Meant to Be...

2014 brought us to northeast England.  It brought us an opportunity to make memories in a foreign land.  We took a leap that will be one of the biggest of our life.  This year has brought us closer to each other.  We learned to depend on each other in ways we have never had to before.

I discovered the role and importance my career plays in my identity while uncovering new gifts that make my heart happy.  I have become comfortable living in a new place.  I have put myself into new situations that have tested my confidence.

This past year has brought excitement, fear, challenges, and successes.  Through each of these, I have been shaped and transformed.  Challenges have been hard, accomplishments have been sweet, and some of the changes have brought me to tears. 

Some days I question if it was the right decision to step away from the comfortable and into the foreign.  As I look back on this past year, where I am today, what I have achieved, and how I stepped out of my comfort zone, I am sure these are the lessons I am meant to be learning in this season of my life.

As we prepare to ring in 2015, my wish for this upcoming year and you is this:

As we end 2014, remember the lights are always on!

~W

Merry and Bright...

Christmas traditions have always commenced on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend in my life.  The tree is decorated with lights and ornaments, and a wreath is hung on the door.  Carols ring throughout our house while the oven is constantly occupied with baking cookies.  Our beautiful personalized stockings are hung.  Christmas Eve mass is celebrated.

Christmas traditions are sprinkled throughout the month of December.  Old traditions were ever present this Christmas, our first in England, while some new ones were added.  While the ornaments that hold the memories of past vacations and life events did not make the trip to England with us, new ornaments given with love by neighbors adorned our tree this year.  These new ornaments will forever carry memories of our adventure in a foreign land and the friends that became family.

A truly American ornament to remind us of home from our Welsh neighbors!

Our kitchen smelled of the usual Christmas cookies for many days.  As I boxed up cookies to give to friends, I was flooded with memories of baking along side my mom.  Every year as a child, weekends in December were spent whipping up batches of our favorites.  There was a notable Christmas treat missing from my kitchen this year...my mom's scrumptious fake toffee.  The yearly lesson on how to make the perfect fake toffee has become a part of my Christmas.  Standing in my mom's kitchen vigorously stirring the pan of sugar and butter, my mom and I would chat about life happenings or reminisce about my childhood Christmases.  She would tell me to put some muscle into it and to not stop stirring while I would just hope that maybe one day I could make this Christmas staple without her help.  After a few prep talks, I was ready to tackle making this myself, only to discover that I could not buy the essential ingredient...saltine crackers!  Though I have been known to import tinned pumpkin, I could not justify shipping saltine crackers in!

The smell of peanut butter blossoms, sugar cookies, gingerbread, cornflake cookies, and spiced pecans filled my kitchen, while mince pies were baking in my neighbor's oven.  My misconceptions of mince pies led me to politely decline every time I was offered one this December.  The mention of mince pies would conjured up visions of ground meat in pie crusts, which did not scream Christmas or tasty.  Once my misconceptions about this traditional British Christmas treat were set straight, I indulged in many and have added them to our Christmas cookie list!

Homemade mince pie baked filled with raisins and currants, not meat!

In my opinion, the Christmas season is launched as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are cleaned and put away.  Thanksgiving marks the end of autumn and the beginning of the Christmas season.  Thanksgiving meals are not a part of English life, but the Brits have not missed out on the opportunity for a large festive meal.  Christmas dinner is a crucial element for the English.  Our first Christmas dinner was with our church group.  We feasted on the usual Christmas dinner fare...parsnips, potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, and ham.  On Christmas Day, we sat down for Christmas dinner with our neighbors.  With our paper crowns on, we indulged in the standard Christmas dinner fixings.  Tasty Yorkshire puddings, carrots and pears, peas, pork, stuffing, and pig 'n blankets filled our plates.

