Aug 20, 2014 - 41st Anniversary Break Durham Castle

Greetings All,

We were up handily for breakfast so that we could head back into Durham to explore the castle. The picture on the left is of Redworth Hall, or at least part of it. It was a massive place with a pool, gym facilities and a spa. None which we used as we were out and about exploring the area.

We had purchased tickets for the 11:00 am tour of the castle the previous day, but when we arrived we were told that there was no tour until noon as the 11:00 am tour was a private tour. I told the guy that we purposely bought tickets for 11:00 as we had other commitments that we had to meet. He checked with someone and we were allowed to join the private group who happened to be Japanese. We comment that our son Christopher would have loved to be on this tour as he could have practiced his Japanese. The translation from English to Japanese goes very smoothly and did not impact on the tour at all.

The picture above and to the right is of the castle. It is a Norman castle, originally built in the 11th century as a projection of the Norman King's power in the north. The holder of the office of the Bishop of Durham was appointed by the King to exercise royal authority on his behalf, the castle was his seat. It remained bishops palace for the Bishop of Durham until the bishops made Auckland Castle their primary residence and the castle was converted into a college. In 1837, Bishop Edward Maltby donated the castle to the newly formed Durham College to be used as student accommodation. The keep which was now dilapidated was rebuilt from original plans and was opened in1840. The castle still houses over 100 students and as such is called a living castle. Only foreign students with good grades are allowed to live there and in the non-term months the rooms are rented out as a B&B.

The picture on the left is the Norman Chapel and it is a scan of postcard we purchased as picture taking is not permitted within the castle. It retains some of the original paintings from that time as well as carvings on the support pillars which were built around 1078. The other chapel within the castle is the Tunstall's Chapel which was built in 1540. Both chapels are still in use today, with the Tunstall's Chapel being the more widely used of the two. During the tour we were shown a portrait of Bishop Tunstall who was a very adaptable individual depending who was on the throne while he was a Bishop. In the original painting he is holding a rosary which he had painted out then in then out, depending on which religious faith the reigning monarch practiced. The painting we see shows a blank spot between his hands where the rosary would have been. We really enjoyed our visit to Durham City which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the Cathedral, Castle and Palace Green.  The last picture is of the Castle Gates.

We took the scenic route back to Liverpool, rather than doing the motorway and enjoyed a nice dinner out at Deli Fonseca with John and Adrienne who had come up for the night to pick up some their stuff that they had left with while they were on their tour of Europe. We have enjoyed our mini break and hope you have enjoyed this portion of our travels.

Next up a trip back to Ontario .

Ta ra for now.
Sandy & Fred

August 18-19th, 2014 - 41st Anniversary Break

Greetings All,

We took advantage of a 2 day special offer I found at Redworth Hall in Durham. We took a partial scenic route, driving through a portion of the Yorkshire Dales. We had never seen the Dales when the heather was in bloom and it was spectacular to see miles and miles of purple hills. The picture on the left was taken at a stopping point where two sheep decided to check us out. We stopped at Skipton for our lunch, a lovely market town that has a castle constructed in 1090, played roles in history during the English Civil War and was the site of a prisoner of war camp in WWI. It is also a mill town on the Leeds - Liverpool
canal which allowed for the transport of goods to major centres. The picture on the right is of the canal that goes through the town. We enjoyed a lovely pub lunch at the Castle Inn, and afterwards we explored the town a bit but did not get to take in castle so I think a return is in order maybe a nice overnighter in one of the inns. From here we headed off to Redworth Hall.

We checked in and were a bit disappointed in the room as it was tired and need of a update. The bathroom, however, was extremely modern with a chacqusi tub and massage shower. Our stay included two nights, a 3 course dinner with a bottle of wine and breakfasts. As well there was an afternoon tea on the second day.

We had a couple of pre-dinner drinks before having a late supper. We asked that the bottle of house wine, that comes supper, be held so we could take it to our room and in its place purchased a bottle of better quality wine as we were celebrating our anniversary. For our main meal I had duck breast and Fred had salmon. We ordered dessert and commented on how long it was taking to get a fruit tray and cheese cake since the restaurant was now fairly empty. Dessert arrived along with a special treat from the chef. Two berry tarts on a slate with a raspberry coulis and a chocolate greeting wishing us a Happy Anniversary. A nice touch! Our house wine arrived
as we were ready to leave, so we were set for the night! A nice celebration for 41 years of  marriage.

