Summer Travels 2019 (Part 1) England

Annual England Visit

(July 27 - Aug 13)

During our roughly two weeks in England, we car tripped from Cambridge to Glossop, up to the Lake District, down to Kenilworth, then to Yatton, and ended in London (via a tow truck!) The trip was characterized by drawn out meals with loved ones, invigorating rambles in bucolic countryside, and rain. Heavy downpours almost daily. Oh, and a temperamental rental car that intermittently lost power at inopportune moments.

Intermittent rain kept us indoors much of the weekend in Cambridge, but over leisurely home cooked meals (Jason's cauliflower cheese, Marie's mushroom tart) we did a whole lot of catching up with Jason, Marie, Luc and Kristal.
On Monday, our third day in Cambridge, we awoke to a cloudless sky. The outdoors dominated the day's agenda so we thanked the weather gods. While Daryl spent the day with Jason in Suffolk, I hooked up with Troy for a long hike. We hadn't seen each other since the Serengeti safari last year so we had much to yak about. We started at Byron's Pool (named after Lord Byron) and followed the trail to the utterly charming old village of Grantchester, returning to Cambridge along the River Cam. In a setting of verdant meadows, birdsong, swan families, punters and willow trees along the riverbank I felt incredibly uplifted. And eager for more nature walks in the next days and weeks.

Daryl and I were on a nature trail in the Pennines the next afternoon. In the morning we had driven up north from Cambridge into the high peaks of Derbyshire. At Langsett Reservoir we stopped for a pub lunch (a pie and pint of bitter). The moors that we could see from the garden table beckoned. We strapped on hiking boots and followed a trail that encircled the reservoir.

Langsett Reservoir Trail

We entered a pine forest where the air was heavily scented and the ground cushioned with mulch. Closer to the water we were on an open field of heather and grasses. Then, as we entered another forested section we heard rumbles of thunder. When lightning streaked across the sky we hightailed it back toward the parking lot. By the time we emerged onto the main road, we felt the first drops of rain. We flew into the car and headed for the Woodhead Pass. Within minutes the storm fully erupted. Bright streaks of lightning, deafening thunder, and the Pennines hidden in mist forced us to wait out the storm at a pullout. Luck was definitely on our side. When Glynis and Mike saw us a short while later in Hadfield their relief was obvious.
Snug and safe at the dinner table, we sipped wine and savored a steamy vegetable casserole. Through the window walls of the conservatory where the dining area is set up we admired their well tended garden full of bright summer blooms. The moors of the high peaks were also in full view from their dining table.

Despite rainy weather in Hadfield our days were dominated by the outdoors. And in the evenings we submitted to being pampered by Glynis and Mike. Hearty home cooked fare, lots of wine, and to end, sweet Greek treats that they'd brought back from a recent trip.

Then there was a notable pub lunch after a morning on the Longdendale trail.

Lunch at the Dog and Partridge Pub

A leek, pea and asparagus risotto with a pint of ale is best enjoyed at a picnic table with expansive views of the moors. Especially after a few hours on a nature trail.
The Longdendale Trail, part of the Trans-Pennine multi day walk, deserves some description.

On the Longdendale Trail

This 10 km mostly level stretch is a section of a former railway line that connected Manchester and Sheffield. We picked up the trail from Hadfield and within minutes we were in a landscape of lush undulating fields, ancient stone walls, the chain of reservoirs providing Manchester's water, overgrown blackberry brambles and even a waterfall. After three hours of immersion in this scenery an ale at a pub's picnic table tasted especially refreshing.

In contrast to the wild moors I had a day of city walking for a change. When I arrived at Manchester's Piccadilly Train Station my goal was to wander around the city, soaking up its summer vibe. I crossed over to the Piccadilly Gardens and for some bizarre reason took a photograph of the Queen Victoria Statue.

Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester

At lunch time Glynis and I noshed on tasty vegan burgers at the plant based restaurant called Vertigo in the striking Royal Exchange building. Alone in the afternoon I wandered past other significant buildings like the Manchester Cathedral, St. Anne's Church and the Art Gallery until the rain came down. I ducked in the Arndale Center where I hoped to find a sun hat for our trip to the Dolomites. Amazingly, despite the many sports shops in the center, and despite it being the peak of summer, a few unappealing baseball hats was all I could find! It was still raining when I headed back to the station. Aha, I thought, in this city there was no need for protection from the sun!

Lake District

Luckily we had a fair amount of dry weather further north. In the humble south Lake District town of Cark (overshadowed by neighboring Cartmel) family members converged for a few days of together time. As this part of England owes its popularity to its way above average natural beauty, daily hikes defined our days.

On our first morning we strolled on the promenade of Grange over Sands. Situated on an estuary, this peaceful coastal stretch, just a couple miles from our vacation rental, gave us a dose of the local geography.

On another day we drove further out, to the town of Seascale on the Irish Sea coast.

Seascale

Here, we walked on the sandy beach and then onto a section of the Cumbrian Coast trail. On this wild, remote stretch we could've walked for hours. Of course it was rain that forced us back to the car.
On our last day in Cark, Clare accompanied Daryl and me on a walk to Cartmel two miles away. A footpath led us through dairy and sheep farms, into a shady forest, and then through rolling green meadows fringed by stone walls.

Scenery on trail connect Cark to Cartmel

We'd already sampled Cartmel's famous sticky toffee pudding and were eager to finally to see this much hyped town. It turned out to be rather charming, with quaint stone buildings, a river flanked by bright gardens, and a lively food scene. We rested our weary legs at a courtyard table munching a sandwich and sampling a craft IPA. Before heading back on the trail we considered a sticky toffee pudding indulgence but opted for a fruit tart smothered in custard.

Cartmel seen from a distant high point on our walk back to Cark

While exercise, fresh air, and nature defined our days in Cark, the evenings were dedicated to family time over drawn out meals lubricated by craft gin cocktails.
The highlight was the Big Family Dinner on our second day when various relatives who weren't staying at the Cark house drove up for a reunion. We were 3 generations gathered together, 19 in total, around the table in the back garden on a glorious sunny day, summer at its best. On the menu was homemade lasagna made by Troy, accompanied by a hefty salad. Gin, bubbly and wine flowed too freely.

Dinner Party, Cark

Dessert had to be Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding. Every variety available and everyone gobbled up as much as their bodies could handle.

Sticky Toffee Pudding anyone?

It was a beautiful day and a satisfying meal. Despite the recently installed occupant at 10 Downing Street we were able to focus on topics that made us laugh and smile. The somberness and anxiety around Boris and Brexit was discernible everywhere in England, but we made a point of remembering what truly mattered. Family, love, good health, and doing whatever you can for others.

When we parted with family Daryl and I drove up to Windemere for two more nights in the Lake District. At Bowness-on-Windemere we hopped on a boat headed for Ambleside. We were on England's largest lake, enjoying the lush meadows and forests hugging the periphery.  

Lake Windemere

At the Ambleside Pier we had a quick lunch - a boring, cheese sandwich - then boarded a boat to Wray Castle. From there we strolled on a 4 mile lakeside trail to Ferry House.

Afternoon tea at the Belfields Hotel

There were sporadic bursts of showers, but with our rain repellent outerwear and umbrella we embraced the sweet moist air and soaked up the magnificent scenery for which this area is famous.

A short ferry ride then returned us to Bowness.

Time for afternoon tea at the Belfields Hotel, a majestic building overlooking the lake.
Early Grey tea, finger sandwiches, an assortment of cakes and of course, fresh, warm scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

In Windemere we stayed in a cute but tiny garden "hut". Most of our time was taken up by walks - to the towns of Windmere and Bowness, as well as down to the lake along the shore.

