Soccer

Will started playing Soccer at the Y. Last week he scored two goals one for his team Kansas city and one for the other team which is an improvement from last week when he scored 2 goals for the other team and only one for us.

Romeo, Romeo and Oxford.

Mary Ardens farm was the first stop on my last day in England. Mary Arden was Shakespeare's mummy and they have set her farm up just like it would have been in 1573. All of the people working there were dressed up and we supposed to talk to you like it was 1573 but we were pretty much the only people there so they didn't. Mum, dad and I spent the majority of the time in the kitchen talking to the ladies there. They were cooking the farm workers lunch with the equipment and food a working farm would have had in 1573. it was really interesting to find out what kind of food they were eating and how they cooked, you know without electrical appliances and supermarkets.







After Shakespeare's Mums house we went to Anne Hathaway's house, Shakespeares wife. Who was older than him and preggers when they were married. We also went to the house Shakespeare was born in. It amazes me that these houses are still around. A ton of famous writers in history have been to Shakespeare's birth place. I guess they thought it would be inspiring.

Dad checking out the Hathaway Home which has stood the test of time rather well.

We kept driving through the countryside to Chippingham Campden where we found the church and Dad started the search for one of his ancestors. Turns out that she was baptist and not buried in the church cemetery. what a rebel. However its kinda sad since i think it is the nicest cemetery I've ever been to and it has my new house across the street.

After not finding our relatives we stopped at Blenheim Palace for a quick look (meaning we didn't go inside). This place was given to the Duke of Marlborough after he won a big fight. Which i would say is very generous of her because after seeing Windsor castle and Buckingham I would have kept Blenheim and given those away. Really it was gorgeous and I was sad that we didn't have enough time to look through it. oh and Winston Churchill was born there.

This is just part of the house. I'd need a fancy lens to get it all in one shot.

The lake and the monument way back there.

Off to Oxford. Mum and I went on the most informational tour of Oxford. Seriously no juicy tidbits at all. The best piece of information was given by Josh before we went. He told me that Bob Hawke had the drinking record at one of the pubs (for all you Americans reading bob Hawke was the prime minster of Australia) which explains why he was/is such a idiot. Oh and in the middle of the tour it started raining! the first rain we had for the entire trip. so the only picture I took in Oxford was of a rainbow. I'll have to go back there because the Alice shop was closed and by the time we found Blackwell's book store they were closed too.

Oxford Rainbow

We drove back to Heathrow, I packed my bags and lamented the fact that I can't pack up my family and move them to London. Maybe I'll convince Sean to become a writer then we could move anywhere. Or maybe I could start dreaming about vampires and write a bestseller then cast the ugliest guy to play the lead in the movie but tell everyone hes super hot now and make enough money to live in London.

Horatio, Jane and Engineering Marvels

So the hotel we found late last night had an awesome English breakfast spread. I love breakfast food. After the delicious brekky we headed back into Portsmouth to see the Victory! I think this was one of dads childhood dreams, it was the only place he asked me to take a picture of him. Too bad we weren't allowed to take any pictures. The Victory was Lord Nelsons ship, they have a plaque where he fell after a Frenchie shot him (then some English guy took him out so the poor sniper couldn't even be a hero in France for shooting Nelson). Dad stood on the spot and re-enacted the entire thing. What I learnt on the tour.... Life at sea was disgusting. They could only drink ale/wine yet were punished for being drunk. They preserved Nelsons body in a barrel of brandy so he could have a state funeral for him. He had a very public affair so public that there are pictures of his mistress on the boat and not his wife. He was shot then died three hours later, just enough time to know they won the battle. Nelson was very smart, except for the affair.





We also got to go on the HMS Warrior, which was massive and it never fired a shot in anger.

It was a little creepy on that ship.

One of my relatives invented some reversing thing - there it is.

Josh and I went into the Mary Rose museum to kill some time.

And then to the Navy recruiting I mean fun center to fly helicopters and shoot stuff.

After the Navy adventures we got to go to Jane Austen's house or one of the houses she lived in. It was a lovely house and had a beautiful garden.

one of the many greenery pictures mum took.

Jane's next door neighbour with their sweet car and awesome thatched roof.

Jane Austen and co made this quilt.

Her writing desk

When we got to Stone Henge I was a little sad that I couldn't go and touch it but it was seriously cool just to look at it in real life. We listened to a little commentary on the way around and its interesting to hear all the theories they have about why its there. Dad thinks its a Temple and I agree. why else would you lug stones that far? oh and when you drive up to stonehenge it reminded me of when you drive form St. George to Vegas because it just sort of appears out of nowhere.

