Our stuff has finally arrived! The movers came this morning. Our place is full of boxes and we hardly know which way to turn. but this is better than sitting around in an empty house waiting for your life to begin again....more later....

I had to catch the 10:45 train out of Exeter this morning, so there was not much time for more than breakfast before we headed to the train station. (Exeter is about an hour drive from Lyme Regis). On my return trip the train was much more crowded. At one station a bunch of young lads boarded the train. It was as if an entire soccer team had entered our car. It was the "quiet" car -- no cell phones allowed -- but the lads chatted up quite a storm. So, once again, I dove into my novel. By the time I was finished reading we had pulled into Harrogate station. Perfect timing.

This morning, after a tasty breakfast with Heather, I strolled through Lyme Regis on my own. Heather had to take her daughter, Bethany, to a doctor appt. Bethany is here on school break. She attends Oxford University. This will be her second year at Maudlin College where she is concentrating on the history of 16th century religion.

I thoroughly enjoyed walking the streets of Lyme Regis. Many of the streets are very steep, and lead a winding path towards the shore. Most of the houses are stuccoed and painted either in white or pastel colors. The river Lym (no "e") is nothing but a narrow stream that meanders through the town. There are many cute cafes, restaurants and art galleries. I spent some time wandering through the local history museum reading up on the background of Lyme.

Heather and Bethany were back at lunch time and we enjoyed a lovely meal on their patio. The weather continues to be gorgeous. After lunch Heather and I headed out to Forde Abbey, a 12th-century monastery that became a private residence in the 16th century. The owner turned the sparsely decorated stone building complex into one of the most sumptuously decorated residences I've ever seen. Since the 16th century, ownership has changed hands a few times; the Abbey is still privately owned but much of the building and the adjoining gardens are open to the public.

That evening Heather and Bethany pooled their talents and resources to prepare a fabulous meal: duck breast served atop sauteed spinach and corn fritters and topped off with a red wine/blackberry sauce. Delicious. Bethany had had this meal in a restaurant recently and she and Heather conspired to reproduce it. After dinner we watched an episode of the modern Canterbury Tales now being serialized on the BBC. We also saw QI a hilarious new game show hosted by Stephen Fry.

With a bit of trepidation, I boarded a train this morning for a brief visit with a friend who has a cottage in Lyme Regis. Though I am a seasoned traveler and managed to navigate my way 'round Tokyo and environs with no qualms, I have heard horror stories about the English transportation system. Trains never departing on time. Trains breaking down. Patrons missing connections. Trains that are dirty. You know, that kind of thing. I'm happy to report that I made it to Lyme Regis on time and without incident. I made sure to catch an early commuter train out of Harrogate to Leeds rail station. In Leeds I caught a direct train on the Virgin Line to Exeter (closest station to Lyme Regis). The Virgin train was clean, comfy and, thankfully, not very crowded. I had a good book to read (The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold) and the 5 and a half hours ride went very quickly.

Heather met me at Exeter St. David's station and, since we were in Exeter, we decided to have lunch there and then make a visit to Exeter Cathedral. At lunch we split a prawn sandwich and an order of scones with Devonshire clotted cream. I was surprised at how different the scones in Devon taste compared to those in Yorkshire. I prefer Yorkshire scones, but the clotted cream was oh so yummy. After lunch we breezed through Exeter cathedral, managing to hook up with a free tour.

We took the scenic route back to Heather's cottage in Lyme Regis, passing through Honiston, a village with scads of antique markets, and making a brief stop in Topsham. We visited an antique market in Topsham and I was pleased to see that many of the items fit my budget (this is rarely so in the pricey antique shops in Harrogate) and I picked up a nice toast rack made of pewter for 6 pounds 50 pence.

It was late afternoon when we finally arrived at Heather's cottage in Lyme Regis. It was quite a snug fit but very cozy and charming. We walked into town and I admired the houses along the shore and the view from the Cobb, a stone structure that creates an artificial harbor for Lyme Regis. I learned that Lyme has been an inspiration and provided a setting for at least two authors. Jane Austen was a one-time visitor and set part of one of her novels in Lyme Regis. John Fowles lived in Lyme Regis for many years, was the curator of the local history museum and set his novel, The French Lieutenant's Woman, in Lyme Regis. The movie was also filmed here.

