Announcing…

 

“Here is another sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant….Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her life-long prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wonderfully blest!”

-Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenward-

 

Despite the fact that my mother has done quite a handy job at spreading the news for me, I thought that I needed to post a formal announcement concerning the arrival of Bundle Number Five to our home, expected in early June. I haven’t been posting much lately, due to illness and fatigue, but I’m feeling a little better and a little stronger each day, and I still hope to finish up with the England posts before Christmas. I have one more Charlotte Mason post to finish off, and then some more lovely pictures, including some from London. That should give me time to post about some of our favorite holiday traditions and recipes. I hope your own homes are full of warmth and joy and delicious smells of something baking in the oven as we begin to enter the holiday season!

 

 

Full House, Full Hearts

Though I sit at my desk writing this midst a fog of exhaustion and sickness, with a four year old near my feet tucked in to a sleeping bag and camping out in my room because she’s thrown up six times in the last four hours, the memory of the last week or more remains undimmed, shining bright and warm and continuing to bring a smile to my face.

I spent weeks preparing for my company. First my parents arrived, and we spent many happy days together, despite the gloomy and unpredictable October weather. My mother and my little girls and I joined my mother-in-law in a jaunt to a lovely tea room, bedecked with flowers and china and intricate lace and linens. We all went out as a large group on another day for a delicious steak dinner–one of those rare times when everyone enjoys what they ordered and the kids were moderately well-behaved. For a girl whose mother has always been her best friend, having mom around (especially when she lives so far away!) is always a treat.

On Thursday we were joined by the lovely and incandescent Sarah Clarkson. From our lively chat in the car on the way home from the airport and on through conversations over tea, working together in the kitchen whipping up goodies, playing with the children, stepping out for soup and quiche, having a “pajama party day” lounging around and watching British films, and all the way up to the moment the van door shut and Sarah waved goodbye as she wheeled her suitcase through the airport doors, I felt as though I was spending time with not just a friend, but the sister I never had. The similarities in the way we were raised, our ideals and convictions, our love of beauty and conversation and strong tea and thoughts and ideas…all converged to make our visit a joy and a delight.

On Saturday my mother and Sarah and I were off to a local women’s conference to hear Sarah’s mother, amongst others, speak and to be greatly encouraged in the Lord and in our calling as women. That’s us in the picture above, all prettied up and ready to go. Though I was already suffering from exhaustion and my mother struggles almost constantly with fatigue and illness as a juvenile diabetic, we had such a fun time!

And then there was the Sunday we spent together as the largest group I have ever entertained in my house overnight…our party of nine was joined by Sarah’s parents, Clay and Sally Clarkson, and her brother Joel. The pinnacle of our weeks of preparation, we were quickly at ease with one another and settled in to laughter and conversation over plates of delicious food and lemon water and sweet treats and coffee and tea. We had originally planned a trip to Old Sturbridge Village, but how happy we were to be ensconced in the big, warm eat-in kitchen as huge anomalous snowflakes circled down from the sky against a backdrop of flaming autumnal glory. Rarely was there just one conversation in progress, as we drifted from discussing one subject as a group to breaking off in twos and threes to talk some more…and more…and more.

We finally broke up the party and settled in to sleep. The  next morning, my parents were the first of my “full house” to pack up and drive off after a tearful goodbye, grandchildren clinging to them all the way out the door. A quick breakfast of quiche and fruit with the Clarksons before Clay and Sally rode off to get Joel to his morning class, and Sarah and I were left with the children for our final full day together. Already the cold symptoms were setting in, no doubt a result of little sleep and too much excitement (and sharing air with three thousand other women on Saturday)!  Worth every moment though, I assure you. As a family we were so blessed and encouraged and delighted.

Random thoughts to tie it all up…my husband deserves full credit for all the wonderful times that we had. While I was entertaining and preparing and fussing over details, he was helping with the children, running errands, staying home all day so I could attend the conference, cleaning, receiving text messages from me as I gave out orders from my seat at the conference, picking up Joel from the train station, sleeping in odd spots throughout the house as we shifted around to make “room for more”, wearing to work whatever strange combinations of somewhat-clean and almost-not-wrinkled clothing that I haphazardly threw at him. At all times he was pleasant, gracious, and helpful.