Throughout the Christmas season, love from family and friends was present.  It was felt in each Christmas card received, every present opened, and all the meals shared.  Our first English Christmas was rich with new traditions and lots of love.  As we enjoy our twinkling Christmas tree for a few more days, remember our lights are always on.

~W

See it: Alnwick Castle and Gardens

It is time to catch up on all of our adventures from this fall.  In early October, we visited Alnwick Castle and Gardens with AJ's parents.  I was particularly excited about this outing, because Alnwick is a residence for the Twelfth Duke and Duchess of Northumberland and has been in the Percy family for generations.  As beautiful and fascinating as I find castle ruins, I felt a need for a change in scenery for our Saturday adventures!

The entrance to the castle grounds

We entered the castle grounds through the door above.  This castle was once described as the most heavily fortified castle in 1138.  This castle stands as a landmark of the Norman Age.

The castle grounds looking to west after walking through the walls surrounding the grounds.

English weather was very cooperative on the day of our visit.  We were treated to glorious sunshine that truly highlighted the beauty of this castle.

This is the expansive eastern side of the castle residence as well as the Postern tower.

As a residence of the Twelfth Duke and Duchess of Northumberland since the mid 1990s, this remarkable piece of English history is also a home.  Due to the great expense of maintaining such a place, visitors are invited to tour the castle and grounds.  Photos were not permitted within the castle itself.  As I walked from room to room, there was a museum-quality of historical artifacts, art, and photographs.  Each holding significance to the history of this castle and the family who owns it.  Sprinkled among all of these artifacts were personal mementos and photographs that document special family moments.  While I cannot possibly imagine a childhood running the halls of this castle, playing board games in its great library, or crawling up with a book in one of its alcoves, all of the personal family treasures that dotted the tour, reminded me this is a home of a family.  It is a place where children have been raised, parties held, holidays celebrated, and family memories made.

These are two of the towers surrounding the castle grounds. 

Alnwick Castle was a defensive development on a bluff over looking a river with a moat that was impenetrable.  Through the years, soldiers stood watch in these towers and on the walls to guard against raids by the enemy.

The Stage Coach stored in the Coach House

In the livery, an impressive historical artifact is stored.  This coach was once a royal coach, which carried the Third Duke in 1825.  The Third Duke served as the representative of King George the IV to the coronation of Charles X in France.  The coach was repainted in 1902 with coat of arms of the Seventh Duke and Duchess for the coronation of King Edward VII.  While this coach has been witness to great moments in history, it has also been used during personal family events.  Mostly recently, this coach carried the Twelfth Duke's daughters on each of their wedding days.

Portion of the gates surrounding an area of the Alnwick Castle

The Twelfth Duchess of Northumberland, the current resident of the castle, has taken on the task of creating whimsical and innovative gardens within the old garden walls.  She has employed some of the greatest garden designers to create an experience for visitors second to none in England.

The paths among the topiaries that create a peaceful and serene experience with nature.

Portions of the Anlwick Gardens the highlight an emphasis on creating a imaginative experience.

Among the various sections of the garden were produce, topiaries, and a vast array of flowers.  In a separate gated section of the garden was an area designated as the "Poison Garden."

Entrance to the Poison Garden warning trespassers of the dangers on the other side of the gate.

Behind these locked gates, the Poison Garden is home to some of the most deadly plants.  This mystical portion the Anlwick Gardens was created to feed the curiosity of children.  The Twelfth Duchess of Northumberland felt that children were drawn to information on how plants killed people and the gruesome nature of the death.  On the particular day that we visited, we were only able to peek over the gate. 

Wall and gate on the castle gardens

As we strolled the castle grounds, we passed this wall and gate.  The sun beamed down on the autumn leaves, and this moment felt truly English.  This moment was the imagine I carried in my head for months as we prepared to move the land of tea, cathedrals, castles, and scones.  As I snapped this photo and soaked up the beauty surrounding me, this adventure felt like a dream.  Remember the lights are always on as I reminisce about our glorious day in the English countryside at a magnificent castle.

~W 

Hometowns...

For ten days in November, I took the back roads and did not use the satnav.  I listened to my favorite radio stations, heard the newest country songs, and sang along to all my favorites.  I drove past the harvested cornfields.  I munched on chips and salsa at our favorite Mexican place.  I sipped ice tea and ate frozen custard with Reese peanut butter cups even though it was frigid outside.  I savored my favorite salad while catching up with some of my favorite people.  I laughed with coworkers and told of all our adventures and misadventures living in the UK.  I dipped my veggies and chicken strips in ranch dressing.  I read the local paper and knew exactly where each town in the articles was located.  I walked the aisles of Target with a Starbucks in my hand.  I sat at my parents' kitchen table and talked for hours just like I had on so many Fridays before the move.  I could predict the weather for the whole day by just looking out the window.  I made purchases at shops, and no one asked where I was from in America or why I was there, because I just fit in.  

For ten days, I was in familiar territory.  I was comfortable.  I knew the landscape.  I was a local.  When my feet hit the ground in the airport, I felt at home, even though I knew I was now just visiting. 

While I felt at home and like I could easily slide back into my Midwestern life, each conversation and story of our British life were gentle reminders that I would shortly be boarding a plane home to the UK.  This Midwestern town , with all its familiar sights and sounds, is not my home anymore, but a place that I visit.  It has been a rough transition for me to think of the UK as home, but that is where home is.

At the end of the ten days with a few tears in my eyes, I boarded the plane back home to the UK.  Until I moved away, I never realized the security living in my hometown gave me.  It is truly where I was born, where I was raised, and the place that holds some of my most precious yesterdays.  Moving away from my hometown is part of the adventure.  Some days it is tough...really tough, some days it is thrilling, some days it is terrifying, and some days the UK is even starting to feel like home .  As I get back in my routine and recover from the jetlag, remember the lights are always on in our home in the UK.

~W 

Thankfulness...

This time last year, AJ and I were ending our Thanksgiving holiday in the Midwest.  Last fall, it seemed as if all the pieces could fall into place to make AJ's dream of working overseas for his company a reality, but Thanksgiving of 2013 left us waiting, wondering, and praying.  There were a lot of prayers for peace, patience, and guidance.  We entered the holiday season hopeful that we could be moving to the UK in 2014.  As this goal became a reality in early 2014, we prayed for so many aspects of the move and our new life...to make new friends, to build a community, for guidance and wisdom on a multitude of decisions, and to just have faith.  As we gathered for three separate Thanksgivings this year, AJ and I reflected on our blessings in 2014.  

This year, we are thankful for...

Opportunities to make memories that would not be possible without this assignment.

Neighbors, who have embraced us, loved us, and guided us through life in the UK.

Family, who have listened to our fears and successes and encouraged us each step of the way.

A Bible study group that welcomed us with open arms and has given us a sense of community and belonging.

Friends to sit around a Thanksgiving table to celebrate a truly American holiday.

Most of all, we are thankful for courage to step out of the comfortable life we knew and into an adventure that will shape us in ways we do not even know.

As we end this holiday weekend counting our blessings, remember the lights are always on!

~W

See It: Tynemouth Priory and Castle

A few weekends ago, we headed north for our next history lesson at Tynemouth Priory and Castle.  This was once the largest fortified area in the northeastern part of England. It is situated at the mouth of the Tyne and had strategic value for centuries.  Until the development of modern infantry and weaponry, this stronghold was essentially impenetrable to the enemy as it is connected to the mainland by tall cliffs.

This land was occupied as early as the eighth century; however, these ruins date back to the medieval times.  The ruins of the monastery are dedicated to St. Oswine, whose body was preserved in a shrine on the grounds. 

Tynemouth Abbey ruins

These are the ruins of the priory church.  The two openings on the right that look like window were actually niches for statues. 

The vast height of the walls was astonishing.  If you look closely, you can see me on the left side for a size reference!

The devotion to the Virgin Mary was a long monastic tradition.  Due to this devotion, Lady Chapels were often built.  The walls above are the ruins of the Lady Chapel at Tynemouth.  It was considered a new addition in 1336!

Stained glass window in the Percy Chantry

One of the characteristics of cathedrals, ruins, and castles that I never tire of looking at are stained glass windows.  Each is so beautiful!  The complexity or simplicity varies greatly.  These masterfully-created windows often take such skill, precision, and time.  I always wonder what stories these windows could tell about the people that labored over them for days, months, or years.  This gorgeous flower stained glass window is located in the Percy Chantry, the only portion of the church to survive completely.  Mass would be chanted for the family that endowed the space.  It is not completely known which family endowed this space.  The Percy family, a powerful and well-known family in the northeast, arms decorates portions of the space.   Though the Percy arms are present, the initials I L P for Iohannes Langton Prior are also visible in the ceiling suggesting the space may have been endowed in his honor.

The graveyard on the priory grounds has tombstones that date back to the 18th and 19th century.  The majority of the tombstones are made of sandstone.  The headstones represent people who stood on this land, protected it, and worshiped on it have been eroded by salty wind from the North Sea and the rain.  There is something extremely beautiful these headstones.  

Tynemouth Gatehouse

The only medieval defense that has survived and remained largely intact is the Tynemouth Gatehouse.  Since 1390, it served as the main entrance to the headland.  Its grandeur conveys the wealth and power of the institution it protected.  

Church steeple located in the center of town

After exploring the Tynemouth Priory and Castle, we spent the afternoon strolling down the High Street.  This area was lined with quaint tea rooms and picturesque boutiques to pop into to browse or enjoy an afternoon treat. 

After a day learning about the history at our doorstep, we headed home to plan our next outing.  As we contemplate the next stop on our adventure, remember the lights are always on!

~W

Octobers...

A friend posted this quote on Facebook. 

October 1st...not technically the first day of autumn, but in a way it has always felt that way to me.  The back to school feelings of September have ended, and the school year routine is a bit smoother.  There is usually a slight chill in the air by October.  As we transition from summer to fall here in the UK, my homesickness has hit!  Summer in the UK felt similar to the states, but without the unbearable heat.  Now that autumn is in full swing I am feeling the differences. 

October embodies everything I love...sweater and boot weather, pumpkin everything, changing leaves, cool temps, hoodies, and harvest time.  As AJ will tell anyone, I live for sweater weather.  I love throwing on a sweater with boots.  When we first moved, a lot of Brits told us about the weather.  AJ would always respond with, "W will absolutely love the weather...she lives for sweater weather!"  It is true. Sweater weather has been one of the aspects of daily life in the UK that I wholeheartedly love!  Our temps have been in the mid fifties..perfect for a sweater, scarf and boots!.  Everyday, I smile as I pull on another sweater.

Pumpkins are another iconic fall symbol for me!  For over two-thirds of my life, I lived in the Pumpkin Capital of the World (it is a real title!).  We celebrate pumpkins with a town-wide festival for four days, and then we later have a competition to chuck pumpkins from catapults!  There are pumpkin cookies, pies, donuts, ice cream sundaes, and chilli.  One of my favorite memories from elementary school was making pumpkin bread in sixth grade after learning about fractions.  In the fall (and into the winter, if I am honest!), our kitchen routinely smells of pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bars baking in the oven.  I loved to treat myself to a pumpkin spice latte on my way to work.  I am sure there might be few places that revere pumpkins as much as my hometown, but Northeast England is not one of them!

So true...so true...Edinburgh won my heart instantly!!

