Hello and welcome back – my apologies for the long absence but it is worth the wait.

June 2014 I spent two weeks roaming my adopted home, England with my wonderful friend Maggie Strutt, whose hospitality, friendship and grasp of logistics made another adventure possible.  Without her none of this would have been possible.  I once again thank her, her husband Dave and her two girls – Rebecca and Naomi for another warm welcome. 

I landed in the UK on June 1st and spent my 1^st night in a Travel Lodge not far from Heathrow where I slept reasonably well with the excitement of a child waiting for Christmas.  I love England and as I have mentioned lived there for 14 years never really explored it, much to my embarrassment, until after I moved back to the US.  These two years of holidays in the company of a great friend has showed me so much of that wonderful island I once happily called my home. 

Once again this year I have seen some wonderful scenery and interesting architecture.  Along the way we had some real belly laughs at ourselves, walked a whole lot of miles, and drove even more.  We covered a lot of ground this year, hiking the coasts of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset where we had brilliant sunshine, were drenched by cloudbursts and pelted by hail. We had a ball! The icing on the cake was the drive north to see ASIA in concert in Malvern and Holmfirth taking time to take in the breathtaking scenery that is so different from the south and southwest coasts. 

Travel is about enjoying the moment, the company and soaking it all up.  Everywhere we go we can find something special, whether it is in your own backyard – as I have also been rediscovering- or taking the time to explore further.  From architecture to culture to landscapes beautiful things are there to see and experience.  It will change you.  It will grab you.  It will make you think. 

As with last year’s travels I will be giving my thoughts about the places I have seen.  I offer a little historical background but mostly I want to share my experiences in the hope that it inspires you to see them on your own or to find those that intrigue you.

The walking this year was more rigorous but well worth it. 

Maggie and I start the process with lists – long lists- of places that interest us.  We Google them, find them in websites such as the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) and English Heritage.  Ideas come also from Maggie’s arsenal of walks planned in detail using the incredible Ordnance Survey maps.  I also get input from friends who have visited or know of interesting places.  At one point I hand them over to Maggie and she does an amazing job of creating a workable itinerary.  It is not an easy task I give her but pulls it all together and enables us to visit the amazing places and I can photograph to my heart’s content. 

When things are this well planned it allows room for movement where changes that can be done ‘on the fly’.  By building in extra time this year it really paid off.  We had enough time to stop and explore several ‘bonus’ churches this year that I spotted as we were driving.   These extra churches, as it happened, were real gems.  

This is how I holiday.  I don’t like to be rushed and pulled from pillar to post.  I want to see the places I visit… really see them, not just have photos to jog my memory later.  After all, we wait all year for this time of own; in my case I would hate to feel I need a ‘holiday after my holiday’. 

And with all this said the entries for the June 2014 trip is longer due to the number of sites I wish to share with you.  I hope that you enjoy it.

Debb

Here we go: