unbelievable.

Everyone must have left their Christmas shopping until the last couple of days. It certainly reinforced my Christmas shopping habits. Paul did well and we got pictures of him and Grandpa at the Lego Santa Sleigh and Reindeer then it all went south. The queue for kids to sit in the sleigh was huge and Paul decided he did not want to leave after his turn. We got to experience firsthand a total meltdown. He sure has a good temper. We carried on to finish the shopping and I got Paul a gingerbread man as it was snack time and he made short work of it. We took the train back home and we had some playtime for Paul. After dinner we made some sugar cookies with Paul helping out cutting out the shapes before bath time and bed.

The weather had not been too co-operative as it had been very wet and it did not allow for much outside time so after his nap on the 22nd we headed off to the park (while it was not raining) to allow Paul to get some much needed exercise. It was a very blustery afternoon but he had a great time playing with Mom and Dad and generally running around. Cold and played out we headed back home for some special hot chocolate for me and Meaghan, beers for Grandpa and Christopher and milk for Paul. Meaghan was making our supper tonight and we have a lovely mushroom risotto and salad. That evening packing was organised as we were heading off to Cheltenham for Christmas with The Parkins/Mowatt Clan minus our other son Jonathan and his wife Amy.

Ta Ra for now,

Grandma & Grandpa

Dec 16 - 18, 2016 - Time with Our Youngest Son & Family in London

Greetings All,

This blog is a bit different than our previous ones as it is about our time spent with family. Our youngest son Christopher his wife Meaghan and grandson Paul were visiting for Christmas from Aloha, Oregon. We were excited about their arrival and found out quickly what a little independent boy Paul has become. They arrived a bit late and because Paul had a melt down upon arrival they were ushered through the fast track immigration line. They came out into the arrival hall with Paul dragging a bag that was far too large for him and very heavy. I was personally delighted that he recognised me as I picked him up and handed him his teddy bear, which he promptly hugged and kissed. With the car loaded we headed into London where we spent the next two days so that Christopher and Meaghan could see a little bit of London before we headed off to Liverpool. Also it gave them time to get over jet lag before facing the 4 hour drive to Liverpool.

The following morning (the 17th) we were up early and headed out to explore. We took the tube getting off at Greenpark, then walked through the park to Buckingham Palace. The weather was amazing and very spring-like, most unusual for this time of year. From the Palace we walked through St. James's Park and allowed Paul the opportunity to walk and burn off some excess energy. In all we covered a lot of ground on our first day hitting some of the major tourist attractions. The kids had decided to try and push Paul through as long as they could so that he might settle back into his routine as quickly as possible. The picture on the left is of us outside Westminster Abbey. Outside Westminster tube station we grabbed sandwiches and drinks to have on Southbank and again allowed Paul to stretch his legs and get a bit of exercise.

With tummies full and Paul given a break we headed off to the merry-go-round. Paul was very unsure on the ride and even a bit scared by the time it ended. At this time Paul was starting to fade, so Fred and I headed back to the hotel to see if he would nap. This allowed Chris and Meaghan to head off to the Tower of London. Once on the tube our little man fell asleep; he looked so peaceful.
We meet up with the kids later for supper and everyone had a early night after a full day of sightseeing.

On the 18th, we had planned the day around Paul and his sleeping pattern. We headed off to Hamley's for opening time, 10:00 am. We were rather surprised that the stores did not open until 10:00 given that it was near Christmas. As we entered the store, Paul greeted the Hamley Bear with high fives. Grandpa and Paul had an amazing time playing with the toys that were set for the kids. We spent a good hour playing before heading off. Surprisingly, Paul made little fuss about leaving. We headed back to the hotel so Paul could have a nap. Fred and Christopher in the mean time headed out for drinks at the Cask, which has a great selection of beers on tap. Nap, lunch and drink time over we all headed off to the Natural History Museum. Paul enjoyed the dinosaurs, and wandering along looking at the various exhibits. The Christopher and Meaghan headed off to the the planetarium section while Fred and I took Paul to find a lift as the stroller was not allowed on the escalator. Unfortunately, the lift and escalator do not arrive at the same location and we couldn't find them. The Christopher and Meaghan finally found us and we headed back to the hotel for supper then a fairly early night as we had a long drive to Liverpool the next day.

Cheers,

Grandma & Grandpa



                                   

September 29, 2015 - Castle Howard, York, Yorkshire

Greetings All,

We have been blessed with some fantastic weather, really a North American style Indian summer if that is what it is called in the UK. We decided to take advantage of both the weather and discount coupons we had for The Treasure Houses of England and headed off to Yorkshire and Castle Howard. The motorway or highway traffic was very busy and the the weather as we were passing by Leeds did not look promising as it was overcast and foggy. However, once we were past Leeds the sun was shining and the skies were blue again. The picture above right is the middle section of the house from the front, a northern view. Castle Howard is not a true castle; castle is a term used for English country houses erected on the site of a former military castle. Castle Howard was built on the site of the ruined Henderskelfe Castle, which came into the Howard family in 1566 through marriage.

The building of Castle Howard began in 1699 and took over 100 years to complete to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle. Vanbrugh's design evolved into a Baroque structure with two symmetrical wings. The East Wing was built between 1701-03, the the centre structure and dome between 1703-6, then the west end of the Garden Front between 1707-09. The interior was heavily decorated in the baroque style with cherubs, coronets and urns with many of the interiors painted by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini.

The Earl then turned his attention to the outside and gardens. The West Wing had not been started when Vanbrugh died in 1726, and the house remained incomplete when the 3rd Earl died in 1738. The 4th Earl started construction again but now in the Palladian style. The new wing was once again incomplete on the death of the 4th Earl in 1758. Rooms from this point were completed stage by stage over the decades and the house was not completed until 1811. Tragedy struck in November 9, 1940 when fire broke out and destroyed the centre hall, dome, state rooms and dining room on the east side. It took two fire brigades 8 hours to bring the fire under control. The picture above left is of the reconstructed dome, completed between 1960-1961. A Canadian painter by the name of Mead, who studied the works of Pellegrini was commissioned to paint the new ceiling of the dome. Mead had also done refurbishment work on Pellegrini's paintings in the Vatican.

We wandered through the home taking many pictures and had a lovely chat with one of the room stewards. It was from him that we learnt of the Canadian artist who worked on the painting of the dome's ceiling, as well as a number of other tidbits about the house and its past occupants. Some of the rooms seemed very cluttered to me while others were decorated in a manner that you would expect from a stately home. The picture below right is a small port-a-potty in what appears to be a nursery of sorts as it had a cradle.

The last stop on our exploring of the house was the chapel. It was absolutely breathtaking. The stained glass windows were unique in that they opened on a angle allowing fresh air in. The picture on the left is of the chapel but more pictures can be seen on my Facebook wall and Fred's flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/fredparkins).


The home has also been used for a number of films, the most notable being Brideshead (1981) and Brideshead Revisited (2008). The film companies have contributed to the restoration and reconstruction in sections of the house that is still ongoing today.

We enjoyed a lunch break sitting outside in the warm sunshine on the south lawn sharing a beef sandwich, crisps or chips to my North American friends, and a scone. Tummies full we now explored the gardens, spending a good hour walking and taking photos before heading back home. The last photo is a monument to the 7th Earl of Carlisle.

The drive back was super busy. We stuck to the main motorway and it reminded us of our days when we had to drive across Toronto during rush hour. Crazy.

Ta Ra,

Sandy & Fred