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Jaffa
After a ten hour flight to Israel, we came right to Jaffa. I was exhausted, but standing here in the sun looking at the Mediterranean Sea was one of the most refreshing and peaceful feelings. Can you spot the kitty?
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This post is a continuation of our time in England. Check out the previous posts here:
1 – New to the UK 2 – Staying on an English Sheep Farm 3 – Our Time at Chatsworth 4 – Wandering York
*For a multi-media experience, listen to this while you read 🙂
After a fun, but long day to York and back, we were excited to have a relaxing day solely to check out the area around the sheep farm – our last day there!
We hopped in the car and parked at the base of the Roaches. The Roaches, what a name, huh? These were the hills nearby our farm similar to the cliffs often seen in popular English films. Perfect for the Elizabeth Bennet moment we were hoping for! (We allowed ourselves to be cheesy at certain points on this trip).
We started our hike and, let me tell you, I am not the most athletic person around, but this walk was doable! It was a pleasant trek up the hills, surrounded by wildflowers and a nice breeze that only grew the further up we got. I even took a waving picture, as one does when he/she is instructed to do so.
Upon reaching the top of the cliffs, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the valley below. Full of more rolling hills, a large reservoir, fields separated by short stone walls and lots of sheep! What more could you ask for? Naturally, I don’t have a picture, because that would just be too logical. Your imagination will have to do. Rest assured, it was just as we hoped it would be, and the song at the beginning was playing in our heads as we pretended to be extremely contemplative.
Fortunately, we did take a picture of the colorful flowers along the way and our opportunity to frolic in the fields.
The only thing that brought us down from the cliff was the promise of food when we got to the bottom. After stopping to admire some grazing sheep, we drove to a little local restaurant where I first heard the word “ciabatta” uttered aloud by an English man. I think of that moment every time I see that word now. Very meaningful, I know. We sat outside, had a lovely lunch, and pet a friendly cat.
The rest of our day we spent packing, cleaning and resting. It was our last night on the farm and we were sad to leave, but we knew there were many more sights ahead of us and more adventures to be had!
Tune in next week to pretend you’re being proposed to at an inopportune time by a certain Mr. Darcy, and to learn how not to plan your dream day. You’re probably on the edge of your seat right now. Just kidding. That’s okay, I’m not offended.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you again! Send us a line if you want to be friends.
~Leah
A Dramatic Walk up the English Hills – Adventures in England : Part Five This post is a continuation of our time in England. Check out the previous posts here:
This is part four in a series of articles on our trip to England. Here are the previous posts, if you want to follow along:
1 – New to the UK 2 – Staying on an English Sheep Farm 3 – Our Time at Chatsworth
According to our hosts on the sheep farm, it didn’t make sense for us to take a two and a half hour train ride to York for the day and a two and a half hour train ride back, but that’s exactly what we did. When in England, right? Gotta make the most of the time we got, and York was too good to pass up. Except for the blasting heat.
After arriving early at the Stoke-on-Trent train station (yes, we were back) to get a good spot on the train, we were pleasantly surprised when almost everyone hopping on the train was dressed in their proper British races attire, fascinators and all. Apparently we picked the day for the horse races in York! So, our train ride consisted of dozens of fancy and sweaty people squished together drinking beer and participating in general camaraderie. It was fun, but we were glad to have some breathing room when we arrived.
Yes, those are stone caskets.
First things first: tourist office to see when the free tour starts. While we waited, we had a nice lunch in the park surrounded by Roman ruins and watched some birds get a little too close. We began the tour and, did I mention it was super hot? The tour was nice and the guide was fun, but the second we passed an old stone church, its cool air beckoned us in and that was the end of that. Little did we know, the church was having a small concert with a vocal quartet. We got there just in time to hear the church filled with their chilling harmonies during the last piece. I can still hear their voices when I picture that moment. Stunning.
Becoming un petit peu famished from the extremely strenuous exercise during our walking tour, we decided to recharge with a cupcake and some tea at the adorable Vanilla Cafe. It is here that we met a man from Scotland and his little dog, who had a Facebook page. I wish I could remember his name!
