Cambridge

We spent a lovely day in Cambridge. Unknown to us, we were there on graduation day. The town was full of students in robes, Cambridge officials in top hats and tails, and proud family members. We experienced a few sprinkles of rain, but none of them lasted long and, for the most part, the weather was quite pleasant.

We started the day with a punt down the Cam and followed that with touring Kings College chapel, stopping to pay homage to Dad’s Alma Mater (St. Catharine’s), wandering through the market, watching the historical film at the Round Church, visiting 15 Park Parade (the house I lived in as a baby), and soaking in the atmosphere that is unique to Cambridge.

At about 2:30pm, we left for Stansted airport. We gave ourselves plenty of time and were glad that we did. It took a while to drop off the car (Woohoo! Dropped it off without a scratch even though we put over 1600 miles on it!), and the lines at Ryan Air were huge.

We flew out about 30 minutes late, but made up some time in the air. The shuttle bus was waiting for us at Trevisio airport and our hotel is right across the street from the bus stop in Mestre. We arrived exhausted, but grateful to be here safely.

Aunty Joan

We left the Chester apartment at 11am this morning and set off for Cambridge. We stopped on route for a picnic lunch and called Michael Boursnell when we were within 30 minutes of Girton. He met us at Aunty Joan's house. It was lovely to see him. I haven't actually seen him in person since I was a toddler, but I've seen enough photos of him, that I recognized him immediately. Aunty Joan is now 94 and, for the first time, she reminded me of Granny. She is just as upbeat and sweet as she's always been, but she stays in her chair most of the day and her memory is failing. We had to repeat our names several times. Well, actually, Elizabeth didn't. For some reason, Aunty Joan never got Elizabeth's name wrong!

We didn't stay long, but I'm glad we went. We gave her some flowers. She may not remember where they came from, but I hope they will brighten her day.

After checking into our B & B, we decided to have a quiet evening and hope the rain holds off long enough for us to explore Cambridge in the morning.

Last Day in Chester

Although most of our last day in Chester was spent organizing and packing, we took some time away from the apartment to walk into town and meet Alaw at the cafe in Marks and Spencer. We had planned to meet her and her family at their home near Ruthin, but they had to cancel twice because of illness. We (and she) were sorry that we weren't able to meet the rest of her family, but were so glad that she drove to Chester to see us. Other than her hair color, she hasn't changed at all and it was lovely to see her again.

The Flat in Chester and one of the Barges on the Canal beside our Building



Alaw

Chatsworth House

Happy 20th Birthday, Anna! Today was Anna's birthday. Her first request of the day was that she sleep in. :) After that, however, she wanted to go to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. This is one of the settings for the 2005 movie version of Pride and Prejudice and is a beautiful stately home. The long and winding drive was almost Elizabeth's undoing, but once we arrived, we were glad that we'd made the effort. The house and gardens were incredible.

We had a brief picnic lunch before touring the house. The artwork, furnishings, and upkeep were impressive. The grounds outside were amazing. About ten minutes before we exited the house, it started to rain. It's the first rain we've had since we got here and we are so used to the sunshine, we'd left our raincoats in the car. Kent and I ran back to get them, and we toured the gardens in the rain. The rain didn't last long, however, and despite the soggy conditions, the gardens were stunning.

On the way home, we stopped at Wagamamas and picked up take-out dinners for Anna's birthday. We had a birthday cake and candle for her, but the joke of the day was that we had no way to light the candle and Kent, not realizing that the cake was for her birthday, cut and ate a piece earlier today. We all had a huge laugh at Anna's pathetic birthday cake. It will make for a great memory!

Chatsworth House



Anna's Ridiculous Birthday Cake

Conwy and Bodnant Gardens

Monday, 23 June 2014

It was another full day. This morning we drove to Conwy and started our time there at the castle. It was another lovely day and the views from the castle wall were amazing. The countryside and the bay looked beautiful. We walked through town, stopping at a couple of Welsh Craft Shops and a Fish and Chip Shop (so that Elizabeth could have some chips). We sat for a while at the wharf and the girls stood outside the Smallest House for a quick photo.

