England! Day 7

No photos today...the ones I took yesterday from Warwick will have to wait.  I'm recuperating from a whopper of a migraine and today has been a quiet day.  This afternoon I've finally been able to keep some Excedrin down and am finally starting to feel better.  Flyboy is out on a walk-about and as I look out the window, I see that he may have gotten sprinkled on for the first time since we've been in England.  The weather has been phenomenal, and everyone we meet says this is NOT typical England weather and that they figure they're in for it sooner rather than later.  As we understand it, we've missed out on some horrid weather at home, including spring snow, so we're even more thankful for the 65 degree sunny days we've enjoyed here.

Interestingly, the Incredibles live on what used to be an RAF base, and more recently, a USAF base.  This explains why their housing is bigger than standard English housing, which is very nice for them.  They had company for over 100 nights last year, so having an extra room has been a blessing.

I thought I'd share today some of the things I've learned since we've been here, particularly in the area of vocabulary.  We've really enjoyed picking up some of the local lingo and understanding what people are saying.  Let's see...a quiz or a glossary?  What would be more fun?  I think we'll have a quiz, and I'll put the answers below.  Some may seem obvious, but don't be fooled!  And Elsie (my dear English friend), you definitely have an unfair advantage, so for that reason alone (though I can think of others), there are no prizes being offered for the most right answers.

Here we go!

1.  Cot
2.  Mind the gap
3.  Give way
4.  Diary
5.  Stay for tea?
6.  Sleeping policeman
7.  Take-away
8.  Bin
9.  White coffee
10. Trolley
11. Polite notice
12. Push chair
13. Ice lolly
14. Jumper
15. Queue
16. Pudding
17. Post
18. Crisps
19. Nappy
20. Dummy

Before we get to the answers, I had to stop and enjoy a fresh scone, hot from the oven with jam and clotted cream.  Elsie, exactly what is clotted cream?  It seems to be whipping cream that is somehow spreadable.  I don't know if it is partially whipped, or whipped with the air pressed out?  Whatever it is, it is YUMMY, and Elasti-girl makes the best scones.  (And yes, Elsie, I will again be faithful to Weight Watchers upon my return.)

Okay!  After that culinary interlude, let's move ahead.

1.  Cot = baby crib
2.  Mind the gap = Watch your step (as over the gap between the train and the landing)
3.  Give way = yield (the yield sign looks the same here, but it says "Give Way" instead)
4.  Diary = pocket calendar or PDA ("let me check my diary...")
5.  Stay for tea? = Stay for supper? (that one really threw me)
6.  Sleeping policeman = speed bump (get it?)
7.  Take away  = to-go food ("will that be dine-in or take-away?)
8.  Bin = here's a clue:  you put rubbish in it
9.  White coffee = coffee with cream (tea can be white, too)
10. Trolley = grocery cart (or really anything for hauling stuff that has wheels)
11. Polite notice = public notice (we saw several "polite notices" in London near construction sights)
12. Push chair = baby stroller
13. Ice lolly = popcicle
14. Jumper = sweater
15. Queue = line (as in, I always pick the longest queue at the market)
16. Pudding = dessert (any kind - not just pudding)
17. Post = mail
18. Crisps = potato chips
19. Nappy = diaper
20. Dummy = baby pacifier

And one more thing, under NO circumstances EVER, EVER call a fanny pack by its American name.  Call it a "bum bag".  Because this is a family site, I cannot explain why...you'll just have to take my word for it.

England! Day 6

Today, we went to a traditional Anglican service at nearby Somerton in a church that was built in the 11th century.  There were twelve people there, including us, the pastor and the organist.  Apparently, every village has a church (Church of England) no matter who goes or doesn't attend.  You'd think after seeing hundreds of buildings that are a thousand years old I'd be over it, but I'm so not.  Every single one takes my breath away.

We then went to The Chapel, the church in the Incredibles' village where they work and worship.  It is a typical contemporary service with guitars and words projected on the wall and coffee (and tea) off to the side.   There were about 35 enthusiastic worshippers and it was a blessing to meet friends and neighbors.  Afterwards, we went to lunch at an English restaurant in Banbury that makes a valiant (if not authentic) attempt at American food.  I had a balsamic chicken wrap and a *jacket* potato (baked - butter, no sour cream). 

And yes, Banbury is the home of the nursery rhyme below, and the statue is in the square to prove it.

Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
To see a fine lady upon a white horse
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
She shall have music wherever she goes  

Finally, off to Tesco Express, England's version of a Super Walmart for groceries and a few odds and ends.

