With only a few more weeks left in England we are keener than ever to make the most of the fine weekends. Today we drove south to the town of Arundel in West Sussex, to the castle that Martin had bookmarked over a year ago. Set high on a hill, this castle highlights terrific views across the South Downs and River Arun. Built at the end of the 11th Century, it has been the family home of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 900 years.
After lunch in the restaurant we made straight for the oldest part of the castle, the Keep, accessed by 130 stone steps. We were amazed at the similarities between this ancient castle and Windsor; Arundel being founded in 1067 by one of William I's closest nobles in his honour. At the Keep James was delighted to discover dark steep steps down to a dungeon (one would not misbehave again having spent any amount of time down there!) and was soon off again to climb up to the turrets. The view from the top was beautiful - I love the South Downs. Back down once again and we toured the rooms of the castle. It is still occupied by the Norfolk family although like Windsor they reside in a seperate part. It is obvious they do use these state rooms however when the castle is closed to the public. There are many family photos arranged about on the furniture - the Queen and Prince Charles, and the current Duchess' grand-children.
Emerging into the sunlight we sought to discover some secluded paths surrounding the inner walls. Under low-hanging trees two rabbits leisurely hopped away, and we later saw a pheasant. We followed the winding paths around until we came to the 14th Century Fitzalan Chapel and White Garden. Further on was the newest addition to the estate, The Collector Earl's Garden. The 14th Earl of Arundel (1585-1646) was so-named because he was really the first of the great English art collectors - this is evident in the decor and collections of the castle. Opened by Prince Charles on the 14th of May this year, the grand formal garden is a tribute to the Earl. Having died in exile abroad, the elaborate tomb he specified in his will was never erected, so it is now only fitting that this garden serves as his memorial. James simply adored the fountain representing the fairy prince Oberon. I thought it was bit of a folly!
We left the castle and ventured into the town outside the walls where James and Martin enjoyed New Forest ice cream.
The Summer Fayre arrived in Windsor today - held at Alexandra Gardens down by the Thames. We strolled along the High Street at about 12pm into a throng of people and camera crews. The Mayor and other Councilors were assembled at the Guildhall so it was definitely worth stopping for a look.
Shortly we heard a band followed by marching soldiers. The Territorial Army was celebrating its 100th year anniversary since formation and on parade were the 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron in full dress uniform. They came to a halt right in front of us where the Mayor gave a short speech acknowledging their contribution in recent conflicts. The TA are essentially a reservist force. How amazing to see this!
On we went to the Fayre where James enjoyed some rides and the bouncy castle. It was a glorious sunny day so we stopped to watch a sheepdog display then on to the Thames to see the swans and ducks. We bought a ticket in the Duck Raffle. Imagine 2000 small and numbered toy ducks emptied into the Thames. The first duck across the line wins. The race starts at 4pm so we're off shortly to cheer our little fellow on!
James and I were delighted once again to be invited to Portugal by our friends Cristina and Alex. Ricardo is now 4 and gorgeous little Pedro 11 months. With both husbands working hard and traveling Cristina and I were looking forward to a week of catching up. The family has moved since our visit in June last year and their new home in a private estate is just beautiful with stunning views of the mountain.
Monday - after a quick 2 hour flight to Lisbon Cristina met us at the airport. It was so good to see my friend again! Once home and after a bit of lunch James was eager to get into his swimmers and tackle the pool which was beckoning him from the cool interior. Although the weather was hot (pleasantly so) the pool was still a little cool for my liking. But he got right in and we had a bit of a play before going to collect Ricardo from school at 5.30. Upon arriving a teacher spoke kindly to James in Portuguese and took him by the hand to go and get his friend. The boys held hands and chattered away (in two languages!) as they walked to the car - it was so sweet!
Tuesday - after a blissful nights' sleep (utterly dark thanks to shutters and utterly quiet) we took a morning train south by the coast and subways into Lisbon to Europe's largest Oceanarium. It was amazing and the boys enjoyed getting right up close to sharks and sting rays and a gi-normous Sun Fish. We spent a good few hours there and afterwards strolled out along the newly developed waterfront for a ride on a cable car/gondola.
Wednesday - I was looking forward to visiting the mountain town of Sintra after Cristina sent me a postcard of their new surrounds. This lovely 19th Century town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To James and Ricardo's delight we hailed the Hop-on Hop-off bus that took us to the Palacio de Monserrate, Quinta da Regaleira and Castelo dos Mouros. All three places were beautiful and I couldn't stop taking photos (sound familiar Marty & Mum?!). However as the day drew to a close and we descended from the mountain top James tripped and fell into a large rectangular stone slab, cutting his forehead open. Cristina called for an ambulance which arrived in a flash then proceeded to take us down the painstakingly slow and steep mountain road then roared along the motorway into Lisbon. James was seen immediately and received 5 stitches. He recovered well and was the focus of attention at pre-school the following Monday. He wasn't keen for more adventures after that but I don't think the experience will deter him in the future.
Thursday - a relatively quiet day given the excitement of the previous one! Our only objective was to find a table on the beach at Parede for lunch. We did so and enjoyed an hour or so relaxing by the beautiful blue sea.
Friday - our last day. In the morning we re-visited the village of Cascais where we had been last year. The boys took some time at the beach where the water was lovely and sparkling azure and warm! Even for me! I can't believe I actually got them out of the water at all, they were having such fun. We bought another 'Lucky Chicken'. Alex came home from Germany at lunchtime so we were able to catch up briefly before James and I packed and reluctantly headed for the airport.
Thank you Cristina, Ricardo and Pedro for a wonderful time. We will always have fond memories of Portugal. Obrigado and adeus!
Today we visited the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in particular to see HMS Victory. I've been meaning to visit for over a year and with our departure date looming it seems the perfect time to go.
Arriving at the dockyard we made our way to Victory; now in drydock. This impressive boat has been wonderfully restored and provides a unique opportunity to walk the decks to appreciate the epic battle of Trafalgar between Lord Nelson and Admiral Villeneuve. Of course James loved the cannon arrayed on three decks of Victory. With 100 guns it presented formidable broadside firepower. Something that Redoutable certainly appreciated from close quarters during battle.
The officers quarters at the stern reminded me of 17th century buildings as its facia was adorned with balustrade and ornate carving. It was errie to walk through Lord Nelson's quarters to see where he ate, slept, strategised, and entertained. We learnt that Victory - being a fighting ship first and foremost - had cannon lashed to the walls that could be made ready at a moments notice to be wheeled into position to either fire from the stern (a vulnerable position) or from either side of the ship.
We spend time walking the various decks including the magazines and dry stores. The design is remarkably elaborate. Up on Quarterdeck we saw the Captain's quarters and wheelhouse. There, on the exposed deck in front of the wheel, was a plaque that signifies the spot that Nelson was mortally wounded from a shot by a French marksman during the Battle of Trafalgar.
We also toured HMS Warrior - the world's first iron-hulled armoured warship. She is powered both by sail and by steam. Below deck we walked amongst two towering rows of boilers.
To finish the day we took a boat tour of the Portsmouth harbour. The highlight for me was see HMS Illustrious and Ark Royal - two of Britain's three aircraft carriers.
Definitely one of the advantages of living in the UK. Its proximity to continental Europe. Yesterday I had a meeting in Stockholm. For the day! I won't bore you with the details of the meeting (which went well I must say). The highlights of this beautiful city for me were:
Not a bad way to spend Father's Day. A picnic in Windsor Castle Home Park watching the cricket. Oh - and the President of the United States dropping in. Incredible!
We've just come back home from a wonderfully relaxing afternoon. We were fortunate to have an invite to attend the celebrity cricket match as part of The Lords Taverners. There were many past Nationally capped players (embarrassingly I didn't know most of them). The game was played in the grounds of Windsor Castle - the field belonging to St George's School.
We pitched up with our picnic and a few bottles of red to join the smallish groups enjoying the game. It was an amazing sight with the Castle in the background. Shortly after the game started we heard helicopters overhead. Two US Marines helicopters (one carrying the President) and an army backhawk flew overhead an landed in the Castle grounds. The President arrived in the UK today and was visiting the Queen for tea. HRH the Duke was with us at the game and departed in his Freelander for the castle.
I couldn't tell you who won but we certainly enjoyed the day. Its amazing how many times we pinch ourselves at our good fortune for living here in Windsor.
