Returning Home and Saying Goodbye

Yesterday was the last day of school for the children, but the teachers had one final day today.  The staff had a meeting this morning, but since I've had the pleasure of being at school minus the responsibilities this week, I chose to do so one more day.  So, while the teachers were in their meeting, I wandered the village that had once been my home, happily roaming the streets I knew so well.

Starting by walking up to the High Street past the library, post office, bakery, dry cleaner, market, town hall, pub and a couple restaurants, all that is really needed for a village, I ventured toward the park.  This small village park was once the home of a grand celebration I witnessed, the homecoming parade for Woburn Sands' "Golden Boy," the local hero who won a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics.  A gold-plated marker in the ground still marks the distance he leapt in the long jump.  The fields across the street, a place where I had enjoyed walks through the snow and a music festival in the summer, had been newly "planted" with sheep.  Graham told me that he had been part of their arrival and how noisy it had been.  Forty sheep bleating their particular cry looking for their lamb upon arrival.  Although a bit, um, sheepish, the sheep seemed happy and contented in their new home, and I was thankful for a few more furry faces to smile at the camera.

I walked on past the fields and the allotments up to the start of the forest where you could see out across the village and the countryside beyond.  The forest had been a place of comfort to me, safe woods where I could wander and play in the snow or go for a morning run through.  Not dressed for a walk through the woods, I sat and admired their beauty on the bench at their entrance, reminiscing about my days here and wondering when I might return again.

Back down into the village, I found the small pathway into the estate (neighborhood) that had taken me months to find.  I walked to the pond in the middle of the estate where I had befriended ducks, and I was sorry I had not thought to stop and get a loaf of bread.  I met a cat along the way, like the many I that had roamed the neighborhood and made me smile two years ago.  Walking up to the flat that had been my home seemed odd, knowing that someone else now called it home and I would never darken the doorstep again.  I looked at the balcony and saw no evidence of the dove family that had lived there and raised little ones there, keeping me company with their gentle cooing.  I took the path back to school that I had taken for a year, feeling at home and not so out of place as I probably seemed.  Hoping, longing to see my old furry friend, Jasper, who greeted me nearly every morning, from my first to my last, on my walk to school.  The ginger cat was no where to be found, so I just hope he was sitting comfortably somewhere in the sunshine.

I made it back to school in time to join in on the picnic (because why would I miss out on a meal or a celebration?).  The faculty was once again treated to a delicious meal to honor the retirees, especially the head and deputy head who were looking forward to traveling after many years in the classroom.  As a treat, a neighbor of Fiona's, brought his Aston Martin to school so the men could be driven off of campus in style, a glorious send off.

My goodbyes were scattered throughout the afternoon as people drifted off from the picnic and then from the pub afterwards.  Saying goodbye to them the first time was terribly difficult.  Saying goodbye a second time was different and difficult.  They meant, and do mean, the world to me.  These people opened their doors and welcomed me in as one of their own for a year, making my year here as wonderful as it was.  When I left before, I knew I'd be back to visit.  But this time, I don't know.  I don't know where life will lead me, and although this place holds a very special place in my heart, there is so much of the world that I want to see that I don't know when life will bring me back here.  In a way today was easier to say goodbye since it had only been a quick visit, but in a way, it was more difficult because, well, I'm just not sure of the road that lies ahead.

But enough of that... :)

To celebrate the end of the school year and to reward ourselves (well, at least Charlotte and Gemma deserved the reward), the girls and I had booked a spa afternoon at a nearby facility.  Centre Parks is a  retreat for families with several such facilities scattered throughout the country.  Sort of like Callaway Gardens in southern Georgia, or perhaps even like the vacation spot Baby's family attended in Dirty Dancing, the huge estate is dotted with cabins, bike trails, swimming pools and activities to entertain families in a safe environment where kids are free to roam about.  There is also, in the middle of it all, a spa.

We had booked access for the afternoon and we used every single minute of it.  Thankful, once again, to have packed my bathing suit, we left the lockers in our robes and bathing suits to explore the two-floor spa facility.  Each room, and there were perhaps a dozen on each floor, had a different setting.  There were dry saunas with peaceful images of wheat and wild flowers dancing on the walls; there were saunas scented with rose petals or dampened with sea salt moisture; there were steam rooms with healing herbs to refresh the lungs; there were foot baths with varying pressures for the feet; there were tranquil rooms where water gently flowed and images of soft skies floated overhead; there were shower walks where varying temperatures and pressures of water surprised you and rejuvenated you; there was an outdoor heated pool where powerful streams of water flowed overhead helping to relax your tense shoulders.  I had two favorite rooms: the mineral room and the fire and ice rooms.  The mineral room was a steam room, and although very warm, unlike some similar rooms, it was a comfortable temperature.  The room was colored with purple, matching the giant tower of amethyst in the center and the air smelled clean and fresh.  The fire room, a dry sauna, warning of high heat, with images of mesmerizing crackling fires was even a bit hot for this southern girl to stand, but the room filled with ice across the hall was a welcome relief when you rubbed handfuls of crushed ice on your sweltering skin.

Sorry that our evening was ending, we soaked in every minute, and probably a bit more than we were supposed to, in the spa and were the last ones to leave the locker rooms.  We left, feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and on a bit of a high as we drove back to Charlotte's house where my eyelids have had trouble remaining open.

Last Day of School

Today was the last day of school.  Sure, it seems odd to be ending school at this point when I in fact ended school nearly two months ago, and I just started here, but nevertheless, I got to participate in the last day of school.

Before school started this morning, I ran down to the corner shop to grab something, a common stop for me two years ago as it was on my way to and from school.  It was nice to be in a familiar place again doing what I always did.  On the walk back to school, I bumped into one of my former students, one of the year 8s.  Not that we teachers have favorites, but if we did, he would have been one of mine.  A sweet boy, kind-hearted, good sense of humor, hard worker and very courteous to his fellow classmates.  (When I went to the lower school on Tuesday, I walked into a classroom and immediately saw a little boy who was the spitting image of this boy.  I asked if he was his little brother and in fact he was!)  I vividly remember my first day of school.  I was not used to children changing classes in the middle of the day, and someone had already mentioned that on the first day back the bells often didn't work as normal and sometimes went off at the wrong time.  The year 6s had just come into the classroom and were finding their seats as the bell continued ringing.  I continued seating the children when this boy politely said, "Um, Miss, I think we are meant to go outside."  Yes, the fire alarm bell went off that very first day, and thankfully he recognized it.  I got to walk to school with him and catch up a bit on where he was going to school the next year and his summer plans.  Thankful to have a little of that oh-so-rare one-on-one time with him.

The day was full of assemblies, one for each year level to present awards earned in academics and effort.  I went to two assemblies, for the students whom I knew, proud to see their accomplishments and spent the rest of my time popping in and out of other classrooms participating in their fun end of year activities.  Most of the afternoon was taken up with a whole school assembly honoring the year 8s who were leaving as well as the head and deputy head who were retiring.  There were emotional farewells, touching goodbyes, funny songs and a few tears from faculty and pupils alike.

The final bell rang moments after the last assembly as teachers and pupils gathered on the playground to exit the school.  It is amazing how eager students always are for summer but on that very last day, they tend to linger.  Most of the children were happy for summer, but had a hard time parting with their friends for the seven-week holiday.  The year 8s however were a blubbering mess, at least the boys were, as they parted ways, moving on to different upper schools.  Sure the girls were crying as well, but I don't think I've ever seen that many teenage boys crying.  That to me seemed to be a true testament to the school and the ties it helped to form.

I stood with the teachers, waving goodbye to the students I will probably never see again.  As a teacher, saying goodbye to a class is always hard.  Don't get me wrong, I love my summers, but after spending a year, loving these children, it is difficult to let them go and all of a sudden not be as big a part of their lives.  I am fortunate to work in a tight-knit community where I often see kids and hear about their successes.  I am thankful for the glimpses of them that I see and hear throughout the years.  But an ocean away...

We teachers did not linger as the children had though.  Once they were safely gone, we leapt in our cars and headed for the local pub.  Here, we grabbed a quick drink and impatiently waited for the afternoon festivities to begin.  The amazing Fiona had outdone herself and created a scavenger hunt of sorts for teams of teachers to complete.  There were 70 questions throughout the driving instructions for us to answer along with items to find and specific poses of photos for us to take at all of the neighboring lower schools.  There were tricky questions like "What small piece of wood can you eat at?"  But, passing the pub called "Splinters" gave it away.  There were questions like, "How many animals live at 36 Arbor Way?"  Here we found the number plate for the house had two foxes on it.  We had to stop at a cemetery and find the death date on a specific headstone.  There were questions about what time to catch the morning bus from the bus stop, what was the next train station down, what event was happening at the community center next week, what warning sign is on the telephone pole, what time with the post pick up, what night does the village have yoga, etc. We had to find a feather, a pine cone, a bag of sand, a patience poster made by the pupils, a piece of wild fruit and a stone weighing a specific amount.

At Aspley Guise, our photo had to have legs in the air.

At Ridgmont, a group member had to be lifted into the air.

At Husborne Crawley, we had to have twigs.

At Woburn Lower School, we had to have wildflowers

Although we were one of the last to return, timing was not included as our competitive natures could have lead to unsafe driving.  Each team got points for answering questions correctly, for taking photos and for the items collected.  Our team tied for third place, but the fun part was more the two hours we spent in the car, driving around, laughing and searching out the cleverly worded questions.

After the scavenger hunt extravaganza, we gathered at Fiona's house.  On my second day in the UK two years ago, Fiona who lived just down the road had called me and invited me for a walk with her and her dog.  Fiona had given me a lovely tour of the surrounding villages and she and her dog had given me a lovely tour of the surrounding woods.  During my stay here, her old lab had passed away and she had gotten a lab puppy.  I loved seeing Ledger again, all grown up, but still a young face, eager to greet us all.  Sitting on the floor, I was even lucky enough to get a good kiss on the cheek from him as well.  Fiona's family has a lovely home with a great back patio and garden.  It was a lovely evening, so we enjoyed eating our fill of food, drinking Pimm's, and visiting.  We've still got one more celebration tomorrow, but today's last day of school shenanigans were incredible, and I was honored to be a part of them.

Field Trip and Dinner

Months ago, I had corresponded with the wonderful Fiona, whose official title is secretary to the head of school, but she seems to be involved in every aspect of the school, making it run smoothly and ensuring the staff all have a good time in the process.  When I had told her I'd be at school this week, she asked if I'd like to tag-a-long for a trip the second to last day of school.  I of course jumped at the opportunity and told her that although I may not know a lot of kids, I could still count and I was happy to help out however possible.