Back home for a quiet afternoon of birthday cake and presents (JackJack and Elasti-girl), including several outdoor adventures.  JackJack found a piece of pavement out in the greenspace in front of their house with an X in the middle and announced there was pirate treasure buried beneath.  It took some talking to convince him that it was not the best idea to bring out the shovels on the spot and start digging.  We also got a miniature basketball stuck in a tree.  We tried everything to get it down, including JackJack on my shoulders with a broom trying to knock it out.  His parents and grandpa were napping and we didn't want to disturb them, so a nice neighbor boy took pity on us, came out and shimmied up the tree to rescue the ball.  Whew.  Gigi was running out of great ideas.

Tomorrow, Warwick Castle!  And the confession that I have a feeling this parting may be even harder than when they left for England in the first place.  This has been a wonderful visit all the way around, and there's nothing like playing with the boys and having them, unprompted, say, "Gigi, I love you." 

 

 

England! Day Five

Flyboy and I returned from London this afternoon and I can categorically say, without hesitation, that is the most amazing city I have ever visited.  The architecture was beyond belief.  The transportation system makes moving 7,000,000 people around a relatively small spot of land seem somewhat effortless.  The city is kept spic-and-span all of the time.  And of course, the history is everywhere.  We could have easily stayed another day at the very least, and there were several things we hated to leave without seeing (like the British Museum), but we just ran out of time and energy.

Today, our last day in London, there were labor union workers demonstrating in the city (kinda felt like home) and we were wondering for a bit how we'd get back to Bicester when they closed down the trains.  Fortunately, an alternate mode of transportation (a coach bus) was readily available and we made it back without a hitch.  We were pretty pleased with ourselves for figuring out the underground system and finding our way around the city, but truthfully, it is very well laid out.

We took the tours at the Tower of London and at Westminister Abbey and they were worth every cent.  We also took the double decker bus tour of the city, which included a boat tour on the Thames.  Given our short visit we felt the bus tour would give us the best overview, and that proved to be the case.  It also allowed us to get off and on wherever we wanted and that gave us an added advantage in trying to fit the most into the least amount of time.  We stayed at a unique B&B - it was a row house in Belgravia (which is actually a very uppity area, but our accommodations were quite affordable) that was very narrow and four stories high.  We were on the third floor of four, which in England is known as the 2nd floor (ground, 1st, 2nd, etc.), and the dining room where we ate our traditional English breakfasts of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, baked beans and fried tomatoes, was in the basement.  Our innkeepers were delightful and we thoroughly enjoyed them.  Derek even put a board under Flyboy's side of the bed, which made our second night much better for him.

I can't begin to post all of the pictures I took, but I'll try to hit the highlights.

Here's Flyboy, figuring out our route.

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 Waiting for our first underground train.

 Victoria Station.

First stop, the Tower of London.

Peter the Beefeater was most entertaining.

On our bus tour, we saw hundreds of buildings as fabulous as this one.

Piccadilly Circus - which is not really a circus at all.  "Circus" is Latin for circle, and Piccadilly Circle is a section of the city that is literally in a circle.  You can see how that would look by viewing this curved building.

This is at Trafalgar Square - an Olympic countdown clock.

A shot from the boat of the Tower Bridge.

Cruising underneath the London Bridge.

Fish and chips!

Long story, but this is Green Park, called such because of a jealous queen who had the royal gardener rip out all the flowers.

Approaching Buckingham Palace!

 

 

This is a Scotch egg - a hardboiled egg surrounded by a pork breading.

Westminister Abbey - photographs inside the Abbey are not allowed, but probably wouldn't begin to do it justice anyway.  It was the most incredible edifice I have ever beheld.

 

The bed and breakfast where we stayed.

 

A memorial to those who died in the Battle of Britain.

 Big Ben and the House of Parliament.

A statue of Abraham Lincoln in London!  

 Westminister Cathedral.

We got back to Bicester this afternoon in time for a trip to the park with our two favorite five-year-olds.

England! Day Two

 Pinch me.  I simply can't believe we are in England.

We slept HARD last night and got up this morning later than usual.  Once we were finally awake and functioning, we headed to the Park 'n Ride and took a double decker bus to Oxford! With the boys at school for the day, we were free to explore.

Before we get to the photos, a couple of observations:  I think that seeing structures that were built in the 1600s is just about the coolest thing ever.  And I think it is my English blood that makes me feel such an affinity for the countryside, the architecture, and everything we've seen even in two short days.  We took a tour on another double decker bus, and on this one, the top was open to the most beautiful day seen in England for a long time (thank you, God!). 

Sorry, Girlfriend...I looked for Dr. Who here but didn't find him.

We lunched at the Eagle and Child, where the Inklings (whose membership included the likes of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien) gathered to discuss deep thoughts. 

 This is for you, Elsie - at the very first opportunity, I had pork pie!  

And you'll note I chose salad and an apple over chips!

Next stop, the Ashmolean, an amazing museum at which, had we not been wearing out, we could have spent an entire day.

 The day was rounded out with a water gun fight and an epic tickling match.

Tomorrow, London...