Aunt Vivienne

On the way back to London we stopped by for another visit with Aunt Vivienne. We had some yummy crumpets and hot tea of course. She treated us to more stories and history lessons. She brought out the family photos and gave us several. We also got an autograph book that was our grandmothers and a writing journal of hers.

Whitby

Whitby

Whitby was our ultimate destination during this adventure. Mom loved Whitby and wanted this to be her final resting place. It was a very hard day but we were happy to fulfill mom's wishes.

The old Abbey that is location on the cliffs above Whitby.

Looking out into the North Sea.

 Welcome home mom. Rest in peace and we will see you on the other side. We love you.

This lovely church is next to the Abbey.

York Minster - Thursday

York Minster

York Minster is spectacular. It is built on the site of a Roman camp. This is where Constantine became Emperor of the western Roman empire. He ended persecution of Christians which was the beginning of widespread Christianity. This happened nearly a 1000 years after the birth of Christ.

Of course there is beautiful stained glass and carvings throughout.

The ceiling!

As with many of the churches there are tombs throughout. The "well-to-do" or "most prestigious have stone carvings on top of them. Others are just part of the floor.

And of course we found a pub to have dinner at. 

The bar at the pub.

Early bird.........

Early morning walk not quite the same without my best girls (Ali and Valerie) but a nice walk this morning to see the sunrise from the Tower Bridge in London.

Just a few minutes before sunrise. Several photographers set up to take shots. Walking east along the Thames River.

On the bridge now looking East. Sunrise was at about 803 am.

 Back along the river edge under the bridge.

By the time I walked down to the Millennium Bridge (about 1/3 mile), the clouds had swallowed up the sun for the rest of the day. The London Bridge is in the foreground and the Tower Bridge in the background.

Quick walk by the Shakespeare Globe Theater on the river.

Funny that many of the roads are "American Proof" for pedestrians. It definitely helps. You find yourself looking both ways twice when you come up to every intersection. Some intersections have no assistance for walkers, some have walking lights that tell you when to go, and some have pedestrians "right of way" zones and the cars and even bicycles stop for you.

By the time i got back to the hotel around 930, the sun tried to peek out over the Shroud - the pointy sky scraper in the skyline. This is the view from our hotel window. Immediately below us is the UK Post Office (Royal Mail) but we still have a good view of a lot of the city.

Looking forward to getting home lat Sunday night and taking the pups for a long walk first thing Monday morning.

Wednesday, January 6th - Newstead Abbey and Sherwood Forest

On our way to York we stopped at Newstead Abbey and Sherwood Forest.

This is Birdy and Girdy. They live on a pond at Newstead Abbey. A couple was walking in front of us and all of the sudden all these birds came squawking. They went there every day to feed them.

This is Newstead Abbey. It was closed the day we went but we had a wonderful stroll the all the lovely gardens.

The following pictures are from the gardens surrounding Newstead Abbey.

Sherwood Forest

The Major Oak located in Sherwood Forest. This was a meeting place for Robin Hood and his Merrymen. 

Back when we were little girls, we were able to go inside the trunk. Today however, it is sealed off from the public.

Tuesday, January 5th

On our way to do some shopping in Nottingham. There were boats like these anchored along the canal on the path we walked to town on.

The shops of Nottingham. This was a really fun day of shopping.

There are so many old, wonderful churches in England.

This building was established in 1483!

This is the theatre where Aunt Vivienne goes quite often.

We found this wonderful tearoom off the beaten path, The White Rabbit. They were only serving desserts and tea when we wondered in. Soooo we took full advantage of the desserts. We ordered 2 different cakes, a scone, and a minced pie. Yes, Linda and I ate every bite.

Before.....

After.....

This is the same store that my dad bought my mom's wedding set in 1955. Brian bought me a heart locket.