On the second to last day of school, the entire school takes a trip. The year 5s go to small theme park nearby, the year 6s go to a big pool complex and swim for a day, and the years 7 and 8 go to a big theme park over an hour away, all to celebrate the end of school. I was thrilled to be included with the older kiddos since those are the ones I knew. I was also thrilled to really just be a bit of a warm body on the trip. I had no students that I was responsible for, but rather was just there for a bit of help should there be of any need. What a thrill to travel as a teacher with kids and yet, have virtually no responsibility. How different of a field trip!

On the bus ride, I sat with Lin, who works in the financial office of the school. She came on board just as I was leaving two years ago, so although we had met, I had never really talked with her. As we began talking, I learned more and more about her and some of her incredible adventures. She is an accomplished rower, even winning medals in world-wide competitions for her boating skills. About ten years ago, she pursued a new dream and rowed across the Atlantic Ocean with just one other woman. After three years of meticulous planning, the two women set off on the expedition from the Canary Islands. They landed in the Caribbeans seventy-six days later, winning awards for their speed. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing her tales about eating and bathing on board, the emotional highs and lows of the journey, and the wildlife they encountered.

When we arrived at the park, I was immediately taken aback by the hoards of coaches that were unleashing crowds and crowds of teenagers. Yes, it was a truly terrifying vision. Thankfully, after we got in and made sure the kids knew where and when they were to check back in, we had several hours to wander with little responsibility. Several of us went and got a snack and some tea and hot chocolate. Again, unlike any field trip I'd ever been on.

Charlotte and I decided that we should take in some of the rides as well, but some of the queues for some of the rides were seemingly endless. Not being huge thrill-seekers anyway, we decided to seek out the ones that lacked long lines, and in doing so, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We rode the carousel, a cable car that went across the park and gave us good views of many of the students, a very simple little Thomas car ride, the swings and then we took a few students on a short boat road and the Ferris wheel. At the end of the day, many of our students had only ridden two or three rides due to the long queues. Sure, they may not have enjoyed our rides as much, but we rode six rides and had a blast!:)

On the bus ride back, I volunteered to sit at the back of the bus with four boys. Not just any four boys, four of my boys; boys that had been in my form, my maths class, and/or my English class. I absolutely LOVED sitting back there with them. They had all been pretty good kids when they were in my class, sure a little cheeky, but really great kids and I was thrilled to be sitting with them. They, thankfully, seemed equally happy and not horrified as might be expected. Two of them seemingly bought their weight in sweets at the park, but since they generously shared with those around them, myself included, I didn't complain. One of the boys had his phone out and by his concentration, I could tell her was playing some sort of game. When I enquired about it, the boys explained to me that they were using the calculator (not a game at all) trying to find a word that added to exactly 100 (if the letters corresponded to a number, i.e. A=1, B=2, etc.). This teacher's heart leapt with joy. These boys had invented a game, a maths game none the less, and were enjoying the group challenge. After quite sometime, we came up with the word "drizzle" as a solution, although, please feel free to double check me!:) We discussed their summer travel plans, and I once again was enthralled hearing about their plans. My students at home are quite affluent and often take big trips during the summer, but rarely are they out of the country. Here, students can be in completely different cultural settings in a flight shorter than our drive to the beach. What cultural kiddos they are! Sure, a day in a theme park surrounded by teenagers then being trapped in the back of the bus with four teenage boys for an hour and a half may seem hellacious to some, but to me, it couldn't have been further from that.

I have been surprised how quickly my British has come back.  Yes, I realize they speak English here, but there are rather large differences in our terminology, and sometimes it seems like a different language.  It took me months to get used to calling the trash can a rubbish bin, the restrooms a toilet, a vacation a holiday, a wallet a purse, a purse a handbag, powdered sugar icing sugar, a pickle a gherkin, and my most embarrassing mistake, pants as trousers.  Thankfully, although I still have to think a bit before speaking, most of my terms are coming back fairly quickly.

Charlotte, Charlotte's mum and I were invited to Kelly's house for dinner. Kelly has had some major life changes in the past two years, mostly getting married and moving into a new home. She no longer lives in the place I had called home for a year, but now lives with her husband Phil whom I had not yet had the pleasure of meeting.  Kelly is a truly phenomenal cook and she prepared a gorgeous meal for us.  Besides the lovely meal though, it was the conversations I enjoyed the most.  I loved hearing about their wedding, differences she found in the cultures and in the schools, catching up about friends and colleagues, and hearing about travel plans. Kelly and I will always have a strong bond because of the experience we went through.  For a year, we lived one another's lives, so the bond between runs deep, and I'm thankful for it!  

Lunch by the Canal and a Ball

The sausage balls were a huge hit this morning, and I think I may have been welcomed back even more warmly today! :)

This morning, I had the pleasure of accompanying about twenty French students in year 8 to the lower school just down the road. The wonderful French teacher at school had planned a day where the older kids could play some games with French words with the younger students to help them feel prepared for moving up to the middle school. As it was the last week, chaperones were a bit hard to come by and I was honored to get to go. The students, some of which I had taught, did a great job. I loved watching them interact with the younger students. For some of them, teaching came naturally, while others struggled a bit, but nevertheless kept the students engaged. They all did a great job though, and everyone, both younger and older, seemed to have fun on this Bastille Day.

Before I even arrived at Fulbrook two years ago, I received an email from one of the school's governors (sort of like a school board). Angela greeted me with warmth and affection, sharing that she had a very close friend in Alabama that they frequently visited. During my year here, she and her husband, Graham were surrogate parents to me, providing me with home-cooked meals, taking me out for special treats, and even driving me to the airport on my final day. During that year, they made a trip to visit their friend in Alabama and even had a chance to meet up with my parents. Since that time, I've gotten to see them in Alabama once, but look forward to many more meetings.

As a treat today, since I truly have no responsibility at school this week, they came to pick me up at school and take me out to lunch. What a joy it was to see them again! They took me to a neighboring town, Leighton Buzzard, where we sat by a window in a pub that overlooked the canals. Like the canals in Fort Augustus that we saw two weeks ago, these narrow canals have locks in them so that people may travel throughout England by way of boat. The boats here look quite different from what I'm used to. Most of the boats that travel through the canals are house boats. Sure, there are some that carry cargo, but typically trains and lorries (18-wheelers) do that much more efficiently. The house boats are long and narrow, built to fit into the narrow canals. These canals were hand dug back before railroads used as a way to move supplies from one town to the next. Angela and Graham even told me that the term "leg-it" came from the time when canals were used to transport goods. When boats would come to a tunnel and could no longer be pulled by the horses that were on the banks, people had to lie on their backs on the boat and use their feet to walk, or "leg-it" across the interior of the tunnel. After a delicious meal and a lovely catch-up, they returned me to school just in time for the last lesson.

I even got to help open and close the lock!

Angela, Graham and I

For this lesson, I joined the French teacher once again to look in on one of her year 7 classes as it had a lot of my former students in the class. I enjoyed catching up with them, seeing the projects they had just completed and hearing about their summer plans. In the middle of the lesson, I was asked to cover another classroom for a teacher. She is expecting any day now, so of course I was happy to step in and do whatever I could. I just should have asked what class before I said yes. It was food. I jumped into a lesson, mostly finished, where about twenty ten-year-olds were completing baking and icing cupcakes. I must admit that it was organized chaos because the two incredibly capable teaching assistants had it totally under control. I was just there for a bit of direction and crowd control. I put on an apron and helped direct kids in the finishing process and make sure they thoroughly cleaned their area.

One boy said, "If I was American, I definitely wouldn't move here because of the weather." 

I responded with, "I don't live here." 

"Then how do you work here?"

"I don't work here."

His look of total confusion was well worth the afternoon in the food room.

Last week, Charlotte sent me an itinerary for the week. Being a planner, I was incredibly thrilled to have a schedule for the week, and as it is the last week of school, there is a lot going on. When I saw what was on tap for this evening, I was ecstatic! The year I was here, the Year 8 Ball was one of my favorite events. How could I have forgotten that that would be happening this, the final week? Charlotte and I decided to spent our time at school this afternoon rather than driving back and forth, so after the bell rang and the food room was mostly clean, I headed to the staff room.

We have a staff room back home, too, but it isn't very large, and there are never times where the majority of the staff is free at the same time, so it isn't widely used except to pass through and nibble on goodies left out. Here, it is the hub of staff life, a gathering point for discussions, laughs and breaks. I love the afternoons here. Teachers wander in, tired from the day, often times looking for some sort of distraction to keep them from doing more work just yet, or perhaps needing some sort of burst of energy before setting out to complete the day's tasks. I spent most of my afternoon here, chatting with whoever wandered in while Charlotte got a bit of work done.

Freshened up and dressed "smart," we headed to the picturesque village of Eversholtt where the Ball was to take place. There is a lovely club house here on the cricket green where I spent a happy day almost exactly two years ago. The club house was all decked out and ready for the party: tables with balloons, party hats, and confetti, banners hanging from the walls, and a red carpet rolled out to meet the students. Before the kids arrived, we staff members took advantage of a new toy added to the ball this year: a photo booth. This giant photo booth, complete with funny hats and masks was a great way for us to pass the time. Later on in the evening, we even may have ushered the kids out once or twice for a few more funny staff photos.

The kids, finishing up year 8 (7th grade) and about to move on to upper schools arrived dressed to the nines, many even arriving in fancy cars. The head blamed me (and all Americans) for the influence we had had and how their balls are now much more like our proms seen in films and TV series. Of course, ours are typically eighteen year olds rather than thirteen. There were flashy sports cars, old open jeeps, and a couple of hummer limos, one of which could not even pull into the parking lot from the narrow village street. Girls were in short, sparkly dresses, while the boys mostly wore khaki-style pants, a nice shirt and often a tie. I love watching the arrival party. All the kids in the parking lot eagerly awaiting to see who pulls up next and how they look. So much fun to just be an observer without having to be that age again. After the arrival, pizza was served, but before we could all finish our meals, the kids were back outside again posing for photos and running around. It didn't take long to get them back inside though. Tables cleared, lights going and music blaring, the kids were on the dance floor dancing some popular new line dances (I'm thankful to still be cool enough to know one of the latest ones), fun pop songs and of course the YMCA. The song that brought the most delighted screams however, was one that completely shocked me, and yet utterly made my night. When "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" from Frozen came on, the kids squealed and raced back inside eager to join in the sing along. Sure, they may have looked like young adults tonight, but they, thankfully, are still just kids.

School

Typically, just before returning to school in August, I tend to have school-related nightmares. I'm afraid it's a symptom most teachers deal with. We are so devoted to the career we love that the school day, planning and children begin even to invade our dreams. Last night, despite the fact that still have a few weeks before I begin teaching, I had some anxiety dreams about school, anxious no doubt about returning to the school were I spent a great year. Anxious about how the kids would react, if I would remember all those I should and how I would blend in with the staff who I have missed for the past two years.

There was no reason for me to be anxious. When we arrived, I eagerly bounced around to classrooms hugging the teachers who had made me feel so at home. Monday mornings there are staff briefings, same as when I was here, so I took a seat amongst the staff. Staff members wandered in and did a double take upon seeing my face, first thinking I was supposed to be there, then realizing in fact that my two years absence had happened. 

I had sort of hoped to surprise all the students and pop out to see them, but this was impossible with the structure of the school. There was no way I could get from the staff room to Charlotte's room with out being seen. It was still a delight though! Charlotte is a form tutor (home room teacher) to a year 7 class (6th grade) and since I was a year 5 form tutor when I was here, many of my students are now in her class along with students I taught maths (yes, mathS) and English to. Kids who knew me dropped their jaws and stared in amazement. More and more students wandered in and said, "Someone told me they saw you!" Whispers of "Miss Smith" spread around the school and kids were eagerly looking out for me. 

For the first lesson of the day, I stayed with Charlotte in music as she was teaching another year 7 class. Knowing even more of these kids, I loved being with them, sitting next to a pupil who had given me quite the struggle. The pupils, in their last music lesson of the year were practicing singing a song in a group, so I got to move around and visit with them, watch them and then judge the singing contest. I really have missed them! One of my boys said something about seeing "my" Auburn Tigers all over the social media video app, Vine. I'm so glad the brainwashing stuck!:)

For the rest of the morning, I wandered around the school popping into lessons whenever I thought it would be least-distracting, being helpful if at all possible, watching a short presentation by some year 8 students and then walking to the village for a bite of lunch. The Woburn Sands village High Street is a lovely little street complete with a couple restaurants, cafes, shops, a dry cleaner, library, flower shop and a post office. It's the perfect size: including all you need but contained in a small, lovely area. The bakery was a frequent stop for me, and I was excited for another sausage roll! 

Lunch in the staff room was always a treat. I must admit I'm jealous of that time as back home, I'm still on "duty" during lunch. I love the commradary that forms when teachers can spend time together chatting without pupils around. Today was even better than it was two years ago as I had zero work to do and zero responsibility to race off to. 

I enjoyed the afternoon assembly where the Fulbrook band performed beautifully, but even more so, I enjoyed the grins of recognition. Pupils whom I had not yet seen looked at me with a bit of shock and excitement, turned a bit red then grinned and waved.

I watched a short play put on by the French Club then spent the remaining part of the afternoon popping in and out of classrooms and trying to help wherever possible.

After the school bell rang, I went back into the staffroom to sit with other members of staff as they wound down from the day. There was a knock on the staff door and I was surprised that I was the staff member needed. I opened the door to one of my most precious kiddos, Bertie. He was in my enrichment class on Friday afternoons, but as such, he was now off in an upper school. His brother, whom I had never met, is a young pupil at Fulbrook and must have told him I was there. Bertie had fallen in love with my tales of the Auburn Tigers, so much so that he had redecorated his bedroom to show his support. He said he now had ESPN and when games weren't really late, he was enjoying watching them. What a treat to see such a sweet kiddo!

I knew that the staff were happy to see me, but I also knew that my arrival would bring with it some expectations. I had treated the staff several times throughout the year to a few southern treats and I was eager to once again share some with them. So, Charlotte and I made a run to my usual grocery store, the massive Tesco down the street, then went home and commenced to making sausage and cheese balls and chocolate peanut butter fudge. The response I've gotten is already pretty great!:)

Charlotte and I ran over to the neighboring village of Olney to pick up dinner. It is in this village where John Newton was pastor of the village church and where his famous hymn, "Amazing Grace" was first sung. The bells of the church chimed wildly and beautifully as we arrived, but as it was twenty past the hour, we were a bit confused. The fish and chip's lady suggested it was perhaps the night the bell ringers practiced, which made since considering their melodious sounds were still ringing throughout the village when we headed home with our deliciously greasy meal ten minutes later. 

I think my dreams tonight will only be happy ones!

Lazy Sunday

Yesterday, according to my Fitbit, we walked about 25,000 steps. Today, well... I didn't even cover a fifth of that. But it was the perfect lazy Sunday we all needed and deserved. We went out to a lovely roast meal at a pub just down the road where I had local beef, roasted vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and banoffee pie for dessert.

Full from our delicious meal, our afternoon was very laid back including laundry, a sing-a-long to the Classic Disney film, the Aristocats, and making our plans for the week. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day with these ladies.

Posh London Outing

Months ago, when I had finally nailed down the dates I would be in the area, Gemma cleverly went ahead and booked us at the Ritz for Afternoon Tea, something we had talked about doing the last time I was here. So today was a girls' day out in London! I was so excited to be back in London today, a place that I had become familiar with, a place I visited regularly, a vibrant city that is easy to fall in love with. There are not necessarily museums or places that I want to go into during my visits to London both today and with Jessica, but rather just the ambiance of being in London. I want to walk through some of my favorite squares and parks, ride the tube, shop the street markets and just enjoy the city. Today, we did just that.

On the train ride to London we made a rough plan of the day, hoping to see some new and old places. After a couple of tube rides, I raced up the stairs onto the fair city's glorious streets, incredibly thankful to once again be standing in this city I fell in love with. First, we went to Spittlefields Market, a place neither Charlotte nor I had not visited before. We had a delicious lunch and then enjoyed strolling through the covered open-air market. There were artists selling their unique pieces, t-shirt stands, food trucks, and items from around the world. A perfect place to start our day out!

Next, it was a few tube rides to Paddington Station where we went and hugged that lovable bear on Platform 1. Gemma had seen him once before, but when we got to the station, we couldn't find him anywhere. Thankfully, people were friendly and didn't find us too odd when we asked where the big bear was.

