More Springtime in Britian...

Dang, I've been going through my pictures and we have really been BUSY this spring! I can't believe it is already the middle of June!

In April, Audrey had two weeks off of school for what they call "mid term" so we took some time off work and took the kids to Drayton Manor (an amusement park) and also visited Stoke on Trent (also known as "the Potteries") Well known for dishes and art pottery. In May we had a couple of bank holidays (three day weekends...) which made it possible for us to take a couple of more overnight trips. One weekend we covered Avebury, which is a huge prehistoric site with dozens of huge stone circles, a giant manmade mound and a prehistoric burial mound - it was really amazing!! Also stopped by Stonehenge, then went to Salisbury, which still has the entire Medieval city wall in tact - they still close the city gates in the night. Salisbury also has a fantastic cathedral which boasts having one of the 5 remaining copys of the magna carta.

Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury

The Cloisters, Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury

I really have a thing for cloisters... Salisbury Cathedral

Cool carving, Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury

Ok, maybe I just have a thing with cathedrals... Salisbury Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral, Salisbury

After Salisbury we went on to Wells. Pat and I have been to Wells before - he used to work with a team over there before Quantum shut the facility down and moved all of the work to the U.S. It is a fantastic city - known as Britian's smallest city. It has a fantastic cathedral and is home to Europe's oldest residential street. We stayed at a 400 year old hotel in the town center called the Crown Inn. If you've seen the movie "Hot Fuzz" you'll know what the outside of this hotel looks like because it is featured in the film!

Wells Cathedral, Wells

Cool Stone Dude, Wells Cathedral

Oldest Residential Street in Europe, Wells

Our last stop during this overnighter weekend was Chedworth Roman Villa - tucked away in the middle of NOWHERE is this amazing ruin of a 2000 year old Roman villa, complete with central heat, a mosaic floor dining room and of course a proper bath house that no Roman home would ever be without! Zoe loved it because she had her very own map of the place :) Audrey was keen on the endangered white snails which call the place home :)

May was a very busy month for us - after our first bank holiday weekend, Pat's parents came out for a visit. They spent a couple of days with us then went on a driving tour of England. We took them around our village then made a day trip to Cambridge. The weather could not have been better (and actually hasn't been since!) We took in a punt ride on the river Cam, toured Queens college and enjoyed the awesome Sunday art market in the square.

Pretty Window Queens College, Cambridge

Tulips - Cambridge

That following week, I traveled to Zurich on business. I stayed at the Hotel Hirschen in the historic town center, just a block away from the river and about a half mile from the lake. It was sooo beautiful there - I really enjoyed my stay! Some colleagues of mine from Colorado just happened to be there while I was, so we all went to dinner and then out to a piano bar - it was a really good night :) I had a chance to do a bit of shopping and bought some fantastic shoes!!! And also got to go to a happy hour with a bunch of the folks that work in the Quantum office in Zurich - it was so nice to be around PEOPLE!!! Quantum's Zurich office has people from all over the world working there, China, Germany, Kosovo, Mexico, Chile, Scotland, France, Finland, America... Its amazing! I think there may be one or two Swiss people who work there too :) So, not only was the trip a success from a work perspective, but I got to meet a bunch of cool new friends and catch up with some old friends from home - it was a good trip, but I was so glad to go home! I really missed Pat and the kids while I was gone ( although Pat doesn't believe it!).

Walking about the cobblestone streets of Zurich

At the end of May we had another bank holiday and Audrey had the week off for "half term" break. The Friday before that we met up with Pat's parents again, this time in London (they were headed home on the Saturday...). They were pretty tired from their 2 week adventure, so we just checked out the Covent Garden market, walked across the Tower Bridge and had a couple of nice meals together. It was so nice to have visitors from home - I hope more people will take their example - we miss you guys!!!

Grampa, give me candy! Covent Garden, London

Tower Bridge, London

Tower of London, London

We were all just shattered by the end of the day, Zoe even fell asleep on the train on the way back to Northampton! But, we still had a three day weekend ahead of us, so we got up the next morning, packed a suitcase, booked a hotel room in York and headed out! We kinda got a late start, but its less than 3 hours away, so we still got there by lunchtime-ish... York is a FANTASTIC city - it is very quaint and charming with a castle keep up on a hill a massive Cathedral and lots of windey streets with buildings that are 4-5 centuries old - and lots of them are haunted!! We really enjoyed our weekend there!

From the top of the Keep, York Castle

From the bottom of the Keep, York Castle!

Pat and the girlz, York Castle

York Castle

Cool Purple Paint Guy, York (check out Zoe's face - she was terrified!)

The Shambles, York

The High Street York - PACKED!!The girls on The Shambles, York

Haunted Pub, York

Inside the haunted pub - it is not an optical illusion - the floor is totally lopsided! I got vertigo sitting in here because EVERYTHING was off kilter!

Pat and Audrey - haunted lemonade

OMG - is that a G-G-G-Ghost???

The following weekend we took it easy on the Saturday, and then Pat and I had a big treat! A whole day out - just us! The kids were so amped to have a babysitter all day, everyone was happy! Pat and I went to the FIM World GP Motocross race at Mallory Park - it was kinda cool and overcast, but it was a brilliant day out for us! We drank cold ale, ate cheeseburgers and chips from a van, wandered about the pits, got a few autographs, watched some excellent racing and even saw a Welsh streaker - what else could you ask for!?

Whip it baby!

Welsh Streaker

There is not enough beer in this country to help me forget that sight...

Why are streakers never hot chicks?

Stefan Everts - Motogod (not bad looking either!)

Ok - almost caught up... Last week I went with Zoe on a field trip to a farm - we petted goats and cows and bunnies, but I think her favorite bit were the bouncy castles and the life size cow sculpture that had udders full of water that the kids could "milk" :) Then, for the weekend we visited Stowe Landscape gardens - the pictures tell the story of that - it was very beautiful and relaxing, although, again, kinda cold and cloudy :( Fortunately we are learning how to be prepared for the unpredictable English weather and we had lots of fun!

The bikes have to live in the house because it is too damp in the garage...

RIGHT! I think I have you all caught up now - ooooh - except for one quick thing! I now am learning what the view is like from the RIGHT Side of the car! Yes, I am taking driving lessons! I was SOOOOOOO nervous before the instructor showed up last week... imagine my shock and dismay when I got in the car and saw that it was a STANDARD - oh crap!!! She drove us out to a quiet neighborhood in Kingsthorpe (part of the main town of Northampton) and taught me some basics then had me climb behind the wheel! It was so weird shifting with my left hand, but she taught me some really good tips to help me not freak out so bad about the cars parked on the left and the cars which I feel like I am going have head on collisions with which are coming the other way! Today I had my second lesson and it went really well, I even went on a dual carriage way (kinda like a freeway), a few roundabouts and a construction zone - yay for me!

Peace out baby