Pumpkin anything is a large part of my sense of autumn.  In previous years, our grocery store in the states has put limits on the number of tinned pumpkin that could be purchased at one time.  My hometown is serious about their love of pumpkin.  We easily use at least twelve cans of pumpkin in a season for breads, cookies, bars, and pies.  I knew that tinned pumpkin would be nearly impossible to purchase at my local grocery store when we moved.  Pumpkin is not a common item in the UK.  We looked at the stores, googled possible locations, and asked store clerks.  One clerk even asked me, "Why would you eat that?"  Unwilling to accept defeat on the tinned pumpkin search, I headed to Amazon!  Just as we ordered tinned pumpkin, we received some from one of AJ's visiting co-workers as well as his visiting parents.  There will now be enough pumpkin to satisfy my cravings and maybe convince our UK neighbors of the glory of pumpkin!
 

The tinned pumpkin shipment

There is not an ounce of me that is a farmer or has any desire to be a farmer, but there is something about the Midwest harvest in October that is home to me.  Cornfields have always been a part of my life.  I never had to look far for one.  They frequently have a prominent place right next to the highways.  I never realized how much cornfields were a part of my landscape and sense of home until I moved to the UK.  On my drive to and from work for four years, I spent the majority of the drive passing cornfields.  The fields gave me a sense of the passing time.  I would witness the planting in spring, the growth through the summer, and then the harvest in the fall.  

Octobers in the past have always brought trips to the apple orchard.  AJ and I would always dedicate at least one Saturday to the apple orchard.  We would headed out early every year in attempt to beat the crowds.  We would buy a bushel of apples, cider, cider donuts, and many other treats.  Pumpkins and mums for the porch would be loaded into the trunk.  There are no apple orchards or pumpkin patches in our area.  Walking into our grocery store today, I was pleasantly welcomed by pumpkins.  A few of them came home with me to adorn our porch! 

A welcomed sight of autumn!

Octobers have always held a special place in my heart!  They truly encompasses everything I love.  Our first October in the UK looks a bit different than in the Midwest, but it is no less special.  This will be the October that we traded the apple orchard and pumpkin patch for castles, cathedrals, tea, and scones.  It will be the October that I shared an important part of heart through pumpkin anything with neighbors and new friends.  This October will be the one that I truly learned that home can be anywhere if you look hard enough!

As I am baking up all things pumpkin this October, remember the lights are always on!

~W

How Costco Can Cure Homesickness...

We have now just celebrated our three month anniversary of living in the UK.  We are more settled into daily life.  The novelty of everyday in England has worn off a bit.  During our relocation process, our cultural trainer that advised us that about three to six months into an assignment, we would start to experience homesickness.  It has been amazing how accurate he was about when homesickness would start to hit.  We obviously miss our family, friends, and coworkers, but there is another aspect of homesickness that I had never experienced until living overseas.  It is a homesickness for the familiar comforts that define home.  The environment, the food, the routines, and the sights that signal to you that you are home...that is what I am starting to miss.

This past weekend, we became members of Costco UK!  I had never been to a Costco in the states, because I did not feel like AJ and I needed giant-sized packages of anything.  We definitely still do not need giant-sized anything and do not have the space for it, but we had heard that the UK Costco carries some items that are not sold in the regular grocery stores.  Off we went with hopes and dreams of finding the items we wished for from the states! 

When we pulled into the Costco parking lot, it immediately felt a bit like home.  The parking spots were huge!  AJ easily pulled the car in without any worry of getting too close on either side!  I opened my door the entire way and just got out!  While this sounds a bit silly, the reality of UK parking spots is that they are tiny.  You never can open your door the entire way.  There is often a short discussion determining if there is enough room on each side for each person to get out of the car!

After joining Costco, I went to get a trolley (cart) and instantly felt at home!  The Costco trolley only had two swivel wheels versus the four swivel wheels on all other UK trolleys.  More swivel wheels on a trolley is definitely not better!  For the past three months, I have fought with trolleys in the UK.  All four wheels swivel on all their trolleys, thus making them impossible to steer without constantly balancing the weight of the groceries in the basket.

