England

Oh England, I could live in your green glory!  It is such a joy to look back at these pictures and think about the great trip we had.  It was probably one of my all time favorite trips - ever.  And that is saying something.  

What was it about this trip that made it so spectacular?  I think there was something about being on a boat with no where to go and no place we had to be and the inability to go fast that made it so delightful.  Truly.  Almost everyone we met was English or Welsh and they too were on holiday, which made for delightful, laid back fellow boaters.  

After we left Iceland, we grabbed a short flight to Heathrow where we picked up a car and headed up the M5 north.  Balin was a saint for driving a manual transmission on the wrong side of the road.  The first 5 minutes were a bit crazy as he took a corner to tight and was driving on the sidewalk - yikes.  We shoved in, headed out and got out of London in a jiffy.  We were headed north to Chester, an intact walled mid-evil city, where we stayed the night in a hotel from the 1700's.  Sadly our day in Chester was tainted by pouring rain - but we still made it out for a walk about and a little Pokemon Go along the way.  

Our Hotel in Chester.  Love how Europeans put flowers everywhere.

The look of a hungry, tired child.  We were having FUN!!!

Grandma made their day by letting them find Pokemon's.  I have to admit that we saw a bunch of places due to that game we would not have otherwise seen.  

The Queen's gate going into old town Chester.  It's a pedestrian zone and it probably looks like it did back in the mid evil days.

"Ye Olde Post Inn" established in 1643.  Wow.  

We gave Sam and Perrin a little bit of a leash in the town  square - they just had to stick together.  Sam actually was putting his arm around her.  Bless you Pokemon Go!  

From Chester we got back in the car and took a myriad of two lane back roads to the little obscure marina where we were to pick up our boat for the week.  We had rented a 70' 3 bed 2 bath canal boat for the 5 of us.  We had a full kitchen, dining area and it was stocked with everything we might need. The kids were over the moon and so excited to be on an adventure.  

Captain Sam was at the helm and all things ran smoothly.

 Steering a 70' boat is not without its challenges.  We came upon our first lock which you have to go through in order to move up the canals.  There is a winch mechanism that you turn in order to lower or raise the gates which allow water to flow or keep water in.  The canals were built in the 1700's to allow for easy transport of goods.  There is a vast system of them throughout England and we talked with several English who lived on their boats and traveled through England and Wales full-time. In most places the canals were wide enough for two narrow boats to go by, but just barely.  We often bumped and squeaked our way through the narrow areas hitting fellow boaters with a loud apology.

When going through the locks two people, or one agile one, has to hop off the boat and then turn the crank to release the water, allowing the boat to come into the lock.  Then the top locks must be released allowing the water above the boat to fill the lock and hence raising the boat to the upper level.  It was about a 20 minute process if there were no boats waiting in line, which there often were.  On the canal there is really a slowing of time.  There is no hurry as it is recommended to only travel as fast as you can without creating a wake, which is actually quite slow.  Ahhh....

 The kids were quite helpful until they fell into Harry Potter and then we didn't see much of them thereafter except for our daily excursions.

As we headed north towards Wales, we came over a beautiful bridge, though it was a little nerve racking as it was hundreds of feet above the valley floor.  

One of the beautiful things about this trip was it felt like we were natives not tourists.  We didn't feel the need to go and see every sight along the way.  We went to 2 museums in 14 days and 1 castle.  That was it.  Most of us when we go to Europe we feel like we have to see everything in case we don't come back.  I'm ok if we don't come back, I've seen such a beautiful piece of England, but I think we will.

One of our excursions was to see a castle, that is actually still lived in by the family during certain parts of the year. (I thought my house was drafty and expensive to heat)  We parked our boat and then took a walk up the meandering path and over the dale - not exaggerating here - to this lovely castle.
It was like walking through a Jane Austen film.  Breathtaking and awe inspiring.

Of course we stopped and had tea in the castle, with a little something sweet to eat.  We actually found Perrin's scones to be far better than any we had in England.  Not once did we get the treat of eating a scone right out of the oven while we were there.

The routine of the boat became pretty clear by day 3.  Balin and sometimes Sam would get up and go for a run in the morning while I got tea and breakfast on.  Once Balin got back he'd jump in the shower and I would get us underway.  Depending on how far we had to go that day would determine our pace.  Once underway and Balin was back on the helm, I would often hop off the boat alone or with my mom,  and walk a brisk pace for a couple of miles.  There are paths called Tow-paths all along the canals as livestock was used in the early days to literally "tow" the boats.  The trails are really well maintained and an absolute delight to walk along.  I found I was happy to walk for a couple of hours all by myself. :)  Such an amazing way to see the countryside.  Since we didn't want to use our phones we agreed upon which bridge for me to stop and wait for the boat, since the walker is almost always ahead of the boat.

A traditional pub we stopped in on the first night for dinner.  It was awesome and the food delicious.  The beer selection was admirable and Balin was a happy captain.

We generally ate breakfast and lunch on the boat and went out for dinner.  It was pretty good eating all the way around.

Perrin was in heaven with Nutella, bread and tea for breakfast.

Our entry into Whales.  Do not call a person from Whales an Englishman - found out they don't really like that. 

One of our stops for tea in the afternoon.  So nice to hang out with the family.

I found a store that sold Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  It was to die for.  Inspiring and makes me want to paint everything I see.

This is what the kids did much of the trip.  They hung out with each other and read.  I dreamed of this day when the kids would want to read non-stop.

One of our favorite past times before dinner was: beer, wine, soda and cards.  The kids got pretty good at hearts.

After 6 nights we took our boat back to the marina we found her and headed back towards London.  Our overnight was in Oxford and I have to say that is a gorgeous city.  We hopped on a red tour bus, thankfully as it was pouring rain out, and got a general tour of the city.  What an amazing town.  We had the pleasure of staying in the previous castle of Charles the Great (I think...) which was later, as in the 1300's, turned into a prison.  5 years ago the prison was turned into a swanky hotel - cells turned into 5 star rooms.  Perrin and mom stayed in an actual cell while the rest of us stayed in a more updated room.

We took a tour of the prison that afternoon and found the history and the narrative fascinating.

Our tour guide was awesome - complete with authentic accent.  Great story teller and kept the kids attention for the entire tour.

In looking back at this trip, I can't help but think of it fondly.  The company was amazing, the accommodations delightful and it truly felt like a vacation and not just another trip.  I am so thankful for the generosity of my mom taking us to these lovely places and wanting to spend her time with us. The memories we made will be held for a lifetime by both myself and the rest of my family.  A beautiful way to leave a legacy and I'm grateful.