A Whole New World
And it begins with a huge move to Florida.
Let me explain. My personal situation has changed dramatically. The unthinkable tragically happened and my world was rocked in several ways. Bottom line was things would not be the same . . . ever.
Ok, then, let's get started on my BIG catch-up.
OK, clarification. I finished the trip months ago and am only just now getting around to presenting these pictures in this Blog (which I haven't used in over three years).
With that understanding, at the end and after editing, and deleting, a boatload of pictures, I still had close to 1,300 pictures left. And for some reason I cannot comprehend, they are not anywhere near being organized by date and I do not have the discipline nor the desire to try and organize them.
There will be a LOT of jumping around with the pictures.
The Grands were exploring a small village in Wales near a terminus on our Canal journey.
Just a couple walking through a pedestrian street. I was sitting and I've been interested in Street Photography (I'm still trying to define what that exactly is for me). I'm getting a bit bolder in capturing street life.
You have to be a bit of a wizard to drive in some of these smaller towns and villages. The streets, laid when carts and wagons were the rule of the day, are all uniformly narrow. Frustratingly narrow if you ask me.
But, golly, I do love the architecture. Even in these modern times the flavor of the past is still present.
Aboard the rented van which took us from Liverpool down to where we were to board our long boat. This was an absolutely great trip. Everyone was satisfied and happy. I can't remember one single disagreement or bouts of pouting.
Simply put, we all had a good time. A really good time.
Our Air BnB in Liverpool was across the street of this burnt out shell of a church. It had been hit by an incendiary bomb during the Battle for Briton. All that was left were the walls.
After the war they decided to leave it as it was as a peace memorial.
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We were a crowd, that's for sure. We were waiting for the van to take us from Liverpool to Trevor, Wales, to pick-up our long boat. We made a noticeable impact at every restaurant we stopped at. |
The small village of Ellesmere, England. It was the furtherest we would travel and we spent the night there. A very charming English Village.
Parking was at a premium as many of the long boats were moored there for a long stay. That plus the many visitors on holiday like we were made it a bit crowded.
We had traveled up Shropshire Union Canal Llangollen Branch to Ellesmere's Wharf.
For dinner we walked a quarter of a mile or so to a local Pub in Ellesmere. Walking along those streets was a magical experience for me. Love the architecture. I'd have enjoyed the chance to explore these treasures.
See what I mean? C'Mon, tell me you don't find this fun and exciting.
It's part of the adventure.
I think this was at the Poacher's Pub. An expanded (for the fat American?) version of the traditional English Breakfast. I enjoyed it although it was a bit much for this Fat American. And, ok, talking about Fat Americans, after a week of eating in English restaurants, I can confidently state that our British relatives put out plates of food, for the most part, as piled high with food as we do. Except for the lack of baked beans, this was good dining for me.
So, obviously, another key element of our adventure was the food. And we gleefully explored! It was fun.
Matt was our intrepid Captain. He piloted the long boat for most of the trip and did a bang-up (hahaha, that's an inside joke as we were told by the folks that rented us our long boat that if we weren't bumping off the sides of the canal, we weren't long boating!) job of it.
He pretty much did it all and we were all grateful for this. Of course, he maintained that it was the best part of the trip for him.
During our days on the canals, we saw a lot of foot traffic. Folks were out strolling, ambling, trotting and biking along the path paralleling the canal.
Everyone was friendly, polite and patient.
I had opted for the English breakfast while I stayed in Wilmslow. I thought it'd be a small village and, as Ronald Reagan said about Gadaffi, I "thought wrong!"
It was a good-sized town but with a small town aura. It was fine, just not what I had expected.
Regardless, they had a fine pub and the dining was both tasty and genteel.
The Ray's were swinging down further south of me on their own adventure after the week on the canals. Where I was staying in Wilmslow was sort of on their way so I met them for lunch at this, "American-Style Western Restaurant."
And they had this popper where you could fill up some small bags of tasty popcorn to cap off your American eating experience.