On our way to Caen Hill locks we drove through an army training camp or something because we kept seeing signs for tank crossing and then we actually saw a tank waiting to cross. But whats even cooler is all the houses that still have thatched roofs! So adorable, does anyone know why? are thatched roofs quieter when it rains or is it totally for looks?

Dad was so excited about seeing the Caen Hill locks and almost wanted to stay and watch while a canal boat came up the hill using the locks. Luckily, that takes 4 1/2 hours and we didn't have that kind of time. Yes, they bring the boats UP the hill, it must have been pretty cool back in the day, you know when you couldn't drive up the hill. What I liked more than the locks was the driveway up to the top of the hill, it was lined with blackberries! So mum and I picked some. I was so sad I didn't have a basket or anywhere to make some blackberry pie and I didn't see any Beatrix Potter animals either. oh well, the blackberries were very yummy.

The Blackberry lined driveway

I just took this because it reminded me of Anne of Green Gables

One of 50 locks.

For dinner we went to Toby's Pub and Carvery, which was a perfect. I even had a Yorkshire, still not quite sure what it actually is though. The lovely day ended by me zipping my top into Beth's jacket, luckily Beth's jacket survived but my top is now in Aveys dress up box.

Toby's Pub

This house was really pretty with all its Red Ivy but the owners can never walk around this side of their house without fear of being hit by a car. The wall was right up against the side of the road, it was weird cause they even had a window in that wall and it was on a busy road too.

Dover, Hastings, Bexhill and Brighton.

After spending the night at this Hotel in Folkstone

we took this car to Dover Castle

Then I found my new car



and then Bethany's new car

We saw the famous white cliffs of Dover and France 23 miles that way.

Josh and his cool self

me trying to be cool like josh

France is over there.

This guy was trying to swim the channel.

And a sign I thought it said.. any fat people don't throw things at skinny people sun bathing.

We went through some of the secret war time tunnels where I tried to take some secret pictures.

This is where Ramsey organised to get all those poor soldiers out of Dunkirk. We walked through the Hospital, war rooms and some barracks all with mostly original stuff. Seriously I don't think anyone throws anything out. Some of the tunnels were a little creepy, you know those places when you walk through and it just gives you the heeby geebies.

Well after the tunnels we walked up past the officers barracks, I never found out if they are still used.

don't ask me what I'm doing in this picture.

Then up to Dover castle, they had a little history of war museum inside one of the buildings, turns out the Aborigines were the only ones who didn't put up a massive fight when England came to claim their land. wonder why that is? and I found out when women and children first thing became fashionable.

Inside the keep. it was set up like it would have been back in the medieval day, well except for these cool holograms they had playing. by the way holograms always remind me of red dwarf.

here's josh in the kings loo

I know you were all dying to see that photo.

On top of the keep...

the oldest building there is a lighthouse the Romans made. We didn't go in because it was off to Hastings. Except we just kept driving right through Hastings because it turns out that the Battle of Hastings actually took place at Battle not Hastings so here's a car pic of the coast.

we stopped at the Bexhill Tescos. Tescos is where we got most of our food for the entire trip.

and drove all the way to Brighton. Where they had an awesome pier that we didn't go on and some sweet shops that called the lanes, I almost bought all of the art work I found but then I remembered that I don't have any money. What was I thinking marrying for love not money? here are some pics of the beach at Brighton. Not a single grain of sand in sight, I tried to take my shoes off so I could put my feet in the water but I couldn't even walk 5 steps.

Toms best travelling shoe ever (just break them in before you go)

The rocky beach

and yes I did bring back 2 rocks from the beach. is that weird?

We started driving again because dad wanted to make it to Portsmouth by sun down but it was a bit late for that so Mum and I made him stop so we could see the little beach huts. so cute.

We hurried off to Portsmouth only to find out that every hotel in the city was booked. Mum and I suggested that we go back to a Travel lodge we'd seen on the way into town. nope. We then drove to more hotels to find out that the entire city was booked. Mum and I suggested we go back to the Travel lodge. Nope. So then dad went to maccas to use the Internet (which was so slow that he didn't get anything done) while we sat in a dodgy car park for about 45mins. Maybe we should go to the Travel lodge says mum. nope. Turns out that on Tuesday and Wednesday nights all of the hotels in Portsmouth are completely booked out because of the cruise ships that come in/out. Because Josh was the navigator he sent us to a hotel in Fareham, instead of the Travelodge we could have gone to about 2 hours ago. Luckily they had 2 rooms left and we took them. I hate it when josh wins. he wins all the time, unless Amy is playing. The only good thing to come of the night was that I had a Delicious veggie curry from room service. And the hotel hunting was pretty hilarious. But you weren't there so you'll never know! Baha! just kidding, not really, just kidding.