Three chicks and a baby -
our adventures with Fi & Ro
Our flight to Gatwick airport in England was very early; we were tired but excited to meet up with Fi & baby Ro. But when we arrived... no Fi. So I called. "Hi, we're here. Where are you?" "I'm right here where you come out!" "You are?" Another check and still no Fi. I called again, same story. Well, it turns out she was in a totally different part of the airport, but eventually we met up and we were on our way. Let the crazy UK road trip begin!!
Our original plan was to go to the town of Bath and have lunch before driving to the North of England to a place called the Lake District. But we realized that we were just as close to Stonehenge and that none of us had ever been there. Now Stonehenge is really not near anything at all, it's in the middle of the countryside about two hours to the Southwest of London and it took us just about that long to get there from Gatwick. Despite the drive we were rewarded with a truly amazing sight. It is really quite awe inspiring to think of how the stones were transported all the way from Ireland or Scotland to the very south of England over 4,000 years ago. It is truly amazing.
We were now headed north - way north. We were headed to the very top of England. We had a reservation at a hostel in the Lake District and we had to get there by that night. On the way we stopped for lunch at a pub in a small village somewhere near Bristol. We had jacket potatoes (basically potatoes filled with things, mine was filled with mostly mayonnaise... yuck!) To wash it down, I had the bright idea of having ice cream. Well, I should have known that a pub probably doesn't serve that much ice cream and when it came that was confirmed. We each were served three heaping scoops of what tasted like 20-year old ice cream. It was disgusting!!
Oh well, that behind us, we were off once again. Road tripping with a baby you learn a lot. We learned quite a few songs. Ro is a pretty good baby, but when she starts to cry Fi always sings to her, so we of course joined in. We sang our way through Birmingham and Manchester, speeding our way up North. Only one time our traditional singing didn't really work and we started to get desperate. It was late, we had already stopped for dinner and Ro was really crying. I was in the back trying to keep her calm when I started singing "99 bottles of beer on the wall". Chica and Fi joined in and that child did not sleep until we were at 8 bottles of beer!! I think that was the first time in my life I had actually finished that song.
It was getting really late, but our day wasn't over yet. We called to let the folks at the hostel know we were going to be late, but surprise - we didn't have a reservation there. Fi was beside herself, she was sure we did. After more than a few frantic phone calls later she figured out that a reservation had been made at a different hostel (with a similar name) but this one was a good hour further than the first. Not only was it further, but we had no idea how to get there. We were soon hopelessly lost. It was after 11pm and I was helping to navigate from the back while Fi was driving some of the darkest streets I have ever seen. This place was way off the beaten track in a tiny, tiny village out in the middle of nowhere. At midnight we finally found it and the owner was waiting up for us. We were all so relived to finally be there!
With the bulk of our driving behind us, we had the whole day to explore the Lake District. It's a pristine mountainous area dotted with lakes, rolling green hills, cute rural towns, and lots of sheep. We started our day at the Castlerigg Stone Circle, a circle made up of 38 stones, 90 feet across. It isn't as big as Stonehenge, but impressive none the less. Then we made our way through the towns of Keswick, Buttermere and Cockermouth, where we stopped at the Lakeland Sheep Centre for lunch. We made our way to Ambleside and walked to a waterfall just outside town. This is where we first experienced the little yellow stroller.
It seems that Fi had this little yellow stroller when she was little, in the 70's. Well, somehow it managed to still be around and now it is little Ro's stroller. It does have its advantages: it folds down very compactly which is good for travel. But to its disadvantage, it only has 6 (of 8) operating wheels, you have to stoop over to hold the handles (poor Chica looked like a hunchback pushing that thing), and the strap is so old that you couldn't strap it too tight for fear it would break. That and the fact that Ro could completely stand up and turn around at will. Chica and I though it was funny. Fi loves it and with every snicker was more determined to get as much use out of it as possible.
