On the heels of a trip to the UK, we have been gearing up for school to begin. After a warm summer with plenty of outdoor activities, visitors, and journeys here and there, thing indoors are in disarray. The combo-washer-dryer is working over-time, the futon in the guest room is being folded up (sadly) and the fridge is being stocked. Even the weather seems to be playing its roll in bidding farewell to summer. Warm temperatures and billowing clouds produced an impressive lightning storm last night. The sky today is grayish and the air is cool and blustery. Still just mid-August, I’m not convinced that summer is behind us. Much like our native Seattle, Danish seasons can be full of surprises.
As a summer wrap-up, we made a last minute decision to visit family in the UK. We were there with the girls in 2010, but had not been back since. Around the time I was 15, I lost track of how many times I’ve been to England. With a British Dad, I spent many summers as a child visiting relatives, from Birmingham to Devon. As adults, Brett and I have been several times, so he is no stranger to the ways of the Brits – driving on the left side of the road and knowing his way around the motorways much better than I do. This trip was a combination of new and familiar. I’ll start with the new: We first visited my sister, who moved to Worcestershire about 6 months ago…a beautiful area we had never been to. As would be typical for us, we packed a lot into 4 days.
Of course the trip would not have been complete without a visit to those glorious Malvern Hills, which sit right in their back yard.
We also drove to Goodrich Castle, bordering Wales and overlooking the valley of Symonds Yat. The girls buzzed through the ruins, their imaginations and fascination growing with each new discovery. On the way home we stopped at Ross-on-Wye and sat stooped along the river bank, catching tiny fish in a bag, drinking shandy and cider and watching dogs dive into the water, humorously attempting (and failing) to catch ducks. It might have been about as perfect as summer moments get.
We are ever-so-grateful to our hosts, who did a wonderful job of sharing their still-new-to-them home with us. There is still so much to see and do next time!