Day's 8-21

Ok. We've been sorrily neglectful of our blog. Basically we've missed two weeks of activity. Some of this is access to the internet: it just isn't easy to find an internet cafe in the middle of Wales. But as the days passed it became a matter of procrastination when the thought of filling in the lost days came up.

So. We are in London today. We've seen almost all the National galleries and just as many pubs. We have also just seen a Monty Python musical called "spamalot" and will be seeing The Blue Men group tomorrow after going to N.T. Wright's home church.

We've just come from South Wales where we visited with the Emmons' very wonderful and longtime friends Fioled and Glen in Pencader. We area already sorrily missing their generous hospitality!

Here's a sampling of the 3000 photos we've collected between three cameras...



Left: Our home base in South Wales










Right: The Eye of London





Left: St David's Cathedral on South Wale's West Coast










Right: Tenby beach, South Wales

Day 7 - A long rest in Bodfari

Today I read my camera's manual and learned about all the things I was doing wrong with the exposure. Jen and Berekely went to the airport and picked up Mike and Lisa who had just made the Atlantic leap to be with us. While they were gone I slept and slept. When they got back Jen slept and slept. We went for lovely walks on farm roads and drank wine with our hosts and their son Andrew. It was a restful day.

Day 6 - Return to North Wales

Sunday we had to say adieu to our great friends and push off home. We determined to drive straight back and avoid the costly B&B stay (the average stay being £30 per person per night or $65 CAD! Ouch). Six hours of motorway driving through rain and wind and we made it home in time for dinner. Alas, no pictures for this day.

By the way, if you're reading these postings please hit the comment link and drop us a note. We'd love to hear from you!

Day 5 - A day in and around Edinburg

This will be a short post as Jeni and I are dying to hit the sack. In short: we had a busy day of sights and tastes. The most interesting is our visit to a Whiskey distillery where we saw how 10-year scotch is made and then had a free go at about 50 bottles of spirits in the company bar (while Jeni had an OJ of course). We (Matthew and Dave) drank many glasses of 10 to 25-year single malt whiskey and stumbled out to the garden for a picnic. In the afternoon we headed to the Scottish Boarders and visited an old abbey and walked a country river.

Day 4 - To and into Edinburgh

After a lovely night at a quaint B&B we continued north to Edinburgh deciding at a hair's moment to head off the beaten track and pursue a sign promising a "Hermitage Castle." After 7 miles of single track asphalt in (literally) the middle of nowhere an impressive fortress came into view. We explored the ruin and ate up the rolling hills of green and heather in the company of only ourselves. We arrived in Edinburgh that afternoon and enjoyed the evening out with our friends...

Day 3 - Drive up to Edinburgh via the Lake District

Today we left North Wales for Edinburgh to see our good friends Dave and Neyir Urminsky. Dave is finishing his PhD in applied math and Neyir has started a decorating career. They are a great and very present couple. It isn't a very far drive to Edinburgh but the roads are very narrow and unbelievably non-linear (apparently windy isn't a word that describes a road). We could have covered the distance in a day but decided to try for the Lake District instead. It is a beautiful place: think Rocky mountains with the tops worn smooth. It is magestic with grassy slopes, feeding sheep, dry stack walls reaching up into the summits, and clear water lakes. There are a number of striking old world hamlets along the way one of which is Grassmere from which William Wordsworth wrote and is now buried with his family. These two pictures are of a restaurant across a little stream from the church in which Wordsworth is buried and the next is a sample of the mighty hills that surround this valley hamlet. One final word. We were parked along the roadway when a Mig fighter jet rocketed through the valley and over our heads. We thought the sound that ripped through the sky was an out of control truck about to smash into us -- we thought we were about to die. What a relief when the plane came into view and we were still sound!

Day 2 in the UK

Today we were welcomed by the song of birds and 24 degree C sun. Our hosts' 300-year old farm house is surrounded by lush green grass and trees. After a brief driving lesson for Matt we headed off to Moel Fammau for some local eye candy: a winding footpath boasting valley views of patchwork farmland and free ranging sheep. Atop the 300m hill was a 16th century stone battlement built to cradle a British communications beacon meant to warn London of incomming Spanish raiders. Tommorow we leave early for the Lake District as a two-part road trip to visit our friends Dave and Neyir in Scotland.

We made it! Day 1 in the UK

After a bleary-eyed flight and a very long time in line for immigration we were off in a rental car to Jeni's uncle and aunt's home in Bodfari, North Wales. Immediately the motorway fades into lush green farm fields riddled with sheep and then passes into narrow roadways lined with ancient drystack stone. We were greeted by the family and after a wonderful stew drove a short way to the local pub for our first pint or beer. Ah the life!

Last Day in Toronto

Ah the big city of Toronto. On sunady we ran downtown to meet my sister Sarah and her husband Jon for breakfast and then later a visit with Jen's grandparents. A little bit of shopping and some sleep before a red eye flight to Manchester... (picture of Front street at Union Station)

Arrival in Toronto

Yesturday we arrived in Torronto and were greeted by Jen's dad, Berekely. Back in Pickering we napped and later visited with Mike, Lisa, and Berekely. Mike -- Jeni's brother -- and his wife Lisa will be meeting us in London in a week. The five of us will be touring around Wales together in memory of Jeni's mom who made this trip many times with Berekely and passed away from cancer last September.

The last day of planning

Today is the last day before we leave for the UK. We've been up late packing and now we are recording emails and addresses and preparing for a month away from home. The first leg of the journey is to Toronto where we spend the weekend with Jen's dad and family and rest for the long flight to Manchester. Let's hope we've packed all we need!