Another tube ride took us practically to the Queen's doorstep. Buckingham Palace is a site to behold standing there in all its the center of town surrounded by green parks. The flag flew at the top of the palace indicating that she was in residence at the time. We believed of course that she probably looked out the window and waved at us, but we did not see her. Nevertheless, I was excited to be "in her presence" once again.

We strolled through the parks around the palace and made our way to The Ritz. Of course the really posh people who stay at the Ritz Carlton all the time probably do not have nearly the fun that we did. They probably look elegant as they enter the doors rather than we three who took photos with the doorman and went through the revolving doors with mouths wide open in awe and wonder. 

The inside of the Ritz was everything we had imagined it would be: elegantly stunning. Our first stop was to the restroom which truly deserved a visit of its own. The painted walls and lounge chairs may have actually been enough to satisfy us for the rest of the afternoon, but we decided tea was awaiting us.

We were seated at our own table elegantly set for three and quickly served by the knowledgable and proper wait staff. They brought us each our own tea pot to the flavor of our choosing then a three layer tray for us to begin our calorie fest. Finger sandwiches is the first course of all afternoon teas, and these were perfectly delightful. There were cheese and apple chutney, cucumber and dill, salmon, chicken and more all sliced into small slices. When we had had our fill with this layer of food, they brought us scones, clotted cream and jam. This has always been my favorite part of afternoon tea. Sure, clotted cream may not have a delicious ring to it, but in fact, it is something I'm sad to say we don't have much of back home. What is it? Well, that's hard to say. It is somewhere in between butter and cream. Correct. It is delicious. I devoured both of my scones quickly, trying them both ways: one with cream first and one with jam first. I'm not sure which one I liked best. Perhaps I'll have to have many more while I'm here so that I can truly distinguish which way is the best. Throughout our meal, a harpist added ambiance to the room, playing songs we recognized from films and musicals, creating the perfect atmosphere.

Cakes and sweets were saved for last, and our stomachs somehow managed to make room for at least a few more bites. Our plates on the serving piece were never empty, refilled whenever they were being spared, so it was hard to go hungry. We laughed and giggled once again, pretending to be as elegant as the setting around us, but it was truly difficult. We toasted with champagne and sipped our tea with pinkies out. We watched as people left with what appeared to be to-go boxes, which gave us quite the thrill thinking that all of the gorgeous food left on our trays would be able to go home with us. However, when we asked our waiter, he said that those boxes were birthday cakes and due to food regulations he was not allowed to send us home with food, despite Gemma's pleading. A few moments later, he brought over a box of tissues and with a smirk said, "You said you needed some tissues, right?" Any pretend elegance that we had had disappeared as we began sneaking Ritz afternoon tea food wrapped in Ritz tissues into our purses. Even though we ended up throwing away some of the treats when we got home, the laughs these events provided was well worth the trouble.

After our decadent indulgence, we moved decided to do a bit of walking on this lovely evening and strolled past some of our favorite spots in London. We walked to Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Millineum Bridge and across the river Thames, loving the night time views of this gorgeous city. 

We went up to the Shard, a tall modern building amongst so many old ones. There is a viewing booth at the top of the building that you may pay to go up to, or you may just go up to a lovely bar about half way, on the 32nd floor and enjoy a drink. We opted for the second option, enjoying toasting our fantastic day in the city with a glass of champagne.

The train ride home was a bit crowded and long due to the frequent stops, but we made it home very late this evening, full of excitement after our long, posh day our in London.

https://youtu.be/SJFC52l7-Kk

Farewell Nessie, I'm headed home

This morning we had to do something that we had both truly been dreading: pack. Sure, we have been living out of a suitcase now for three weeks, but for the past two weeks, we have been living out of Nessie, our lovely car. She contained all our clothes and treasures that we have just tossed into the back, only taking in each night what we needed. Our hotel room was on the third floor and there were very few parking spaces there, which meant, our best bet was actually to pack our bags in the car park. Sure, I may have had my treasures and clothes strewn about the pavement this morning, but I did, with a little muscle power, get the suitcase zipped up once again. Although, somehow, it seems to have gained a bit of weight...

We had originally planned to spend some time in Chester where we were dropping Nessie off, but everything always takes longer than planned, so by the time we found the train station and Hertz location, we had just a little bit of time and all of our luggage. I must admit that I was quite torn telling Nessie goodbye. On the one hand, I was thrilled to be finished with driving as it has certainly been a tad stressful at times, but on the other hand, not only does it signify a big milestone in our trip, but it is lovely having the freedom of a car. And also, I really grew to love Nessie, bless her. She was so very forgiving to this automatic-American driver, gently reminding me to change gears, giving me a few seconds before rolling back on hills, and only stalling once during our more than two weeks and nearly 1400 miles together.

We waved goodbye to Nessie and headed to the train station, our first train journey of the trip and where we would part ways. Jessica and I have spent just about every moment together for the past three weeks. We've done so well together and had an absolute blast, so separating today seemed odd. It is perfect, too, though that we can both go "home" to our friends, colleagues and students, but knowing we'll be back together in about a week with new stories to share. Jessica boarded a train to Hull and I went to find mine to Milton Keynes.

I really love traveling by rail, and I wish that our country did more of it. I got increasingly confident with trains during my time here, but having a large suitcase with crowds around me, made me a bit anxious. There were some issues with the train and it ended up being a little late, then different train officials told me opposite ends of the train to find my reserved seat. In the end, platform emptying out, I jumped on a car, found a spot for my luggage and for myself, then heard the announcement apologizing that seat reservations had not worked on the train. Oh well, just a few minutes of anxiety, then I had an hour and a half to sit without having to think.

