Day 5: A day in the English countryside

On Saturday, Patricia's sister Carol, took us for a drive in her car to see the countryside. It was rainy (surprise!) and cold, so we very much appreciated Carol taking time out of her day, to drive us around in her warm, dry car.

The whole driving on the opposite side of the road thing (although I did not actually drive - there is no way I would attempt that!!! The roads are so narrow, crowded, and chaotic there!) was alot easier to get used to than I thought it would be. Whether the driver drives on the left, or the right side of the road, they are still sitting next to the middle of the road and the passenger, nearest to the shoulder. However, it was a little nerve-wracking every time we had to make a right hand turn. And I will always think that roundabouts are just crazy. But I thought that before I went to England.

I only tried to get in on the wrong side of the car (the drivers side) about half a dozen times that day. Every time, Patricia and Carol thought it was hilarious.

First, we dropped by to meet Carol's beautiful daughter-in-law, Wendy, and two adorable grandsons. Jack, the two year old, was just the cutest thing ever. He had to show Patricia and I every one of his cars, and make us some soup in his play kitchen. It was so fun to listen to him talk, with his English accent. It was also fun to see that even with distance, cultural differences, etc. families are the same everywhere. Spending that little amount of time with Jack really made me miss my kids, my husband and my home.

It is always interesting to see inside of other people's homes. In general, houses in England are not as big as houses in the States. But are still very similar. I was happy to see that every house I had the pleasure of going into, had the washer and dryer in the kitchen. It's a way of not wasting space. The house Brian and I owned in Centerfield, had the washer and dryer in the kitchen. Everyone thought that was so weird! So, maybe it wasn't that weird after all!

Next we set out on the freeway, towards Wickham Market. I think this is where I really fell in love with England. The countryside is soooo beautiful. There is such a random mixture of farms and forests and everything is so green. I loved the big, old country estates. I could really see myself living there. Well, maybe in my next life, when I am rich.

Wickham Market was everything I had ever imagined a small village in the English countryside to be. It was just beautiful! We stopped there for lunch and tea at a cute little cafe. There was a little antique store next to the cafe, that Patricia and I really enjoyed. I think that I probably could have bought the whole store, but I settled on a lovely, blue, Wedgwood vase. And it was only eight pounds! I was quite proud of my bargain shopping skills!

Next we headed Aldeburgh, to see the The Scallop - a sculpture that sits on the beach dedicated to Benjamin Britten. The sculpture and the seaside were beautiful. I would have loved to spend more time there, but it was just way to cold and rainy.

Afterwards, we went to a little village called Thorpness. Here we found another antique shop, to look around in. Then, we had tea in the adjoining cafe.

The cafe set next to a little man made lake. The lake has islands scattered throughout it. Each island is themed after a character in Peter Pan (Crocodile island, Wendy island, etc.). Carol and Patricia told me that when they were younger, their parents would bring them to Thorpness during a nice day in the summer, and let them explore the islands.

We also got to the see the "house in the clouds" in Thorpness. It is a house, that is built to look, almost as if it is floating in the clouds!

Wickham Market, Aldeburgh, Thorpness

After spending the day driving around and sightseeing, we went to eat dinner at the home of Patricia and Carol's sister, Leslie.

Like the rest of Patricia's family (Brian and Karen, Carol, & Grace), Leslie and her partner, Gordon, were very kind and welcoming. They made me feel right at home.

Over dinner (which was wonderful - Leslie is a very good cook!), Leslie and Gordon told us about their recent holiday to Sri Lanka. Afterwards, Gordon, who is a photographer, showed us some of his latest work. He's very talented!

I also got to spend some time wandering around their gorgeous back garden.

Gordon and Leslie's garden