As we explored the aisles, the anticipation of finding something, really anything, from the states was heightening!  I think I literally ran down the aisle when I saw a box of Ghiradelli brownie mix.  I can get brownie mix at a store in our town, but the texture is just a bit different, and they are much more expensive!

I then found a mammoth-size bag of chocolate chips.  Two things excited me about this find.  The first was the price per ounce was incredibly cheap...just like in the states.  The chocolate chunks, which are sold at my local grocery store, are fairly expensive.  The second was that the chips are shaped like American chocolate chips, and I love that!

We continued to hunt for American items we were missing! Krusteaz pancake mix was our next find.  Our grocery store only sells crepe mix that makes four crepes...which do not satisfy the pancake craving!  We bought the oversized bag of pancake mix, which will probably last our entire time in the UK.  We also found maple syrup to go along with our pancakes!  Golden syrup is the common topping for pancakes here.  Frankly, pancakes and waffles are not the same with golden syrup!

With each item that we added to our cart, a bit of homesickness drifted away!  As we were checking our, I glanced over to the magazine rank.  In the states, I love to browse the magazine rank while waiting in line.  I usually avoid the magazine rank in the UK, because it makes me feel like outsider.  I still do not recognize any of the celebrities or gossip on the magazine covers.  While gossip magazines are not high caliber reading, the celebrities and their stories in the states provide a sense of familiarity and comfort.  The Costco UK magazine rank was filled with US magazines!  I quickly grabbed a US Weekly with Joan Rivers on the cover. 

Our trip to Costco was successful and cured my homesickness for a bit.  As I curl up with my US Weekly and a brownie, remember the lights are always on!

~W

See It: Warkworth Castle

We continue to take advantage of our Saturdays to explore all that the UK has to offer.  We took one Saturday to explore Warkworth Castle in the small village of Warkworth along the northeast coast of England.  It was about an hour drive north through the countryside.

As we drove through the countryside, we were surrounded by fields and then suddenly, the ruins of Warkworth Castle appeared.  It was kind of like a "Field of Dreams" moment without the corn and baseball field, but with grass and a castle!  There was one small tourist sign pointing the way.  

Warkworth Fortress Ruins

This castle is one of the most impressive fortresses in the northern portion of England.  The most notable occupants of the castle were the Percy family.  The lion badge, which was important to the Percy family, can be seen throughout the castle and grounds.

Warkworth Castle drawbridge

We entered the ruins and grounds by crossing the drawbridge.  As we walked across the drawbridge, it was not hard to imagine knights on horseback approaching the fortress from the vast fields in front of the walls.

 There were a few towers within the walls of the fortress that the guards used to lookout for intruders from the countryside.

The Warkworth Castle residence

The Warkworth Castle residence is still standing.  As part of the tour you can walk through the various rooms.  The mere size of the residence was daunting when you think about people carrying each and every stone used to build the structure.

You can see the unpredictable British weather in the background of the photo above.  The sky was blue and sunny when we left our house and arrived at the castle.  We could slowly see the dark clouds roll in.  Just as we finished our tour, those dark clouds opened up, and it downpoured for about an hour! 

AJ listening the audio guide while standing in one of the ovens of the castle's kitchen.

There were at least two kitchens in the Warkworth Castle.  Each kitchen had two ovens that were used to prepare the food for the residents and visitors of the castle.  Great feasts with other nobility were often held in the Great Hall of the castle.  The cooks of the Warkworth castle had to have strong backs to carry all the meat and produce, not to mention the wood to fuel the fire, up an uneven flight of stairs. 

The views from the castle windows were incredible even given the temperamental English weather!  To the left of the castle were rolling hills that vaguely reminded me of the Midwest.  A river out to the North Sea could be seen over the fortress walls to the right of the castle. 