Hahaha, I love it!!
Hahaha, I ate well and I ate often.
And against all my instincts, I sometimes even ate semi-healthy.
I know, I find it hard to believe, too.
This was in the first Air BnB we stayed in. It was uniquely English and therefore familiar but still strange for we Americans. But it had enough bedrooms for all of us and that, plus location, was the deciding factor. Very convenient.
This was the amount of luggage we were ALL hauling around. Hahaha, we were actually able to stow it all on the long boat rather easily.
They were sitting in the prow of the long boat. Two benches lined the sides and sat these six comfortably. Behind them are the French Doors that lead into the galley with a collapsible table so you could take it down and make two single beds there.
You can see the kids there on the left. They were ordered out of the boat several times a day to walk along the pathway. Burned energy and gave this old man some quality time sitting in the prow, which I did often.
Isn't it beautiful?! The weather was mild and the days drifted by. And around every corner was another beautiful scene.
These two were thicker than thieves the whole time. You couldn't see the one without the other. I'm sure this friendship helped make this trip all the more better.
In this picture you can get an idea of the layout of the long boat. There were three double beds along the passageway. Here you can see two of them. In the distance is Addie sitting in the galley playing games on the table.
Well thought out it was just right for a week-long trip.
Some of my girls posing at the entrance to a tunnel. There were plenty of tunnels; most of them short. However there were a couple of them that were very long. The waterway in these tunnels was only big enough for one long boat to transit so sometimes you had to wait for your turn.
One of the highlights of my trip was this visit to The Cavern where the fledgeling Beatles honed their craft.
Unbelievably small and horribly cramped, I can see where this venue would appeal to the kids of any generation.
Here's our Air BnB in Liverpool. Kinda spartan but it worked wonderfully well for us.
We were loading up for our ride down to Trevor and the long boats. Hahaha, we do travel light. Addie is like her Mom as she has a camera antenna so she's usually prepared for my candids.
We'd stopped at a restaurant along the canal and this was our view from the open-air dining area.
There were several locks on our trip. The girls and Matt did a yeoman's job in getting us through. Of course there was always that extra pressure of having a boat or two waiting for their turn to make them move a little faster.
The rule was when we all piled into a restaurant that we were politely directed to the outside seating. Eventually, we just naturally gravitated to outdoor dining.
Finishing the dessert along the canal.
My three Girls. It was a treasure to sit and talk and joke with all of them.
The wharf at Ellesmere. You came in and then had to carefully turn your boat around so you could leave. That's our long boat, the first one on the right. Also, good for us was the Tesco Supermarket there on the right. We stocked up with treats.
Coming to a bridge. There were a lot of these bridges as they allowed farmers to move back and forth through their fields.
Here my girls are swinging out one of the lock gates so we can exit.
A good crew!!
A meat pie with mashed potatoes shaped like a small bun. Haha, I can't agree with the English need to add peas to nearly every meal, including breakfast. But, there you are.
It was good.
Another meal and, by golly, outdoor dining . . . again.
Disregard Max.
Another of the many bridges.
Yeah, another bridge. This was the only one like this that we saw.
Idyllic.
Passing ships in the . . . day. I think it'd be fun to have a house along the canal.
Another view of the same house as we moved up the canal. Lots of canal traffic.
These yahoos were playing some kind of loud, busy and fun game involving cards and a quick mind.
Shooting over the stove this is the eating/play area. The round metal plate was for the legs of the table. You can see the two beds masquerading as couches here.
At the end of the trip we were all still talking to each other. Life is good.
We stacked all our luggage in a shack, called for a uber and then walked over to a Welsh restaurant set in a reclaimed church.
And here it is.
They had a good share of cakes for dessert.
Boom! And we take a huge leap to the train station as we wait for our train back to Manchester. Amy's crew was heading home; Allie was going to London and the Ray's were renting a car for their own adventures further to the south.
The last morning together in Manchester at the BnB there. We were all packed up and heading out our different ways.
But there's always time for a selfie.
