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

One hundred churches

About the middle of January, I was walking to school one afternoon when it occurred to me that I must have visited quite a few churches on my explorations. I started counting them. But I quickly ran out of fingers, so when I got home I plotted them on Google Maps. Not only was the number much higher than I was expecting, it was also tantalisingly close to one hundred. Only a few dozen to go. So of course, every walk since then has had to include at least one church! Last Monday I visited my hundredth church: St John the Baptist, Dethick. It was a beautiful little 13-century building with an unusual tower - I was glad it had claimed the 100 spot. I haven't been inside every church. Sometimes they were locked; sometimes I was in a hurry and didn't try the door. St Leonard's Church in Alton had bellringers practicing, and I almost interrupted a funeral when I stuck my head through the door of St Mary's, Marston-on-Dove. A few, such as St Oswald's, Ashbourne, and St Wys...

Easter holidays 2025

It felt like a busy Easter holiday this year - a nice mixture of household jobs, time in the sunshine, and family celebrations. Here are a few highlights. Birthday cake Graham's mum had a big birthday, so Graham and his sister secretly organised a few friends to come to dinner with her. She was surprised - and pleased! - when a small family meal at the pub turned out to include fifteen extra people. Theo baked and decorated this amazing cake all by himself. My sole involvement was cutting it up at the end. The event was a big success. thanks to my mum for the photo Days out We had a family day out at Peak Wildlife Park , in the Staffordshire countryside. It's been a few years since we last went; the penguins and lemurs were familiar, but the zoo has acquired a couple of polar bears. Believe it or not, these two are only half-grown. They're about three years old. playfighting polar bears lemurs penguins otters I persuaded Toby and Theo to come to a garden with me with the ...

Derwent Valley Heritage Way: Steep drops ahead

It's been a long time since I fitted that much up and down into an eight-mile walk! 740m of steep climbs and steps. My legs were not very happy with me the next day. Between Matlock and Cromford, the Derwent River runs through a deep valley, with Matlock Bath - a landlocked town which pretends to be a seaside resort - down at the bottom. The ridge of high ground used to run all the way round to Scarthin Rock, cutting off Cromford from the rest of the valley, until somebody blasted a hole through it to build the A6. Matlock Bath: pavilion and amusement park I started in Cromford and climbed over the ridge at Harp Edge, then followed a path along through the woods, with the ground dropping sharply away to my right. There were a few small caves among the trees. At Upperwood someone had thoughtfully provided a bench. I wasn't in need of a rest just yet, though. In fact, I was feeling so bouncy that I went down an entirely unnecessary flight of steps, instead of staying on the reaso...

Martha's Marvellous Munchies

Search This Blog