Part I: A Very British Summer

Part I - tomorrow brings Part II; the UK vs US seaside

studyabroad.shiksha.com/

Last July arriving at in Britain there was (and continues to be!!) speculation about the implications of Brexit all around us. Britain can seem small, scruff/tatty and cramped upon first impressions, but the more you look the more you find to enjoy and love . .

The landscape, the driving, the houses, the food, and the shopping . . . not to mention the castles, stately homes, history - and oh the weather - are all different from Florida - some in subtle ways! We drove by place names such as Dorking, Cocking, Pity Me, Burnthouse, Wackerfield, and Twizel Burn!

We had a family reunion in North Wales, where we saw some yarn bombing (to aid the local Sheep Dog trials), . . . 

The 'Model' I kid you not!
can you see the dog on the back?

our weekend home for family reunion
Pentrehobyn Hall in Mold North Wales

Aberystwyth Cliff Railway - a funicular
with a camera obscura at top

overlooking Aberystwyth

. . . followed by a leisurely drive south through the Welsh countryside visiting a few friends along the way. In Aberystwyth we saw the filming of the British TV series Hinterland - spoiler alert: the Hinterland police station is an abandoned building in real life. It is the first show to include Welsh dialogue. Recommended! 

Ultracomida Deli - delicious!

Soon it was time for lunch and whilst there we had lamb burgers and lamb pizza - lamb being a delicacy in the USA and not readily served on the American beach.

ruins of Aberystwyth Castle

Fog rolls in just as we were departing . . . typical weather
where's the sea gone?

We even had an 'Escape Room Murder at the Museum' adventure in Salisbury and emerged with a respectable time for novices! Left are the Cilgerran Castle Ruins sitting on the edge of a small village overlooking a bluff & river. It comes complete with black cat.

http://www.johnspass.com

Just for comparison here's our local 'old' Florida (20th century) fishing village of John's Pass.

single track country driving in Wales

Carolina roads
lots of logging trucks on back roads

In Durham (North of England) we had a fantastic time visiting the Beamish Outdoor Museum (used for historical documentaries too), George Washington's ancestors' home (willow spy hole to the left is in the garden) the Angel of the North, the Millennium Bridge and the wonderful Alnwick Castle (still lived in) - highly recommended.  Scenes of Harry Potter and Downtown Abby have been filmed in and around Alnwick. 

Washington Hall Knot Garden staff
the upward curves in the knots are fantastic

Angel of the North

Millennium Pedestrian Bridge - 'The Eye' in Newcastle upon Tyne

Alnwick Castle, North England

Back in Broadstairs we had rainbows, wind turbines (on and off shore) and lots of adventure before returning to the USA (and a visit to North Caroline immediately on return). How many beds we slept in in how many nights? We lost track but had good fun!

Sunrise in Broadstairs
yes, I was up at 3:00 am!

And on the note of the USA elections: a 28 July BBC commentator likened the US electorate choice (or dilemma) as between a witch and a buffoon. Whilst the UK Brexit vote was traumatic for many, the campaign was much shorter and the transfer of power was swift and smooth. Not so in the USA!

It took me over two (2) hours to complete my mail-in ballot as we had 6 candidates for President, 19 other offices to vote for plus 5 state constitutional amendments and 6 amendments to the county charter & a referendum. In Florida write-in candidates must be certified in advance to be tallied. Still I am glad to be able to vote!

US slang: It's gone to the birds!  Seaside yarn bombing UK style

IF (and that might be a big IF)  you want to learn more about Florida - you can read the Wall Street Journal article of September 3-4, 2016 titled 'Florida: The Punchline State' which promotes comic Dave Barry's 'Best State Ever: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland.'  In this article he claims 

'If states were characters on Seinfeld, Florida would be Krammer' and says he is 'tired of hearing people make fun of Florida. The state may have more than its share of craziness, but it's never boring - and it's still the best place in the country to live.'

Something we heard echoed on National Public Radio just the other day. And then there is Tim Dorsey's books - try Triggerfish Twist set in our local city of Tampa. Enjoy!