London & LA Landmarks

I flew home to be with family (see post about my mom, below) just before the Easter weekend. On the flight from Leeds to London, I got a terrific, birds-eye view of several London landmarks. In the first photo below, you can easily see Tower Bridge and sort of make out the Tower of London, as well as many iconic skyscrapers. 

Tower Bridge

And in this photo, you can spot the London eye, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben (clock tower). One of the three bridges in this photo is also London Bridge, but it's so nondescript, I'm not sure which one it is. I am sure some of you out there know and will rightfully shame me for my ignorance :-)

London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben

The nonstop flight from London to LAX was fairly stressful, and not just because I was traveling home to see my very ill mother. It started out terrific - on a very full flight, I had the aisle seat in a 3-seat row that was otherwise empty. Yahoo!! After the pilot turned off the fasten seatbelt sign, I moved my happy little tush into the middle seat and spread out. About 10 minutes later a flight attendant asked if anyone was sitting in the other seats, as there was a claustrophobic passenger who dearly wanted an aisle seat. I told her as long as he let me out whenever needed (I like to drink a lot of water on long-haul flights), I would move to the window. Shortly thereafter a man moved all of his carry-ons to my original seat and then disappeared for about 20 minutes. When he returned, he reeked of cigarette smoke and was trailed by a very angry flight attendant who informed him that he had broken a federal law and would be arrested as soon as we touched down in LA. He feigned ignorance (his english was not very good) and apologized profusely enough that the head steward came over and said that they would give him one pass, but if he did ANYTHING else, he would be arrested ASAP. Whew! For about ten minutes there I thought I may get to sit next to a man zip-tied to his chair for the next 11 hours! 

My awesome sister, Toni, picked me up and dropped me off at LAX. Of course, both flights required us to be on the 405 at the peak of traffic. Toni had the great idea to drive side-streets there and back again. It was so much fun seeing a ton of LA landmarks along the way! I got a few fun photos of the one and only Randy's Donut shop donut! 

Sunset on Randy's Donuts

Randy's Donuts' donut

My flight home included a medical emergency about four rows behind me. Complete with flight attendants running up and down the aisles, the pilot requesting for any medical personnel onboard to make themselves known, multiple tanks of oxygen, and an ambulance waiting for him upon landing. 

I am very thankful that I was not the medical emergency, and for now on may avoid the direct London <- -=""> LAX flights! 

The Queen's Theatre: Les Miserables

In early April I travelled down to London with two friends to see a West End production! We saw Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre in Picadilly Circus. 

The Queen's Theatre

I've always loved the musical, and the actors were AMAZING. The thing I thought was so terrific about this venue, was the size. We were about halfway back from the stage, and you can see from the photo how close we were. My friend who organized this outing explained that most theaters in London (and England) are older, so they're not so large. I'm so used to seeing concerts and plays in large auditoriums, to see something of this caliber in a such a small venue was truly fabulous. 

Aira Force...in the Rain

On Sunday we had to drive home from the Lakes District, but not before we got in one last walk! Very near our second night's bed and breakfast (really, a room over a pub), was a National Trust site called Aira Force. Apparently "force" is a old english term for a waterfall. 

Small waterfall at Aira Force

The walking trail up to the waterfall was well maintained, which was a very good thing as the weather oscillated between showers and downpour for our entire walk. The trail took us along the lower portion of the river, until we turned the corner and got our first good view of Aira Force. If you look closely, you can see a bridge crossing over the waterfall near its initial dropping point. The people on the bridge give you a good idea of the size of this waterfall. 

Main waterfall from afar

As we made our way closer to the top of the waterfall, you can see the bridge with a bit more detail. 

Main waterfall, up close and personal

I took another photo (below) once we made it on the top of the bridge. You can see people on the viewing platform at the bottom of the waterfall where I took the previous photo (above). 

Main waterfall looking from the bridge, down

The walk down the hill on the other side of the waterfall was just as gorgeous. 

Gentle river

We were able to cross back over to the lower waterfall viewing platform to attempt a selfie or two. We used my phone to take the first photo, which turned out to be a tremendous fail. The second photo was taken with my actual camera, and proved to be a bit easier to use... and highlighted how wet the conditions were during this walk. 