The following day we were up fairly early for breakfast which was a disappointment as it was a buffet style, although we could order hot items from a menu. The bacon was way overcooked and the sausages where tasteless and kinda pasty in texture. I guess we have been spoiled with the sausage we get from our local butcher. After breakfast we headed into Durham. The city has archaeological evidence that this was a settlement since 2000 BC but has clear evidence that the present day city dates back to AD 995. Building of the Cathedral was started in 1081 and completed in 1280. It is

said to be one of the greatest churches ever built in the Norman (Romanesque) style and completed in the Gothic style in the Chapel. The picture on the left is of the Sanctuary Knocker on the north door. During the Middle Ages people could ask for sanctuary from the law in the cathedral and could remain there for 37 days. Then they had to decide to either stand trail or leave the country.  We spent a good hour exploring the cathedral before heading off to the castle. Sadly, all the tours for the day were sold out so we purchased tickets for the next day at 11:00 am.
We headed back to the Market Square and explored the indoor Market which is a permanent feature with 50 stalls selling all sorts of items from food to toys jammed in a relatively small area. For us, it was mostly junk but there are some interesting items as well.

We next headed off to Crook Hall and Gardens a medieval manor house built in the 13th century and one of the oldest inhabited houses in Durham city. The Medieval Hall merges into a Jacobean then Georgian home and is surrounded by 6 acres of various gardens and orchards.

The flower gardens which are mostly walled are densely packed with various flowers and must be lovely when they are in full bloom. We were at the end of the season for most things but there were still enough bees and wasps around to have me ducking and dancing around as they approached. Not a great place when one is so terrified of them. The picture on the right is one of the many figures hiding around the gardens.

We headed back into the city centre for a late lunch at Market Tavern. Fred had a venison pie and I had a wild boar and pulled pork burger. The portions were very generous and tasted yummy!! Rested and full we did our last bit of exploring for the day with a walk along the River. The city had the most amazing floral displays which adds to the beauty of the old town area. It seems we had timed things perfectly as we ended our rather full day it started to rain.

The last picture, on the left, was taken on our river walk and is of one of the planters seen around the city. We stopped to pick up some snacks and wine for our room before heading back to Redworth Hall.

Ta ra for now,

Sandy & Fred

May 21 - 25, 2014 - Beach Day, City Exploration and Relaxation

Hola mi Amigas

On Wednesday we spent the day at the beach.  It was a fairly short 40 minute drive to Es Trenc, a very popular and crowded beach on weekend,   During the week it is more relaxed and home to nature lovers, nudists and hippy types.  We rented sun loungers and a cabana a reasonable 7 Euros each for the day and relaxed enjoying the sun.  My three white companions lathered up well with heavy duty sunscreen and stayed mostly under the protection of the cabanas while I took full advantage of the sun.  The water was very refreshing but again I am the only one who took the plunge.  Fred and I walked along the beach to see what it had to offer food wise. At the far end where the sand was more uneven and a bit more rocky was the home to the nudist section. While we walked we also saw a sea turtle whose head broke the surface of the water just beyond the waves.  Sections of the beach/water were rather weedy but I did find a clear area for me to get in for a swim.  When Bryan and Alison decided to go for a walk we did warn them about the nudist section but she was still rather horrified to see them.  A full day of sun was enjoyed by all, then we headed back, stopping at a couple of stores for charcoal and strawberries for our supper.  After planning for Thursdays exploration and a full day in the sun, everyone was in bed at a reasonable hour.

Thursday 22nd we headed off early to spend the day in Palma De Mallorca for some city exploration.
The drive in was an easy run and parking was well marked and plentiful.
Once we arrived we decided to go our separate ways.  Alison and Bryan

were looking to do some shopping while Fred and I were more interested in walking around the historical sections of the town.  Our first stop was the Cathedral of Majorca.  Construction on it began around 1306 by King James II of Majorca and completed in 1601 by bishop of Majorca, JoanVic i Manrique. Since the completion in 1601 it has not expanded on the outside but has grown on the inside.  It is made of Majorcan sandstone known as"mares" and the forms and colours of the stone continue to awe all people .

