Arriving in England

Wow, am I behind!!!  I suppose you may want to see a few of the things we saw in our ONE DAY in England!!

We were going to spend a week, but my mom had been diagnosed with lymphoma just a week prior to our trip, so we cancelled all the extended plans but did not cancel the cruise itself (because it was too late).

I still long for a more lengthy stay..... investigating the lake district, the farmlands, and all the hidden treasures of this beautiful country.....


Departing the lovely lady was difficult....a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I shall never forget!!

terminal to exit

Our first stop was a rental car---once acquired, we had 24 hours of fun to be had!! So off we went!

  The adventure to our bed and breakfast was fun....lots of darling, quaint towns to pass through, railroad tracks to cross over, flowers to see!!

Our first sign for Milfor-on-Sea, where our bed and breakfast was located.  This location was perfect because it was quite close to Southampton where the ship came in.

Of course, driving on the left took some thinking!! I was the co-pilot..... always saying..."too far left"  "too far right"  ....

And here it is, The Beach House, where we stayed.  Owned by French folks who served a wonderful breakfast and welcomed us with fresh apples and lovely smiles, we were delighted to get settled.

Here, the view from our upstairs.... across a patio area, gardens, and the sea...

This was our suite---and the bath was glorious.  I don't know why I didn't get a picture of it....extra large tub, fluffy towels....very nice!

We did some reading about this forest, very close to where Morwenna lives!!

It was difficult choosing a place to eat that night....there were so many wonderful choices!  We walked from our inn as well....so nice!!

I LOVE Indian food!!

After a good night's sleep, we packed up and headed to Winchester.  I had seen it briefly on my last visit, but longed for more.  And, it was on the way to the London airport...

First stop, tea for two

Loved the hedges, the thatched roof houses, the chimney stacks....all the green!

And here it is...Winchester Cathedral....Jane Austin, a beloved author, is buried there.

Winchester is home to many, many, many shops and restaurants....it is a delight!

Many tea shops, gift shops, restaurants, and antique stores, too

Look at this gorgeous wall of pansies.... surrounding a doorway

Baskets of flowers were dripping in blooms!

Inside the cathedral...

yes...........a cricket game!!

I love seeing how people shop....this butcher had beautiful meats in his window.

 And, I love the little banners....they were everywhere.  Buntings are just cute, aren't they?

Just an alley between homes.... flowered and lovely

This building looked almost German or Austrian...

Candy store...

Antique store!!

And then....time to get in the car and head to the airport.  Luggage?  Check?  Passports?  Check....  Ready to go?  hmmmmm....please no!

but we did....

Until next time!

Across the Pond with Music, and of course....Susan

Susan has inspired me for YEARS....I'm telling you YEARS!!

But when she wrote, "A Fine Romance," so different from anything else she had ever written....well, I took her inspiration to heart!!  I may have left out a pair of shoes in my suitcase, but that book was coming along with me!! 

So our journey begins.... after a night in NYC, we boarded the QE2

I looked at all the people everywhere, and even though it was typically an 'older' crowd, there were plenty of families, small children, even a baby or two!

 And....here we go!

 Bye-Bye NYC.... and that pool?  Well, I don't know if anyone went in it....but I sure wasn't going in it.... but it was lovely to look at...

 They handed out flags for us to wave as we passed the Statue of Liberty....

 And there it was............the main lobby and these lovely flowers, which I watched being changed mid-crossing..........very elaborate...just beautiful!

 Here's the dining room, just like in her book.............the pages were coming alive!!

 Blessed.............it made getting older not so bad afterall....

 And the statton-island ferry............. sure enough!

Now, we're ready for our first meal............table for two?  YES!!

 The shows were wonderful............

 And this cruise had ONE stop..........so we got our land legs on and headed out.  We didn't buy any of the excursions.......we chose to explore the place ourself: Halifax...it was lovely!

 Halifax is part of Canada....

 There were LOTS of shops and restaurants

 And Cunard himself lived there!!

 The Halifax public gardens were breathtaking............

 Scrumptious, aren't they?

 Wherever there's a moose, there is me.........

 Here, some of the locals dressed up in vintage attire....

 There's Cunard.....he knew what he was doing when he started building ships!

Well, we walked and talked and then it was time to get back onboard and sail away....

Ahhhh, time for afternoon tea!!  (Yes, I'll admit that we did this every day!)  Well, you've got to do something if you're not swimming in the pool, right?

 Cute little teapots with the Cunard logo on each...

 And fantastic deck chairs...............like in the movies!

 See the gal in the red coat?  shhhhh......that's James Taylor's wife...remember how I told you the family was on the crossing and they were going to perform?

 The night before his first performance, he did an hour plus long talk with the cruise director.  It was pretty fascinating.........I learned that the Beatles actually got him started!!

 And, here's the line that people stood in to shake his hand and get his autograph.

                      There he is!!!

 The concert was fabulous..............see the woman in the middle?  That's his wife.  See the young boy with the microphone?  That's his son Henry..........one of his twin sons.  But, they don't look alike.  You'll see him later...........

 Yes, A Fine Romance came with me everywhere............I was telling everyone about it....

 There's another shot of his wife in the middle and his son.

 What an entertainer...........I've listened to him since I was a very young teenager.  Dream come true!

 And this is the ascot ball....and this little girl was such a hit with her darling dress and cute hat!!

 And my book came to the ball, too.................

I had to have it handy in case I needed to talk with someone about it...........or get an autograph or two in it, right?

                                               LIKE HIS SON HENRY, maybe????

Yes, it's blurry, but it's the only one I have of him...... and I didn't want to keep him waiting.  He wanted to run off  (literally, he and his brother and friends ran all over the ship)  What a sweet young man he was....very polite and kind. 

Well, I'll close for now.............Southampton is in the distance....time to pack up...

Stay tuned and I'll tell you a little bit about England....