Something I noticed during Sally’s brief stay here…I always try to make my guests as comfortable as possible while they are with us, looking out for what they might want or have need of. It’s not a gift, nor does it come naturally, so don’t be impressed. It’s something I was trained in and have to give thought to, otherwise I would only ever think of myself, trust me. Anyway, as Sally was with us and would notice these little gestures, she would mention it and thank  me, giving a compliment or a piece of encouragement. I’m not sure I’ve ever been around someone with such a gift of encouragement who blesses others in such a specific way with such uplifting words of kindness. No wonder her children are so gracious and sweet!

And now? My house is a mess. I still have a runny nose and a headache. My husband needs me to give him a haircut tonight, I’m only halfway through all my laundry, I’m pretty sure my family is going to want to eat at least a couple times today, and I still have a little girl sprawled out on my bedroom floor.

But I am very, very happy.

Criticism Lessons

House of Education

Ambleside

Practising School Report

Criticism Lessons

Juniors 1945

Sampling of notes:

“Has quietly effective manner.”

“Bright & keen, not always wise, untidy mind, acquiring dignity.”

“Quick to see her mistakes, worked hard with dulle children.”

‘Gives impression of detachment & uncertainty…must learn to get interest rather than nag and say “don’t.” ‘

“Must guard against sentiment.”

“Promising. Thinks of children not herself. Serious minded but lacks ideas.”

“Anxious to learn. Ideas good but not well sorted. Criticism welcomed.”

“Plucky, conscientous, but makes mistakes thro’ ignorance & lack of intellectual grasp.”

“Improving but stilted and too dependent on book.”

“Creates a calm & quiet atmosphere. Has authority. Teaching lacking interest due to ignorance.”

“Good common sense. Has ideas which sometimes arrive too late.”

‘Good when sure of her ground (this rarely!). Not always the “seeing eye.” ‘

“Tried, but is still not in touch with the children.”

“Imaginative & thoughtful. Begins to understand how to introduce a lesson.”

“Courageous. Tried hard. Showed initiative, but class laughed at her.”

“A bright manner.”

“Excellent. Trained in good habits.”

“Gives full thought. Knows what aiming at. Detail excellent.”

“Vague atmosphere- must be more constructive. Did not hold class.”

“Needs more orderly approach mentally & practically.”

“Did not give whole mind to work.”

“Rarely exerts herself. Not enough preparation. Improved after scolding.”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Reading through the criticism lessons was one of my favorite aspects of my morning in the archives. As I scanned over these old books, jotting down phrases that spoke to me the most, I felt at times like I was in the classroom observing these fledgling teachers, seeing the students as they responded to the lessons. Alternatively, I would envision myself back at home amidst my own “pupils”…and I was at times pained to compare my own teaching methods with the suggestions I found in the pages before me.

I developed in a very short time an overall sense of what was expected of a teacher being trained at the House of Education. She must be thoroughly prepared for a lesson, having a full and detailed grasp of the material, yet she must present the lesson in a gentle yet firm way that sparks the children’s interest without giving them the upper hand. She had to engage them, help them, encourage them, and direct them, without being overbearing and without giving them too much to do. She was expected to be tidy, disciplined, organized, and serious without being rigid or dull. Personal intellectual growth and attention to good habits was to characterize her outside the classroom. Talking too much and silliness were frowned upon.

Thinking about how I approach lessons with my own children, I drew some encouragement but I also felt deeply reproached, thinking of how my own evaluation might read. My tendency towards laziness and lack of preparation would certainly be noticed. Disorganization, failure to be imaginative and engaging, and inability to discipline my “class” would also be among the comments, I’m sure.

However, not only did I leave that day with my mind full of new ideas on how to approach teaching within my home, I was also mildly encouraged as I thought of the few areas in which we already excel. The atmosphere of our home, most of the time anyway, is pleasant and fosters learning and discovery. We curl up together on our big couch and read interesting books, and all the children, though still quite young, have had their favorites and have gotten caught up in a story and have begged for more. They love to run to the globe and find the places that we’ve talked about. They will sometimes draw pictures or act out a story with dress-up clothes and toys for props. They run for their nature note books when they see a bird or an insect or a plant that interests them.

