Hiking in England 101

DO's (things Rachel is proud of herself for doing)

• do go to the Peak District
• do stay in hotels/B&B
• do remember that a full english breakfast means backbacon, egg, sausage, toast, cereal, and beans and that it's assumed you want milk in your tea
• do talk to as many local people as you can
• do know how to read a map (and use a compass - yes I can do both of these)
• do bring good base layers (it makes a world of difference)
• do buy those leg gator things (I would've if I could afford them)
• do watch for where the sheep have been
• do accidentally walk in on traditional folk music and dancing in the pub downstairs in your hotel that is packed with people who came over on the folk train (and leave two hours later on the same train with the musicians playing all the way back)

DON'TS (nobody's perfect)

• don't eat fish'n'chips anywhere near bedtime
• don't bypass learning 'English' map vocabulary (ie. meanings of: stile, clough, fords, plinth, hamlet, grange, sheepfold, etc.)
• don't go on your own unless you posess the confidence to eat alone at the pub (I got used to it!)
• don't think you're the lucky one who won't get rained on
• don't forget to bring the special hiking pants that you brought to England specifically for such occasions

Anyways, here are some pics. I stayed in a village called Edale. It is in the hope valley between the dark and white peaks. The peaks are mostly peat soil, with only heather, grass, ferns and moss growing on them. There are some treed areas, as well as streams and waterfalls where the water collects and flows down the hills. The land is littered with farms, farmhouses, and little villages, and of course, more cows and sheep than people.

The Rambler Country Hotel

Farmhouse along one of the trails.

There are gates and stiles everywhere to keep the sheep grazing in their proper place.

At the top of 'Kinder Scout' peak (very windy)

Long Story

Rachel it's your Birthday. Happy Birthday Rachel.

So...although there was a party at home and I wasn't invited :), I managed to have a great weekend away. The adventure involved staying in a YMCA in the city of Bath (yes we sung the song), and renting a car to drive an hour or two to Salisbury and Stonehenge. It was a busy weekend, but absolutely lovely. We had great crisp fall weather, just like at home, and I was so thankful I had the chance to just jump in a car and see some amazing things with friends. Here are some pics.... by the way, Martha is the redhead, Ang has curly blonde hair, Dan is the man, Jaqui is the one that is not tall.


Bath is called bath because it sits on Englands only naturally occuring hot springs which made a perfect spot for the Romans to build a bath house for purposes of worship, healing, rejuvination and swimming. It was built in the 1st century, and much has been restored and added to, but many original parts remain.





The city itself is made up of buildings all made from similar stone which creates a really interesting look as you drive through the streets. There is also a bunch of roundabouts or circuses surrounded by a circumference of rounded buildings. (cool eh Dad?)




Salisbury is famous for this Cathedral below, that, besides being gorgeous and very big (this is for you H), boasts the tallest spire in Britain (named the Salisbury Stake...), and the largest Cathedral cloisters in Britain. It also houses the finest of only four surviving original Magna Carta written in 1215. (cited from the Salisbury Cathedral visitors brochure).




Stonehenge is only one of the many neolithic sites in the south of the country. It is the most popular because it has been preserved the best. It was built about 5000 years ago. Wow. We also visited Avebury, a town running through another stone circle. It is not really known why these circles of stones were built and how they got these massive rocks from Wales to England...it was very strange to see these formations in the middle of nowhere. We thought maybe people just put them there to attract tourists. We decided we should go into the business and create Strawhenge, Shorehenge, Icehenge, Veggiehenge...





Anyways it's going to be resting up for the next two weeks until half-term when I get a week off. If anyone has that week free (Oct 20ish), get a plane ticket across the pond!

Rachel

Umm...Jim is that you?

It's so strange the people you run into. On Saturday, a friend was going to Warwick Castle with two friends. Two more of us decided to tag along as there were free tickets involved (16 pounds reg price was a bit steep otherwise). So we were exploring the castle which was built in the 1000's and was used up until the early 1900's when all of a sudden I see a familiar face emerging from the torture chamber. After staring at him for about 2 minutes straight I realize that I should say hi. For those of you who know Jim Kerr, you would understand my reaction of just laughing. For those of you who don't, Jim was one of my faculty of ed. cousillors/advisors for the entire year of teachers college. It turns out that he and his wife were doing a West Midlands canal boat tour and then visiting his daughter who lives in New Castle, Northern England. It was pretty crazy to see Jim in the middle of a castle a half an hour from my home in Birmingham. It was great to see him.

Anyways, for those of you who are sick of castle pictures, stop now and bypass the pictures. For those of you who don't mind, this castle was refurbished to look like it would have, it is in great condition, and sits on a beautiful landscape of fields, grass, canals and roads filled with traditional tudor style homes. Enjoy.

Outside of the Castle

'The mound' above the castle. This is the oldest part of the castle and overlooks the 'backyard' seen below.

Inside the castle facing the newest part where the living quarters, party rooms etc. are.

House right across the street from the castle.