With a couple days left of summer vacation, we made a quick trip down to a suburb of St. Louis where my brother and his family just bought a new house. It was great to see them, to visualize where they’re living now, and to enjoy their new backyard pool!
Monday, August 19, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Glamping
We took the kids camping in Michigan for a couple days and had a wonderful time. My sister-in-law says we went “glamping” (glamour camping) because we rented a 30-foot fifth wheel and had air conditioning for the daytime and heat for the night and we showered/bathed in our private bathroom, but we all had fun.
Renting is the way to go! We found the camper on craigslist in Michigan and didn’t have to do any set-up or take-down. It came fully equipped with cooking supplies and games, so dare I say this was relatively “easy”? It also helped that Luke’s mom and her sisters were all in neighboring campsites so all the cooking was done for us. Yup, I think “glamping” is the way to go!
Checking to see if Grandpa and Grandma are up yet.
The kids loved playing at the beach.
The girls were really princess campers when they put on the tutus that Luke’s aunts made for them!
Audrey won a necklace from the campground host.
And she made a nature box (from kiwicrate) and collected treasures.
And of course, the campfire!
Making silly faces with second cousins.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Cousin Camp
A BIG thanks to my parents who watched our kids while Luke and I were in England. They filled their days with libraries and bubbles, with playgrounds and tickets to the movies (Turbo, which they all loved), with splash pads and ice cream cones. And then, for one weekend out of the 10 days, they invited my brother’s daughters over for the first annual “cousin camp” including cousin t-shirts, crafts, paddle boat rides, and sleeping bags. I don’t think my kids had any time at all to miss us. :)
Saturday, August 3, 2013
London
We saved the biggest city for last. Our hotel was on the south bank, and since we’ve both seen the big attractions before (Buckingham, Tower of London, Westminster, etc.) we decided to focus our two days in London on the south side.
We started off with a play, Macbeth, at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. This was possibly the highlight of my whole trip. It was amazing. The acting, the music, the participation with the audience (do you see the “groundings” standing for the whole play as they would have done in Shakespeare’s time?), the open-air theatre (using only words to indicate the time and weather, e.g., “The night has been unruly”)… it was all so engaging and powerful. I loved it! (And Luke enjoyed seeing Billy Boyd, Pippen from Lord of the Rings, playing Banquo.)
St. Paul’s from the South Bank
Big Ben from the South Bank
Borough Market, a food market in Southwark, 5 minutes from our hotel
Enjoying a raspberry tart from the market
Descending to the Tube.
Fantastic Indian food at Bangalore followed by the musical Once at the Phoenix Theater in London. It was a great show for the last night of our trip. Very entertaining, quaint, and moving… a unique theater experience for sure. We loved it.
A final stop at the Sherlock Holmes Pub on our way back to the hotel.
Oxford
It’s been so long… I studied in Oxford in the spring of 2000. It was one of the most shaping experiences of my life, and it was fun to return to the city again 13 years later. I enjoyed showing Luke where I lived (The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies on Shoe Lane), where I went to school (Keble College), where I went to church (St. Ebbes), and all of my favorite little places throughout the city.
Keble College
The dining hall where I ate many a meal.
Here I am at my old residence, 13 years later, and the Lamb and Flag Passage we took daily to walk to Keble.
The Sheldonian Theatre, Bridge of Sighs, and Christ Church
Afternoon Tea at the Randolph Hotel
Bath, England
Our next stop was Bath, where we toured the ancient Roman Baths at night as they were lit by torches. With the mood lighting, the steam coming off the pool, and a view of Bath Abbey in the background, let’s just say this was a romantic museum.
Bath at night
The next morning we did what people have been doing for millennia in this city: we took a bath. Bath Thermae Spa is located in a modern building (see below) not far from the ancient Roman baths. Together, Luke and I soaked in the warm (92*F) mineral-water Minerva Bath with a lazy river to carry us around the pool; we cleansed our pores in the steam rooms (with four different aromatherapy scents) followed by cold refreshing showers; and we relaxed in the steamy rooftop pool as we looked down on the city skyline below. True relaxing like the Romans did!
Bath Abbey
On our last night in Bath we enjoyed a comedy walk through the town.
Everyone’s celebrating!
Downton Abbey
We admit it: we are among the millions who are big Downton Abbey fans and wanted to see where some of the show is filmed. While the spires of Highclere Castle usually get the spotlight, anytime one of the show’s characters ventures into Downton village, the town of Bampton gets a chance to shine.
St. Mary’s church in Bampton
Bampton’s church has been the setting of Grantham family weddings.
I’m standing at the gate where Lady Mary entered the churchyard for her wedding to Matthew Crawley.
Right beside the church is Churchgate House, the exterior film site for the home of Isobel Crawley and her son Matthew.
Just outside the churchyard walls is a huge tree and park bench that shows up in a number of Downton Abbey episodes.
Next comes the Bampton Library which serves as the exterior for Downton Hospital (picture Mrs. Hughs walking up for a cancer checkup).
Bampton is a pretty little village.
Luke and I at Highclere Castle. No photos are allowed inside, but it was fun to see the library, the dining room, the bedrooms, the grand oak staircase, and the large saloon – the heart of the house and the setting of many famous scenes such as the Servants’ Ball and the concert for the soldiers. What a delight to visit this beautiful estate.
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