We then drove up the valley to Bodnant Gardens. I hadn't been there since I was young. The weather couldn't have been better. The roses were in bloom and you could smell them before you saw them. We wandered along the paths and stopped multiple times to rest on one of the many benches positioned around the garden. We were tired enough that we didn't tour the entire garden, but really appreciated all we saw--lily ponds, streams, waterfalls, squirrels, birds, rose gardens, enormous trees, and an impressive variety of vegetation and flowers.

Before returning to Chester, we made one more stop to see my high school friend, Louise (Underwood) Atkinson. We sat together in her back garden. She'd just returned from a holiday to Portugal and told us all about it. Her husband, Dave, arrived home soon afterwards, and we really enjoyed meeting him. We were also introduced to her son, Patrick. We didn't stay long because they had other commitments, but it was lovely to spend time together for a little while.

Conwy



Bodnant Gardens

Anglesey

Sunday, 21 June 2014

We returned to Anglesey today and attended church at my old home ward in Gaerwen. No one knew we were coming, but their delight when they recognized me was really heartwarming. There were several people there who I didn't know, but many of them had heard of the Owen family, even if they'd not known us personally. Simon Wall met us in the car park. Once we got inside, we saw Joe Wall and his family, Lynn Wall, Diana Griffiths, Doris Williams, Brother and Sister Stewart, Will Stewart and his wife, Elaine Gill and some of her children, and met Brother and Sister Manners' daughter, Caroline. Joe Wall was conducting Sacrament meeting and asked if I'd give the closing prayer. We also talked to all the missionaries (they have two sets now). One of them was from Idaho Falls and within minutes we discovered that he's a cousin to one of Anna's closest friends (Abbey, who is rooming with her at BYU-I in the Fall).

After the three hour block of meetings, we drove to Church Island, ate a picnic lunch, then walked along the Belgium Promenade until we were beneath the Menai Bridge. Before getting back on the A55, I drove through some of the roads in Upper Bangor to show the girls some of the University buildings. They've changed many of the roads to a one-way system, which made it a bit of a maze, but it was good to see the area again.

The Menai Bridge, Church Island, and Belgium Promenade

Saturday in Chester

Saturday, 21 June 2014

After all our recent driving, it was nice to have a day that didn't involve travel. Kent rented a bike and rode out into the countryside, geo-caching.

While he was gone, the girls and I walked into Chester and did a little shopping. As we got closer to the high street we could tell that something big was happening. Crowds of people lined the road and music filled the air. It was a parade celebrating the summer solstice and midsummer day. The costumes were incredible. We didn't watch for long, but the little we saw was quite a spectacle.

My high school friend, Ann Underhill, came to have dinner with us. It has been several years since I've seen her. We had a nice evening together and I was glad that she was able to meet Kent, Anna, and Elizabeth.

Another geo-cache found!



The Midsummer Day Parade



Ann Underhill

York

Friday, 20 June 2014

Today we visited York. It's a city full of history--particularly Medieval, Viking, and Roman--and we tried to experience a little of everything in a very short time. Someone could easily spend several days exploring this city; there is so much to see.

We parked outside the city and took the bus into the city center. We began at York Minster, the biggest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps and second only to Westminster Abbey in importance in the UK. I wasn't prepared for how enormous it is. It is awe inspiring and beautiful, but we all agreed that it also feels empty. Although reverence is there, the spirit that you feel in the temple is not.

The sun was shining when we exited the Minster and we walked down a nearby street and stopped at a little tea shop that advertised gluten-free cupcakes. We sat around a small table outside and the girl brought some cakes out to us on china plates. At tables near us, people were enjoying afternoon tea served from china teapots and in china cups. Only in England!

From there, we went to "York's Chocolate Story", which is a tour through the history of chocolate making in York (the home of Rowntree's, Terry's, etc.) We were given several samples and ended the tour by making our own chocolate bars. They were yummy. :)

We walked through the Shambles, narrow roads lined by old, leaning, Medieval buildings, and through an open air market. Kent and I stopped at a booth selling locally made cheeses. We bought a few to try. Then we headed to Jorvik, an interactive Viking Center, where we took a ride through an animatronic Viking village.

We finished our day in York by having dinner at Nando's (thanks for the recommendation, Emily :)) where they serve Portuguese seasoned chicken. Everyone enjoyed it.

York Minster



The Shambles and Open Air Market



York's Chocolate Story--their chocolate and ours



Cupcakes at Crumbles Tea Shop