Right across the square is the famous Yorkminster Anglican Church. I’ll let you decide how beautiful it is.
If only all churches were like this!
We wandered the charming, small streets for a while longer until it was time to get back to the train station. Yes, the chocolate shop really was slanted that way! Created in the olden days when plumbing was more of a manual process :). Let’s just say you better have quick dodging reflexes.
The ride home was similar to the ride there. Full of people dressed up for the races, except this time a little more fragrant. I told you, it was hot outside. Some people felt comfortable spraying aerosol deodorant into their armpits in front of many passengers. Traveling.
Thanks for reading! Tune in next week to walk dramatically up the English hills with us and pretend you’re Elizabeth Bennet, or a frolicking deer.
~Leah
Bonus picture of a cute cat:
Wandering York – Adventures in England: Part Four This is part four in a series of articles on our trip to England. Here are the previous posts, if you want to follow along:
Met a Duke and more at the home of Mr. Darcy! Link to the blog is in the bio. (at Chatsworth House)
This is the third post in a series starting from the beginning of our trip! Here are parts one and two.
Picking up where we left off puts us driving down the path to one of our must-see sites, mostly because it is the home of Mr. Darcy in the Matthew Macfadyen version of Pride and Prejudice. The breathtaking Chatsworth House.
*I recommend listening to Dawn and the Living Sculptures of Pemberley while reading. Chatsworth House was Pemberley in the movie.
After regaining our composure, we excitedly parked and ran to the entrance for tickets. A steep affair, if you’re like most foreigners and don’t have a membership to the National Trust sites spread around the UK. Adult tickets start at £19.90 (about $26). But, in my humble opinion, it’s completely worth it!
Before entering the house, we perused the sweet-smelling rose garden, situated just beside the estate.
The self-guided house tour quickly led us to the same hall shown in the movie. Checkered floors and a great staircase from which you could command a great presence. We meandered through ornate bedrooms fit for royalty and gawked at the stately library, but not before getting lost in the simple, white domed ceiling that seemed to life us up with it.
As we strolled past the library, yearning to jump the rope and find a good book, we came across this beauty. Featured in the movie and even more stunning 3 feet in front of your face. Yep.
You end the tour by walking through a collection of statues and sculptures. All a creamy white. All very impressive. All great poses.
Same.
Upon the customary exit through the gift shop, which I must say is quite beautiful, we saw a sign for carriage rides around the garden, so obviously we signed up first thing. Horse-drawn carriage through acres of beautiful plants and flowers? Magical! We signed up, got some ice cream, and waited. And waited. And waited, until it was past our time and there were no horses in sight. There was, however, a man in a golf cart holding two other tourists. Ah, carriage=golf cart. Gotcha. Dream crushed, no big deal.
Despite our major slight disappointment, we were very pleased with the tour. It allowed us to see the house from further away and really take in its massive size.
As we drove steadily down the gravel pathway, our tour guide said something I couldn’t quite make out over the sound of the golf cart. I had to ask what was up though, after hearing the excited reactions of my fellow passengers. Apparently the man who was waving as we passed was the Duke of Devonshire, AKA the inhabitant of this great estate. What the! Casual. He was a pleasant and friendly-seeming man, in case you were wondering.
We continued driving around the grounds and saw wonderfully simple views that drew our eyes to a point. The garden was clearly designed to be a pleasure for the eye.
Once the carriage had taken us around, we had to go and explore on foot. Everything was so green, fresh, and lush. Just breathtaking.
We walked back to the lawn and decided to wade in the long fountain near the entrance. It was an extremely hot day and the water was so refreshing. Unfortunately, we didn’t think far enough ahead to realize if you’re going to walk down a million stairs while trying to keep yourself from slipping, you might want to alternate your leg usage. We woke up the next morning with very sore left legs. Just the left. Every other step was painful. But I’m getting ahead of myself. After mustering up the strength to pull ourselves from this beautiful place we had dreamed about seeing for so long, we walked out the entrance only to be greeted by some fluffy sheep. I use the term “greeted” loosely, mind you. More like we greeted them. Nevertheless, sheep. Always a nice sight, especially under some mushroom trees.