"Selfie" Fail

Semi-successful "selfie"

We then hopped in our car and drove the two hours back to our Yorkshire home. We have learned while living in England to bring rain gear and get out and have fun no matter the weather. Chances are, the weather's going to be crap anyway, so you might as well make the most of it! 

Beatrix Potter, Castlerigg, and Rainy Day Walks

After our night at the delightful Ees Wyck country house, we walked five minutes down the road to visit the home Beatrix Potter purchased as an adult.  Beatrix was a conservationist and upon her death she left the house, along with many, many acres of land to the National Trust. She gifted the home & land so long as it was all left unspoiled. 

Beatrix Potter's country house

The home was quite tiny and dark, but the weather outside was worse, so we were happy to duck in for a half hour or so.

Beatrix Potter's garden

After visiting Beatrix Potter's home, we drove north to find a circle of standing stones built around 3200 BC. The stones are now referred to as Castlerigg stone circle. 

Castlerigg stone circle

Seeing as it was pouring down rain, there weren't many visitors. We had a fun time imagining how the Neolithic Celtic people would have used standing stones such as these as a meeting place for various tribes, religious services and/or sacrifices, or as a portal through time and space! :-)

Bill inside Castlerigg stone circle

We took a walk after visiting the stone circle. I'm not quite sure where we were, or if we could ever find it again, but it sure was pretty! 

Walking in the rain

We also stumbled upon a "new" public waterworks building that was built in 1880. The folks who had it built wanted it to look old timey, so they fashioned it to look like a castle guard house. The plaque out front made sure everyone knew this was a new building. Because, y'know, 1880 was just last week! 

Random "new" public works building (circa 1880)

Tarn Hows and Ees Wyck Country House

In Early April, Bill and I took a long weekend and drove to the west coast of England for a long weekend in the Lakes District. As this name would imply, there are many lakes within the Lakes District, and Tarn Hows is one of them. 

Tarn Hows

I did a bunch of research to locate fun yet easy walks for us to take in the sights, and a walk around Tarn Hows fit the bill. The rain clouds were a bit ominous, but thankfully the rain stayed up in the sky while we walked around the lake. The springtime song birds were a cacophony all around us, and with the weather so foreboding, we only ran across a few other people during the whole of our walk. What a great welcome to the Lakes District!

River flowing away from Tarn Hows

Artsy photo of Tarn Hows

A few posts ago, Bill showcased the first (and so far only) wishing tree we've found in England. We used the rock provided (on top of tree in photo below) to hammer our 10p coin into the tree and made a wish. 

Wishing Tree

Walking around the back side of the lake provided more views of the hills beyond. It was a lovely, relaxing start to our 3-day weekend!

Swooping curve of Tarn Hows

After our walk around the lake, we made our way to our BandB, a large country house that Beatrix Potter used to Summer in as a child, called Ees Wyck. From our room we could see the grazing sheep, yet another lake, and the gorgeous green fields. We had booked a dinner reservation at the house as well, and boy were we happy we did that! It was a 5-course prix fixe dinner and a bottle of wine that was out of this world! We were bummed we had booked our second night at a separate location on the other side of the Lakes District. 

We hope to return to the Ees Wyck at some point in our lives. And if you're ever looking for accommodations in the Lakes District, we strongly recommend this establishment!*

View from Ees Wyck Country House

* This post was not sponsored by the fine folks at Ees Wyck, we just really, really like the place :-)

A Sad Goodbye

Toni, Dad, Mom, Me, Todd
Bill & My Wedding Day, September 24, 2005

As many of you know, I am the primary keeper-of-this-blog. Alas, I haven't been keeping up with the blog over the last several weeks, and the reason why makes me very sad.

My beautiful, fun, full-of-life, healthy, and seemingly indestructible mom took ill last November. She went from attending a Halloween party to a stomach ache to being diagnosed with an aggressive, stage 4 cancer all within a two-week timespan. 

On Sunday, April 20th, she quietly passed away in our house with Dad, Todd, Toni, and me all by her side. She was so brave throughout her ordeal, and as typical, worried about us (not herself) right up until the end. 

We had a small, private ceremony shortly after her passing. A celebration of her life will take place on July 18th with a reception to follow. If you'd like the when and where details, please let me know.

