The World Through Our Lens
As avid fans of the Harry Potter series of books and Harry Potter movies, Bob, our son and I were dying to visit the locations at Oxford University where some of the movie scenes were set. We were tickled pink by Christ Church College’s Great Dining Hall. Read more
To round out our sightseeing in England, Bob and I had a couple of other locations to check out during our last two days in London. We thoroughly enjoyed our weeks in the countryside and were rested and rejuvenated. To ease ourselves back into the hubbub of the city, Bob, our son and I booked a riverboat to Tower Bridge, Greenwich and the Royal Observatory. Read more
After a hearty breakfast on this, our second-to-last day in London, England, Bob, our son, and I hopped aboard a double-decker bus to catch a ride over to Camden Town, a thriving tourist area made up of markets. What we did not realize was that many are set up in the catacombs around Regent’s Canal. We were soon wowed by the canals and catacombs in Camden Town! Read more
Moving further into England’s Lake District after hiking up Wansfell Pike put Bob and me at the heart of Lake District National Park. Our family savoured a delightful lunch on the patio of our next lodgings with gourmet terrines, fruit, cheese and pastries that we bought from a deli shop in Ambleside. Duly nourished, we walked down to the harbour-side pavilions at Bowness Pier, and what a sight that was to behold. The rich nautical nostalgia in Bowness-on-Windermere really struck a chord with Bob and me. Read more
Bob and I were eager to get to Hadrian’s Wall in England, but we wanted to have a whole day to freely explore and experience it. The hours spent in Barnsley and Darfield looking into my family’s past left us with no time to visit the Wall that same afternoon. Read more
One cannot visit Bath, England without paying a visit to the Roman Baths that once were one of the main religious spas in the ancient world. Read more
When it came time to depart from Bath, England, it was decided that a brief tour of Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds was a must. I was dying to see the iconic thatched cottages and hedges manicured to perfection. Read more
After reading Ken Follett’s novel, “Pillars of the Earth”, which loosely parallels the construction of Salisbury Cathedral, New Sarum, and having completed Edward Rutherford’s book about Sarum, it was a consensus between Bob, me and our son that we should visit Old Sarum, the location of the original Salisbury Cathedral in England.
It was with notions of mystery and intrigue, memories of historical facts and a sense of spiritual respect that Bob, our son and I headed to Salisbury Cathedral. After recently reading Sarum and Pillars of the Earth, we could hardly wait to set eyes upon this magnificent cathedral whose spire has dominated the Wiltshire skyline in rural England since 1320. We were in awe! Read more
Arriving in London, England, after traveling all night had Bob, me and our son in need of a bit of down time before setting off to explore the city. With lunch and a short nap under our belts, we felt rejuvenated and wanted to begin our walking tour of some of London’s many sights. We began with a stroll through nearby Hyde Park to Kensington Gardens. Read more