I always enjoyed the English Breakfasts.
Always!!
The quiet downtown in Milmslow.
Another view of commercial Wilmslow.
I was wandering around shooting pictures and thought I'd get a selfie in a nearly empty pub. Just as the picture snapped this girl behind me came up and startled me. She was a good sport and we both had a good laugh.
This was my view as I flew into Manchester. I gotta say, I love the UK and Ireland.
The kids patiently waiting to reboard after walking for an hour or so.
My excellent son-in-law and current Skipper of the long boat, Matt, got out at dawn on our last day of the trip. He climbed the nearby hill and came upon these ancient ruins.
Using his phone he captured some very good pics.
I'm kinda jealous that he got such good pictures with his phone. Plus he did a swell job of composing his pictures. Grrrrr, but I'll get over it . . . someday.
Fun, fun, fun!!
There's my girls. Unfortunately none of the boys could come but I had these three Queens and that, as it turns out, was more than enough.
I had a good time.
I was so busy looking at the scenic views that I pretty much ignored the flowers. Not completely. I thought this was an interesting and pleasing composition.
There were so many of these stately trees. What a kick, eh?!
See what I mean?! A stately tree, the utilitarian bridge, the winding canal. I was so caught up with looking at the big that I almost forgot to take the time to look at the small.
But there was so much big!!
Another beautiful home along the canal. The folks that live along the canal take, I think, an extra measure of pride in their yard. Many set out decorations for the passing canal boats to enjoy.
The walk from the Wharf to the city center in Ellesmere. Row houses each with a differently colored front door and tidy front yards.
That's our long boat. Kinda long, right?!
When you come to the Wharf at Ellesmere, you have to turn your long boat around so you can leave. Matt is in the stern doing his nautical duty while the girls are up front with a pole and the ropes swinging the prow about.
I'm guessing the brick building in the background was once a storage house for the cargos of the canal boats. You can see where, in the center of the building, they had big doors to hoist the cargo up or down.
I absolutely don't know for sure as I didn't go over to investigate but I'm thinking this involved someone like the Master of the Wharf. I'm guessing but maybe tolls were paid here. It looks like it was once a government house.
Somehow these Yahoos got hold of some starlet (?) magazines. I was moving so slow they often had to stop and wait for me to catch up.
The English door. I always enjoy looking for and at the doors throughout the country. Oft times on the older homes they're narrower than I am accustomed to and shorter. Still, they all seem to have their own character.
No words needed.
Whup!! Another door. This one from a house along the canal. Broader than the last one but still shorter than what I would expect.
There was always time for a little frivolity. Here's Max piloting the long boat while his Mom demonstrates the exact amount of confidence she has in him. His Auntie Al is giving him two thumbs up.
Then it was Frances' turn. Two thumbs up, also, but with a slightly hesitant expression.
Hahaha, Quinn don't play that game.
Everyone got a chance to guide the long boat down the canal at a stately 3-4 miles an hour. No hot rodding or racing for this long boat.
Things usually narrowed down a bit meaning only one long boat at a time could go through. We were very lucky and never had a wait of more than a couple of minutes. Very fortunate.
We were waiting for the lock to get clear when the woman who ran this pub (?) came out to offer us ice cream. The kids jumped out and ran over to the footbridge and got themselves some sweets.
It's hard to see but in the right foreground of this building you can see an umbrella and patrons sitting outside. A nice place to have a cool one and watch the long boats float by.
I got this shot of the boat just coming out of the lock. Once they're out the kids there will run down to the boat.
And then our crew would move up and, once our long boat is in the lock, close the doors so we can rise up to the next level.
No need for words.
Homes along the canal. Always beautiful and, despite what it looks like here, neat and tidy.
The aqueduct we crossed over to get back to where we started to turn in our boat. In the distance is the old church where we'll have lunch after we'd cleared the boat. We followed the canoes on in.
A stately home set apart by its front door.
A meeting of two canals here. An ideal place for a restaurant and a kind of campground for long boats.
