Last Day in England

Tomorrow I fly out to Dublin, Ireland, leaving behind my beloved cousins here in England and all the family historic sites and the beautiful English countryside. It's been a very full week, and there is so much to remember about my time here. Seeing the places my mother frequented, where she was born, the grave of the grandfather who died long before I was born, the churches, paths, villages...so much to remember. I have taken as many pictures as possible, hoping that I will be able to capture these memories. I'll have lots to post when I return home.

Some things that surprised me: so many thatched houses and barns still standing and in use. I had thought those were in tourist-y places but that's not so. They're just part of every day life.

Another: stone homes in all sorts of stone and patterns, tile roofs, intricate brickwork. At home all of these would be very costly, but again, here it is the norm and it's frame houses that are rare. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of picturesque villages--they're real and not just tourist attractions.

Another: how long to takes to go places. Here near Cambridge the roads are quite congested, especially the ones like interstates. Other roads can be pretty narrow and twisty. And roundabouts! Wow. I am glad Les is driving so I don't have to face those on my own.

Another: good food. Really. We always hear about bad English food but I have not found any of it. Everything we've tried has been delicious.

Enough for now. LOTS more later when I can post photos and delve into the stories of where I have been and what I've seen.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.