What amazing weather we had during the month of May! The kids had softball/tee ball each weekend with no rain outs, we spent many afternoons going to the park after school, and Aiden and I maximised our time in Kew Gardens each week!
On May 4th, my cousins, Maggie and Lauryn arrived for a week long visit. It was great seeing them and showing them some of the sights. Aiden and I took them into the city one day and set them off on their Open Top City Bus tour. Of course we had to get the iconic shot in front of Big Ben!
Mandy and I took them out for a proper afternoon tea. We were served the LARGEST scones I have ever seen!!
One afternoon after we picked the kids up from school, we headed to Kew Gardens, keeping our eye out for the peacock the entire time. When we finally found one, he put on quite a show. After charging at us, he began to shake and suddenly opened his large fan of feathers! This was the first time the kids and I had seen him do this, quite a show for all of us! Lauryn captured some great shots!
After a week long visit, including a night in Paris, Maggie and Lauryn headed back home. Thanks so much for coming to visit us and we hope you loved every minute!
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Totally random shots of the kids that I liked and wanted to share!
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At the end of the month we took a trip to York England. What an ADORABLE city!! York is a walled city situated in North Yorkshire, which was founded by the Romans in AD 71. It is a city rich with history dating back to the Mesolithic people as far back as 8000 BC. Here is a great link with the timeline of the city's history including Vikings and Tudors!
http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/timeline/prehistory
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| A view from our room |
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| Walking along the river |
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| Goofy Kids |
After lunch we went to the Jorvik Viking Centre (http://jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/), which was exciting for Mandy as she was studying the Viking's in school. After the museum we took a stroll and took in the town.
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| York Minster |
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| Keith helping the street performer |
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| This guy was nuts! |
One of the fascinating parts of York is the stroll through the Shambles, which is commonly referred to as Europe's best preserved medieval street. The Shambles is like a time machine that transports you back to the Elizabethan period. The houses that fight for space along the street, have second floors that project out over the lane. In some places the street is so narrow that if you stand with arms stretched out, you can touch the houses on both sides.
Clifford's Tower is the surviving keep of York's main medieval castle. It stands on the earth mound created by William the Conqueror in 1069 to control the second most important city in England. A second castle was located on the opposite bank of the river Ouse. At first the mound was topped by a timber tower, but this was burned down in 1190. In its place Henry III build the present stone 'four leaf' tower in 1245.
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| Too Cute for Words! |
One of the most popular visitor attractions in York is the York Castle Museum, which recreates daily life in England through the past 400 years. The museum is housed in 18th century prison buildings. The museum centres around two life-sized reconstructions of authentic street scenes. The first is the Victorian Kirkgate, named after the originator of the museum, John Kirk. You can wander into shops, see a family at home, and walk into the police station. The second life-sized street is Half Moon Court, showing daily life in Edwardian York. The "street" is built in the former prison, and you can visit the old prison cells. You can also see the Jane Austen costume collection, a giant doll house and extensive social history, and military exhibits.
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| Hmmm...Is Aiden throwing away the key? |
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| Yorkshire Museum |
On our last night, Mandy, Ryan and I took a walk along The York City Walls. York has more miles of intact city walls than anywhere else in England. Some sections date as far back as the Roman times. When the Romans came in the first century, they built a military fort on the banks of the River Ouse. The town developed around the fort and walls were built to enclose both the town and fort. These walls form the basis of the city walls that remain today. Walking these walls with the kids was amazing. Even at their young age, they knew that there was something special about what we were doing. When we returned home, Mandy and I researched the city of York to learn as much as we could.
I absolutely loved every minute of our time in this fascinating city. There was very little "to do" but so much to see if that makes any sense. I learned so much history on this trip and really felt like it was the first time that Mandy and Ryan were "impressed" by the opportunities we have been given while living here. For anyone who gets the chance...York is a MUST SEE while in England!!
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