The interior of the cathedral is awe-inspiring as well.  It is also known as the Cathedral of Light as the sun shines through 87 windows and 8 rose windows.  It is also home to the largest Gothic rose window in the world.  More pictures of the interior of the cathedral can be seen on my Facebook (Sandy) or our flickr account.

The next stop was a walled garden complete with a beautiful pond, vegetable garden, fruit trees and flowers.  We came upon it quite by accident as we made our way to Banys Arabs.  It was quite a peaceful stop hidden amongst the alleyways of the main tourist area.  We enjoyed our brief stop at the gardens before moving on.  The picture on the left is of the pond with koi, water lilies and a canopy of bougainvillea.

The picture on the right is of Banys Arabs, a 10th century brick hammam (bath house).  They are one of the few architectural reminders of the Moors on Mallorca.  The chamber with its  irregular columns are all that has survived and would have been the lukewarm room. There would have also been a hot room and a cold plunge.  The chamber and a small garden area are all that is to be seen, so it was a quick visit.

We continued our explorations and wander into the shopping where we purchased a cute T-shirt for our grandson Paul.  We found a small square, Plaza Major, which had market stalls, restaurants and buskers.  Outside of a nearby church I dropped some coin into a basket and was blessed by the busker whose costume was so good he actually looked like a statue as you walk by (picture below).

We meet up with Bryan and Alison for a late lunch near the Cathedral and all enjoyed a pizza, each of us having a different variety.  After lunch we again head off in separate directions as Bryan and Alison wanted to see the Cathedral, while Fred and I searched out a grocery store for some wine and baguette for the evening, then to enjoy a relaxing drink at an outdoor cafe.  We have enjoyed our day but have only really hit the major sites and have not explored any of the museums scattered around Palma.

Our last two days were spent relaxing around the pool and for me and Fred washing all our clothes in the North American style washer and dryer a treat for us.  We were back to reality quickly as in 5 days time we moved to a new apartment/flat.  Not far away, just across the road but away from the river.
We hope you have enjoyed this segment of our travels.

Adios,

Sandy & Fred

May18 - 20th, 2014 - Majorca, Spain

Hola mi amigos,

On the 18th May we headed to Majorca, Spain for a week with Fred's cousin Bryan and his wife Alison.  Our flight was from Liverpool to Palma and was uneventful.  We had a late flight out of Liverpool which meant we arrived at our resort Marriott's Club Son Antem at midnight after a bit of off the track touring with our satnav chick.  Our home for the next six days was a townhouse, it was new for us with our Marriott Destination points but perfect.  It had two bedrooms, one on the ground floor and one on the upper floor.  The bedroom upstairs also had its own terrace/balcony area and we had a lovely backyard with a charcoal barbecue.  After unpacking we hit the sack.

Monday after getting some basics at the on site market place for breakfast, we headed into the nearest town Llucmajor to do some food shopping as we were having meals in-house when we were not off exploring.  The balance of our day was spent catching some rays around the pool.  I took a quick dip as the water was very cold.  Supper that night was barbecued chicken with a salad with fruit for dessert.  Fred and I were chief cooks as you know I love to cook.  The picture posted on the upper left is of a local songbird, a Hoopoe who would visit the front yard nightly around the same time.

Tuesday we headed off to explore the island and did a driving tour of the Serra de Tramuntana area.  The Bryan and Fred split the driving with Bryan taking the first shift.  The picture on the right is one of the views of the coast looking down from our first stopping point.  The roads were narrow and winding and we passed many cyclists from various countries.  We had a few "holy shit" moments with Bryan's driving and I threatened to drive as we were, for me,  on the proper side of the road in Majorca.  We stopped in Estellencs for a walk about the town and to stop for a late lunch.  The town is on a hillside and the roads were narrow and cobblestoned with the homes being built in what looks like long walls.  Some of the doors were very small, so much so that I would have to duck to enter. Our lunch was delicious and relaxing.  I had a serrano ham salad, Fred had a spanish omelette, Alison had soup and Bryan had a vegetable omelette, which turned out to be a fried egg dish over veggies.

