Where Did the Week Go?

We've been in Wooburn Green an entire week now and can't believe it's zipped by so quickly. Where exactly the time went we have no idea, but it's always wonderful to report all of us are settling in quite nicely, thank you very much.

Jasper, John, Mew

Jasper, Mew & Purr

We arrived in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire the evening of December 23 from London and after a delicious dinner followed by a quick orientation from homeowners, Claire and David, (Thank You!) we began our latest house and petsitting assignment less than 24 hours later. 

Greenwich to Westminster and Back

We began the week by returning to the Museum of London to view the special Sherlock exhibit that runs until April 12, 2015. One highlight is a interview with Scottish born Sir Author Conan Doyle who explains where he got the concept for Sherlock, found here: https://youtu.be/o2okclRid4M.

Buskers, Brews and a Gherkin

We awoke yesterday to clear blue skies and immediately altered our plans. Why spend time indoors when there are so many places to explore outside on such a beautiful day? First stop was Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Banned and Boxed

Each morning (over tea no less!) we decide upon our destination for the day. Yesterday it was the Museum of London, and because John and I do museums differently we go our separate ways almost as soon as we enter and meet later at a pre-arranged time. To give you some idea of how diverse we are, John got as far in the exhibits from its inception to the period 850AD, while I made it all the way to the Black Death. We're already planning a return visit to continue learning about London's history, as well as see the special exhibit devoted to "the man who never lived and will never die" - Sherlock Holmes. 

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/

North and South of the Thames

We returned to London on Monday afternoon and since then have walked here, there, and everywhere as we get accustomed to this area of the city. Our Marlyn Lodge studio apartment is a short five minute walk north of the Tower Bridge so naturally we've been across to the south side of the Thames - and back.

Whitby by the Seaside

I realize I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but a single week will never be long enough to do a UK town justice. However, given we had one final day in Whitby we were determined to hit the beach.

Whitby Abbey

Whitby Abbey dominates the landscape. It's visible from almost every vantage point, including the bay window of our flat. Walking through the town, whether old or new or atop the west cliff, it's always there, making its presence known. 

Whitby

"This is a lovely place. The little River Esk runs through a deep valley which broadens out as it comes near the harbour…The houses of the old town are all red-roofed and seem piled up one after the other anyhow…Right over the town is the ruin of the Abbey, a noble ruin of immense size.  Between it and the town is another church, the Parish one, round which is a big graveyard, all full of tombstones. It descends so steeply over the harbour that part of the bank has fallen away, and some of the graves have been destroyed."

Glorious York

A sunny Sunday November day in York can only be described with one word - glorious. Determined to make the most of our final day in the city we left our flat and paused to admire the view of the River Ouse and the Low Ousegate bridge. 

Eburacon, Eboracum, Evorwic, Jorvik...YORK!

Everything worth seeing and doing in York is a 25-30 minute walk from anywhere, but after spending a full week here we've barely scratched the surface. Even trying to capture the exterior of York Minster in a photo is next to impossible because it literally doesn't fit in the viewfinder. It's that massive.

York City Walls

When arriving in a new place we usually take a stroll to get a feel for our surroundings. In York, that meant walking around town via the city walls. At 3.4 kilometres York's are the longest medieval walls in all of England and while we met only a few dozen people we learned 2.5 million folks climb the steps each year to walk all or part of it and enjoy the spectacular views.

Durham Castle & Cathedral

Top on our list of places to see when visiting Durham was the World Heritage Site castle and Norman cathedral. 

Dun Cow Lane

 While wandering about Durham a few days ago I spotted the street below.

Up, Down & Around Durham

Upon our arrival by train we walked from the station to our Durham rental flat, Fern Cottage. The owner had warned us it was mainly an up-hill climb (1 mile from start to finish), but she did not mention the incredible scenery as we crossed the bridge that spans the River Wear.

Burrell Collection

While we were in Edinburgh I had a chat with a man who works at the Scottish National Museum. Upon hearing our next destination was Glasgow, Nick suggested a visit to the Burrell Collection. He went on to say it's not in the city, so travel by train would be required. As it turned out the 16 miles was an easy journey beginning at Glasgow Central Station and ending at Pollokshaws West. I loved how they transformed oil barrels into old trains and added flowers for a decorative touch.

People. Make. Glasgow.

The red sign on the side of the building above says it all. People. Make. Glasgow. I can personally vouch for that as I've met a few Glaswegians who definitely made me smile. 