Now several weeks removed from that day spent in that dusty library, I am even more thankful for the time granted me to peruse the boxes of books and photos and letters and notes. I uncovered many a treasure amongst them, and though my hand cramped up from all the writing down of all the little jewels I wished to take away with me, I can look over them now and remember and enjoy the bits and pieces that I recorded of a lifestyle of learning, a most remarkable set of people engaged in a unique venture, preparing educators for something new and different, something that continues to have an impact on teachers and home educators throughout the world.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Miss Charlotte Mason…

This picture is similar to one I took in the library, but it turned out better than mine…click on the picture and follow the link for a more scholarly post on a trip to the Armitt Museum!

As promised, my next few posts will be excerpts that I copied out from various sources that I stumbled across in the Charlotte Mason Archives.

Don’t know if anyone will catch the literary reference in the title (loved that book as a child!) but it is quite appropriate. Had I not made prior contact, I never would have seen the archives because the Armitt Museum is closed in order that the Charlotte Mason Archives, as well as some other archival materials, could be sorted and organized (or “organised”, which looks so much prettier in print, don’t you think?). I overheard snippets of conversations betwixt two of the staff while I sat at a table and busily scribbled out all the “nuggets of treasure” I could manage to write in three hours’ time, and it seems that things are in quite a mess of confusion.

However, there was a skeletal kind of index that gave us an idea of which numbered boxes held which materials.

It was Dr. Coombs who pulled out this letter and showed it to me:

(This letter was copied by hand and then re-typed. There may be typographical or copy errors. Shared with permission from the Armitt Museum, Ambleside, Cumbria, UK)

This letter was sent to Miss Mason’s good friend, Mrs. Franklin, and concerned her daughter Madge, who was around 9 years old at the time.

I almost cried after reading this…some of it reminded me so much of my own struggles with a “difficult” child…I nearly laughed out loud in the quiet, still library when I read “Handwork, so far, we have not managed”…!! I was struck by Miss Mason’s gentle confidence…I could almost visualize her smiling and softly laughing as she thought and wrote about this unique and apparently vibrant young girl.

Other observations, random in nature:

Did they eat ALL the time? Maybe “second breakfast” isn’t unique to Hobbits after all!

Many things can be accomplished in small pockets of time…quarters of an hour to learn an instrument or a language, and to think of starting at 8 am and still managing such a full yet delightful schedule, including a rest, and wrapping up by 7 or 8 in the evening. So often I feel so pressed for time, as if the clock is my enemy, and as though time for “school” has been squeezed out of my day by the tyranny of the urgent. Granted, Charlotte Mason lived at a school where there was a staff for such things as cleaning and cooking. But I have some “servants” as well, in the form of a dishwasher, microwave, and my fabulous washer and dryer. Have I ever mentioned my washer and dryer??? Oh…I digress…

Some children thrive on activity and adventure. I was not surprised to read that Madge was “radiant with happiness” after a long drive and a 6 mile walk. My own “active one” would be just as radiant were he to have such a holiday outing. That being said, not all of my other children would react similarly. There are times when we “divide and conquer” and one or some have an “adventure” with Dad or Grandma and Grandpa, and others remain at home.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this personal letter as much as I did!

Blog title now showing…

Well, we can’t have it all.

For those who have wondered, the title of my blog didn’t show up when you subscribed because I left it blank…on purpose. I wanted the title to appear in my “pretty” custom header, instead. However, that means that you have a blank line on your RSS feed, or none at all because you got too frustrated to even mess with it. My husband found a way to rename it so it shows up…thought I’d make things a little simpler so that others don’t have to go to any trouble.

Oh, well. Back to that “if you expect perfection or nothing you will always end up with nothing” idea!

Stephanie

Ambleside

The day is Tuesday, July 28th, and we have a 10:45 appointment at the Armitt Museum to meet Dr. Margaret Coombs and to gain entrance into the library to view any of the Archives that we wish to see. The setup of this meeting was really quite extraordinary…I had sent an email through the Armitt website requesting information as to opening times and cost. I received a message in return that the museum was regrettably closed for reorganisation. However, if I would like to call the museum during our stay, perhaps we could get in to view some of the collection. I was so disappointed, as seeing the archives was to be a highlight of our stay in the Lakes, and one of the reasons I chose that region of England for our week’s cottage rental.

Later, I received a message asking if I would like to come to the Armitt one day that week to meet with a researcher from Oxford who was working on a biography of Charlotte Mason. And so it was that we not only got into the “closed” museum, but we had the great privilege of being guided through the index of the archived materials by a woman who has spent nearly 30 years closely studying Miss Mason’s life and work. When asked if I had read all of the books and articles, I was embarrassed to admit that I had so far only made it through two and part way through another. I also at times found it hard to follow along when shown dozens of photographs and having names being thrown out at me, most of which I did not recognize.