The closer I got to Milton Keynes the more my excitement grew. I was headed home, or at least to the place that I had called home for a year, the place where I had friends to see and the joy of familiarity. The year I spent in the area was a true challenge, but the reward of being here completely overshawded any difficult days. I believe my biggest challenge though was the loss of familiarity. Something as simple as grocery shopping was a task as name brands and container measurements were all completely different. It is funny now that coming here brings with it a feeling of familiarity when for a year, I struggled with that loss of familiarity.

As the scenery became increasingly familiar, my excitement seemed to bubble out of my chest. I got my luggage and went and stood by the door for longer than I needed to, ready to jump off the train as soon as it stopped. The train station in Milton Keynes was one I had frequented many times so I was able to hop off and quickly find my way to the door where a line of taxis was waiting to take me to meet up with my friends.

In my summer dress, excited for finally a little warmth and sunshine, the cab driver asked me about where I was from and why I was visiting. He asked if my family was Italian, no doubt because of my dark skin. I say this with a great deal of laughter and sarcasm. Sure, I had spent the first three weeks of the summer at the lake, darkening my skin tone, but I have and will always be one of the palest amongst my family and friends. And I have been in the land of clouds and drizzle for three weeks now. I loved the comment though and decided to appreciate being considered "tan" for as long as possible.

We pulled up to Wavendon Arms, a pub just down the road from school where I met a crew of about a dozen colleagues who had come to greet me. It was a gorgeous afternoon, perfect for sitting outside with a cold drink, and I was so incredibly thankful that they each took time after a long day of school to come and greet me. I loved catching up with them all, hearing about school, their summer plans and the time that had raced quickly by in the past two years. It truly does not seem like two years since I have seen these lovely people; besides some hair changes, it almost seemed like just last week I was here.

Charlotte, who has graciously offered to host me this week, and I headed back to her lovely home in a village about twenty minutes away. Gemma, one of our dear friends, joined us soon after our arrival and the three of us dived into conversation as if we had not at all skipped a beat. We laughed, giggled and cackled throughout the evening accompanied by Indian take-away and some bubbly before finally falling into bed late this evening. I am so incredibly thankful to have such wonderfully loyal friends, who, despite my long absence, have lovingly welcomed me home once again.

Betws-y-coed

This morning at breakfast, we overheard some other people talking about how much fun they had had at the bubble shop. That was all we needed in order to intrigue us to go and explore the town. We wandered through the small town of stone buildings and quickly found the bubble shop, discovering why it was talked about. The "bubble man" known far and wide for his magical bubble tricks and impressive bubble making skills was fascinating to watch. He even let us play with the large bubble wands! Like watching a babbling creek or a crackling fire, bubbles seem to have an entrancing sort of effect.

Thankfully we didn't find too much in the town that we had to have because packing up tomorrow to board a train is already something I'm dreading. Then, it was off on our next adventure. Just up the road, we met a group called GoBelow at a local cafe. Here we suited up in water-proof pants, helmets, headlamps, wellies, and harnesses before boarding a minibus with our eight fellow companions and two guides to once again get into something we weren't totally prepared for.

We drove just up the road to one of the slate mines in the area. Once a sort of hub, in fact most roofs in the area are still made of slate, but now most of these mines are no longer in operation. It is not because they are empty but rather because of stricter health and safety codes in place as well as the ability to import slate from Asia at cheaper prices. Slate littered the mountainside just as lava would an active volcano. We climbed up steep inclines that had once been used to cart slate back and forth, but lay inactive since 1953. Over the slate and into a dense damp forest, we came upon our entrance. Ducking into the opening in a gate, we crept into the mine, giving our eyes a moment or two to adjust before switching on our headlamps then marched forward careful not to trip over rail tracks a couple inches deep in water.

We walked a long straight path into the mine before coming to our first bit of the adventure: a boat ride. Yes, an underground boat ride. The mine is apparently multiple levels and when it was in operation, the lowest level was always drained. Now, however, it is not which meant the lowest level flooded into the main level that we were currently on. Our guides showed us, with what we could see using our head lamps, how deep the water was: quite the drop off. So we boarded a small raft boat, grabbed oars and rowed our way across the small "lake."

After a bit more meandering through the mines, we came to our next adventure: zip line. I'll be honest that I was a bit disappointed in the length of the zip line because it was not all that far across to the next ledge, but nevertheless, over water and in a mine was fairly exciting. Some climbing (thankful for our harnesses) brought us to a rock wall about twenty feet up that we traversed across. We didn't have too far to travel, but the drop below from a rock wall with no real foot holes was physically and mentally challenging. Once we reached our destination on the wall, one guide harnessed us in and we repelled down into the great cavern where we stopped for lunch.

One of our guides, a young man from the area has been livng this sort of adventurous lifestyle for quite some time, despite his few years. He and his brother explore caves and help to build adventure courses deep underground. In fact, he and his brother were the builders of the worldest longest underground zip line. I was very impressed and reassured that we were in good hands.

Marching onwards and upwards we walked up to the next level through water steaming down our path. It was actually much less slippery than expected since the water washed away the slippery bit. From here, we were guided to another cavern where we were shown treasures that had been left behind in the mines from years past. Discarded items from miners gave us insight into what their lives may have been like. We switched off our headlamps, learning the difference between what we think is dark outside on a starless night and pitch black under the ground. Our guide lit a candle and had us imagine what it would have been like for the miners who used solely the candles to see in these deep oceans of black. 