Art, Walls, Chairs & Bikes

Glasgow may just be as famous for its shipbuilding past as its love and appreciation for the arts. Walk down any city street and odds are you'll see an art gallery or commissioned street mural tucked in between a pub or bar. They're everywhere and on our first day in Glasgow we headed to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. 

St. Mungo and Glasgow Catherdral

Glasgow Cathedral was built in 1136 and has been a place of worship for more than 800 years. It is the burial ground of St. Kentigern, more commonly known as St. Mungo (Dear Friend), who is the patron saint of Glasgow. 

Out and About in Edinburgh

The Scottish love of the written word is evident everywhere in Edinburgh. The train station, Waverley, (flat roof, middle right of the photo below) is named in honour of Sir Walter Scott's first novel of the same name. He also wrote Rob Roy and Ivanhoe. The Scott Monument (dark ornate tower structure on the left) on Princes Street is the tallest monument to a writer in the world.

Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh

The weather in Edinburgh is constantly changing, often within minutes, so like the locals we do our best to ignore it and carry on. That's not to say we've been plagued with cold, wet weather, because we haven't. It's just that this is November not July, but when we learned Portobello Beach is less than two miles from the city centre we naturally had to check it out regardless of the season. We weren't alone.

Rosslyn Chapel

Prior to the worldwide success of Dan Brown's bestseller The Da Vinci Code fewer than 20,000 people a year visited Rosslyn Chapel. Since then, the average has skyrocketed to more than 120,000 per year which is a good thing for both Scotland tourism and the Earl of Rosslyn. The additional revenue earned from entrance fees allows the St. Clair family (who have owned the chapel since 1446) to preserve it for future generations. The newer entrance includes a gift shop and tea room and is a nice juxtaposition with the much older chapel to the right.

Edinburgh Castle

This was our second visit to Edinburgh Castle, but the first was decades ago and while the exterior obviously hasn't changed, the interior and even the exhibits certainly have. Walking to the castle from our flat on Lothian Road we took Bread Street to Spittal and then onto Johnston Terrace. It's an uphill climb as you can well imagine given the castle built on a rock is the highest point in the city.

A Sense (Or Five) of Edinburgh

Our first full day in Edinburgh began with a brisk morning walk north along Lothian Road to a home on Glenfinlass Street as the couple who own our one-bedroom holiday flat invited us over for coffee. Besides welcoming us into their lovely home, providing cappuccino, lemon cake, chocolate ladyfingers and great conversation, they also shared insider travel tips on what to see and do in the city they're proud to call home. 

Glenfinlass Street

The UK From South to North

Travel by train in the UK is easy, affordable and best of all, stress free. We literally walked across Euston Street from our Airbnb flat to the Kings Cross station and bordered the East Coast passenger train to take us to Edinburgh's Waverley Station. It seemed mere minutes before we'd left the hustling and bustling city of London behind for peaceful, serene farmland.

A Wonderful Weekend in London, England

This visit to London IS different for so many reasons. Our age, temperament, interests, and even our stamina dictates what we'll see and do - as well as how we'll accomplish those items on our to-do list. The lovely thing about this visit is there is no need to rush, and while I tend to be a planner I've only decided on where we're staying and how we get there and have left the rest to serendipity.

Danvers, MA - The Real Salem

Salem, MA has long been associated with witches due to the infamous 1692 witch trials. In October 2013 we did the unthinkable and asked our daughter to take us to Salem on the final Sunday before Hallowe'en. We've since learned locals avoid Salem during October because of the throngs of people who descend upon the area (often donning witches hats and carrying brooms) determined to tour the Witch House, Wax Museum and other scary establishments. Nonetheless touristy Salem is a fun place to visit as it has everything 'witchy'...including Samantha Stephens of television fame!

Alexandria

It's never about the destination, but the journey itself and because we'd heard good things about Alexandria, a small community of approximately 3000 people in North Glengarry township just south of Ottawa, we decided to stop by for a quick looksee when we found ourselves in the vicinity. Settled by Scottish emigrants in 1792, the tall grey building in the middle of town is called the Priest's Mill. 

Cobra Lake

Yesterday we'd arranged to meet with some friends to visit Puddingstone Falls north of town. To do this involves driving in 26km off the highway via a logging road. With all of the recent rainfall, however, a wash out across the road ended our plans.

Superior Summer

Nothing beats the summertime like warm temperatures, good friends, and time to explore this incredible province we call home. This past Sunday and Monday John ticked off two more items on his bucket list while I was totally content to stand by and watch. ;-)

Lake Superior Provincial Park

September Spectacle: 2014

Ever notice how the anticipation of waiting for something special to arrive is accompanied by a great sense of excitement? Take September for example. It's my favourite month of the year in Ontario and while we've had more than our fair share of rain and cold temperatures this time around, the past week has been spectacular.

Little White River

Touring Manitoulin Island

On Saturday we toured Manitoulin Island. We've visited many times, but it had been a few years since our last visit and so we decided it was time to return. 

Little Current, Manitoulin Island

Ontario July

We've just returned from a whirlwind visit to southern Ontario. First stop was St. Marys, aka the Stonetown. We lived here for fifteen years (1980-1995), yet never tire of the incredible architecture and gorgeous homes.

June In New England

We've just returned from New England and between its history, architecture, covered bridges, ocean breezes, delicious bowls of chowda, and gracious, warm American welcome we had a blast.

Sketches of Life

In 1968 I met Doug Andrews at the Art College of Ontario in Toronto. We hit it off immediately, and one day while we were sitting in the cafeteria laughing like a bunch of two-year olds on a sugar high he said, "I hope we're still friends when you're 64."

Doug Andrews

Home Is Where the Heart Is

We're home after a month long housesit in North Bay. One of the questions friends ask is does it feels 'weird' to live in someone else's home with their stuff rather than our own. The answer is a simple and emphatic no.

From Spas to B&Bs and Screaming Heads

Keegan had a spa treatment on Saturday afternoon, but once we returned home he wanted to play fetch on the deck. I tried three different times to capture our antics on video, but the results were dismal (my fault, not Keegan's) so this snapshot will have to suffice. Doesn't he look spiffy?

A Picker's Dream...North Bay Style

Two weeks ago our son-in-law spotted this place as we drove to Goulet Park for a stroll along the shores of Lake Nipissing. We assumed the building was a second hand store. Or perhaps a specialty shop of some kind. Today, John, Keegan and I decided to take a closer look.

Powassan Maple Syrup Festival

In spite of the rain (and a few snowflakes added to the mix) on Saturday we headed to Powassan to attend the 17th annual Maple Syrup Festival. Imagine our surprise when we discovered we weren't the only crazies venturing outdoors in such dismal weather.

Deer Spring

The ice on Trout Lake is melting. The following morning John spotted three deer on the lake just in front of the house.

Green Ice Cream

Saturday afternoon John, Keegan and I walked to The Green Store. This unique gift shop is directly on Trout Lake, and a favourite with North Bay residents. The parking lot is always full, and no wonder.

It's Definitely A Good Friday

 It's Good Friday, but here in North Bay it's a very good Friday indeed. Our daughter and son-in-law are visiting from Boston, and while they leave tomorrow morning we're enjoying every minute of their all-too-brief stay. Keegan is quite eager to play host, but he explained his favourite sock toy is off limits to guests...unless, of course, they want to play tug of war. Then, it's a go!

A White Dog in a Snowstorm

Rumblings of an approaching storm began yesterday afternoon around 5:00 PM. John and Keegan had just gone outside for a short walk when the sky clouded over and the temperature plummeted.

April Sunday Showers

April showers are always better than and April snowstorm in my humble opinion, so while today is dull and dreary I'll take it. Not only is the temperature above freezing (what a concept), but as each raindrop falls more of that white stuff disappears. Yeehaw!

What A Glorious Springtime Day!

We're back in North Bay, house and pet sitting, and today was our first full day alone with Keegan.

Housesitting - Yes or No?

When we began our house and pet sitting journey for our friends way back when, we never imagined it would evolve into something so incredible.

During the past year (yes, it's really only been twelve months since we decided to become "professional housesitters" we've met some fascinating individuals who have not only enhanced our lives and introduced us to some wonderful canines, but they've also become friends.

Deep Freeze and More Time With Crimper

This winter's temperatures continue, as do the frequent and impressive snowstorms. I doubt I'm the only one ready for spring, but as to when it will finally make an appearance is another question. 

Saturday & Sunday Crimper Style

We've just completed our shortest house and pet sitting assignment ever (overnight, about 30 hours total), and while I don't like to tell tales, we barely survived. It was that STRESSFUL. 😉

How stressful? Well, this is what Crimper was up to on Saturday....ALL Saturday...

Puppy Love

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I thought I'd talk about puppy love. Not the infatuation and angst that exists between human teenagers, but the very real affection felt between pets and humans. 

Wanderlust

We're back home now, and while I'd like to say that's a good thing I have to admit I am suffering from a severe case of wanderlust. Technically, it's defined as "a strong longing for or impulse toward wandering", and over the years we've done our fair share.