The picture on the left is of a metal statue of a donkey that we saw while leaving Estellencs.  Bryan graciously found a spot to pull over so that I could get out and take a picture.  I imagine donkeys were the work animal of choice in the past given how rugged and hilly the area was though we did not see any on our current travels.  Our drive continued on to Mirador de ses Animes and Torre Verger a watchtower built in 1579.  The tower was climbable and provided
amazing views of the entire western coastline.

The tower was used to warn the islanders of attacks by North African brigands back in the day.  From here we changed drivers with Fred taking over.  We now moved off the coast and inland and down the Serra de Tramuntana.  Bryan has chosen wisely in his portion of driving as now the roads are hairpin bend after hairpin bend.  Narrow roads where there is no room to pass or places to pull off.  The cyclists are still plentiful and seem to take advantage of the downhill travel whizzing by us in some cases.  The last shot is of terrace farming we saw on our drive down the mountain before

heading back to Andratz and then back to our townhouse.  Our initial plans for supper were a barbecue, but as the skies were threatening rain we opted to eat at the restaurant on the resort.  It was a late supper, Fred and I shared a seafood paella as my first choice, rabbit paella was not available.  Our waiter was extremely apologetic as my starter was also not available.  He did manage to get me a taste of the rabbit and also some snails.  Though I must say the snails or escargot in France were much tastier than the Spanish version, but unless you try you never know.  The paella was good but certainly not as tasty as the one we had in Estapona.  The last picture is of the paella which was an extremely generous portion.

Adiós por ahora,
Sandy & Fred

April 15 - 16, 2014 - A Birthday Break for Fred

Greetings All,

After a short rest to get over our travel back from Portland, we were off again. We headed off to Corsham and Rudloe Hall for a two day break for Fred's birthday.  We decided to go after Fred's birthday, as the package I booked offered two different locations for supper if we went on the 15th/16th.  The deal was two nights bed, breakfast and suppers. It has Marco Pierre White's name attached to it, so I thought given this we would be in for some great food.  The drive down was absolutely horrendous and took almost five hours due to construction on all the highways or motorways as they are known in the UK.  Unfortunately, our room was not in the main hall which is pictured to the right.  Once we settled in we headed down to the quirky bar for a drink.

There were a couple of pool tables, various foose ball tables, a wooden horse, pictured on the left, and a juke box that actually plays.  I had a cider and Fred had a beer.  We brought dress clothes for dinner but decide against changing as the walk from our room to the main hall is a gravel road and there was no way I could walk on it even with the small heels that I brought thanks to my sciatica.  We had booked for a 8:15 pm dinner but when we arrive we are told the booking was not till 8:30 pm.  We did not get seated until almost 9:00 pm.  From here everything went downhill.  The service was the worst we have had and the food is just mediocre.  I think we were expecting a great deal more with the food and service as Marco has his name attached to the hall.  Personally I think he should review and pull it off as it sure does not measure up to his perceived quality controls.  Our dinner did not arrive until near 10:00 pm and while we were waiting a customer had a meltdown about the service and the food he was served. We did not catch what was said but he was rather rude to the waitress so much so that she refused to continue to wait on their table.  We headed to bed as we had planned to visit a couple of National Trust properties in the area the next day.

Breakfast service was much better and we received our orders in a timely manner, cooked the way we asked.  Fred had a Traditional Full English which was not the usual Full English breakfast.  He got a fried egg, sausage, bacon, mushrooms and a grilled tomato.  There were no baked beans or black pudding which were not missed as Fred would not have eaten them anyway.  We had a discussion as whether Traditional Full English Breakfast as served morphed into what is served today in many places as a Full English breakfast. We will have to check that out.

Our first stop of the day was Great Chalfield Manor, pictured above on the right.  The house is a moated manor house that was built around 1465-1480 for a Thomas Tropenell, a modest member of the landed gentry.  The parish Church, rebuilt by Tropenell is today still an active church.  The manor was substantially altered in 1865 by the Neale Family.  In the early 1900's The Fuller family purchased and restored the manor to what we see today.  The house and grounds have been used in a number of films and today there was a film crew on site.  Entrance to the manor house is by guided tour.  As we waited for our guide, we had taken pictures of the well and columns topped with griffins in front of the manor house.  When our guide arrived he informed us that these were props for the filming of the movie and were made of paper mache.  They look quite authentic and we all had a

good laugh about the extra features.  The picture to the left is an original feature in the manor house and is known as a squint.  An individual could look through the eyes and see the comings and goings of servants and guests from an alcove in the upper level.  We toured the grounds and gardens with its tree houses and river running through it.  We would love to return and see the restored home how it really is without all the props that have been brought in for the film.