We still had to get to Scotland where we were staying with Fi's friend, Dona for a couple of nights. On the way we grabbed fish and chips at a tiny mom & pop place in a little town. It was such a local place, I loved it! By the time we got to Dona's place she was already preparing drinks for us. Her house was so cute... actually more like a bungalow than a house. We talked and drank watermelon Bacardi Breezers (they were delicious) until late. I liked Dona right away, she is really great and I can see why she and Fi are such good friends.
We were staying in a small town near Stirling, where Fi's family is originally from, right in the heart of Scotland. Dona and Fi wanted to show us the local sights, and we really were impressed. We hiked to Campbell Castle (my family is descended from clan Campbell so I was thrilled to go there), then to the Wallace Monument (that Fi's great-grandfather helped build), then to Sterling Castle. All the sights were fantastic! I also discovered the Scottish soda called Iron Brew which is very yummy (tastes almost like Juicy Fruit gum).
That night we ate at a local pub and Chica was introduced to haggis, a traditional Scottish dish made with an assortment of meat products and stuffed into an intestine. Sounds gross, but it's actually pretty good. Chica wanted no part of it and was slightly terrified when we made her try it! Dinner was great with drinks and conversation flowing that we hardly noticed that it was already 8pm - the golden hour when kids are no longer welcome in the pub. The manager sheepishly came over and told us, "Sorry ladies, but I'm going to have to ask you to make your way to the door." We bolted out of there as quick as we could, laughing all the way.
In the morning, after a breakfast of porrage (Dona's salty and ours with jam), Chica and I were heading to Edinburgh on our own to continue our adventures. It was time to part ways. I was sad to say goodbye to Fi and Ro. We had spent hours chatting and swapping stories (Chica's recent wedding story is probably the funniest thing I'd ever heard and I didn't mind hearing it again!) and had really gotten to know each other even better - which I didn't think was possible. :)
Stonehenge
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Ice cream in Ambleside (with the little yellow stroler)
Chica & Ro
We pulled over to see what these sheep were so startled by - it turns out it was the farmer on a 4-wheeler that was barreling over the hill (with his sheep dog riding on the back). Too funny.
Touring the beautiful Lake District
Hiking in Scotland
At the Campbell Castle
Chica leaving Sterling Castle - we were one of the last people to leave so we had to use the little door.
Outside Sterling Castle
Our original plan was to go to the town of Bath and have lunch before driving to the North of England to a place called the Lake District. But we realized that we were just as close to Stonehenge and that none of us had ever been there. Now Stonehenge is really not near anything at all, it's in the middle of the countryside about two hours to the Southwest of London and it took us just about that long to get there from Gatwick. Despite the drive we were rewarded with a truly amazing sight. It is really quite awe inspiring to think of how the stones were transported all the way from Ireland or Scotland to the very south of England over 4,000 years ago. It is truly amazing.
We were now headed north - way north. We were headed to the very top of England. We had a reservation at a hostel in the Lake District and we had to get there by that night. On the way we stopped for lunch at a pub in a small village somewhere near Bristol. We had jacket potatoes (basically potatoes filled with things, mine was filled with mostly mayonnaise... yuck!) To wash it down, I had the bright idea of having ice cream. Well, I should have known that a pub probably doesn't serve that much ice cream and when it came that was confirmed. We each were served three heaping scoops of what tasted like 20-year old ice cream. It was disgusting!!
Oh well, that behind us, we were off once again. Road tripping with a baby you learn a lot. We learned quite a few songs. Ro is a pretty good baby, but when she starts to cry Fi always sings to her, so we of course joined in. We sang our way through Birmingham and Manchester, speeding our way up North. Only one time our traditional singing didn't really work and we started to get desperate. It was late, we had already stopped for dinner and Ro was really crying. I was in the back trying to keep her calm when I started singing "99 bottles of beer on the wall". Chica and Fi joined in and that child did not sleep until we were at 8 bottles of beer!! I think that was the first time in my life I had actually finished that song.