Warkworth Village

We had planned to walk into the village of Warkworth for lunch, but changed our plans due to the downpour.  We were not adequately prepared for the rain as a true Brit would have been!  As true Americans, we hopped in our car and drove into town.  It has a quaint High Street full of unique shops. We ate a delicious lunch at the Caboose Chocolatier.  Caboose's claim to fame is that Prince Charles recently visited the restaurant! 

We had a lovely Saturday in Warkworth.  Now that we are home, remember the lights are always on!

~W

Now I Can...August 2014 Edition

Well...another month has passed.  We have now lived in the UK for over two months.  Life has become much more routine and familiar in some aspects that it is hard to believe we have only been here for two and half months.  Just as I get comfortable and feel like I have UK life under control, I encounter something that quickly reminds me that I have just arrived!

In  August, I conquered one major fear of life in the UK as well as just learned more about UK life.

Just as a review...at the beginning of the month, I hoped to be able to do the following by the end of the month:

1.  Drive around our local area with some level of confidence, not too much anxiety, and without hitting the curbs!

2.  Join a local gym.

3.  Learn what all the road and highway signs mean.

4.  Pay our bills using the pay point system.
5.  Obtain a library card.

Well, I accomplished 4 out of the 5 goals!  Here is a recap! 

1. Driving:  This has been a major fear of mine for a multitude of reasons, such as driving in a new place and negotiating roundabouts at every junction.  Let's also not forget the main source of anxiety...driving on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road.   I can happily report that I am driving comfortably in the UK.  I have taken four hours worth of formal lessons as well as passed a company driving assessment.  While I have come close to nicking the curb, I have only actually hit it one time.  I am still most comfortable driving with AJ in the car, but I have ventured out to the grocery store by myself.  I still need to practice the driving maneuvers, parallel parking and reversing into a parking spot, for the UK driving test.  In all fairness, I avoided doing those maneuvers in the states!

2.  Leisure Centre/Gym:   I have joined a gym, or leisure centre as they are called in the UK.  It is about a quarter mile from our house, which is convenient!  It is fairly similar to gyms in the states, but smaller.  The hours of operation are different from the states, which has been an adjustment.

3.  Highway signs:  I know what the majority of the road signs mean.  The UK has a lot of signs that do not depict their meaning obviously to a foreigner.  In addition to learning the road signs, I have been studying for my UK driving theory test.  I have not yet scheduled the test.  Just the thought of the three tests for my UK driver's license makes my stomach turn a bit!

4.  Pay Point:  In the UK, there is a pay point system that can be used to pay certain bills.  Various locations, such as grocery stores, are designated pay points.  It is really convenient for me to walk in with my bill and cash.  I just pay the cashier, and it is done.  We only really used this method while we were waiting for our bank account to be set-up. 

5.  Library card:  I did not accomplish this...I tried multiple times!  There is a library run by the council in the neighboring village, which is within walking distance.  This library is only open three days a week due to budget cuts by the council.  It seemed like every time I could go to the library, it was closed!  Hopefully, I will get there this month!

By the end of September, I hope to
1.  Conquer the driving maneuvers required for the driving test
2.  Plan our first official holiday
3.  Inquire about volunteering in our area
4.  Host our first dinner party

As I continue to conquer life in the UK, remember the lights are always on!

~W

See It: York

When we decided to take on this adventure, AJ and I make a pact that we would see as much as we could pack into our time in the UK.  Saturdays have become "See It Saturdays!" in our house.  Now that we are settled and have taken care of all the tasks associated with moving, we are starting to explore the UK with day trips!  For our first stop was York.  It is a 45 minute ride south on the train! 

Just before boarding the train to York...thankful that we would not have to deal with traffic or parking!

