E. M. Forster Slept Here

London has its blue plaques. In Harrogate there are numerous brown plaques placed by the Harrogate Borough Council. The plaques mark notable structures and their eminent former occupants. I came across this one while running some errands in town yesterday. That's Beech Villa on the left with Beech Lodge on the right. The townhouses sit on a hill overlooking the Stray.

Birding In Ripley

THE RARE HORNBEAM TREE


BLUEBELLS ON A GRAY DAY

Today I went on a guided birding hike near Ripley. The skies were dull gray with heavy cloud cover and there was a sharp wind that chilled us to the bone. When we walked into wooded areas the light was so compromised it gave the scenery a monochromatic aspect, making bird identification difficult. Our local birding expert, Robert, led the walk along with local nature guru Nigel Heptinstall. We had not even left the car park in Ripley before sighting several different species. We did an easy two-hour walk in the area and spotted about 30 species with the help of Robert's keen eyes...and ears. He is able to identify many birds by their songs and calls. Robert gave us tips on identifying birds and informed us about bird behavior. Robert is also well informed about wild plants; he had many of us chewing on wild sorrel, garlic and other plants whose names I can't remember. Nigel, who writes a weekly column in the Harrogate Advertiser about the great outdoors, pointed out a rare hornbeam tree, the only one that he knows of in the general area. He also filled us in on local history and legends.

To the best of my recollection and in no special order, these are the species of birds we identified by sight on our walk. (Robert identified a good deal more by sound.):

• blue tit
  
• great tit
  
• green finch
  
• goldfinch
  
• dunnock
  
• redleg partridge
  
• pheasant
  
• stock dove
  
• wood pigeon
  
• mallard
  
• starling
  
• blackbird
  
• coal tit
  
• long-tailed tit
  
• great heron
  
• rook
  
• carrion crow
  
• jackdaw
  
• nuthatch
  
• robin
  
• curlew
  
• lapwing
  
• collared dove
  
• song thrush
  
• mistle thrush
  
• chaffinch
  
• wren
  

Sunbeam Delight

Ginger just loves to bathe in sunbeams. Even on hot summer days (quite rare here) he can be found stretched out the sun. He seems to be feeling better these days. His diarrhea has cleared up (thank god!) but he has been throwing his food up frequently. I find that if I feed him very small amounts of food throughout the day he has a better chance of holding it down. He has a sweet and loving disposition and gives no indication whatsoever that he is ailing in anyway, so that is a comfort.

Back to the Airport

Sadly, Domenica and Brenda's visit drew to a close. We dropped them off at the airport this morning. There was a long line at the US Airways check in counter, but it moved quickly. We shared one last cup of coffee with them after they checked in then bade them farewell. There is so much else we would have liked to have shown them, so many other places to go and sights to see. But I think we managed to fill the week with some fun outings. Taking other people to see the local sights makes us appreciate the beauty and charm of the UK more than ever.

A Walk in Pateley Bridge

Today was Domenica and Brenda's last full day in England. We'd been going at such a strong pace they wanted to do something a bit more leisurely. Brad had to work, so I decided to drive over to Pateley Bridge from where we could take a short hike. The drive over to Pateley offers some stunning views of Nidderdale, muted a bit this morning by mist which later gave way to sunshine and blue skies. We took a walk along the River Nidd where we spotted many birds (blue tit, great tit, wren, moorhen, swan, curlew). We chatted with a British couple who walk frequently in the area. They told us about the trout farm and the kingfishers that come by when the trout are being farmed and an alternate route back into Pateley Bridge. About a mile or so down the trail we reached the Yorkshire Country Wines Tearoom on the edge of the village of Glasshouses. The tearoom/winery/antiques store is situated in a 9th-century flax mill. The setting was lovely. We initially sat down to have a cuppa, but upon seeing the menu, decided to order lunch. Domenica had the Yorkshire Platter consisting of paté, pork pie and Yorkshire ham. Brenda had a vegetable hazelnut casserole and I ordered an open-faced Coverdale cheese sandwich. The portions were generous and the meal was beautifully presented. After dining we browsed through the antiques area then hit the trail again. This time we were up on a ridge looking down on the river and walking alongside fields of sheep. We took countless pictures of the sheep and their adorable lambkins. We passed a riding school with two feisty horses in a pen out front. Eventually we entered the village of Bewerley, so cute and quaint with colorful flowers and trees in bloom. We took a peek at the Bewerley Grange Chapel, built in 1496, renovated in the 1960s. We arrived back in Pateley Bridge around 2:30 p.m. and walked up and down the narrow High Street shopping and brwosing. Domenica bought some Scott's Porage Oats and Brenda found some nice dog collars for Dash and Nemo. Soon we had to make our way back to the car for the drive back into Harrogate. D&B wanted to write their postcards and relax a bit before going out to dinner. They insisted on treating Brad and I and asked us to pick the finest restaurant in Harrogate. We chose The Tannin Level a cozy little wine bar/restaurant that has a nice atmosphere, ample wine list for wines by the glass and excellent food. Brad and Domenica had the fried brie as a starter, my starter was a delectable duck spring roll. Brad and I had the pan-fried sea bass for our mains, Brenda had Gressingham duck with a mixed salad, while Domenica had a dish called smothered chicken. Brad and I split sticky toffee pudding for dessert, while D&B shared some bread and butter pudding. Everything was absolutely delicious!! The only bad thing was that the restaurant became a bit too smoky for our comfort, but by then we were ready to leave.