It was getting really late, but our day wasn't over yet. We called to let the folks at the hostel know we were going to be late, but surprise - we didn't have a reservation there. Fi was beside herself, she was sure we did. After more than a few frantic phone calls later she figured out that a reservation had been made at a different hostel (with a similar name) but this one was a good hour further than the first. Not only was it further, but we had no idea how to get there. We were soon hopelessly lost. It was after 11pm and I was helping to navigate from the back while Fi was driving some of the darkest streets I have ever seen. This place was way off the beaten track in a tiny, tiny village out in the middle of nowhere. At midnight we finally found it and the owner was waiting up for us. We were all so relived to finally be there!
With the bulk of our driving behind us, we had the whole day to explore the Lake District. It's a pristine mountainous area dotted with lakes, rolling green hills, cute rural towns, and lots of sheep. We started our day at the Castlerigg Stone Circle, a circle made up of 38 stones, 90 feet across. It isn't as big as Stonehenge, but impressive none the less. Then we made our way through the towns of Keswick, Buttermere and Cockermouth, where we stopped at the Lakeland Sheep Centre for lunch. We made our way to Ambleside and walked to a waterfall just outside town. This is where we first experienced the little yellow stroller.
It seems that Fi had this little yellow stroller when she was little, in the 70's. Well, somehow it managed to still be around and now it is little Ro's stroller. It does have its advantages: it folds down very compactly which is good for travel. But to its disadvantage, it only has 6 (of 8) operating wheels, you have to stoop over to hold the handles (poor Chica looked like a hunchback pushing that thing), and the strap is so old that you couldn't strap it too tight for fear it would break. That and the fact that Ro could completely stand up and turn around at will. Chica and I though it was funny. Fi loves it and with every snicker was more determined to get as much use out of it as possible.
We still had to get to Scotland where we were staying with Fi's friend, Dona for a couple of nights. On the way we grabbed fish and chips at a tiny mom & pop place in a little town. It was such a local place, I loved it! By the time we got to Dona's place she was already preparing drinks for us. Her house was so cute... actually more like a bungalow than a house. We talked and drank watermelon Bacardi Breezers (they were delicious) until late. I liked Dona right away, she is really great and I can see why she and Fi are such good friends.
We were staying in a small town near Stirling, where Fi's family is originally from, right in the heart of Scotland. Dona and Fi wanted to show us the local sights, and we really were impressed. We hiked to Campbell Castle (my family is descended from clan Campbell so I was thrilled to go there), then to the Wallace Monument (that Fi's great-grandfather helped build), then to Sterling Castle. All the sights were fantastic! I also discovered the Scottish soda called Iron Brew which is very yummy (tastes almost like Juicy Fruit gum).
That night we ate at a local pub and Chica was introduced to haggis, a traditional Scottish dish made with an assortment of meat products and stuffed into an intestine. Sounds gross, but it's actually pretty good. Chica wanted no part of it and was slightly terrified when we made her try it! Dinner was great with drinks and conversation flowing that we hardly noticed that it was already 8pm - the golden hour when kids are no longer welcome in the pub. The manager sheepishly came over and told us, "Sorry ladies, but I'm going to have to ask you to make your way to the door." We bolted out of there as quick as we could, laughing all the way.
In the morning, after a breakfast of porrage (Dona's salty and ours with jam), Chica and I were heading to Edinburgh on our own to continue our adventures. It was time to part ways. I was sad to say goodbye to Fi and Ro. We had spent hours chatting and swapping stories (Chica's recent wedding story is probably the funniest thing I'd ever heard and I didn't mind hearing it again!) and had really gotten to know each other even better - which I didn't think was possible. :)
Stonehenge
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Ice cream in Ambleside (with the little yellow stroler)
Chica & Ro
We pulled over to see what these sheep were so startled by - it turns out it was the farmer on a 4-wheeler that was barreling over the hill (with his sheep dog riding on the back). Too funny.
Touring the beautiful Lake District
Hiking in Scotland
At the Campbell Castle
Chica leaving Sterling Castle - we were one of the last people to leave so we had to use the little door.
Outside Sterling Castle
posted by Swiss Miss | 16:53
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