We touched down at Standstead airport at 4:30pm in London and were pleased to be greeted by Dad and Grandma in the waiting area. They looked worse for wear after 32 hours without quality sleep, but we were excited to set off and explore England. Our rental car was a cute black Mazda seven seater that with luggage was a bit snug. We set our GPS for Northern England and started driving. Hoping to find a hotel along the way, we were unlucky with a couple of them being shut down for repairs and a new festival on that week. We finally settled at the equivalent of the Motel 6 for some real sleep. The beds here are so small and you only get one per room in the Travelodge!
The next day we rose early, had breakfast and headed towards the home of Liz and Stu, et al in the Moors. Using our trusty GPS (which we have nicknamed Candy because of her annoying voice and the pink coloured roads she leads us on) to navigate us should have been a cinch, but actually was not so easy. With 30 million “round-a-bouts” that weren’t really round and unforgiving highway entrances and exits, not to mention the dilemma of driving on the other side of the road, our car ride became tense. We finally made it to the brink of their town and called them to rescue us from any more driving. Dad relinquished the car for awhile while we were chauffeured in style around the area. First stop to pick up Kayte (daughter), then off to the carvery to meet her boyfriend for some much needed lunch. A carvery is a restaurant (or sometimes held in a pub) that serves mainly three roasts, along with unlimited starches and vegetables and accoutrement. SOOO good, we all ate more than was necessary!
We stopped at their house for tea and some visiting, and then took a walk out to the moors, a beautiful area of England. So much countryside, vast empty fields of green with more than a handful of baby sheep (which I love) grazing around. When the time came to say goodbye it was hard to leave after such a short visit. Unfortunately it was nearly dark and we had more than an hour drive to find our destination for the night.
Candy took us to our destination of choice, a York farmhouse B&B. It was crazy trying to get there, driving down curving one-lane dirt farm roads. To top it off it began to snow in the pitch blackness of the starless England night. It was quite the adventure! We’d never been so happy to arrive into our cozy beds. In the morning we enjoyed fresh eggs, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms from the farm. There were peacocks, dogs, 
cats, chickens, horses, roosters, etc roaming around the property. It was a delightful place to have stopped for the night. The house was so unusual with it’s high ceilings and ornate furniture. It was over 110 years old! Peacocks, chickens, dogs, cats and horses where all around the house.
15 minutes and we were into the city of York. Having been there before, I led the group around to York Minster, the shambles (a really old street famous for its shops and atmosphere). Everyone had a great time shopping, eating, and
visiting the daunting York minster and for those who went: the train museum. A captivating city which happens to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. After a full day in York we headed north to the city of Newcastle. Getting stuck downtown at our hotel had its appeal since beer and snacks were in close proximity. We all enjoyed a good night’s sleep. 
We took the long drive to Perth, Scotland to meet my dad's uncle/ Grandma's brother and his wife. I am amazed at the vast open spaces of farmland on either side of the highways, it is so rural. We enjoyed a lovely evening of games and food. The next morning we set out for the Loch Ness enjoying the beautiful views of the Scottish Countryside. So calm and green, the rolling hills have no end, and you're never far from a castle. Due to an unfortunate accident en route (not us) we were forced to turn around and go to St. Andrews instead. Known as the Golf Mecca, St. Andrew
s is a college town with cute shops and a huge golf course as well as church ruins. Adorable!
We departed the next morning for the city of Edinburgh. Nina, Joe, Dad and I toured the gigantic Edinburgh Castle. Rooms of historical information about past wars and outfits to match. The castle is still used for military men and is complete
with a graveyard for military pets! We really enjoyed the jewels, complete with enormous emeralds, rubies and diamonds! You could spend days inside, exploring all the different rooms, but we unfortunately needed to hit the road on our busy road trip.
We drove the lengthy ride to Liverpool. We stayed at a decent hotel just outsid
e the city centre. The next morning after a traditional English breakfast, we called upon The Beatles Taxi (thanks to a brochure Grandma found) to pick us up. We took a fabulous three hour taxi ride of the Beatles’ old haunts. The school where George and Paul met. The house's of Ringo, Paul, John and George. As well as Penny Lane, Sgt. Pepper's, the Cavern club (where they played over 300 times) and much more. We had a great chat with a man who runs the Church (where John and Paul first met) who discussed his personal account of the infamous night. Apparently all the young men weren't so keen on Paul coming onto their turf stealing their woman with his good looks. But Paul was more interested in John, whom he saw improvising his own lyrics on stage. Without that chance meeting, the Beatles would never have be
en. Such a great tour, we really enjoyed ourselves. We got dropped off at Matthew Street for some curry (England's national dish). Then we walked down to the harbour and some of us went to the Beatles museum and some of us went to the industrial museum. We reunited for a quick cab ride back to our hotel. Then we drove one hour to Chester to visit our relatives Barbara, Chris and his wife Sara.
