Thursday, February 16, 2017

England 2016: For Lisl, Michael and Chris


Call this the unassigned bin or the misc. file or the leftovers from our England trip back in September last year.  Whichever.  But I don't want these memories languishing in a black hole somewhere.  So, this is for YOU...Lisl, Michael and Chris, the usual suspects.

Let's start with Chris, since he was the one who picked us up at the Bristol airport.

Chris is Astrid's "Big Brother."  
On the way to Lisl's from the airport, he stopped at the Stanton Drew Great Circle.
At 371 ft. in diameter, it's Britain's 2nd largest stone circle, after Avebury.
We had already seen Avebury with him in 2011, so this was extra special.

Lisl is Ginnie's "Big Sis."  
And that's where Chris took us that day, where Lisl invited him to stay for supper with us.
You could call Lisl the Queen of Tarts.  :)  (Yes, she can take a joke.)
Btw, I klept the top-left image of moi from Chris' Shutterchance blog.
And, yes, we're all Shutterchance photographers:  Lisl, Chris, Astrid and Ginnie.

"Big Sis" Lisl is a mother of 3 and a grandma of two, with this charmer as her youngest.
Astrid and I felt so lucky to meet him after hearing all about his birth earlier.

OMG.  I have never seen Lisl look so radiant.
We g'mas know, don't we!

Besides being a mother and g'ma, cook, and photographer, Lisl is also a true-blue scientist.
(She also walks the byways of England, bird watches, gardens, visits the elderly, WWFs, etc., etc.)
Lucky for us, again, we got to observe a rainy-day moth collaboration.
When I say "scientific," I mean it.
Moths are captured in moth traps (later released) and documented for what, when and where.
All this info is tabulated in books for "what's happening to the moths" in England.

If I'm reading it right, there were 15 different moths brought in that day by the group.
Can you picture yourself doing something like that?
Someone has to do it!

The day Lisl and I went off on our own to Wells Cathedral...
this is what Michael was doing as we left:  watching and listening to a symphony.
It really touched my hart and soul.

We have such fond memories of eating out with them.
Fox & Hounds has become a favorite...

and now, also, the Fat Friar, where the food is plentiful and better than good,
whether you like mushy peas or not!

Have you ever thought about how much we "fellowship" when we eat good food together!
It's becoming one of the most important parts of traveling for me, the older I get.
Hmmm.  I ponder this in my hart of hearts.

In the meantime,
THANK YOU, Lisl, Michael and Chris.


18 comments:

  1. Yes, good food eaten with family or friends becomes more than just food and nourishes in so many ways.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so right, Maery. And THANK YOU for stopping by here!

      Delete
  2. This post sums up all the reasons why we love 'England'. It is not only the things we see, but it the time we spend with great friends. Those days were a delight. We feel so privileged that we were able to have a peek into the family and meet up with the grandson (and parents). Thank you for making this post, now all the pictures came to use. IHVJ.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are so lucky and I know we both keep pinching ourselves to have such good friends in a country we have truly come to love. Thank you for loving this journey with me.

      Delete
  3. Yes, we grammas know.

    Love that Fox and Hounds!! Would love to be there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nothing like being a gramma, Ruth! And, yes, you would totally love that Fox & Hounds pub.

      Delete
  4. A great meal shared with wonderful people is a treasure. Beautiful pictures as always, Ginnie.

    I find the science fascinating.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I often said years ago that I ate to live and not the other way around, Marie. I might say today that the scales are being tipped the other way. HA! And, yes, the science is, indeed, most fascinating!

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Maybe one day we'll have such an adventure with you and M, either here or there!

      Delete
  6. It’s good to meet your family and your moths. Do I see a pecan pie on that table? Much more appealing than mushy peas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We LOVE our English family, Ted, and have seen them for several years now, either here or there. That's what happens when you share photography with friends! But, no, that's not a pecan pie. Some kind of vegetable tart, as I recall.

      Delete
  7. oh my DOG, i have SUCH a bad moth phobia that your pictures sent my heart tumbling in my chest and i had to scroll quickly!! i used to have it in an about section on my blog 'i have a moth phobia and an aversion to sewing that came from watching the silence of the lambs at an impressionable age' lol i should put that back in my sidebar :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG/LOL, Elaine. If only I remembered, I would have warned you. Trust me, I have no more moths to show you...at least for now. :)

      Delete
  8. What fun times. One day when I get to go to England I'd use these posts as guides.

    ReplyDelete
  9. All that amazing looking food! I totally agree...food is such a wonderful social event! Great times!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the reason why I love food so much when we travel, Robin, is because I'm not the one cooking it. HA!

      Delete

Texel Island, NL, 2024: Renovations

  To be honest, I thought I had already posted about our January trip to start some renovations in Jaap's bungalow, as a gift from Astri...