Creeping Creeper

Virginia creeper

Leafing out in brown and rust

Tinged with green edges

Nature's Pearls

I don't know which I'm drawn to more - the exquisite green folds and textures

Or the glistening drops of perfection

Catbird Fatality

I'm back on the water! Sheesh! I've already had one tick bite since I got home, and 2 unattached ones looking for an opportunity - at least the lake is safe ...

I came across a gray catbird in the water whilst out kayaking, and though it was no longer alive, its beautiful feather patterns and coloration begged to be admired. Look at the delicate gradations of texture and color up close - so amazing!

It has the most amazingly elegant legs and claws, too.

Velvet Hearts

Silky wild ginger

With blooms inconspicuous

In the leafstalk crotch

Impressions

I'm no longer physically in England or Holland, but my mind is still there, despite a 12 hour sleep in my own time zone! I'm so energized and excited by my travels that I feel as if I'm singing "The hills are alive, with the sound of music ..." (as in this photo of me enjoying a mossy wall at a waterfall).

Photo: P. Broderick

We came home to a very overgrown yard, dock pieces floating off in high water, laundry, suitcases to unpack, reviews to be written and an untidy home, but it's been well worthwhile to have reconnected with friends and family.

Some general things we noticed that stood out:

- milk products are exceptionally, deliciously creamy (higher fat content) - YUM!

- a trash can cleaning service (extra) was available to paying customers, who wished to have their rubbish bins washed out on the curb after pick-up. 

- double on- and off- ramps (slip roads) to help traffic flow and merging.

- toilet doors opening outwards away from 'the throne' enclosure, and doors reaching all the way to the floor (feels way more private).

- the sandwiches we made used 'bog common' cheddar, and it was still way nicer than what we call cheddar in the U.S.

- in Holland, there are multiple small grocery stores one can walk to from one's home

- there are hobbits in some areas of England

Photo: P. Broderick

- Dutch people are friendly and greet each other in passing in the street and on trails, English people do not (they look away or down as they pass). 

Britannia rocks - these are my souvenirs of a wonderful trip

that has sadly come to an end ...

Back to Reality

We had an early start to reach Amsterdam's Schiphol airport for our flight to Boston. I kept falling asleep during the 1.5 hour car ride to the airport.

The airport was pretty empty when we first arrived

This is an extremely well organized and clean airport, and as an added bonus, everybody understands English! My heart went out to an elderly Chinese man whose travel bag disappeared when he went to use the restroom. He kept smacking himself on his cheeks and gripping his head as he continuously went back and forth to the same spot over and over again - it was still not there! Airport personnel were trying to help him locate it, but also emphasized that one should never leave a bag unattended for security reasons, anyway. We suggested that maybe he had taken it to the bathroom and left it there by mistake (i.e. had they also looked there?), but the assisting staff member explained that it was a regular thing at an airport and didn't seem quite as concerned as we were. It wasn't resolved when we boarded.

I'm so appreciative of the efficient and obvious way allergens are listed on the airline meals - my first choice of meal listed soy as an ingredient, but thankfully the vegetarian option was soy free, AND ... (drumroll) ... so was the delicious serving of Tiramisu.

I nodded off again whilst watching a documentary, which I was enjoying! Poor Dale was too scrunched to be able to find any sleeping position.

Boston  - on the home stretch 

Passport control was quick and easy for us - feeling fortunate I'm not in a questionable category ...

A bus- and car-ride followed, as well as a quick stop in the grocery store before we reached our own paradise.

Thanks for following along with us - the adventures are over, but the memories will last.

Retracing Our Steps

We have reached our last day in fair Britannia ☹️

What a delicious spread we had for breakfast! Ooh, yum - we had trouble choosing between Weetabix, fresh strawberries, cream, lemon curd yogurt, bacon and eggs. We had to decline the toast due to being satiated. 

It's hard to focus on the present when scheduled travel is imminent: packing and weighing bags, checking in for flights, keeping track of passports, etc preoccupy one's thoughts. So we simply sat and chatted after we had shopped for a few more nostalgic treats - Peppermint Crisp, fruit dainties and yet more Crunchies

And then, more delectable food - steak rolls for lunch! Thanks, Craig, they were.

Leaving these beautiful pastoral scenes behind is hard

Heavy rain pummeled us en route to Stansted, but thankfully it didn't have repercussions or cause delays. I think it was the heaviest rain we'd experienced in England. Dinner was snacks of cold cuts, crisps, apples and ... chocolate at the Stansted airport before flying to Eindhoven.

All plans and connections went smoothly, and before we knew it, we were having Espresso martinis with Hein on our final night in Holland.

From Hedgerows to Open Fields

We set off early from Cornwall to return our car to Cambridge, so the day was a series of interchanges, motorways, slip roads and traffic, but no major setbacks. 

As we moved west, the landscape opened out and it was easier to see fields and barns without the tall hedgerows blocking our view.

 

The rest stop was well appointed and super busy, but we were able to find seating and a table to eat our picnic fare, which was topped off with my absolute favorite chocolate bar: a Crunchie.

Sorting of waste and recycling at the rest stop

We racked up just under 1,000 miles in the week we drove around - not bad. When Craig fetched us from the Europcar drop-off, he very kindly took us to parts of Cambridge we had not yet seen. 

Here are some of the drive-by sights:

Frontage of our Lady of the Assumption and English Martyrs Catholic church

Reality Checkpoint in Parker's Piece - the lamppost to the right of the Ferris wheel is said to represent the separation between academia and the real world.

Beautiful sculpture outside the Scott Polar Research Institute

Our day ended with a fresh garden salad and pizza with Craig and Sue - awesome!

Reunion in Truro

This day was all about visiting my Mom's sister, my oldest living relative. We last saw each other 15 years ago at my Mom's funeral - my Aunt Eileen is now 85 and she's spritely but tiny.  The kitchen counters dwarf her, as does Dale.

Dale captured our first look:

There was a lot of catch up to do, and many recollections to share, obviously. Her energy and agility is impressive -  she walked with us, completely unaided and upright, to the local pub at the Victoria Inn where she ordered the small carvery meal and put it all away! She does a 5-6 mile walk with her walking group each week.

Her mind is sharp and her wit sparkles.

This is the cottage she shares with her partner - they feed currants to the blackbirds on their patio:

She told me that she's mad for motorcycles! It looked as if she donned Biker-Chick boots when we set off for the pub!

It was a tearful goodbye, and so well worth the visit. 

Lots of beautiful scenery on the way home distracted me from my sadness.

Hello Cornwall

A driving day for us, with Cornwall as our destination. We drove roughly from where the red x is to the blue dot on the map.

After another of Michelle's sumptuous breakfasts, we said our goodbyes and hit the road. 

Traffic on the M5 came to a halt because of an accident. It was at s complete standstill - not a single bit of crawling forward. We were glad we'd stopped at Tesco's earlier in the day to pick up cheeses, cold cuts and fruit so we ate lunch while we waited in traffic. Of course, there was also some rain to contend with.

We're on the southwest coast,

and this is a bi-directional, public "road" folks, not a driveway!

We have magnificent views of the beauty around us ...

And of course, they have adorable cats