We chatted, and got to know each other over a lovely dinner. This was the first time meeting them for Nina, Joe and I, and it had been some years since Grandma or Dad had seen them as well, so there was a lot to catch up on. We even convinced them to make a trip to Vancouver in September for mine and Joe's wedding! We rested in their lovely home for the night. After a few days of getting increasingly sick, Grandma decided to stay and rest at Chris and Sara's while the rest of us trooped on to Bath.
We finall
y made it to Bath, known in its day as the hot spot for the English to spa and socialize. Today you can still visit the spas and soak in the natural mineral water for a hefty fee. You can also buy the "special" H20 for 50 cents, but it apparently tastes pretty gross. There is lot's to see in this charming city that is lined with beautiful original Georgian housing. We started our day with a free walking to
ur run by local volunteers who refuse to take tips, and do it simply out of pure enjoyment and pride of their city. Very informative! We got to see where the English elite came to strut around the squares, flirting and gossiping. Of course we spent a little time shopping. . .and Dad visited the Bath Museum. As we have noticed on this trip, there is just not enough time in two weeks to see the UK!!
The following day we went to Glastonburry, the alleged city where Queen Guinevere and King Arthur were buried. There is no actual proof of this claim, and many believe that the church made this up in order to earn money from tourism after a tragic fire. But still the legend lives on. The church was beautiful and quiet and an enjoyable stop. With limited time we reluctantly forged on to see Stonehenge in the pouring rain and wind. Even through the thick rain and wind, it was not difficult to marvel at this mysterious masterpiece. Definitely worth the stop!
We zoomed back in to London, just in time to drop off our rental car for 4pm. After some time in transit, we finally arrived at our somewhat dingy, but incredibly cheap and well located hotel. We wasted no time, and set off for dinner at a local bar. Next we walked over to the Piccadilly Circus, where we bought tickets to see Spamalot (a Monty Python musical) the next night. The following day was spent touring Greenwich Village, where we saw the Greenwich mean line where time is never altered. We all really enjoyed the Royal Observatory museum that explained the history of the time zones, and how longitude and latitude came about.
No time to waste in this massive city, so Dad and Nin quickly headed over to the Tower of London while Joe and I visited the HMS Belfast. Nina and Dad thought the tower was great, with a free tour giving by beefeaters that are in the Queen’s service, giving details of all the beheadings that took place in this once sinister place. Just like the tower in Edinburgh, you could spend days here! The legends were fascinating as were the infamous crown jewels the queen uses on her coronation.
Joe and I enjoyed the massive HMS Belfast with the stories, movies and of course the engine room! We spent close to three hours roaming the ship, sitting in the Captain’s seat, checking out the weaponry, the kitchen, the canteen, etc. The ship is so full of history with all its dealings in WWII. Joe REALLY enjoyed it! Our evening was spent at a local joint enjoying pub fare and world famous beer!
The next morning we joined a free walking tour, after previous experiences with this tour company in other countries. The tours are run by enthusiastic young locals who work on a tips only basis. Our over eager tour leader took us all around the "official London" right up to Westminster, which is actually not considered part of London. Parliament buildings, the financial district, London bridge, Tower of London, Tower bridge and more. Our tour guide explained to us all about the many fires of London. This city doesn't have great luck! We also learned about the wobbly foot bridge that cost over 15 million dollars. Apparently after it was completed the first time it wobbled so much that people were ill. The architect had the audacity to say that the people were walking wrong! 5 million was needed to fix it! Sounds a little like the fast ferries...(B.C. joke)
We finished our tour and a quick lunch at a delicious fresh food chain before rushing over to pick Grandma up from the train station. She was refreshed and happy and we were happy to have her back with us! The underground maze of London's public transportation is as efficient as it is reasonably priced. Since it was a bit of a trek between stations, we opted for the slower but more scenic double decker bus. We all went back to the hotel for some R&R, then off for dinner and a show! Spamalot was really fun and full of good songs and lots of laughs. It starred a famous actor who played the Grandfather on the OC! Our seats left something to be desired, but the theater must have been close to 100 years old and was not ingeniously constructed. It was neat to be part of the whole environment.
The next day while Grandma toured Westminster Abbey, the three of us (Nina having returned to Turkey) went on a walking tour of Westminster. With the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace to 10 Downey street to Big Ben. Our guide was amazing and we were really happy. We met Grandma at the Piccadilly Circus known for its amazing shopping. We all trekked over to the British Museum for a serious history lesson. Having been there before, Joe and I didn't stay too long before heading off to the picadilly for some shopping!