Mucking about with Prince Charles

Even though I was tramping about in the muddy midway at the Nidderdale Show today during a cold and bitter rainy spell, I feel quite lucky. I had my first brush with British Royalty. I came within handshake range of Prince Charles at the Show. He did not shake my hand, nor did we even make eye contact, but I managed to get a crackin’ good picture of him.

Ever since we moved here, I’ve been hearing about the Nidderdale Show, a local agricultural show similar to a county fair. Harrogate is situated in Nidderdale and the locals are might damn proud of their show, held in Pateley Bridge, a cute village (remember, they’re all cute) halfway between Harrogate and the Base. Since I haven’t gathered up the courage yet to take to the narrow winding country roads around here, I caught the bus to Pateley Bridge. As luck would have it, as soon as the bus pulled out of the station the wind picked up, the temperature fell and it began to rain heavily. I was on the top level of the double decker bus, hoping for a wonderful view of Nidderdale for the hour-long bus ride. The cold rain outside clashed with the body warmth inside the bus – the windows fogged up and even though I kept wiping my window clean, I barely managed more than a bleary view outside.

I arrived at the fairground at the same time Prince Charles did. I saw people lined up on either side of the midway, as if in anticipation of a parade. I was surprised at how easily I made my way to the front of the crowd. The Prince’s motorcade drove by and then stopped, so HRH could step out and begin mingling with the commoners, surrounded of course by police, security guards and members of the press. Despite all the security, I managed to position myself at a stone’s throw from where Charles was due to pass by on foot. I pulled out my camera in anticipation of the event, only to realize that I had but one shot left. It is a digital camera, so I quickly played through the images I had already taken and managed to delete an image, giving me two chances at a shot of Prince Charles. As HRH walked past I got one decent shot of him and then managed somehow to get a good shot of the back of someone’s blazer. As Prince Charles passed by, followed by the hubbub, I stepped off to a quiet place and edited a few more images off of my camera, giving me four more shots to spare.

By this time, I had lost track of HRH so I began to browse through the fair. It was your typical agricultural show: Goats, sheep, rabbits and chickens on exhibit. Flower, craft and baked goods competitions. Horses performing in a ring. Vendors selling farm and country-living goods. The rain kept coming down and the walkways got muddier and muddier. I had underdressed for the weather and my feet and hands were ice cold. I would duck into a tent to warm up before heading out into the cold muck again. I was ready to approach the Women’s Institute tent when I noticed a large crowd forming outside. When I spotted the security guards, et. al. I knew Charles was nearby. I entered the WI tent and once again had the good fortune of standing at the front of the crowd where Charles was expected to pass by. This time I got a terrific photo of him with a huge smile on his face. I put my camera away and moved to a spot I knew the Prince would have to pass by to exit the tent. I overheard the chit chat between him and two ladies standing next to an exhibit of baked goods. He asked them if they had made the baked goods. They said no. "Are you're guarding them, then?" said the Prince. "Oh yes," the ladies blushed. "All day?" HRH quipped. The ladies giggled and Charles continued on his way.

I began to wander through the fair again, but the weather was just so miserable I decided to head back into Pateley Bridge and find a tea shop for a spot of lunch. It seems I wasn’t the only one with this idea in mind, but I managed to find a cozy little restaurant for tea and a sandwich. During the ride home the weather cleared up and I finally got my spectacular views of Nidderdale. By the time I got to Harrogate the sun was shining warmly.

Now Reading...