On our way back to the sheep farm (sense a theme?), we decided to stop in Longnor, the small town near our farm, and eat at the fish and chip shop, which our hosts had recommended to us. The second my friend and I stepped out of the car, however, we heard “heyyyyy” from behind us. Then another and more and more until we turned around and realized about 25 college-aged guys were staring at us from the pub across the street, all wearing neon yellow shirts, holding up beer and yelling at us to come over. We laughed, and waved, and kept walking. The fish and chips were good. Actually, I’m a vegetarian so I didn’t try the fish. But I heard it was good, I think. Nevertheless, we were in a small town in England, so does it matter if it wasn’t?
Alrighty, well that concludes this week’s Adventures in England. Tune in next week to hear what happened on our train ride to York!
~Leah
Our time at Chatsworth – Adventures in England: Part Three This is the third post in a series starting from the beginning of our trip! Here are parts…
Before anyone tries to make an argument otherwise, France has the best salads, hands down. 💃🏼 (at France)
Afternoon boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. (at Sea of Galilee)
Read about our stay in a renovated barn on an English sheep farm! Link in bio. (at Troutsdale Farm Holidays - Award Winning Accommodation)
If you’re following along with our English adventures, last week we left off with pulling into the sheep farm in the Peak District. You can find part one here.
Driving slowly down the long road to Troutsdale Farm brought on a mix of excitement, relief, and peace. After everything that had happened in the last 48 hours, packing, spending hours in airports, flying in cramped spaces, sleeping in a small room, barely getting any sleep, taking a train and then driving a ways on the opposite side of the road for the first time, the sight of sheep gently grazing in a pasture was a welcome sight for dreary eyes.
Our host met us along the way and directed us to a barn at the end of the path. Walking in, we were greeted by a light homemade cake and some lemon water. We were barely able to bring our luggage inside before running to the backyard where sheep were roaming, flowers were blooming and bees were buzzing just beyond our classic stone wall. It was a rare moment of perfect contentment and bliss.
Once we had spent enough time sitting in silence, listening to the peaceful tweeting and baaing, writing in our journals, and eating cake, we managed to get to the grocery store to stock up for our time there and buy ingredients for a wonderful pasta dinner in our beautiful kitchen (served at midnight).
The next day was a fairytale.
We woke up to the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing through our open window, with a few baaas thrown in. Today we were going to Chatsworth, home of Mr. Darcy in the Joe Wright-directed version of Pride and Prejudice. It didn’t seem real even when we were standing in front of it. Our jaws actually dropped because of its magnificence.
If I shared everything that happened this day with due justice, it would become much too long to read, so I shall end it here for the week.
Tune in next week to learn what happens when we step out of our car near a local fish and chips cafe.
Staying on an English Sheep Farm – Adventures in England: Part Two If you're following along with our English adventures, last week we left off with pulling into the sheep farm in the Peak District.
Lovely colors of the summer at Monet's Garden in Giverny, France. (at Claude Monet's Garden, Giverny, France)
Night traffic in the center of Jerusalem seen from the Crowne Plaza hotel. July 2017 (at Crowne Plaza Jerusalem)
How We Plan to Save Money on the Road!
How We Plan to Save Money on the Road!
Have you ever taken an extended road trip? Have you ever thought about taking a road trip, but thought the costs might add up too quickly for your liking? If so, keep reading! My sister and I are leaving for a cross-country road trip in the beginning of July 2018, and let me tell you, we’re broke. Between my student loans that are about to kick in, a car payment to my loving parents, car…
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Lovely wildflowers growing near the stream of a glacier in Switzerland. (at Switzerland)
Beautiful gardens at Christ Church in Oxford, England. (at Oxford, Oxfordshire)
Eiffel Tower lit up with the French colors after a win against Albania at the 2016 Euro Cup. (at Paris, France)
What happened at the start of our time in England? A new post is up! Give it a read and let us know what you think! Link in the bio. (at London, United Kingdom)
Today is Sunday, and I’ve just decided that this is going to be the day to share the happenings of trips we’ve taken. Feel free to follow along!