Heading south from the Lake District more hearty, drawn out meals and country walks awaited.

Ploughman's Lunch at Hatton Locks Café

We spent a glorious day with David and Rona on the towpath of the Hatton Locks section of the Grand Union Canal. We admired the 21 locks called the "stairway to heaven", picked blackberries, watched narrow canal boats, then sauntered to the café for lunch. Daryl went for the ploughman's lunch, one of the best we'd seen in recent years. Three types of strong cheeses and crusty bread. Yum!

The Epsteins love entertaining. Friends of theirs joined us for a hearty dinner featuring borscht made with homegrown beets. Lucky for us Julia came over from Oxford and we got a chance to catch up with her. Eight of us around the table covered a range of topics. I was pleased to chat with Ian Stewart about his books on math meant for a mainstream readership. I must add that I made the dessert. Summer pudding assembled from homegrown berries and currants, served with rich custard.

Another lingering meal awaited us the next day in Yatton. Saff's elaborate rice salad was the centerpiece of a big dinner gathering. It was so wonderful to see and catch up with Tom, Zoe, Denis, their partners, and Maddy. We'd seen Kathy and her baby earlier.

The walk we did in Yatton was a section of the Strawberry Line. This wide, traffic free path for cyclists and walkers connects several towns in Somerset County. What a fabulous concept! While Daryl and Saff paired up for some good catch up time, Gwen and I shared some quality time too.
Our Yatton visit ended with Sunday lunch in Portishead at The Windmill Inn. With Valerie, Saff and Gwen for company and a pleasing view of Bristol Channel and the Severn Bridge we gobbled up a vegetarian version of traditional (nut roast, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, mushroom gravy).

In London we enjoyed one more dinner gathering at the Self home in Wilsden Green. Gil went all out to prepare a feast, launched by bruschetta topped with roasted bell peppers, and followed by a main course of exquisite nut roast accompanied by a lentil squash casserole. Dom, Randy and Katie chatted about their recent travels. We exchanged Thailand experiences. We laughed about irritations of the expat  in the UK. Gil shared with us her travel wishes. So many years of meeting up with this family in the same dining room. So grateful to continue the tradition.

After two beautiful weeks of visiting family and friends we left England for a holiday in the Italian Dolomites and two Austrian cities. For details stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3.

London Days

Spent Tuesday exploring the Hampstead area which is essentially my neighborhood. What a charming place with numerous cafes, shops, cobbled lanes, and old buildings. Most remarkably it looked too white and wealthy for London. Hamstead definitely has its own character distinct from the rest of London. But then again I'm sure every neighborhood claims this. I walked on into Finchley, which had more of the crazy, London atmosphere I know. Lots more people, cosmopolitan, noisy. On the High Street was a big indoor shopping center. I stepped inside and thought how amazingly similar it was to South African shopping malls. Then I saw a prominent NANDO'S sign and this familiar restaurant was spread out close to the entrance. A huge Sainsbury's supermarket was downstairs and I did some shopping. English supermarkets are so much more fun than American supermarkets. What a joy to consider all the interesting food in all the aisles. Crusty, whole grain breads still warm, fruity, delicate pastries, deli cases displaying Indian food to go and other exotic fare, olive bars, cheeses to die for - creamy, ripe, sharp, aged -, coffee beans, dark, glistening, fair trade. In fact, every aisle you walk through boasts fairly traded goods, organic, healthy, antioxodant rich, Omega - 3's - this country is going mad in this regard - and I love it!
Down the road from the shopping center was a Waitrose. This is a gourmet supermarket and you should enter only if you are prepared to be bankrupt. Irresistable food, absurdly priced, taunts you from every angle at this store. Fruit from all corners of the globe, vegies of every shape and color, and then there's all that prepared food - veg dips/spreads pretentiously named things like aubergine caviar and wild mushroom pate , fresh sauces, stuffed pastas, curries from all over Asia, ... you get the idea. Let's not even talk about the chococate - nothing under 70% cocoa- and yes, fairly traded - so no need to feel guilty about those poor child slaves ... So, I spent a month's salary on some chestnut mushrooms, fresh tagliatelle, bell peppers, and a mix of cress, rocket (arugula), and spinach.