I'm nearly finished reading Life of Pi, a marvelous novel by Yann Martel about an Indian boy (from India, not America) who is stranded in the Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat with some rather unlikely companions. The whole story, in fact, is full of preposterous incidences (and coincidences). The narration is so amiable and enchanting, however, that I've had no problem whatsoever accepting the unbelievable situations Pi finds himself in. Pi (real name Piscine Molitor Patel) is the son of a zookeeper, and woven through the book are many fascinating, though oftentimes horrifying, accounts of animal behavior. If you can't bear to read about animals getting hurt, then do not read this book. I have found many passages to be incredibly painful to read, but at the same time I find it difficult to put the book down. In addition to the insights on animal behavior, the book presents some thoughtful passages on religious beliefs and the human condition. The rewards of this book far outweigh the painful bits. I highly recommend it.

We have finally gotten some rain today. It's not a heavy rain, just a light misting, and it's oh so refreshing. It has been very dry here lately. I wouldn't be surprised to hear we are reaching drought conditions. A fire has broken out on the North York Moors this week, due to a carelessly discarded cigarette or barbecue. The dry weather and strong winds have made it a tough job for the firefighters. This is quite in contrast to the weather back home on the east coast where they are being belted by Hurricane Isabel. Hope all is well with family and friends back home.

Today a plumber is at the apt. installing a shower stall. This is work that was supposed to have been done when we moved in and the landlord is finally getting around to it.

I've begun the job search (despite the fact that my portfolio has not arrived), but will need to put that on hold for a bit.

Next week I will be visiting with some friends from Tokyo. A British friend has a second home in the south of England (Lyme Regis). We used to live in the same apt. bldg. as her and her husband in Tokyo. I'll stay overnight in Lyme Regis and then swing by London on my way back. A Japanese friend will be there on holiday from Tokyo.

I should return from this brief jaunt, just in time for the arrival of our furniture. It's about time! I feel as if my life has been on hold for the last few months.

At the beginning of Oct., two friends from the U.S. will be staying in Harrogate as part of a two-week tour of the UK. Then I'm back home from Oct. 15-22. And I just heard from another Japanese friend who may come to visit for a few days the last week in October.

Hmmm....so maybe in November I can begin my job hunt in earnest. What I have found out so far is there are not many opportunities in Harrogate in the graphic design field. I will most likely have to commute to Leeds or York. Luckily each city is easily reached in about a half hour by train or bus.

I just received the airline tickets in the mail for my flight back home in October. I'm returning to attend my nephew's wedding on October 18. I had quite a time booking this flight. The closest airport to Harrogate is Leeds Bradford Airport, but since there are no flights to the U.S. from that airport, I'll have to change planes in London. Since I booked a free flight with United using all those miles I logged while flying to and from Tokyo, I have an additional change in Chicago. On the flight to the U.S. I have a long layover in London -- four hours! I wonder if that will be long enough for me to pop into town before taking off. I'll probably be too anxious to risk it.

It really seems as if it was eaiser to fly from Tokyo to Baltimore. Harrogate is just not that conveniently placed for air travel to the U.S. As an alternative to Leeds Bradford Airport, I could have flown out of Manchester International. But it would be a good 2.5 to 3 hour drive to Manchester Airport and Brad would have had to take off work to take me there and pick me up. (The travel agent recommended against taking a train to Manchester Airport because rail travel here is so unreliable.) I guess my best bet, then, is to fly out of Leeds via London. If I were paying for the flight, I could fly direct to BWI from London via British Airways, so that's what I'll recommend to visitors from Maryland.

The weather continues to remain remarkably warm and sunny. Not at all usual for this part of the world at this time of the year, so we will enjoy it while we can.

On Sunday, we decided to go to the Harrogate Flower Show. We’ve been hearing about this event since we moved here, so wanted to see what it’s all about. It was held at the Great Yorkshire Showground, a short drive, or, if you’re feeling energetic, a half-hour walk from our apartment. It reminded us so much of the Canfield Fair, held every Labor Day weekend in Brad’s hometown. There were a couple of halls with exhibits of prize-winning flowers and vegetables. I especially enjoyed the National Vegetable Society awards where we saw a 15-pound onion, leeks that were surely six feet tall and clean as a whistle, gorgeous blemish-free cauliflowers and many more wonders of the vegetable world. We also saw amazing displays of flowers. I never knew there were so many varieties of dahlias, carnations and fuchsia. I also saw that North England gardeners have quite the knack for bonsai. Very impressive. There was an interesting flower arranging competition with the theme "Bouquet for a December Bride". To my eye, it seemed many of the entrants were trying just too hard to be innovative. One bouquet featured roses that were wrapped around with silver thread, making the blooms look as if they were in bondage. Each entry was accompanied with the comments of one of the judges, who was quick to scold some entrants for having submitted a posy rather than a bouquet.

