Highlights from the rest of the trip

1. Spending time with friends and family.

As well as seeing my parents, grandparents and assorted other close relatives, we also visited some of my mum's brother's wife's family (got that?!) who live in an incredibly beautiful part of the world in the western Virginia mountains. John and I got to know them when we came to America by ourselves as children, and when I calculated how long it was since I'd last seen them I wished we'd planned a much longer stay. However, we were en route to see more friends whom I knew from Bristol, now residing near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We were greeted not only by the Ewings but also a couple more Bristolians, so it was a veritable reunion! I'm always touched by how warmly American families welcome you into their home, sit you down in front of a delicious meal, and offer to lend you anything and everything that might make your stay more pleasant. Thanks y'all!

2. Enjoying the James River

via canoes, kayaks and our own two feet! In Richmond we saw bridges, dams and a wealth of industrial history; in Scottsville we paddled past birds, trees and beautiful scenery.

3. Taking the Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh.

Built in 1877, this still uses the original cars to give you an awesome view over the city. Downtown is packed with interesting buildings and an old graveyard, where there is a tombstone to a lad who died at the age of 23, a week before his wedding, of a broken leg followed by a "swift and fatal mortification". Just as we were about to suffer a fairly severe mortification ourselves, due to lack of food, an Indian restaurant appeared like an oasis before us, rounding off a pleasant afternoon perfectly.

4. Eating ice cream by the Potomac River.

We went to Washington D.C., as all good tourists do. It was hot. And busy. And contained lots of big buildings which look exactly like they do in the photos. After viewing large hunks of stone commemorating everything under the sun, a cold ice cream and a park bench was all I could wish for.

5. Sampling some local brews.

If you're ever in Richmond, go to the Capital Ale House. It has a beer list that runs to about 6 pages, and the coolest thing ever - a stripe of ice down the centre of the bar to keep your drink cold! Virginia has a fair scattering of micro-breweries, and of course trying the local delicacies is an essential part of the travelling experience. And an enjoyable one.

Comments

John Evens said…

Nice to read about what you got up to while we were away. There wasn't really time to get all the details from you before you left! Thanks for the card! Love John and Kristal Evens!

17 August 2009 at 17:00

Supercars and Selfies on the South Coast

We drove south on a wet, wet Saturday in August. The windscreen wipers swished endlessly back and forth, as we debated whether it was worth stopping anywhere except for the overcrowded motorway services. By the time we reached Winchester, the wipers had subsided to an occasional flick across the screen. We decided to stop. Of course, as soon as we left the car park there was a brief shower, but we ducked into the City Mill, now a National Trust property. There was a large room full of the usual kind of displays about flour milling; a recently renovated garden; and downstairs, the mill race running at full tilt. The mill is built right across the River Itchen. Winchester City Mill garden The mill race Water wheel (awaiting renovation) We stayed dry as we explored further into Winchester. There was even some blue sky for our selfie by the cathedral! But as we walked back to the car the rain hit us like a hose on full blast. An overhanging building provided some slight shelter, but the wa

Reading for Spiritual Formation 2023-24

I wasn't sure whether to read another set of theology books this year. Could the time I spend on it be better spent on something else? At what point does it become reading for the sake of it, without having much impact on my wider life? It's difficult to tell. However, as usual, I had a growing list of books I wanted to read. I do need to think about what I'm doing as well as what I'm reading, and I don't expect to continue this specific discipline indefinitely. But I decided there was space for at least one more year of Reading for Spiritual Formation. So, without further soul-searching: The Books. Three Mile an Hour God Kosuke Koyama Japanese theologians are few and far between; Christianity is still very much a niche religion in Japan. Kosuke Koyama was Japanese and appears to be both influential and accessible. Not every theologian is both! So I'm excited to read his recently republished book Three Mile an Hour God. It was originally written in 1979, and is

National Forest Way: Calke Abbey to Ashby de la Zouch

All the best walking blogs have maps on. I finally figured out how to add a route map to mine. If I get time, I'll add them to the previous posts as well, so you can see where I went. So, here are the two walks which made up the next stretch of the NFW. Walk 1 I started from the National Trust property and walked along by the lake, up the hill by the deer park, and down to Staunton Harold reservoir - all very familiar. Calke village postbox featured a highland cow on top. Lake at Calke Abbey Herd of deer A short stretch on the road took me to Dimminsdale, which was new to me. There are records of mining at the site from the 13th century until the end of the 19th century. It's incredible to think that people worked there for so many hundreds of years. Now it is a secluded landscape of still pools and shaggy trees. Dimminsdale I crossed a small section of the Staunton Harold estate, then went up a private lane with some rather nice houses. My turning point was where the Nati

Martha's Marvellous Munchies

Search This Blog