I Could Get Used To This

I am still having fun out and around Wales and other nearby locations in England. I spent last weekend and a very beautiful manor house in the wilds of the Kington area. The House was located down very narrow lanes bordered by very high hedges teaming with rabbits, small frogs, birds and hedgehogs I am sure (I only saw the road kill during the day).

The house was as one would expect a manor house right out of some Jane Austin novel. There were two concrete dogs on either side of the front door. antique (well more like inexpensive but well placed used furniture). There as a formal living room and dining room. a large family room with a huge fireplace (and I suspect the oldest part of the house circa 1600's or older). There were loads of stairs that went up and down and around to one bedroom after another. With five couples in our party we had several good ones to choose from. David and I went with a modern one that came with an attached bathroom. Each couple chose, bought for and cooked one meal over the weekend. As David and I arrived first we chose to cook dinner on Friday. David made steaks while I did all of the chopping to make carrots, broccoli and yummy quinoa risotto.

The weather was warm at times and rainy but we all had a great time listening to music, imbibing, dancing on the front lawn, and visiting the mapa mundi in Hereford.

Saturday evening David and I took a long walk along the back lanes and watched nature. David even taught me how to play pooh sticks in a river along the way. We found tiny frogs, hawks, cows, and bunnies.

On Sunday all 10 of us went out to a local pub for lunch and had a great time talking and visiting. By Sunday evening we were all tired and snoozed and lazed about in the family room.

By Monday morning at 10am we had to leave so it was a mad dash to clean up after ourselves and get out the door. David's cold during the previous week seemed to get passed along to me and three other people who stayed with us for the weekend.

On our way home we stopped off at Hereford for some shopping and took a side trip to Gloucester to look around. We have both decided if we can somehow figure out a way to retire we are ready to leap :) This life of leisure if GREAT! We finished up the trip back to David's mums along the Severn River on the Wales side.

at the airport on our way out of Seattle.

Icebergs in the sea near Greenland.

On the bus on our way to our hotel in Iceland.

David and Grace in front of a statue along the bay in Reykjavik.

David Grace and I at the place here the North American Tectonic plate hits the European one.

A big impressive water fall.

A geyser. Apparently they are all named after the town where this one is located.

This is at night..it really never gets dark in Iceland.

The whole island is was covered in blue lupine plants.

Grace and I petting an Icelandic horse.

First attempt to get a good coffee...it was a fail but there is no Starbucks Iceland.

This place had a really similar logo however

There are vast areas of lava rock. This is out on a remote beach and behind us are some crude fisherman's cottages.

Our last morning in Iceland. I found some wonderful coffee and knitted art on a tree nearby!! I wish I had found it at the beginning of the week.

Our first morning in London and the rain was horrible. David waiting in line to get on the Eye.

Rain soaked Grace.
On the Eye but miserably cold!

One of many views from the top of the Eye.

Our last morning in London-photo of Grace and our friends' two children.

Tea and tuna sandwiches at the Welsh cultural center. Grace, David and Granny.

A small black and white house in Hereford. This was tucked back behind an alley.

All ten of us in front of the house..David Calls it the Walton's shot.

More of the front of the house.


A picture of the formal living room in the house.