York is home to a rich history with lots of sights to see within walking distance of the train station.  Per my typical type A self, I had set out our itinerary using Google maps and my trusty Rick Steves' Great Britain.  We planned to see the major historical sights!  My American mindset of tourist sights made me think that there would be signs, directions, or a production pointing lost tourists in the direction of all the sights to see.  I quickly learned sights in the UK do not scream, "Point of Interest...Stop and Look at Me!"  The sights are much more subtle and just part of the landscape.  We luckily stumbled upon a free walking tour led by local pensioners that were also amateur history buffs!  Had it not been for these guides, we probably would not have known what we were looking at!

Multangular Tower: It was a 12-sided tower built to protect the town from the enemy approaching on the river.

St. Mary's Abbey ruins were spectacular to see.  This abbey stands in the shadows of York Minister, but is no less impressive when I think about it being constructed in the 11th century, without the help of heavy machinery.  The pictures above illustrate the ruins of just half of the monastery.  This abbey stood and was a working monastery until the 16th century when the Dissolution of the Monasteries occurred. 

The King's Manor, formerly Abbot's Place before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, was the next stop on the tour.  The Coat of Arms of Charles I adorns the door above the entrance.  Charles I stayed in the King's Manor during the 1640s.  The unicorn on the arms indicates support of Scotland while the lion indicates support of England.  The flags of St. Andrew and St. George are held by the two beasts.  I do not know if the door above is of any significance, but it was gorgeous, and I love doors!  

The King's Manor has housed a variety of people and organizations since its use by Charles I.  For a time, it became the School for the Blind.  The building above was the school headmaster's residence!  Not a bad house for a headmaster!  The King's Manor and surrounding grounds are now used by the University of York. 

Bootham Bar: A 4th century Roman gate in York's wall

Our guide explained that in York, "Streets are gates, gates are bars, and bars are pubs!"  While he said this in jest, it does hold true.  Bootham Bar is a gate into the walls that were surrounding York in the 4th century.  After climbing a flight of stairs, we were able to walk along the wall.  Soldiers would stand on this wall to protect the town from intruders.  The distance between soldiers was exactly the length that a shout could be heard! 

Walking the wall.

We then walked the wall.  It was about a person and half wide.  At one corner of the wall is Robin Hood's Tower.  No one really knows why it is named that, and if it had not been for our guide, we would not have known we walked through it!  Along the outer edge of the wall, where the grass now is, was a moot.  It was amazing to stand on the wall and imagine water surrounding you as a means of protection. 

Dutch House

This is the Dutch House, which is the first house in York to be built completely of brick.  After the Great London Fire of 1666, people started building homes of brick in hopes of protecting their homes in case of another disastrous fire. 

Street view leading up to York Minister

York Minister has an obvious presence in the city.  Throughout the tour, I was struck that I could see portions of York at almost all the stops. This is just one of narrow road, that is still in use, leading to York Minister.  

York Minister

After the walking tour, we toured York Minister.  It is the largest Gothic church north of the Alps.  York Minister is also a cathedral, since it has the seat of a bishop.  York Minister was not destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries as it was not a monastery.  It is still an operational cathedral, holding weekly mass.  On high holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, it is said that 4,000 people worship there.  While over a million people visit each year to see its grandeur and view history, York Minister is still a holy place of worship.  We arrived just before 2:00pm for our tour.  At 2:00 pm, a priest stood at the lectern and prayerfully reminded all that were visiting that this was a house of the Lord and then solemnly led prayers for those suffering from oppression, victims of war and conflict, and all people needing the comfort and guidance of God.  I do not know if this is just conducted at 2:00pm or at other times of the day as well, but it was a touching moment and reminder that amidst the grandeur and spectacular sights, this is still a place that God dwells. 

Holding owls just outside of the Multangular Tower

Just before boarding the train, we stopped at the Owl Adventure exhibit.  I do not think that owls hold any significance to the history of York.  It just happened to be there on the day we were visiting...so we did it! 

York was a magnificent historical city to explore for our first day trip out.  Now that we are back home, remember the lights are always on!

~W