Letting Go of the Bay Leaf: Durham

Showing posts with label Durham. Show all posts

Sunday, November 21, 2021

MM #156: Simple Pleasures - Home and Abroad

One of the joys of returning to the UK, or to a place often visited, is re-experiencing the simple things - foods, sites, memories.

I have written a similar post in the past (March 22, 2020), but you'll forgive me for celebrating these uncomplicated moments (again).

A visit to Greggs for baked goods.

Strolling Hardwick Park with Spousal Unit and my in-laws.

English candy.

English breakfast (but not quite a "full"). The traditional full English breakfast includes bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast or fried bread and sausages. Black pudding and baked beans are also often included.

Mooching around Durham.

It was a few days before Halloween, and these costumed characters gave candy to kids and posed for pictures.

Lunch at Vennel's Cafe in Durham.

Over 30 years ago, Spousal Unit proposed to me on the grounds of Durham Cathedral. This year, in light of the recent engagement of #1 Daughter and The Boyfriend, it was an especially poignant experience to re-enact our moment. I said "yes", again!

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We have been back in Montana for 2 weeks, and life here has its treasures as well.

Dear Neighbor Friend was cleaning out a bookcase, and offered me some children's books - that was a no brainer. When I was younger, I dreamed of writing children's books; I am entranced by the art work and amused by the content. What better way to spend a Saturday morning than reading them, along with my stuffed animal friends?

Fresh eggs from Dear Neighbor Friend. (Do you sense a theme here?)

Pumpkin roll that we purchased from her grandkids in support of school fundraising. Does it get any sweeter than that?

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Also linking to Wandering Camera this week. Check out these other photo and art/creative themed posts! Wandering Camera – Nearby Adventures – InkTorrents Graphics

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time).

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Mosaic Monday #72: Whistling in the Dark

Footpath along the River Wear, Durham, UK

Well, what a difference 10 weeks can make. On January 11, my post expressed concerns about wildfires in Australia, tension between the US and Iran, and closer to home, the sale of 630,000 acres of Montana timber land. On January 19, I wrote about 'troubling world events', a reference to climate change. While those issues are still important, they pale in comparison to the immediate threat and impact of the pandemic. On March 8, I reflected upon my retirement, and resolved to give up some volunteering in favor of crafting activities and spending more time with Spousal Unit. Hmmm … how does that saying go? "Be careful what you wish for."

So, since you don't need anyone else to remind you to "sneeze into your elbow", I thought we'd engage in some distraction. A little escapism. Having already used the ostrich metaphor in several posts lately, I went looking for alternatives. Do you know how many expressions mean sticking your head in the sand? Sweep aside. Gloss over. Turn a blind eye. Overlook. Bunker mentality. Kick something into the long grass. Paper over. Play dumb. Play possum. Whistling in the dark.

Pick your favorite expression and then come along with me. As faithful readers know, Spousal Unit and I were in the UK in October 2019. (It seems a world away now. Imagine visiting a historic home, or wandering the main street of a quaint village! Going to a pub crammed with other people, to watch my cousin-in-law perform! Buying an ice cream from a street vendor! But I digress.) I have written about the visit here, here, here, and here. But there's more!

Let's start with some humor. One of the many pubs that we patronized during our visit was The Beeswing Inn. You will certainly enjoy the food and beverages, and then you have to find the restrooms. Be ready for a belly laugh when you do!

And what about a rainbow to brighten your day? These pictures were taken the morning we headed to Skipton. The clouds never materialized into precipitation; for the most part our getaway to the UK was rain-free. As the song croons "Someday, I wish upon a star Wake up where the clouds are far behind me Where trouble melts like lemon drops High above the chimney top That's where you'll find me"

No trip to Northeast England is complete without going into Durham. After all, Spousal Unit proposed to me there! As many times as we have strolled its cobbled streets, we can still find something new. Durham University continues its growth; when you only visit a town once a year, it seems as though new buildings pop up overnight.

And sometimes taking a different footpath leads to a discovery, such as this ancient gate into the city. Baileygate was created in 1778-9 to accommodate carriage traffic using the newly built Prebend's Bridge. Fragments of carved masonry in the arch came from the Wheel window remodeled as the present Rose window in the east end of the Cathedral.

We always take a spin through Durham Cathedral. You never know what you might see, such as the interior of the Lego cathedral model, or the beautiful flower arrangements.

The tower in the picture at left was covered in scaffolding for about five years - how wonderful to see it once again!