Warwick Castle

The weather took a definite turn for the better this morning. It was sunny though quite cool. Brad had the day off again and was ready to hit the road again. We had a hard time deciding upon a destination. We had considered a drive to the Cotswolds, but settled on a visit to Warwick. The town has some lovely Tudor-style architecture and is home to the quintessential English castle. It took about 2.5 hours to get to Warwick. We parked in the Castle car park but decided to have lunch before touring the castle. We went to Brethren's, the tearoom at the Lord Leycester Hotel. The setting was superb inside the 17th century tudor building and the food was delish. After lunch we browsed through Warwick, window shopping and taking photos. We wended our way to the castle where we had great fun exploring the grounds and the many exhibits on display. We attended a falconry display on the grounds and got astonishingly close to an owl, a baby eagle and a bald eagle. Leaving Warwick we got caught in a miserable traffic jam. Domenica and Brenda got to see first-hand how awful the traffic in England can be. Dinner that night was at Bettys in Harrogate. D&B had been so impressed with Bettys in York that they wanted to have another taste of their excellent cuisine and oh-so-quaint decor.

Windswept Moors

Today was the day that Brenda had scheduled a day of fly-fishing with a guide on Driffield Beck in the North York Moors. She had been in touch with her guide, Roger Beck, before leaving the States and several times after her arrival on Sunday. The forecast was for rain in the morning giving way to sunshine by noon. It seemed a good day for their scheduled fishing outing. Brad had to work, so I was behind the wheel for the day. We left the house at 8 a.m. and I drove north to Thirsk. From there Roger instructed us to follow the caravan route to the village of Ampleforth where he lives. I'd never driven the caravan route -- it's marked by an orange square with a solid black border -- but it took us on local roads through some small villages and avoided the steep grade of Sutton Bank.

After we dropped Brenda off, I drove into Pickering where Domenica and I hopped on a vintage steam engine train on the North York Moors Railway. The train appeared to date from the 50s and the engine looked like the one used for the train in the Harry Potter movies. We took the train to the end of the line at Grosmont where we got out and spent just a few minutes browsing the train station and shop. The waiting room had been restored to look as if it were the 1950s with old posters, a stack of leather valises and a coal burning fireplace. We needed the fire as it was quite cold and windy. We hopped back on the train and rode to the next stop in, Goathland. This stop is famous for two reasons: 1) it is the setting for a popular British soap opera called Hearbeat; 2) it is the setting for Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter movie(s).

The tiny village of Goathland stands in as the village of Aidensfield in the show, Heartbeat. Aside from the little gift shops chock full of Heartbeat souvenirs there is not much to Goathland aside from a pub, general store and a tearoom. We stopped in at the pub for lunch. The pub was crowded and we had a long wait for our lunch causing us to miss the 13:05 train back into Pickering. The next train didn't leave till 15:05, so we had plenty of time, and then some, to explore the village. We went into every one of the cheesy souvenir shops, stopped by the vintage 1960s garage (part of the Heartbeat show), had tea and flapjacks in the tearoom and spent quite a bit of time watching the sheep that wander right through the middle of the village. We had been watching the sheep grazing in someone's front yard when the sheep all began to bleat excitedly. Down the road on a tractor came the farmer with a bag of feed. He dumped the feed pellets on the grass across the street and all the sheep gathered for the feast.

The sun never did manage to break through the clouds that day. It was rather windy and oh so cold. Domenica and I both felt sorry for Brenda fishing in some cold and icy stream somewhere. We made sure we didn't miss the 15:05 train into Pickering. Once in Pickering, Domenica began taking some pictures of books in a used paperback book store. The proprietor came outside and cajoled us into entering the store and buying some books. We both made purchases in the store; I found a couple of books I've been looking for for awhile in the charity shops and Domenica found a nice book with social commentary on life in England during the latter part of the 19th century. We wandered into an old church and churchyard in the center of Pickering and stopped in at the Black Swan to warm up. Domenica had a drambuie while I ordered a coffee.