We now headed off to the next property which were gardens but unfortunately it was closed.  We took a walk around the village of Holt and stopped in at the local pub.  I had a 1/2 pint of Addlestones cider and Fred had a pint of a local beer.  Refreshed we headed off to the last property Westwood Manor.  The small manor was built in the 15th century with additions in the 16th century and plaster work in the17th century.  It was also the home of Edgar Lister a diplomat of the Ottoman court in the early 20th century.

He restored the manor, adorned the garden with a topiary, and as an expert in needlepoint he reupholstered all the furniture the house in the Florentine fashion.  The work he did was very detailed and intricate amazing considering the light he must of had to work in.  Sadly Mr Lister died in a car crash in 1956.  The home is tenanted so is only open a couple of days a week.

Next we headed into Bradford on Avon a lovely town on the River Avon.  We stopped at The Barge Inn for lunch in the beer garden.  The food was delicious and the portions were huge.  The weather was perfect and the garden was busy.  The picture to the

left is of Fred's meal beef casserole in red wine with root vegetable mash and parsnip crisps.  I had a bacon, brie and cranberry panni with fries and onion rings.  Washed down with a Stowford Press cider and Fred had a pint of Boondoggle beer.  We strolled around the town which reminded me a little of a miniature Bath with the Cotswold Stone Buildings and steep hills.  The town also suffered from flooding in the spring and we were told they almost lost the bridge which is over 100 years old due to the debris that built up around the bridge.  The Town had to bring in a special crane to remove the debris to relieve the pressure on the bridge and were able to save it.

We headed back to the hotel to freshen up before heading off to the Pear Tree Inn for our second night's supper.  The service here was excellent and the food was good.  We headed back to Rudloe Hall for a night cap and bed.

After breakfast, we headed back home by the roads less travelled to avoid all the construction and we passed through some lovely countryside and pretty villages. The final picture is of a flax field we

passed on our trip home.

We hope you have enjoyed this last series of blogs .


Ta Rah till our next adventure.

Sandy & Fred

April 9,10 -11, 2014 - Our Last Day & The Journey Home

Greetings All,

Our time with family has flown by and I wished we had more time.  Paul was happier this morning after a rough night.  The picture on the left is of Grandpa and Paul in his Liverpool onesie.  He looks a much happier fan than two weeks ago.  Meagan continued to make up meals to be frozen and we finished the sewing lesson with the top of the outfit being made.  She had done a wonderful job for a first attempt and a poor teacher.  Our day was spent doing laundry, packing and caring for Paul.  I took many more pictures and headed outside with Smudge to get a picture of her in the garden.  She has been a great dog considering she had been the centre of attention for a number of years and was now playing second fiddle.  She did show protection
towards Paul making sure she was close to whoever was with him.


Our last dinner together was enjoyable and we all headed to bed early as Fred and I have a long couple of days of travel ahead of us.  We had made arrangements for a cab to pick us up at 7:30 am as Christopher and Meaghan had a 10:00 am doctor's appointment for Paul, his eight week checkup.  It would have been too rushed for Christopher to take us out to the airport and get back in time for the appointment given Portland's morning rush hour traffic.  I managed to hold the tears back as we said our farewells to the kids but I did have a good cry in the cab on the way to the airport.  We will both miss helping the kids and our cuddle time with our Paul but thankfully with technology today we can see them weekly and keep up to date.

Our flight to Vancouver was on a turbo prop plane and we had clear skies, as you can see from the picture on the left, as we were leaving Portland.  The flight was short and we had a long stop over in Vancouver; 7 hours before we took off for London, our final destination.  Once through security, we had plenty of time to kill. Thankfully there was free WiFi.  There was much more to do and see on the international side of Vancouver airport.  This was our first time leaving from here and we were quite impressed.  We had lunch at Milestones, a favourite restaurant of ours when we lived in Ajax.  The food was as we remembered, good quality and tasty.