A couple more challenges awaited us: a climb up a waterfall, some maneuvering through short passage ways and climbing up a steep wall with small staple-like ladder steps before once again breaking out into the daylight. The afternoon adventure was challenging, but much more thrilling than truly difficult. 

We celebrated our accomplishments with some delicious ice cream then strolled back toward our home away from home. From here, we decided it wasn't quite dinner time, so we sat by the river that rushed through town, exhausted and mesmerized by the flowing water rushing over rocks, we stayed here for quite some time. Seagulls and a duck puttered about hoping for some chips from passerbys who had just left the fish and chip shop. We watched children climb up and over boulders and throw small stones in the water. The sunshine glittered on the water, still high in the sky on this summer day.

We enjoyed a delicious pub dinner at our B&B/hotel where we once again talked to the barmaid, a lovely young girl who is a teaching assistant at a local school. Her accent, her generosity, her genuine nature and her love for her Welsh culture were a joy to be around. Our adventures in Wales come to a close tomorrow, but we have certainly made the most of them and very much enjoyed them!

http://youtu.be/5aVnFkLD4UY

A Half Hour Drive

Conwy is a beautiful walled city, the most complete walled city still standing in Britain and it is over 700 years old. We couldn't leave the city without taking advantage of the walk around the wall and the views it provided. We walked through town to the back of the town and climbed the highest tower. From here the harbor and its connection to the ocean were clearly visible due to the height of this tower even though it was the furthest from the water.

Views along the wall were spectacular, despite the grey skies. We loved looking over the town with views of the castle at every point. Modern technology lined the slate rooftops no doubt several hundreds of years old. Seagulls had created their own world on the rooftops, raising their young in places most down below would not even notice.

We walked along the wall back to the harbor where we went back down to ground level. Here, just along the seashore sits Britain's smallest house, and by small, I mean something many people would be disappointed with as their closet. This two story home was built in the 1500s up against the city walls. It happens that this particular home was built up against one of the turrets in the wall, so it was much smaller than the ones next to it. Although it had no bathroom, there was a public one just around the corner. The bottom floor, about five-feet wide and perhaps ten-feet long was just wide enough for a small bench, a small fire place/stove and a water tap. The ladder to the upstairs room made Cinderella's quarters look extravagant. A small simple bed and a bowl and pitcher were all the room could hold. The last man that lived here was over six-feet tall. He was forced to move out in 1900 due to sanitation concerns.

Heading out from Conwy, excited for our next destination, but always eager for our next adventure, we headed toward Betws-y-coed (we kept referring to this place as Betsy Cow, but we did finally learn the pronunciation), a short, half hour drive down the road as our kind B&B host said. We had about four hours to make our afternoon reservation at Bounce Below, so no need to rush.

Driving along, we spotted a sign for a maze. It said open, we were in no rush, so of course we stopped to give it a try. The older gentlemen gardener boasted about his own personal creation, claiming it was the largest garden maze in the world.  Throughout the maze, we discovered small ornate gardens, unique statues, and finally, after about thirty minutes, the large mermaid horse statue in the center that signaled we had made it through.

A fabulously fun diversion from our route! The kind gentlemen enquired about our journey, told us stories of his father who was a teacher, and recommended beautiful places nearby that we needed to see. One of which was a pottery place just a mile back which had already grabbed my attention. 

The pottery place was a work of art in its own accord. A creative couple, she a potter and he a carpenter, they had created a gorgeous home set back in the woods.

He was eager to tell us more about his work and the area after hearing our accents. He had great stories to share about his good friend, the police chief of Waco, Texas, the jury he had recently served on, the dam that broke and wiped out his small town in the early 1900s, the current value of the first home he had built, the true meaning of mortgage and more. A lovely friendly man eager to share his stories, expertise and culture.

Our four hours slowly diminished, but we had a bit more time. So, we continued on to the next small town where we stopped for a late bite of lunch and a speedy tour of the local woolen factory. From there, it was on to find Bounce Below, despite our lack of directions or detailed maps. Luckily, we continuously guessed correctly, and despite the apparent half hour drive, we pulled up just at our appointment time, four hours after leaving Conwy.

Wales has become an adventure capital of sorts, so Jessica and I decided we needed to take advantage of some of these. Some of the adventure opportunities had seemed a bit much for the two of us, but we signed up for two we were very excited about. Today's adventure was Bounce Below,  a multi-level trampoline creation in a mine. Why not, right?

After adorning our helmets, tucking in our shirts and listening to a brief safety talk which made us a bit more nervous, we headed into the mines. We moved slowly along the bouncy net material at first, feeling a bit anxious and our footing unsure. We climbed up a narrow net onto an upper level where there were four "rooms" broken up by nets where we could freely bounce to our heart's content. There were a few children among us, but mostly the mine was full of adults acting as children, enjoying their time on the trampolines.

To get from one level down to the next, there were slides encased with the same netting by which we slid down, covering our noses to keep from getting them burned on the ropes. We soon felt incredibly confident on the trampolines, trying out tricks, racing down a "hallway," going down slides and up nets with ease. The height of it all soon left our minds, no longer worried about the great fall to the ground below, instead just forgetting all worries and having a blast. It was quite dark down there, but here are a few attempted photos and a video: 

https://youtu.be/PGiT6Lzen2U

We are now settled into our new little B&B in Betws-y-coed, just a "half hour drive" from where we were last night.