We arrived back at Roger's house at 6 p.m. to pick Brenda up but they had not returned yet. Roger's wife invited us in out of the cold and as we were waiting Roger called to say they were just leaving and would be there in an hour. Domenica and I decided to hop back in the car and explore the area. We drove over to Byland Abbey -- another picturesque ruined abbey. We stood next to a field of sheep and watched as the little lambs were capering and gamboling about. A farmer came by with a sack of feed for the mama sheep. I went into the Abbey Inn to call Brad (I could not get a signal for my cell phone anywhere in the North York Moors). It's a very cozy and comfy pub; I hope to go back there some day with Brad.

We got back to Roger's place at 7:15 p.m. and soon he and Brenda pulled up. She had had a nice day of fishing, despite the weather. She didn't catch much but got the lowdown on fishing practices in the UK. She had been fishing in a chalk stream, usually associated with the south of England, but Driffield Beck is the only chalk stream this far north.

We got back to Harrogate rather late. I had taken the leftover lasagna out of the freezer and reheated it for dinner that night.

To The Lake District

It was a glorious sunny day, perfect for our drive up to the Lake District. Brad was able to take the day off work and drove us up and over the North York Moors in the morning arriving at Castlerigg Stone Circle just outside of Keswick around 10 a.m. There were only a few other visitors at the stone circle, so we had plenty of wonderful photo opportunities. We headed into Keswick where we took a stroll through the town admiring the green slate buildings. We popped into Bryson's Tearoom for a bite to eat. Everyone had scones except me. I opted for a local treat called plum bread. It tasted just like a slice of raisin toast and was yummy indeed. From Keswick we headed south to Grasmere, yet another charming Lake District village. After lunch in Grasmere we visited Dove Cottage, Wordsworth's home from 1799-1808. Even if you are not literarily inclined, a visit to Dove Cottage is a treat if only for the intimate view of life in rural England during the early 19th century. We all decided we are definitely glad to be living in the 21st century. From Grasmere we took the long scenic road home through the rest of the Lake District and back into the Yorkshire Dales with a few stops along the way for photo opportunities of stone walls and sheep. It was rather late when we were approaching Harrogate. I suggested we pop into the Hopper Lane Hotel for dinner. It's a quaint and cozy pub right on the road home. We all had a good dose of hearty British fare: Brenda had roast lamb and Yorkshire pudding while I had roast pork and Yorkshire pud. Domenica had steak and ale pie and Brad had pork medallions. Aside from our main dishes the rest of the table was laden with tons of veggies: chipped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, mashed potatoes, boiled new potatoes, broccoli, squash, carrots. Somehow we managed to find room to have dessert as well: the girls shared a Belgian chocolate steamed pudding and Brad had vanilla ice cream in a brandy snap basket.

Rainy Day in York

I guess there is no escaping the rain when you come for a week-long visit to the UK and this morning we got dumped on. The rain had been well forecast so we decided to spend the day in York, where we could visit some indoor attractions. Brad had to work so Domenica, Brenda and I hopped on the train to York. We spent the morning in the York Castle Museum and by the time we emerged the rain had stopped and the skies began to clear. Perfect timing! We wandered about the streets of York, took a stroll down the Shambles, had lunch at Bettys Tearoom and then headed over to York Minster. We had allowed plenty of time to explore the immense interior of the Minster as well as the undercroft. We had timed our visit to allow for attendance at Evensong in the Minster Quire. Evensong is a church service in which most of the mass is sung by a choir. Oddly enough, the choir that performed during the service we attended was from the Harrogate Ladies College; their voices were ethereal and quite moving. We had to duck out before the service ended in order to catch our train back to Harrogate. By the time we got home, Brad had returned from work and we all walked over to our local fish and chips joint, Drake's. We all had the basic fish and chips platter: a large piece of battered fried fish (haddock, I think), chipped fried potatoes, mushy peas, bread and butter and a pot of tea or cup of coffee. Delicious British-style comfort food. Somehow we even found room for dessert: hot fudge cake with ice cream for the girls, pineapple fritter for Brad.

Our Visitors Arrive

This morning Brad and I drove to Manchester Airport to pick up Domenica and Brenda, who arrived at 8 a.m. on an overnight flight from the U.S. They'll be staying with us for about a week. I had warned them to get plenty of sleep on the plane as we planned to hit the ground running upon their arrival. They managed to stay awake for the 1.5 hour drive from the airport. We served them a selection of Yorkshire cheeses and crackers and biscuits and then, after a short nap, we headed out to Bolton Abbey, one of our favorite spots in Yorkshire. It was a chilly gray day but the Abbey and village were charming as ever. Thanks to recent rains, the river was quite high and the water rushed under the wooden bridge completely covering the stepping stones. We wandered through the abbey ruins and took a brief tour of the Parish Church that is attached to the abbey. We stopped off for a bite to eat in the Tea Cottage and D&B had their first taste of Welsh rarebit. From the Tea Cottage we drove over to the Cavendish Pavilion for a short walk through the Strid Wood. By then our guests were mighty tired, so we headed back home, only telling them afterwards that we had just driven on the most dangerous road in the UK. I served homemade lasagna for dinner, Domenica helped with the salad and then it was off to bed.