Aside from the exhibits there were tons of vendors selling all kinds of garden tools, outdoor wear, tools and gadgets, cheeses, honey, jams, cakes… But perhaps the highlight was the delicious Yorkshire Dales ice cream available from wagons parked at about every turn along the fair grounds. Unlike the Canfield Fair, there were no corn dogs available, but you could get your fill of fish and chips, burgers, pasties (savory pies) and toasties (grilled sandwiches).

The Harrogate Flower Show is held twice each year, once in autumn and once in spring. If the entrance fee were not so steep (10 pounds or about $16), we would be sure to attend at least once each year.

A trip to the Vet

I took Ginger to the vet today because of his continued problem with soft stool. The blood test he took last week showed nothing out of the ordinary and no indications of the liver ailment he has been treated for for so long. (thank god). The vet is still convinced the problem is related to Ginger's food. We've got some Prescription Diet WD on order. That's what Ginger was eating while we were in Tokyo; he really liked it and rarely had a problem with soft stools. Fingers crossed; let's hope this works.

Over Hill and Dale

The weathermen have gotten it all wrong again. All weekend long they kept calling for rain, but all we saw were partly cloudy skies and never felt a spot of rain. When the sun was out, it was lovely. So, we decided to take a nice Sunday drive into the Dales. We hopped on the M1, the same road that we took up to Scotland, but this time we turned off after about a half hour drive and headed towards Wensleydale (the area one of our favorite cheeses is named after). Our destination was Castle Bolton a medieval castle where Mary Queen of Scots was once famously imprisoned. The castle is rather striking from a distance, sitting rather stout and squarely on top of a hill. Though one of the four towers has collapsed, much of the structure has remained intact and we spent a good hour or more exploring the castle. In a few of the rooms we found mannequins dressed in period clothing and propped into scenes typical of the middle ages. These displays were a little worn and shabby looking, though. Other areas of the castle were taken over by pigeons; we found them roosting in several nooks and crannies and many stair railings were encrusted with their droppings (yuck!). We even spotted a mama pigeon on a nest with her babies. Despite the pigeons, we really enjoyed exploring the castle. You can climb all the way to the top of one of the towers for a spectacular view.

From the Castle, Brad bravely decided to take one of the smaller winding country roads back to Harrogate. (These are the B roads; A roads are usually wider.) It would take us past Aysgarth Falls and several cute little villages. (We have come to the conclusion that all the Dales villages are cute.) At the National Park Center in Aysgarth, we got out of the car and took a short hike to one of the falls. It was pretty, but I would not call it breathtaking. We learned that one scene from the Robin Hood movie starring Kevin Costner was shot at Aysgarth Falls.

After the Falls, we climbed back into the car and headed home. The road we took was very narrow at times, with many twisty turny areas and several extremely steep hills. We are not used to these country roads, so the ride was a bit harrowing at times. At one point we found ourselves caught in a parade of Mini Coopers. There were about half a dozen minis in front of us, and several to the rear. This was on a particularly narrow section of the road where at one point the traffic came to a standstill as an oncoming truck carefully squeezed its way past the cars on our side of the road. When we finally pulled safely in front of our apartment, Brad told me to remind him never to let him drive on a B road again!

Ginger Update

Ginger has been throwing up and has had a soft stool lately. My first guess was that he was trying to throw up a hair ball, but since he has recently been taken off his liver medicine, I thought it would be a good idea to bring him into the vet. She seems to think he is just having a little trouble as he adjusts to his new food. (We had to try three different kinds before we found one that he liked.) I hope she is right. I'll take him back in for a checkup next week.