Dad, Todd, Toni, and I all worked together to write her obituary. It was a very difficult thing to do, but I am glad we were able to pull together and support each other. 

I will get back to updating the blog with happier posts in the near future. I actually have quite a backlog of photos and adventures to document, and I look forward to sharing them with you. 

A Morning Walk

Back home in California, Bill and I had a number of favorite breakfast spots: from greasy spoons, coffee shops, and bakeries, to high-end, sit-down restaurants. In England, they seem to have bed and breakfasts or takeaway pastry shops, but not much else as far as breakfast goes. Except for Betty's. Betty's of Harrogate is a Swiss tea house / restaurant that serves fancy meals all day long. And it's only a ten minute walk away!  

Bill decided one Sunday morning a few weeks ago, that we should get up and walk into town for breakfast at Betty's. I thought that a brilliant idea; I hopped out of bed and got ready in record time! We arrived at Betty's at 8:30, but they don't start sit-down service until 9:00, so we had a while to walk around and take in some morning sunshine.

Tour de France is coming!!!

Yorkshire Rose and French Fleur de Lis

Right near the center of town, a dying tree was recently cut down. Instead of grinding out the stump, they carved into the trunk some wonderful artwork celebrating the coming of the Tour de France. One side of the tree showcases a bicycle & the year. The other side of the tree celebrates the Tour spending two days in Yorkshire, with the Yorkshire rose on top and the French Fleur de Lis on the bottom. 

Just behind the carved tree is a bed of flowers in the pattern of a bike. Can you tell everyone's excited that the Tour is coming?!? The road works crews have been working non-stop to re-pave any and all roads featured on the tour (not inconvenient at all... I type sarcastically) and the whole town seems to be receiving a very big spring clean. I hope all of their efforts are worthwhile and the two days the Tour is in Yorkshire are sunny, warm, and fun!

Bike flower display

After our delicious breakfast at Betty's (eggs florentine for me, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and bacon for Bill), we decided to take a nice walk through a local garden. 

Spring is here! (on some days)

As you can see, the sun was shining and the cherry trees are starting to blossom. Alas, the weather turned about an hour after we got home and it rained for the rest of the day.

Along our walk we spotted a small miniature golf course. Those of you who have heard the story about my "Best. Day. Ever!" (Under 10 years old edition) know surprise miniature golf is awesome (IMHO)!

Surprise miniature golf

On our way back through the park towards home I spotted two cute ducks. Awww... 

Duckies!!

All in all, a terrific Sunday morning!

I Scream for Ice Cream!

Finally, we know the source of Neapolitan ice cream!

Either that, or the crazy half-man, half-woman villain from the old Gordon West Batman series has been visiting Yorkshire and having fun sawing livestock into pieces and reassembling them.

A Windy Day

I really enjoy getting outside and going for walks, but I have a harder time than most tackling the longer and more strenuous trails. So I'm always on the lookout for places for Bill and I to go and enjoy, especially when the weather is nice. I had heard about an old quarry site that has been turned into an artistic lookout point on top of a hill in the middle of the Dales called the Coldstone Cuts. It's a lookout point as well as a jumping off point for walks that could be either long or short. A few weeks ago the weather was lovely in town, so I suggested we go out there and see what the day brings us. 

A bit windy

Alas, the weather was quite a bit different 5 miles out of town: quite blustery! Some would say closer to gale-force winds! The photos were all taken at the top of the lookout, so the wind is at maximum velocity and you can see it was indeed strong. However, I must point out that even walking up the hill to the lookout point was a challenge as the wind was against us and bitter cold. 

A bit cold

The wind was so strong, it kept almost whipping my glasses off my face! And when I smiled, I had to smile "hard" because otherwise the wind whipped my cheeks around like an old babushka was pinching and shaking them. Seriously. And I basically had dreadlocks by the time we made it back to the car. Not pretty.

Holding on for dear life!

It was hard to see with the wind lashing at our eyeballs, but the camera shows the view of the old quarry was interesting if not necessarily beautiful.

Coldstone Cuts quarry

The view of the Dales on the other side of the lookout had the winds at our back, so the view was a bit easier to appreciate. And it was much prettier, in my humble opinion!