Trooping the Colour is a tradition dating back to Charles II where the regimental flag - or Colours - were paraded each morning so that soldiers could easily recognise it in battle. The tradition continues today as one of England's most regal occasions also marking the Queen's official Birthday.
Troops are selected from the Household Division which includes our local Coldstream Guards. Although we didn't make the trip in to London to see the event yesterday - serendipity did intervene when Lynne, Merrilyn, and James ventured onto the Long Walk last Thursday. There they discovered the Colstream Guards were formed along the Long Walk practicing the official salute and "bearing arms". The young soliders were scrutinised by their senior officers to ensure that everying - from their dress through their drill - was perfect.
I've popped some photos and a video up for you to see.
Yesterday James and I went to Legoland. His favourite ride was the roller coaster. We had to go on two!
Saturday 24th May - at long last Mum had arrived and Martin had finished a busy week and we were off to our cottage in Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire. Our stone, 2 bedroom 'Bothy' cottage was a converted cow shed (no really, it was gorgeous!) only a 5 minute walk from the centre of Stow. Although so close it was set in a field with the main house nearby but very private. In fact our closest neighbors were the chickens who provided us with fresh eggs. We arrived late afternoon and were fortunate to catch some sun. The hawthorn-lined drive from the main road and beautiful setting amongst wildflower meadows took our breath away. We were all keen to get out of the car and explore about the dry stone walls, hedges and pathways through the rhododendrons. Martin and Mum were snap happy, James made for the chickens and I checked out the kitchen. Lucky for them my favourite view was from the main kitchen window!
The next morning we drove to Toddington as the Cotswold Steam Fair was underway. The weather was lousy but what better way to see the countryside than from your private compartment of a steam train? We ate our picnic lunch on board and relaxed as the train made its way to Cheltenham. Actually Mum got saturated just standing in the corridor of the carriage with the window open taking video footage. Talk about dedicated! Unfortunately the GWR (Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Railways') main steamie, the Lord Nelson, was unable to run today. The rain was so heavy that we didn't get to see the front of the train and who was pulling us!
In Chipping Campden Mum and I were delighted to find an antique shop full of blue and white English china. James was entertained outside in the old Chipping Campden Market by Dad! Martin had also found our lunch spot - the Eight Bells pub. This has to be one of our all-time favourites. James particularly loved the glass-covered hole in the floor revealing a secret passageway once used by clergy between the church and the pub. Hmmm! To walk off some of the meal we looked around the church of St James and then took a walk along a muddy footpath adjacent to a stream. It wasn't the greatest path in the world but pretty enough and the walk much needed. Well, all that stile-hopping certainly aided digestion!
After another 'Big Breakfast by Martin' we set out for Guiting Wood for a walk. The terrain was varied - fields full of lambs, dense dark, drippy woods and open clearings for logging. We ate our sandwiches perched on a log pile in the misty woods. Thank goodness for that thermos of coffee as the rain had well and truly set in by now. It was a big walk and James did very well. We were all glad to get back to the car but I had to jump out one more time to do the gate!
We had been waiting for a sunny day to visit the Slaughters. After breakfast Martin and Mum donned walking shoes and a pack (and cameras, of course!) and walked through Lower Swell to Lower Slaughter, a distance of a few miles. James and I followed later in the car and met them at the Washbourne Court Hotel for lunch. We are fond of this place as we visited in the first week we lived in England, and spent a lovely afternoon drinking ales in the sun. Today was no exception. The sun came out and we had a delicious lunch and drinks in the courtyard. James made some friends (another James) and happily ran about the lawns. More exercise was in order and we took the footpath through the soggy fields past The Old Mill to Upper Slaughter and back again. Poppies and buttercups made a colourful carpet in the fields and the spring gardens were full of colour - hollyhocks, tulips, roses, wisteria and clematis. However, enough energy exerted to justify an ice-cream!
Today Martin took us on a surprise GPS tour (he didn't tell us where we were going) and we had a great time just driving about through quintessential Cotswold villages. We really liked Blockley, Snowshill, Weston Subedge and Stanton, and treated ourselves to a cream tea in Broadway. I know this sounds like a gastronomic tour and yes, it was! Phew!
Our last meal on Friday we had at the Kings Head in Bledington before driving on in the evening light to visit Great Tew, a tiny village of nearly all thatched cottages. The locals and their dogs were relaxing outside the pub in the low golden sunshine.