A little background:
During my senior year of high school, my friend Maddie and I started planning a semi-Jane Austen-themed trip to England. It was mostly just a fun thing to do when we would hang out – we didn’t really believe it would happen! Upon receiving the necessary mom approval and encouragement however, we dove in and planned every detail.
So without further ado, Adventures in England, part one:
After taking two separate flights into London Heathrow, my mom and I met up with Maddie and her mom at the Generator Hostel in London. Being that it was my first time in a hostel, it was a new experience. All I knew is that they were the hip and cool place for young travelers to stay, and obviously I wanted to be in that crowd. I’ll remind you we were with our moms and fresh out of high school though, so….we didn’t exactly fit in. No matter: we had a private room anyways, so there was no danger of interacting with any “real” travelers.
This is what £154.80, about $203, for a private 4-person hostel room in London will get you:
Teeny, cramped spaces and colorful, geometric wall patterns. I adjusted my expectations for the rest of the trip and all was well.
We didn’t spend much time at the hostel, as we were only there for a night to regroup and see some sights before moving on, but the atmosphere was very dynamic and bustling! There was a nice eating area with wifi and a small cafe, a chill bar and entertainment area for hostel events, and people in and out and between the two at all times. I would go back!
On our way to a bar for an awkwardly-timed dinner courtesy of jet-lag, I was confronted with the phenomena that has shown itself in every trip I have since taken: every piece of merchandise you pass while exploring a new place seems automatically cooler/chic-er/and sleeker and much more worthy of buying simply because it’s in another country. You’ll be happy to know I resisted buying a bro-tank with a bike on it from a street seller. I had some soup for dinner, then we took a walk to King’s Cross Station. The classic London train station featured in the epic Harry Potter series.
We bummed around London for a bit – most effectively done by hopping on the appropriately named hop-on, hop-off buses – and returned to the hostel for some nice shut-eye.
The next morning, we packed up our bags and headed to the train station for our train to Stoke-on-Trent. Never heard of Stoke-on-Trent? We hadn’t either, and the locals there were confused as well. The workers a local cafe eyeing us as we stared at the menu and chattered in our probably obnoxious American accents: “Where are you from?” “The US; Minnesota” “What are you doing in Stoke-on-Trent?” “Picking up our rental car!” “Oh, okay.” I guess it’s not the peak tourist area. But if you’re in the market for a wedding dress they’ve got a nice one for cheap!
*Small disclaimer: According to the pictures on Google Maps, Stoke-on-Trent actually has some pretty beautiful areas. We just didn’t see them!
This is also where I first learned that a chocolate milk shake in England is not a glass of frothy ice cream, no matter how many times and places you order it hoping it will be. It’s just chocolate milk. But chocolate milk is always good, so no complaints.
At the car rental agency, we were informed that they had given away our automatic car to another couple since our train had arrived late, leaving us with a manual. So, on top of driving on the opposite side of the road on the opposite side of the car, Maddie’s mom, the self-designated UK driver, was going to have to drive a stick-shift. Luckily, the agency got another British couple to take pity on us and give us their automatic. Back in business! Except for the concerning motor noise the car was making. Turns out the emergency brake was on.
We turned on our GPS, changed the voice to a male Irish accent, named him Sean, and hit the road! A short-ish, anxiety-provoking 26 minute ride brought us to the entrance of a sheep farm where we stayed for the next 4 nights. And that is where I will end for the week. Tune in next Sunday to see what we did in the beautiful area of Derbyshire!
Thanks for reading!
~Leah
Adventures in England: Part One Today is Sunday, and I've just decided that this is going to be the day to share the happenings of trips we've taken.