We met for dinner on our last night in London at The Traveler pub. Good food and drinks, we celebrated in style before heading to bed early. Grandma and Dad left early in the AM while Joe and I enjoyed a more leisurely sleep in till 8am before the long trip home.
We are all now home safe and sound and back to work!!! Hope you enjoyed all our lengthy emails!
The next day we rose early, had breakfast and headed towards the home of Liz and Stu, et al in the Moors. Using our trusty GPS (which we have nicknamed Candy because of her annoying voice and the pink coloured roads she leads us on) to navigate us should have been a cinch, but actually was not so easy. With 30 million “round-a-bouts” that weren’t really round and unforgiving highway entrances and exits, not to mention the dilemma of driving on the other side of the road, our car ride became tense. We finally made it to the brink of their town and called them to rescue us from any more driving. Dad relinquished the car for awhile while we were chauffeured in style around the area. First stop to pick up Kayte (daughter), then off to the carvery to meet her boyfriend for some much needed lunch. A carvery is a restaurant (or sometimes held in a pub) that serves mainly three roasts, along with unlimited starches and vegetables and accoutrement. SOOO good, we all ate more than was necessary!
We stopped at their house for tea and some visiting, and then took a walk out to the moors, a beautiful area of England. So much countryside, vast empty fields of green with more than a handful of baby sheep (which I love) grazing around. When the time came to say goodbye it was hard to leave after such a short visit. Unfortunately it was nearly dark and we had more than an hour drive to find our destination for the night.
Candy took us to our destination of choice, a York farmhouse B&B. It was crazy trying to get there, driving down curving one-lane dirt farm roads. To top it off it began to snow in the pitch blackness of the starless England night. It was quite the adventure! We’d never been so happy to arrive into our cozy beds. In the morning we enjoyed fresh eggs, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms from the farm. There were peacocks, dogs, 
cats, chickens, horses, roosters, etc roaming around the property. It was a delightful place to have stopped for the night. The house was so unusual with it’s high ceilings and ornate furniture. It was over 110 years old! Peacocks, chickens, dogs, cats and horses where all around the house.15 minutes and we were into the city of York. Having been there before, I led the group around to York Minster, the shambles (a really old street famous for its shops and atmosphere). Everyone had a great time shopping, eating, and
visiting the daunting York minster and for those who went: the train museum. A captivating city which happens to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. After a full day in York we headed north to the city of Newcastle. Getting stuck downtown at our hotel had its appeal since beer and snacks were in close proximity. We all enjoyed a good night’s sleep. 
We took the long drive to Perth, Scotland to meet my dad's uncle/ Grandma's brother and his wife. I am amazed at the vast open spaces of farmland on either side of the highways, it is so rural. We enjoyed a lovely evening of games and food. The next morning we set out for the Loch Ness enjoying the beautiful views of the Scottish Countryside. So calm and green, the rolling hills have no end, and you're never far from a castle. Due to an unfortunate accident en route (not us) we were forced to turn around and go to St. Andrews instead. Known as the Golf Mecca, St. Andrew
s is a college town with cute shops and a huge golf course as well as church ruins. Adorable! We departed the next morning for the city of Edinburgh. Nina, Joe, Dad and I toured the gigantic Edinburgh Castle. Rooms of historical information about past wars and outfits to match. The castle is still used for military men and is complete
with a graveyard for military pets! We really enjoyed the jewels, complete with enormous emeralds, rubies and diamonds! You could spend days inside, exploring all the different rooms, but we unfortunately needed to hit the road on our busy road trip.We drove the lengthy ride to Liverpool. We stayed at a decent hotel just outsid
e the city centre. The next morning after a traditional English breakfast, we called upon The Beatles Taxi (thanks to a brochure Grandma found) to pick us up. We took a fabulous three hour taxi ride of the Beatles’ old haunts. The school where George and Paul met. The house's of Ringo, Paul, John and George. As well as Penny Lane, Sgt. Pepper's, the Cavern club (where they played over 300 times) and much more. We had a great chat with a man who runs the Church (where John and Paul first met) who discussed his personal account of the infamous night. Apparently all the young men weren't so keen on Paul coming onto their turf stealing their woman with his good looks. But Paul was more interested in John, whom he saw improvising his own lyrics on stage. Without that chance meeting, the Beatles would never have be
en. Such a great tour, we really enjoyed ourselves. We got dropped off at Matthew Street for some curry (England's national dish). Then we walked down to the harbour and some of us went to the Beatles museum and some of us went to the industrial museum. We reunited for a quick cab ride back to our hotel. Then we drove one hour to Chester to visit our relatives Barbara, Chris and his wife Sara.We chatted, and got to know each other over a lovely dinner. This was the first time meeting them for Nina, Joe and I, and it had been some years since Grandma or Dad had seen them as well, so there was a lot to catch up on. We even convinced them to make a trip to Vancouver in September for mine and Joe's wedding! We rested in their lovely home for the night. After a few days of getting increasingly sick, Grandma decided to stay and rest at Chris and Sara's while the rest of us trooped on to Bath.
