We didn't mean for so much time to pass after last visiting Dear Old Blighty.* We went to a Christmas extended reunion in 2007, when Nicholas was just one year old. This is what we all looked like then:
We snared decent fares for a nonstop flight to Heathrow. Flying nonstop was fantastic!
We had an amazing trip. Everything went well, with just one exception...a fall I had in London (more on that later).
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The requisite Portland airport carpet photo, with Jane Austen in tow
(my first conversation with Mike was about Jane Austen,
so she has a special place in our lives...
and Chris enjoys taking her places and putting on an English accent! |
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| Waiting in the airport |
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| Clowning around with the statue of former Oregon governor Vic Atiyeh |
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On the plane
(nonstop Delta flight to London!) |
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I've gotta say--those in-flight entertainment systems
really make the overseas flights go more quickly!
The best film I watched (of about six) was "Marshall"
(about Thurgood Marshall)--I highly recommend it!) |
After an uneventful flight, we landed at Heathrow and had to lug our heavy carry-ons through the enormous airport. (We did only carry-ons because Delta charges $60/bag on economy flights now!) Then we went to the car rental place, which always takes longer in England. And finally, poor Mike had to drive 2 hours to Cambridge after our red eye flight. It always amazes me how he can do this!
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Relaxing in Cambridge the afternoon of our first day,
in my sister-in-law Kath's lovely back garden! |
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| My mother-in-law, Olga |
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| The prodigal Brit! |
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| So wonderful to see my sister-in-law again! |
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| Kieran with his cousin Victoria |
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| The lovely guest room where we stayed many of our evenings in England |
Our first few days in Cambridge, we took it slowly as we got adjusted to jet lag. The second day we attended a concert in the Cambridge Botanical Garden, which sadly was pretty yellow and dry because of the ongoing drought and hot weather.
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| Apple tree descended from Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree |
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| The flora and fauna around the water features were the greenest! |
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| The wheelchair for Mike's mum helped her get around to keep up with her grandchildren! |
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| Beauties in the garden! |
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| These wooden greenhouses reminded me so much of Harry Potter! |
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| Who is that urchin behind the leaf? |
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| Greenhouse sisters |
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| Forcing Victoria to pose by the Victoria lily pad! |
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| Love my new iPhone 8+ camera! |
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| Waiting to hear the music |
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| The prosecco grandma! |
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So very civilized when you can order a Pimm's Cup
from the bar and drink it on the lawn! |
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| Closeup of my yummy Pimm's! |
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| Cool tree |
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| Sweet boy I found in the garden! :) |
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| The botanic garden cat! |
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| Dinner! |
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First time to eat mushy peas, and I actually liked them!
These chips were too mushy for me, though. |
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| Jane among the flowers |
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| Watching "Mamma Mia" in preparation for the "Mamma Mia Here We Go Again" movie |
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| Lunch at Wagamama in Cambridge after shopping and wandering |
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So nice to spend lots of time with my oldest in England,
since we don't see much of him when we're home! |
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| My yummy noodles! |
We saw the first of three shows in Cambridge. "
Six" is a musical about the six wives of King Henry VIII. It was great feminist fun, an all-female show (including the band). After leaving Cambridge, it moved onto the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and now it's on the West End. We all enjoyed it!
*During World War I, "Dear Old Blighty" was a common sentimental reference, suggesting a longing for home by soldiers in the trenches. The term was particularly used by World War I poets such as Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon.
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