However, our hours there were well spent and our digging through boxes of diaries and letters and record books did not disappoint. I came away from my time there with a snapshot of the culture of the House of Education that I could not have developed just from the books I have read and skimmed thus far. Paging through real Nature Note Books and students’ diaries and record books from the weekly Criticism Lessons made all of the “educational philosophy” that I had gleaned over the years come alive to me. To see and touch real examples of student work, real photographs of happy youths in full costume for a play, real application of theory as aspiring teachers were each week observed and then evaluated…for a visual and “experiential” learner like myself, this opportunity was thrilling and inspiring, as well as sobering as I felt the weight of my duty as the educator of my children.

Then to step outside the musty library and view the glory of the surrounding hills and peaks and the tranquil beauty of Lake Windermere. No wonder there was emphasis on nature study in the House of Education! How could there not be? Who could survey such majestic beauty and not wish to capture it on paper, read about it, study it and experience it?

Driving away, I tried to call my mother from Ambleside to wish her happy birthday from such a special spot for both of us…just missed her as she had run out for an errand, though I did get to call her while driving through later in the week.

Just a few pictures for those who have interest in these places that have become familiar and who, like myself, peruse books by and about Charlotte Mason with great joy and overflowing soul as we meet up with Truth about ourselves, the children in our lives, the nature of learning, and the God who is over it all. In my next few posts, I will share some tidbits from the archives!

The Armitt Museum, housing the Charlotte Mason Archives, as well as a small collection of watercolours by Beatrix Potter. We were allowed entrance into the gallery to see the watercolours, also very exciting for me!

The Beehive

Scale How, the main building of the House of Education

Rowing on Windermere

On Monday we decided to brave the questionable weather and take a row on Lake Windermere from Fell Foot Park just outside of Bowness. The grey skies threatened rain, but with a trip to Ambleside slated for Tuesday and a hike planned for the one other day that promised pleasant weather, we took our chances.

Enjoying the wind, water, and stunning views of the mountains. We brought along a little picnic brown-bag lunch…sometimes we had to pull up our hoods as a brief rain shower passed, but for the most part our little boating adventure was uneventful, and we had a peaceful and pretty row out on the water.

Rowing Master. We started out rowing together, but soon gave that up…my oar was confiscated and I moved to the opposite seat to enjoy the ride.

If you ever make it to the Lakes, I heartily recommend getting out on the water in some fashion or another…we chose the rowboat for better control of my motion-sickness and for the idyllic romance factor. It’s a unique way of experiencing the water and landscape that driving, hiking, and even standing at the edge of the water or walking along the rocky shore cannot provide.

I have now gotten caught up with all events leading up to our day in Ambleside, and I am so excited to have obtained permission to share what I gleaned in the Charlotte Mason Archives. I’ll try to include a brief introduction to the person and philosophy of Charlotte Mason when next I write, as she remains quite an obscure figure in history for so remarkable a lady.

{row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream……just thought I’d get that stuck in your head, just for fun…..}

Adventures in Hiking Part I: Hampsfield Fell

This is an excerpt from my journal, written on July 25th, with some pictures thrown in to illustrate.

“Thoughts from today, before I forget and such amazing glimpses into perfection are forgotten and lost forever. Our first full day in Cartmel, a charming and idyllic village…at first glance it looks untouched by time and modernism. Though we thoroughly enjoyed the grandeur of the busy streets of Bath with all of its ornate columns and soaring spires, I confess that Cartmel has captured my heart already with its beauty.

Enchanting shops, pretty cottages, flowers everywhere, a medieval priory, and all set against a backdrop of green pastures giving way to fells and peaks of the Lakeland mountains.

Everything about the day was perfect. Waking up in our lovely little cottage. Walking down the lane to the village store to purchase groceries for a delicious English breakfast. Setting out for a six mile hike on such a rare, sunny and warm day. Blue skies and green hills. Though the initial ascent up Hampsfield Fell was a bit of a challenge, what a view awaited us at the summit!

Then came the fun of sorting through the field guide’s directions as we followed the trail through fields and farms, over stiles and through gates, down roads and bridleways, talking and laughing with my very favorite person on earth.”