Incidentally, I drove the car again today! To and from base and to and from the vet. Getting easier and easier to navigate the roads here.

Long Weekend in Scotland

We’ve just returned from the little seaside village of Kirkcudbright in southwest Scotland. We spent Labor Day weekend there, enjoyed wonderful weather and had a great time exploring the southwest corner of Scotland.

Saturday

We arrived in Kirkcudbright (pronounced kir-coo-bree) on Saturday around lunchtime after a 3.5 hour drive. After checking into our B&B, Gladstone House, we spent the afternoon prowling around Kirkcudbright, a charming little town with a history going back to the Middle Ages. In more recent history…about a hundred years ago the beautiful scenery and ample light of Kirkcudbright attracted many artists who formed an artist’s colony there. The artistic legacy lives on in the small art galleries peppered through the town. We really enjoyed exploring the town and can easily understand why so many artists chose to call it home. Many of the old stone houses are painted in cheery pastel colors, while others retain the natural stone color but have brightly accented wooden windowframes and doorframes. The surrounding countryside is also quite scenic.

Kirkcudbright has its own castle built in 1582. Maclellan's Castle is technically a "castellated" town house built by Thomas Maclellan, provost of Kirkcudbright. The roof is gone now but the rest of the structure remains intact and for a nominal fee you can wander around the ruin on your own and seek out the Laird’s “lug” – a secret room where the old Thomas used to eavesdrop on conversations in the Great Room. My favorite attraction in Kirkcudbright is the wonderfully eclectic Stewartry Museum. There you will find a widely varied collection representing the social and natural history of the area. The collection includes farm implements, ceramics, coins and medals, games, Neolithic tools, not to mention sketchbooks and paintings by several local artists.

Sunday

After a tasty, though rather skimpy breakfast (Brad ordered the full breakfast which consisted of one fried egg, one slice of bacon, one mushroom, one tiny triangle of haggis and one half of a smallish grilled tomato. I ordered scrambled eggs and mushrooms, so received a more generous portion of three –count 'em- three mushrooms. Oh, and there was plenty of toast!), we headed out for a drive to Galloway Forest Park. First stop was Kirroughtree visitor center, where we hiked along a forest trail that provided some vigorous exercise, though few bird sightings. We continued along a road that runs through the Park stopping along the way at the wild goat park and red deer grange to view the critters behind the safety of a wire fence. Then we stopped at Clatteringshaws Lake for a brief hike to Bruce’s Stone – a boulder upon which Robert the Bruce purportedly rested after defeating the English forces in the 1300s. I did a bit of eavesdropping of my own and listened as two apparently English visitors scoffed at the significance of the battle won by Robert the Bruce. We had a nice lunch at the Clatteringshaws tea room and enjoyed watching the chaffinches that bobbed here and there near the picnic benches.

Monday

At breakfast time I screwed up the courage to try some of Brad’s haggis (a more ample portion this time) and was thoroughly surprised to discover that it wasn’t half bad! After breakfast, we checked out of our B&B, hopped in the car and meandered our way back to Yorkshire. We took the back roads towards Dumfries, making two stops along the way. First stop was at the Loch Arthur Creamery just outside of Beeswing where we picked up some delicious organic cheeses (and oat cakes for me – a new found taste treat). Next stop was Caerlaverock Castle, about 8 miles south of Dumfries. This triangular shaped castle built in the 13th century is still surrounded by a moat filled with water. Much of the structure is still intact and Brad and I had great fun crawling in and about the ruin. We had a tasty lunch at the castle tea room then hit the road again, this time homeward bound.

We thoroughly enjoyed our long weekend in Kirkcudbright, so much so that we hope to stop over there again some time. There are many sights and attractions near Kirkcudbright that we did not have time to visit. Plus, the main art museum, Broughton House, was closed for renovations and I’d really love to see the collection. I’m sure we’ll be back again someday.