We finall
y made it to Bath, known in its day as the hot spot for the English to spa and socialize. Today you can still visit the spas and soak in the natural mineral water for a hefty fee. You can also buy the "special" H20 for 50 cents, but it apparently tastes pretty gross. There is lot's to see in this charming city that is lined with beautiful original Georgian housing. We started our day with a free walking to
ur run by local volunteers who refuse to take tips, and do it simply out of pure enjoyment and pride of their city. Very informative! We got to see where the English elite came to strut around the squares, flirting and gossiping. Of course we spent a little time shopping. . .and Dad visited the Bath Museum. As we have noticed on this trip, there is just not enough time in two weeks to see the UK!!The following day we went to Glastonburry, the alleged city where Queen Guinevere and King Arthur were buried. There is no actual proof of this claim, and many believe that the church made this up in order to earn money from tourism after a tragic fire. But still the legend lives on. The church was beautiful and quiet and an enjoyable stop. With limited time we reluctantly forged on to see Stonehenge in the pouring rain and wind. Even through the thick rain and wind, it was not difficult to marvel at this mysterious masterpiece. Definitely worth the stop!
We zoomed back in to London, just in time to drop off our rental car for 4pm. After some time in transit, we finally arrived at our somewhat dingy, but incredibly cheap and well located hotel. We wasted no time, and set off for dinner at a local bar. Next we walked over to the Piccadilly Circus, where we bought tickets to see Spamalot (a Monty Python musical) the next night. The following day was spent touring Greenwich Village, where we saw the Greenwich mean line where time is never altered. We all really enjoyed the Royal Observatory museum that explained the history of the time zones, and how longitude and latitude came about.
No time to waste in this massive city, so Dad and Nin quickly headed over to the Tower of London while Joe and I visited the HMS Belfast. Nina and Dad thought the tower was great, with a free tour giving by beefeaters that are in the Queen’s service, giving details of all the beheadings that took place in this once sinister place. Just like the tower in Edinburgh, you could spend days here! The legends were fascinating as were the infamous crown jewels the queen uses on her coronation.
Joe and I enjoyed the massive HMS Belfast with the stories, movies and of course the engine room! We spent close to three hours roaming the ship, sitting in the Captain’s seat, checking out the weaponry, the kitchen, the canteen, etc. The ship is so full of history with all its dealings in WWII. Joe REALLY enjoyed it! Our evening was spent at a local joint enjoying pub fare and world famous beer!
The next morning we joined a free walking tour, after previous experiences with this tour company in other countries. The tours are run by enthusiastic young locals who work on a tips only basis. Our over eager tour leader took us all around the "official London" right up to Westminster, which is actually not considered part of London. Parliament buildings, the financial district, London bridge, Tower of London, Tower bridge and more. Our tour guide explained to us all about the many fires of London. This city doesn't have great luck! We also learned about the wobbly foot bridge that cost over 15 million dollars. Apparently after it was completed the first time it wobbled so much that people were ill. The architect had the audacity to say that the people were walking wrong! 5 million was needed to fix it! Sounds a little like the fast ferries...(B.C. joke)
We finished our tour and a quick lunch at a delicious fresh food chain before rushing over to pick Grandma up from the train station. She was refreshed and happy and we were happy to have her back with us! The underground maze of London's public transportation is as efficient as it is reasonably priced. Since it was a bit of a trek between stations, we opted for the slower but more scenic double decker bus. We all went back to the hotel for some R&R, then off for dinner and a show! Spamalot was really fun and full of good songs and lots of laughs. It starred a famous actor who played the Grandfather on the OC! Our seats left something to be desired, but the theater must have been close to 100 years old and was not ingeniously constructed. It was neat to be part of the whole environment.
The next day while Grandma toured Westminster Abbey, the three of us (Nina having returned to Turkey) went on a walking tour of Westminster. With the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace to 10 Downey street to Big Ben. Our guide was amazing and we were really happy. We met Grandma at the Piccadilly Circus known for its amazing shopping. We all trekked over to the British Museum for a serious history lesson. Having been there before, Joe and I didn't stay too long before heading off to the picadilly for some shopping!
We met for dinner on our last night in London at The Traveler pub. Good food and drinks, we celebrated in style before heading to bed early. Grandma and Dad left early in the AM while Joe and I enjoyed a more leisurely sleep in till 8am before the long trip home.
We are all now home safe and sound and back to work!!! Hope you enjoyed all our lengthy emails!