(Journal Entry interrupted)

This is the view from the summit down the backside of the fell…from this vantage point you can see the bay and on all sides, more mountains. So pretty! We lost the path a few miles from here, but picked it up again after getting back on to the main road.

Towards the end of the hike…a picturesque stone bridge to cross. From here a few more fields and then a road to take us back in to the village. I admit to being exhausted at this point, and so looking forward to my bubble bath!

Back to my journal entry:

“A quick run to the next town for a few more groceries and supplies. A long-awaited soak in the tub beneath a skylight, surrounded by a candle and flowers. Throwing together a quick pasta dinner. Dessert and tea. And now back to where the day began, propped up in the cosy bed in this charming little bedroom in our enchanted little cottage.

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!”

I hope you’ve enjoyed a little glimpse into my thoughts as they transpired on the trip. I admit, I’m terrible at journaling…all fits and starts, very little consistency, but I can see the value of it perhaps more than ever, as I had forgotten half the details of this particular day, and typing out this entry has it all rushing back to me with clarity and warmth. I can feel the wind on top of the fell, the sun beating down on me (causing quite a serious sunburn, some of which is still with me!), getting lost, finding the way, my sore feet, running errands…all of it. So perhaps this will get me to crack open my lovely sage velvet book more often so it can be less ornamental and more inspirational!

Our Week in the Lakes: Village Life…

From Bath we headed for the M6, stopping outside the city at a cute little tearoom for tea and a scone with cream and jam. Though I had been impressed by the scenic countryside on our drive into Bath from Heathrow, I was also quite exhausted at the time and so now saw the beauty of the Avon river valley with fresh eyes as the sun washed over the green hills and pastures dotted with sheep, stone walls and hedgerows separating fields and farms and turning the landscape into a pastoral patchwork quilt.

I know that our drive was a long and taxing one with a lot of traffic, but I really don’t remember that part so much. As we approached our destination, I became overwhelmed with the beauty of the landscape as the thin smoky line on the horizon took shape and a chain of mountains was soon visible. Many in the distance were still a hazy grey color, some were a sandy shade, and others were green, covered with trees and pasture. For seven days I would never tire of such sights, etching them into my memory as the most beautiful natural scenes that I have ever beheld.

Our directions to the village became difficult to follow once we left the highway for the narrow roads flanked with stone walls wrapped in thick, high hedges. Some ways were poorly marked, but a quick stop to ask for directions had us headed directly to Cartmel.

Sweet village, awash with sun…flowers spilling out from seemingly every corner. Treasures waiting to be discovered amongst it’s few winding little streets. Pleasant smells wafting through the doors of pubs and restaurants. A simply lovely village store with gourmet delights and beautiful gifts.

We quickly grew accustomed to village life. Walking down the lane to pop a postcard into a red “Royal Mail” box, around the corner to the grocery for vegetables or kindling for the fire, wandering in to the store in the village square to pick up some delicacies or fresh eggs or amazing local sausages…or some sticky toffee pudding, for that is where you will find it!

When I said to my husband “I’m going to go shopping for some gifts for the kids,” I meant that I was stepping out the door and walking past a few houses, through the kissing gate and the churchyard to the row of beautiful shops that lay at the end of my short stroll.

I would drink in the stone walls and the flowers and the sheep on the pasture in the middle of the village and the seventeenth century cottages and the quietness of the place.

And, rising above it all…

A breathtaking medieval priory with an interesting bit of history to go along with it. It is one of two existing structures of this kind with the bell tower set on the diagonal.

Ah, Littlecroft! Haven of beauty and rest. Happy setting of many tranquil hours. I couldn’t have been more delighted with our lovely little cottage. We especially enjoyed preparing meals together in the light-filled kitchen…we became experts in the field of The Full English Breakfast, but I’ll do a food post later and give more detail on our culinary adventures. However, I must introduce you to…

As promised, I am posting the recipe for Sticky Toffee Pudding that we discovered on our return. It was most happily and greedily taste-tested in my kitchen and received our hearty stamp of approval. I must warn you, I wanted to make plenty so we had enough to share with the kids, so I doubled the cake recipe, and also knowing that the sauce is key to making this dessert the most incredible thing you’ve ever tasted, I quadrupled the sauce recipe. So if you are making it for two and you don’t care for rich, buttery, gooey toffee sauce, then by all means reduce the recipe accordingly. Oh, and lest you think I’m ripping this off the internet and not giving appropriate credit, that’s impossible, for I’m not sure I have ever prepared a recipe according the the directions…ever…I’m just too much of a “tweaker”! So this is my little spin on a foodnetwork recipe.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Cake:

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

2 t. baking powder

2 cups pitted dates, chopped very fine (I use 24-30 dates)

2 1/2 cups boiling water

2 t. baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice (or 1 c. dark brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups white sugar)

2 large eggs, beaten

1 T. pure vanilla extract

Sauce:

2 cups (1 lb. package) of unsalted butter

1 pint heavy cream

4 cups packed dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large glass or metal baking dish (I don’t even own a 9×13 anymore…I think it’s 10×14? Or you can break this up into smaller dishes to share or freeze). Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and then add the dates and baking soda; set aside. In an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture. Fold in date mixture until blended. Pour cake mixture into prepared baking dish(es). Bake until set and firm on top (approximately 40 minutes for one large cake).

Sauce: Combine butter, cream and sugar in a medium size heavy gauge saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently over medium low heat until mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring contantly. Preheat broiler. Poke holes into the cake (I poke a lot! We want that sauce to get way in there!). Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the pudding, spreading evenly. Place under broiler until top is bubbly 1-3 minutes.

Serve warm with extra sauce drizzled over, with ice cream or in a bath of heavy cream. To heat up an individual portion after the pudding has been refrigerated, microwave from 30-60 seconds, until sauce is runny.

My son David can’t have dates, but he loves the toffee sauce over some ice cream…not a bad idea!!

The Beginning: Taking leave, the long journey, and Bath…

Here we are,  all packed and ready to head to the airport! I’m not sure which was more involved–packing for a romantic getaway while keeping our checked luggage under 15 kg each, or packing for four small children to spend 12 days away from home, one of whom has special dietary requirements. Add to that last-minute shopping, cleaning the house, and two nights of VBS…you may not see it in this picture, but I was quite exhausted and ready for a relaxing break.

I knew this part would be hard! Some of the children took it more to heart than others. It was a very strange experience to say goodbye to them and get on that bus…the only time we’ve really every been separated from them overnight was when I was in the hospital…giving birth isn’t exactly what I would call a respite!

The plane…six hours of trying to sleep, and the surreal experience of dozing on and off when it’s really just 8 pm back home yet 3 am at the airport where soon we would be landing. Despite my sleeping mask, earplugs, and a half dose of tylenol pm, I still only remember sleeping a few minutes at a time.

Here we are, ensconced in our rental car…happy to have been bumped up to a Mercedes free of charge! This was one of the only qualms we had concerning this trip–would Jay be comfortable driving? Fortunately, getting out of Heathrow and onto a major road was really easy from where we rented the car, so he had nearly two hours of wide, straight, divided road on which to adjust. Then we hit the outskirts of Bath with sketchy directions to our guesthouse, and he proved himself confident and capable, navigating the narrow and often unmarked streets, taking roundabouts with ease, and finally bringing us to our destination. Travelling over for now! Time to park that car and let the adventure really begin!

Bath…so beautiful! Even the rain couldn’t detract from the charm of this compact, lovely city. After all, “it always rains in Bath”…right? There are 700 shops in town, and yet you could walk from end to end within a few hours…less if you didn’t stop. But then who wouldn’t stop? Bistros, boutiques, a stunning Abbey, the amazing Roman Baths, tea rooms, gift shops, the Jane Austen Centre, and incredible architecture…we took in the city within 24 hours. “Bath is incomparable!”

A highlight of our stay in Bath…tea at the Royal Crescent Hotel. Once we settled in at the guesthouse and freshened up a bit, we hit the streets for a quick tour, dashing in to an Orange store for a cheap pay-as-you-go cell phone, and then speed walking to the Royal Crescent to make our reservation for Afternoon Tea. We were led through a lovely garden to a terrace where we sat under an umbrella as intermittent rain showers continued to fall.  Plaques on the wall here and there noted stays by royalty. We sipped tea and nibbled on sweets and sank back into our chairs, finally starting to feel refreshed and relaxed.

The Chestnuts House, where we enjoyed a comfortable stay in lovely surroundings and a fantastic breakfast served in a sunny room by our friendly host. I highly recommend it if you are ever in Bath.

From here, we set off on our long drive north to the Lake District…