Never ones to go straight home we packed up and left our lovely cottage at around 10am. It was a glorious day and we drove south to Bath, arriving for a timely bus at the Park & Ride and got into the town centre at lunch time. Mum hadn't been to Bath and Martin, James and I were pleased to be visiting again. We purchased a walking tour map and spent a few pleasant hours exploring. James was spurred on by the game of locating bronze plaques in the footpath and announcing their number (corresponding with the book) and the direction we must take according to the arrow. We saw lots of Bath this way! It's quite hilly too! It was a long but fun day and soon we made our way east towards Windsor. James and I fell asleep in the car but Mum stayed awake in case she 'missed anything'! She and Martin did manage one last photo session at the ancient Silbury Hill outside Avebury. They just couldn't pass it up!
It was a wonderful holiday and we're so happy to have been able to share it with Mum. Memories like those last forever...
Last week when returning from Bath we stumbled upon Avebury - the site of a both a Neolithic henge and Silbury Hill.
Today we returned to Avebury to walk the henge and explore the sarsen stones. Constructed over 5000 years ago this whole area is covered by barrows (burial mounds), standing stones, and circles. Not surprisingly it is now designated a World Heritage site.
We started off with a picnic lunch to make the most of the warm sun and gentle breeze (why didn't we have this last week when we were in the Cotswolds?) James and I were interested in the 15th century Dovecot. This round building housed up to 500 nesting birds that provided a food source in the winter months. We moved on to explore St James church. This church still bears evidence of its Norman origins. Interestingly there were three small round windows which still contain the holes from which the original curtains were suspended.
After lunch we walked the short distance to the standing stones. These are located in the henge which is surrounded by a ditch dug into the chalk. You can walk amongst the standing stones and on to an avenue which extends for about a kilometre. The grass was long and waved in the breeze. James decided to walk amongst it picking off seed heads and crushing them in his hands. He then explained an elaborate story involving mills, lawn mowers, and machines that finally resulted in bread! [Last week during our walks in the Cotswold I showed him the maturing wheat crops and explained how the seeds are removed from their husks and crushed in a mill to make bread.]
Our walk amongst the Avebury henge took us through fields filled with sheep. Some were lying against the stones whilst others were scratching up against them.
Rather than return home we decided to revisit Stonehenge - only some 20 miles away. James was thrilled - although his favourite part was spotting the audio guide numbers and listening to the commentary. Merrilyn and I both enjoyed visiting this amazing monument again.
You may well know that our secondment (thrice extended) is ending at the end of July. This time around we have been considering a more permanent stay - at least another 3 years. We love living here in the UK. Merrilyn and James have many friends and of course we have been making the most of the travel opportunities.
With such a decision we've looked closely at all our options. Right now - the best next move for us is back to Australia. Although we absolutely love living here we are looking forward to seeing our friends & family - particularly the Saturday morning Brunetti sessions that we miss so much. Having made the decision on Friday there is still much to do. We intend to travel a little before arriving home some time around mid August.
Well it's been a fast and fabulous two weeks but has sadly come to an end with James and I taking Mum to Heathrow this evening. When I think back on the last fortnight we have so many happy memories - firstly of our lovely Cotswold cottage and adventures there, and then being home in Windsor. We spent this morning out on the Long Walk watching guards, bands and horses rehearsing for the Queen's Trooping the Colour ceremony which is to take place in London on Saturday week (I'll blog this spectacular sight separately!) Then we took a picnic lunch to Runnymede in the glorious spring/summer sunshine and took a walk along the Thames. Soon after dinner it was time to pack, have a final game of 'snap', and head off to Terminal 4. It was once again a tearful farewell and we were all sad to be parted. Safe travels, Nin. Love from us xxx
This blog allows us to share in our UK assignment with all our family and friends. We intend to keep it updated will all our experiences (including photos) as we start our new life in London.
With only a few more weeks left in England we are keener than ever to make the most of the fine weekends. Today we drove south to the town of Arundel in West Sussex, to the castle that Martin had bookmarked over a year ago. Set high on a hill, this castle highlights terrific views across the South Downs and River Arun. Built at the end of the 11th Century, it has been the family home of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 900 years.
