Mommy's Here!!

For the first two weeks of my Easter Vacation, mom came over to visit. She took a week off from work and then had her Spring Break as well. It was really awesome to be able to show her around London and Keele. We also went to Dublin and did a day trip to Cork, Blarney Castle and Cobh while in Ireland.

Mom flew into London and right away we went to the Tower of London. I think she enjoyed seeing the Tower and hearing about its history. We took the Beefeater tour which is always entertaining. I tried to keep her awake as best I could, but by the time dinner rolled around, she was having a bit of a hard time. That's completely understandable though, I was the same way. The next day we did some sight-seeing. We attempted to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, but apparently they only do that every other day. As we wandered through some of the gift shops, we made our way to Harrods. That was an adventure in and of itself! It was so huge!! We made our way through the food halls and managed to only by a few things. On the 4th floor, I believe, is the "pet kingdom". Of course we had to get a few souvenirs for Graycie and Lucy! We bought little t-shirts for them that say Harrods on the back. I can't wait to get home and see them wearing their matching shirts! After we finally made it out of that gigantic store, we went to see the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. Mom has always loved Princess Diana so I knew she would want to see the memorial. It's truly a beautiful fountain and very fitting for the Princess of Wales. Our next adventure was the following day. We took a day tour to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath. The Queen was at Windsor, but unfortunately we didn't see her. Stonehenge and Bath were really cool to see as well. The following morning, we made our way back to Keele.

While at Keele, mom & I went to Alton Towers. I knew she would enjoy all the roller coasters and seeing how pretty the park is. Easter Sunday was that weekend and we attended church at Keele Parrish. I had never attended an Anglican service but it was very nice. We stayed at Keele for a few days before heading to Ireland.

We decided to take the ferry to Ireland instead of flying. I think that was the right decision for us. The ride over was a new experience for me, but it was very pretty. Once we were in Dublin, we finally found our hotel and settled in for the night. The next morning, we set out on a day tour to Cork, Blarney Castle and Cobh. Of course, while we were at Blarney Castle, we had to kiss the Blarney Stone! The Castle and grounds were absolutely beautiful! Cobh was nice to see as well. It was the last port-of-call for the Titanic and the day we were there was only a day or two before the 100th anniversary of her sinking. There was Titanic memorabilia everywhere. The next morning we did a walking tour of Dublin that Trinity College offers. I wasn't sure how walking for 2 hours would be, but it turned out to be very nice. It was a very interesting tour and the guide was great. That night, we went to a nearby hotel for a traditional Irish dinner and dance show. They had musicians and dancers and it was all very well done. We headed back to Keele the next day for a bit of rest before mom headed back home.

The last two nights that mom was here, we stayed in Manchester. When we got to our hotel on Friday night, I picked up a brochure about the East Lancashire Railway. Being our spur-of-the-moment selves, we decided that we would check it out on Saturday. So, our Saturday was spent riding steam and heritage diesel trains. We got a day ticket and got off at a couple of the stops to see some of the local sites. It was a nice, relaxing way to end mom's trip. On Sunday we made our way to the airport and mom was on her way home.

It was tough to see her go, but the day was made slightly better when I found out that I could change my flight home to an earlier date. My last exam is scheduled for May 22nd, but my flight home wasn't until June 9th. I'm definitely loving my time here, but I'm also ready to be home. I figured I would at least check to see if I could move my flight to a different day. Now, instead of June 9th, I'm returning home on May 28th! I was so relieved that I'll be able to get home to my family (& puppies!) and get started on my work at the church this summer!

Oh Goodness...

Well, yet again, I've failed at keeping this thing up-to-date. I didn't feel like I had anything exciting to write and then Easter vacation happened and I didn't have time. I guess I'll start with some pictures from Edinburgh and go from there.

A lovely view from the Sir Walter Scott Monument

Edinburgh Castle - it was so pretty sitting up on that hill!

The Sir Walter Scott Monument from the ground - we climbed all 287 steps to the top!

Some pretty gardens along the way

My friends like to climb on things...

Memorial to Greyfriars Bobby - legend has it that this dog was so loyal to his owner that, even after his owner's death, he would go and sit on his owner's grave everyday to guard it.

The birthplace of Harry Potter - you can't see the sign because the three girls are in the way, but that's where J.K. Rowling sat and began writing what now know to be the Harry Potter series.

Dolly!! That's right, the first mammal to be cloned is on display at the Edinburgh Museum. The science nerd in me got excited when I saw this!

Lovely view of Calton Hill

Another lovely view from Calton Hill

This shows what the prison at the Castle may have looked like while American soldiers from the American Revolution were being held prisoner.

The National War Memorial - you weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but they had memorials and monuments all throughout the building for all of the different branches and people who had served and died for their country.