I spent a relaxing afternoon with Angie, catching up on family news over a Nederburg Sauvignon Blanc. The weather was still cool and cloudy, so we stayed in.

On Wednesday, 4th of July, I awoke nicely rested at 6:00 and did the civilized thing of starting my first book that I've assigned myself to read. HOUSE OF PEACE is by Nazia Peer, a South African Indian doctor, and a young muslim woman. This book is so badly written I almost cried. Okay, so the premise or plot if we dare, isn't bad. Six brothers of immigrant parents - Iranian and Indian -and we get each brother's story. Their stories are typical of educated, monied muslim families in Johannesburg, and are worthy of being told. But Peer has a long way to go as far as delivering a story. I mean she does things I wouln't tolerate in my 4th graders! I'm not kidding. Repetition, telling, not showing, awkward language, vague descriptions, god, it's so painful. But I will read it. I am curious to see how she pulls it off.

I went to have lunch with David and Rona Epstein, old friends of ours. They were staying at their daughter, Laura's place. Laura, a doctor, lives near the ferry docks not far from Greenwich. I bought an Oyster card, supposedly a way to save on public transportation in London. I had to take the tube (I'm on the northern line), then a DLR to get to Laura's. I found myself at the ferry docklands, a part of London I hadn't seen before. Across from the row of old, brick semi detached homes on East Ferry Road, was a huge park, a "farm" which had sheep and cows and horses, and an allotment garden. It had an 'away from the city' feel - this area. The park has cycle paths and nature trails - ideal for a family with kids. Laura has a pair of daughters aged 2 1/2 and 9 month old. Ilana and Rosa are as cute as they come and most of our conversation revolved around them. We had a pasta lunch outdoors - the sun was shining and the temperature fairly comfortable.

After lunch I went into central London. Decided I had to do something cultural so went into the New Globe and picked up their schedule. I'll have to book a play for August. Then I trotted off to the Tate Gallery. Modern art is not my thing. I seriously need to take some art appreciation classes. I feel so ignorant not understanding why a crushed up car with pillows suspended above it is art. Or why broad random sweeps of color on a canvas is beautiful. I did find a room I adored, though. The Moross Gallery had works by the Surrealists and others closely related. As soon as I entered the room I immediately recognized a Miro. I love the paintings of Joan Miro and because of a guided tour of the Miro Museum in Barcelona a few years ago, I understand his work to a certain extent. It was with pure delight that I took in Woman and Bird in Moonlight, Head of Catalan Peasant, and A Star Caresses the Breast of a Negress, a painting poem. One of my favorite Piccasso's was here too - The Three Dancers - love, sex, and death embraced in ecstatic dance. What a beauty. Next to it was a fantastic Jackson Pollock - Naked Man with Knife. I loved the bold, flowing lines of this work. In this room there were 2 paintings by Rene Magritte, which I loved as well - The Reckless Sleeper and the Annunciation.
In the next room there was an enormous, eye catching sculpture by Joseph Beuys. It was called Lightining with Stag in its Glare. There was this triangular sheet of metal with a rough surface which stood from floor to ceiling. At its tip was a huge, horizontal bar (lightning) and on the floor around the triangle's base were misshapen metal clods.
I guess the Tate is famous for bold, outrageous art.

It was raining when I stepped out of the Tate. A wind was picking up as I walked along the Thames toward Trafalgar Square. London teemed with people. It felt exhausting. Around Trafalgar Square it was completely chaotic - buses, people, plus prep for the Tour de France, taking place here over the weekend. A stage area was being set up in Trafalgar Square. I longed for
the peace of Belsize Park. I got on a bus and returned home.