Yorkshire Dales as seen from Coldstone Cuts

Walking back down to our car the wind was at our backs, which was great for our eyes but meant that we were literally blown down the steep, gravel path. After our harrowing, 30-minute (and less than a half-mile) walk, we decided we were done. 

Off to the pub for Sunday carvery we went - two orders of pot roast & Yorkshire puds (puddings), please! And, of course, a couple of pints.

Wishing Trees

The Lakes District northwest of us has a great deal of scenic beauty.  The arboreal setting with its many lakes and rivers reminds me a bit of the Ozarks and the Mark Twain National Forest back home in Missouri where I grew up.  It's a prime UK destination for serious walkers (think backpacking).  Very pretty.  Here's a couple of shots, but they don't really do it justice:

While misty and damp, we were glad to see it before the trees all leafed-out this year.  We were able to see the curving lakes from many angles.

We also finally ran across a wishing tree - something we had been told about, but hadn't seen for ourselves.  From a distance, it looks like this:

You have to squint to see the corrugated-looking trunk in the smaller images here - but it's studded with coins!  Getting closer, you can see what is going on here:

If only we had had a U.S. Quarter to use!  Regardless, our wish was driven with love and brought a tiny piece of hope when it was needed.

Gal-Pal Day Trip to London

Several of the women I've met while living in England have become good friends. A few of us decided we'd take the train down to London for a day of art, food, shopping, and more food. There may have been a glass of wine or two involved, as well.

Blurry photo of all four of us on the train to London

We left our local train station at 9:04 and arrived in London at 12:30. Our main destination was to see an exhibit of Chihuly glasswork in the Halcyon Gallery in Soho. I had never been to the Soho district in London; it was a lot of fun walking past the Channel, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, etc. flagship stores that are so high-end you'd expect to see a Kardashian or Oprah walking out of them at any given moment. I mean, they're really the only people who can afford to shop in these stores, right? 

Regardless, we made our way to the Halcyon Gallery without too many stops to look at our map. And the Chihuly glass did not disappoint. 

Ceiling full of Chihuly glass

All of the artwork had names, but I don't remember them, so I've decided to give them my own names in this blog. I hope Dale Chihuly doesn't get mad! :-)

Chihuly glass... I shall call it "Blue Trumpet!"

Chihuly Glass... "Yellow Orangey Seashells"

Bill and I went to the Seattle Chihuly gallery and got to see lots of his artwork a few years ago. This collection was by far smaller than the one in Seattle, but no less impressive. 

Chihuly glass... "A Whole Lotta Red"

Oogling the Chihuly

We had lunch at an honest-to-goodness Mexican restaurant!! I was SO excited about this part of our trip. I ordered the bean and corn salad and it did not disappoint. I ate the whole thing - even the tostada shell. YUMMMMM!!!!

Wahaca's corn and bean salad

We also visited a store famous for their high-end textiles and ready-to-wear clothing. Their signature fabrics are so soft and gauzy, I can't imagine it would be easy to sew. And at £20 per yard (about $35), I don't think I'll experiment with Liberty's fabric! They also sold scarfs, but the cheapest was £60 (about $100). As souvenirs, I bought two Liberty-print handkerchiefs for £22 - they're big enough to tie my hair back, tie around my neck, or around a purse/handbag. And they're super-cute without breaking the bank!

Liberty of London

Clock arch near Liberty 

After checking out Liberty's we had plenty of time to walk around and enjoy Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and grab not one, but two dinners! :-) 

Street in Picadilly Circus

Picadilly Circus skyline

We stopped at one restaurant for a glass of wine and an appetizer, but their liquor license wouldn't let us drink without purchasing a main dish. So, we ordered one pizza for us to split and enjoyed our yummy beverages of choice. About an hour after we left that location we found a different place for dinner and had a proper sit-down before our 3+ hour trip back home.  

Chinatown gate near Picadilly Circus

A nerd like me cannot be at London King's Cross train station without attempting to catch the Hogwart's Express at platform 9-3/4. Alas, I am a muggle (and 30 years too old) and didn't make the cut into Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Sigh... 

Off to Hogwarts!!

The train home was, nonetheless, eventful. I won't go into the details (too hard to do it justice), but let's just say the long, late-night train ride with a drunken gay guy who wants you to deal him into your card game was a hoot. A bit awkward, but a hoot!