Forget Me Not

Today Brad and I took a drive to Bradford for a visit to the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. It's a gem of a museum. We saw a special exhibit entitled "Forget Me Not" which examined the relationship of photography and remembrance. The photos in the exhibit ranged from early daguerrotypes to Victorian photos framed with elaborately woven human hair to contemporary scrapbooks. A simply marvelous collection. We also paused for a brief talk about the Cottingley Fairy photos. The photos of purported fairies were taken by two young girls, cousins, from Cottingley village, just outside Bradford. The museum has two of the cameras the girls used and copies of some of thier fairy photos. Later we went to TV Heaven on the fourth floor to watch a 15-minute documentary about the fairy photos. The documentary, made in the 1960s, features interviews with the cousins who took the photos. The eldest maintained their story was true her whole life. The younger one ultimately confessed to the hoax after the death of her older cousin. We also strolled through the main photography exhibit and the exhibits on television, animation and optical illusions.

Discovering Malham

I went on my most challenging hike today. And the most rewarding. I joined a small group of hikers for an organized hike to Malham Cove and Gordale Scar. It took about an hour to drive to the village of Malham, with the last half hour or so on on a very narrow roadway. The village is oh-so-charming and quaint but in a natural, earthy way, not in a cutesy way that you see in many other Dales villages. I think it has retained that natural charm because it is fairly remote. We parked in the National Park Centre and hiked towards Malham Cove -- a limestone cliff shaped like an amphitheater. At this point it began to rain. It never rained really hard but it rained all day long and the wind was mighty strong at times. From Malham Cove we climbed up more than 400 steps to the top of the cliff. It was a tough climb, many of the steps were quite high and the rain made for slippery going. But once on the top, I turned around and saw the splendid view and I knew the effort had been worth it. At the top of Malham Cove we paused for awhile to examine the limestone pavement -- a sheet of limestone that has been carved into blocks by erosion. The crevices in between the blocks are quite deep and the surface of the rocks is irregular but polished by water erosion. It was fun looking at the pavement and taking pictures of it, but walking on it scared the bejesus out of me. Thankfully we only had to walk for a short way on the limestone pavement. After that we were on a path of jagged slippery rocks. Then we hit the boggy fields. All the while the rain was being blown sideways into our faces. And I was having a marvelous time because the scenery was just so magnificent! We eventually made our way back to the village of Malham for a warm and cozy break and some tasty lunch at Lister Arms. After lunch we went for a shorter, less strenuous hike to Gordale Scar, a gorge created by melting glacial waters. There is a small waterfall there and the rock formations were incredibly beautiful. From Gordale Scar we took an easy hike back to the village through a lush woodland. I took as many pictures as I dared, given the nasty weather and hope to return to take some more pictures under sunny skies.

A Day To Remember

Ten years ago today Brad and I tied the knot. We are so glad we convinced Charles and Camilla to change the date of their wedding...otherwise we'd be sharing this anniversary with them forever. Today also happens to be Buddha's birthday. We certainly don't mind sharing the day with him.

The North York Moors Railway

MY HIKING BUDDIES ON THE TRAIN


ON THE NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS

Today I went on an excursion with some of my hiking buddies. We drove up to Pickering in the North Yorkshire moors. At Pickering we caught a train on the North York Moors Railway. It's a very short line on which run vintage steam engines through the moors. Some of the stations are period pieces as well. We rode the train to the first stop at Levisham, an 18-minute trip. It took us about four hours to hike the 7.5 miles back to Pickering. We could have made better time but we stopped off for a picnic lunch and were slowed down by mud and photo opportunities. It was a strenuous walk with some of the steepest paths I've had to climb yet. The weather was dreadful at first. It began to rain as soon as we pulled into Pickering and it looked as if the rain was going to stay. But about a half hour into the walk the skies cleared and the sun came out. It clouded over and rained again a few more times but for the most part we had clear weather and some magnificent clouds. Typical English weather.

Daytrippers

ROWBOAT ON LAKE WINDERMERE

We took a drive to the Lake District today just to see if we could make a daytrip out of it. And we found out, yes we can! We took a different route going and coming and each route took about two hours. It was a picture perfect day and the scenery was breathtaking. We made a brief stop in Bowness-on-Windermere and another stop in Keswick. It was market day in Keswick so the place was hoppin'. From Keswick we made another brief stop at Castlerigg only to find the stone circle mobbed with a group of tourists who had just disembarked from a bus. About seven years ago, we spent one night in Keswick and visited Castlerigg early the next morning. We had the place to ourselves that time and it was a magical experience.

Another Foggy Morning in Harrogate