Taken from our long boat. What a marvelous system they created to move their goods to and from market. All part of that greatest of eras, the Industrial Revolution.
Coming into a small town or a large village. Your choice. Down in a valley surrounded by those Welsh hills.
The Welsh Village of Llangollen. Ask Michelle how to pronounce it as she taught herself how to say it correctly.
We found another aquatic campground and moored there. Then we walked back to the small pub on the canal and had dinner but not before we lost the two youngest. I don't know what happened but they just wandered off.
Hahaha, OK, I might have had a small hand in it.
Afterwards everyone walked down to this charming little village.
Just enough room for two long boats to slide by each other. This was our route in and out of Llangollen.
I felt the canals were rather busy but it never presented a problem for us. Sometimes we went a bit farther than we wanted in order to find a place to tie up for the night.
Just beautiful.
Delaney found a girl who had a large bug and, naturally, she wanted to hold it.
Of course, who wouldn't?
Packing up to end our trip.
One of the many murals depicting the wonders of Wales next to the church restaurant.
Inside the church restaurant.
We're on the train to Manchester and the week of fun has caught up with Max. The kids were really good for the whole trip.
The Kimpton Tower next to the train station in Manchester. We were waiting on the uber to take us to our BnB.
Shopping in Wilmslow. I still am unsure how to correctly pronounce that city's name.
While I was staying in Wilmslow I took an uber to the Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens. Not much to it and I wasn't up to exploring too far into it. But I did make it to this parsonage next to the home of the man who donated the land for a park.
I do enjoy these stained glass windows.
The home of the man who donated the land.
I found a place to sit and see the world around me.
I did stop in the inn for a soda. The eagle up on the gate was donated by Fletcher Moss, too.
A neat town, Didsbury. Odd name, though.
This was the view from our BnB in Liverpool. That's the burned out church from WWII.
Two of the Nerdlys, Delaney and Max. We'd eaten lunch in the restaurant across the street with the red sign. They're about a 150 feet from our BnB.
Ah, England.
There was a lot of Beatles attractions and stores near where we caught the Magical Mystery Tour bus.
And we saw this giant wheel which I guess is the in thing for major cities now.
We went to John, Paul and Ringo's house. I don't know why they skipped George's home but they did. We stopped at Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields too. It was a lot of fun for me.
Here's our bus. Not too obvious, right?!
The high point of the tour was The Cavern. I've read and seen so much about this place that it was a real kick to finally get to visit it.
More of the burnt out church.
This was the door to our BnB in Liverpool.
I know, right?!
The footbridge over the canal in Trevor. And the lush countryside of Wales.
I caught the girls unawares.
Near where we picked up our long boat was this pub with a beautiful garden outdoors dining area. Great way to while away the afternoon.
Traffic jam. But not for long.
I was genuinely surprised, not by the fact that people lived in long boats along the canals, but rather by the large number of them doing it.
Our two Skippers. Allie and Matt did the boat driving.
Coming up to that footbridge on the canal.
Good times with two of the Nerdlys.
it was as quiet and as calm as it looks in this picture.
Another lived in long boat. Hey, no rent so . . .
Each of the boats was colorfully named either by the company name in the case of a rental or by the private owner. Some were very colorful.
Coming out of one of the longer tunnels. Only room for one long boat at a time.
We were following this fellow for a while.
One of the decorated gardens on the canal. I thought it was Paddington Bear.
Long boats at rest.
The kids all ran up this bridge for this great shot.
Allie and Matt working the locks. The kids are just behind Allie eating their ice creams.
Everybody pitched in. My job was to take pictures.
I did my job.
We passed a lot of small herds.
Amy's in the galley at the sink while the kids are playing a game on the table. Not much room but it was set up well.
We were being trailed. No rush, no hurry. Everyone was chill.
Finally, we passed a lot more of these sheep herds.
And that was our trip. For me, I think it was one of the best trips I've ever taken if not the best one. I throughly enjoyed spending this adventure with my kids and grandkids.
Life is good.