I had taken a number of pictures in the airport as there were sculptures done by the Haida Indians, a saltwater aquarium with corals, fish and other sea life from the Pacific.  The picture on the right is a Raven wood carving.  We read, wander around and went for a drink and snack before boarding the plane.

The flight itself was uneventful, the food was terrible and we finally arrived at Heathrow at 11:40 am on Friday, a total of 17 hours since we left Portland.  We decided to split at immigration this time as Fred as a Brit went through with his UK passport thinking things would be faster and he would pick up the bags.  The UK Border Agent was very nice but told me that I should have stayed with Fred as they do not like to split families.  I told her that I was told that I could not go through the UK passport line that I had to come through the non EU passport line.  She asked who told me that and I said one of her co-workers on our last trip. She promptly apologised and said that we were misinformed.  Well, I told her the positive side was my hubby gets to sort the luggage which she had a good laugh about.  Sadly, our travel time was not over.  We now made our way via the tube to Euston train station for the final leg of our trip, a train ride home to Liverpool.  By now we were both exhausted and I was in agony with my sciatica.  Fred tried to get us on an earlier train but was unsuccessful.  To make matters even more difficult our train was not direct so we had to change at Crewe.  I felt for Fred as he lugged our bags but we finally arrived in Liverpool and had a short cab ride home.

It has been a wonderful trip and we will be off again in 4 days to celebrate Fred's birthday so stay tuned.

Ta Rah,

Sandy & Fred

April 7 - 8, 2014 - Farewells, Early Gifts and Exhaustion

Greetings All,

Jonathan and Amy were off early as they wanted to stop and do some more shopping before heading home.  As they did not have Wedge with them they could stop and go as they pleased, so they were taking full advantage.  We were caring for Paul, except for feedings, so that Meaghan could make meals that could be frozen, allowing them to have more valuable time to spend with Paul.  Meaghan and I also did a sewing lesson.  She had cut out an outfit for Paul, pants and a top, and wanted some assistance in putting it together.  I can sew but it is not a craft I enjoy.  Unfortunately, I'm a bit rusty and I gave Meaghan some directions that ended up with her having to rip out a seam or two.  We got the pants made before it was another feed time for Paul.

Christopher and Meaghan's current barbecue was in need of repairs which would have been costly, so we had discussed with them about buying them a new one for them as their early birthday and anniversary gift.  When Christopher got home from work, he and Fred headed off to Costco to buy the new barbecue.  Even with the new car transporting it proved a challenge.  They had to unbox a large portion of it to get it home.  They wasted no time in building it upon their return, a Weber Q300 nice and compact with plenty of grilling space with cast iron grills.  They should be good for sometime.  As we had plenty of lamb left, we made a stew out of it for supper.  Christopher and Meaghan are very good with leftovers, unlike Jonathan who says it is used food.  We also are not ones to waste food.  Most roasts are too big for us to eat in one meal, so we are always finding ways to use and enjoy leftovers.  There was also a small piece of lamb left which was used for lunchtime sandwiches.

Tuesday, and we enjoyed the morning with Paul.  He was being fussy again and my sciatica was really giving me a lot of trouble.  Paul had been gaining a pound a week and Meaghan was sure that he was up to 14 pounds.

While he likes to be held he also gets fed up and I think too hot with the cuddles.  When we first arrived he was too small for his swing, but now he fits in it perfectly.  We placed him in it and he seemed to enjoy it for a while at least.  The picture above right is of Paul enjoying his swing.  After lunch Meaghan and Fred headed off to Costco for Meaghan and Christopher to do a final stock up of supplies and steak for supper as Christopher was anxious to try out the new barbecue.  As I have stated previously, Paul's fussiest time was in the evenings and tonight seemed to be an exceptional one.  He had worn us all out so it fell to Christopher get him to settle down.

The picture on the left was of an exhausted Daddy and son.  Paul gets himself in the weirdest angles and it is hard to imagine how that can be at all comfortable but he slept the soundest in these positions.

Since we arrived, bath time now has also changed for Paul.  He is no longer being bathed in the baby bath as he is too long for it; he has graduated to the large tub with a special seat.  We have seen some amazing changes in Paul in our three weeks here, which brings back old memories and made many new ones for us to cherish.


Cheerio,

Sandy & Fred