We ended our visit with a delicious meal at Vennels Café, our go-to lunch spot near the city center.

The following day took us to another family favorite, Hardwick Park. When our kids were young, every trip to Nan and Granda's house included one or more outings to the Park. Bestowed with ample bodies of water, it is inhabited by innumerable ducks, geese and swans. Nan always brought bread for them (now signs are everywhere prohibiting this practice) and the kids reveled in bestowing crumbs everywhere they went.

This day, we were sans kids, unless you count Spousal Unit, who invested some spare change in the approved duck food. I felt we had rewound the clock 16 years; nothing had changed as several breeds gathered around for the handout. And then the swans got aggressive - have I blocked out that behavior from my memory banks or have they always been this intimidating? Check out this brief video!

In most of the park, autumn leaves were the only decoration to be found. This shrub stood out as an exception; I suspect the orange sections of the "flowers" are actually seed pods. Can anyone identify this plant?

American Robins are ubiquitous at home, and they are also quite a large bird when compared to the European Robin. Perhaps that is why I find the European Robin so adorable. As we sauntered along a final section of boardwalk in the Park, one pecked away at duck food that someone had scattered along the railing. It chirped and trilled, as if singing for its supper. Here's a little snippet for your entertainment.

Coincidentally, our final day with my in-laws was a Sunday, which meant Sunday dinner! My mother-in-law excels with the eminently satisfying combination of roast beef, gravy, Yorkshire puddings, roasted potatoes, mushy peas, roasted parsnips and an assortment of vegetables. Oof! You can’t resist a second full serving of everything! On a full stomach, I slept like a baby.

All too soon, the UK had fallen away below us during the short hop to Amsterdam. We strolled the long terminals of Schiphol, stretching our legs as much as possible before boarding the flight to Calgary. I don’t remember now the movies that I watched (is my memory going or were the movies forgettable?), but the time went quickly. Customs and immigration were a breeze in Calgary, and the shuttle arrived promptly to whisk us to our hotel. After a refreshing shower, we went to the hotel bar for some drinks and appetizers. Not long after, we crashed. After all, by our body clocks, it was 2 am!!!

Our return drive to Montana, through the plains south of Calgary, and over Crowsnest Pass, was surreal. Snow had arrived during our absence, and it fell at varying rates as we motored along. Yes, November in Alberta!

We stopped for a late breakfast west of the Pass, and from that point on, the snow frosted only the mountain tops. Around every curve was another breathtaking scene, a promise of the winter to come. We were home, once again.

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I pray that I have transported you to another world, if only in your mind. At the same time, I believe it is critical to emphasize the seriousness of the pandemic. At the time of publishing this post, the world has 316,659 confirmed cases, 13,559 deaths and 94,176 recovered (all data from John Hopkins). The U.S. has 27,004 cases, 344 deaths and 176 recovered. On March 3, the U.S. had 100 cases, 9 deaths and none recovered. A 26,904% increase in cases in 18 days. Please consider others by limiting contact as much as possible. And if it helps you, whistle in the dark.

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.

Thursday, August 2, 2018

We've Only Just Begun

Durham, UK

It started with an innocent question.
"Mom, do you know an artist named Jim Croce?"

It was our 20-year-old son, bringing up a musician I have not listened to for decades, as we strolled the cobbled streets of Durham, England. What?

"Sure, but how do YOU know about Jim Croce?"
"One of his songs was in a YouTube video I watched."

Ah.

"I like his music and I am looking for other artists like him."

So, Spousal Unit and I dug deep in the collective memory banks. John Denver, America and Gordon Lightfoot came pretty easily. When we returned to the house, I went to the source of all knowledge (Google - LOL) and was immediately entranced by the music of another era. Cat Stevens. Dan Fogelberg. Jackson Browne. James Taylor. The Carpenters. Spurred by the song "Everything I Own" by Bread, I grabbed Spousal Unit for an impromptu dance around the front room at my in-laws' house.

I don't often listen to music on my phone, but I couldn't stop myself; every song Google delivered had lyrics that resonated profoundly. Was it just the era, or might I be a touch sentimental? After all, August 3 would be our 27th wedding anniversary … so, when "We've Only Just Begun" by the Carpenters popped up, it sparked the idea to build a dedication blog post around the song. Although it was not our wedding song (we didn't have one), the lyrics fit our journey, then and now. To Spousal Unit: "We've Only Just Begun"!