Chatsworth with the Belangers

We take all our visitors to Chatworth.  We had a beautiful Monday to tour the house and gardens.

New Yorkers visit York

Last weekend Sean's sister and parents arrived for their visit.  One of the things we did with them on their first weekend here was take them to York.  We hadn't really seen most of the city yet, and it was a beautiful day to walk around and see the old world town.  York is a city that dates back to 71 A.D. when it was founded by the Romans, but also has a rich Viking and Norman history. 

The streets in York are called Gates.  The picture above shows one of the funny named streets in York Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate.  York has a very large walking district which is fabulous for shopping.  We really enjoyed walking around town and checking out all the shops.

 We stopped at Betty's, a famous tea house where we enjoyed a traditional afternoon tea.

Then we went over to the York Minster to relax in the yard outside and then attend an Evensong service.

Warwick Eagles

After Wales, we spent a few days laying low and then on Good Friday, Sean had the day off so we brought my parents and the kids to Warwick Castle.  We had been to Warwick last Fall, but there were still things that we hadn't seen there.  Most notable, the Eagle show.  It was worth the trip just to see that in my opinion.  We watched several birds of prey show off their skills, skim the tops of our heads, it was really amazing!

Before heading home, we found a little Italian restaurant and got some delicious pizzas.  A nice last dinner out with my parents before their return trip home.

Mia got to have another Marguerita Pizza - her favorite!

Wales Trip - Wool Mill

On our last day in Wales, we stopped at the Trefriw Woollen Mill.  We got to see the beautiful woven merchandise and also the various processes for creating the wool thread and weaving it.  It was an interesting little excursion before we made our way back to Derby.

Wales Trip - Caernarfon Castle

 On our third day, we went to another Edwardian Castle, Caernarfon Castle.  This castle is also in ruins, though it is still used for rare royal ceremonies, specifically crowning of the Prince of Wales (currently Prince Charles).  Construction on the castle began in 1283 and was created not only as a military stronghold but also as a seat of government and royal palace. Caernarfon has a bit more on display than Conwy Castle, with an impressive museum inside that displays the history of the Welsh servicemen over history. There is also a room devoted to the history of the Princes of Wales.

Climbing to the tops of the towers is always a fun thing to do in these castles!

Wales Trip - Mount Snowdonia

 On our second day in Wales we rode a coal powered steam train to the top of Mount Snowdonia.  It was about an hour ride each way and we got to spend about a half an hour at the top.  The views were just amazing.  Mount Snowdonia is the tallest mountain in Wales at 3560 feet.

Wales Trip - Conwy Castle

After the kids got out of school on Friday, we were on our way to Wales. For those of you who don't know, the United Kingdom is currently made up of 4 Countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We live in England, and Wales is a couple of hours west of us.

We stayed in a village just outside of the town of Conwy, so on our first day, we went to see Conwy Castle. Like most castles in the UK, Conwy is in ruins. Some of the interior walls don't exist anymore and most of the floors in the towers are gone. It's really interesting to climb in the towers and walk along the walls. You can see the areas where guards were posted to defend the castle. 

Construction of Conwy Castle began in 1283 by King Edward I who was expanding the English kingdom into Wales.  He built an "iron ring" of  Castles around Wales to subdue the rebellious Welsh population.  The town of Conwy is also surrounded by a wall to protect the English Colony within. 

Alexa outside a gift shop outside the castle.

Family Visit to the United Kingdom

I was so excited to have my parents visit us. This was their first trip to England, so we wanted to show them as much as possible in their short time here. They arrived a few days before the kids got out of school, so I showed them some sites nearby to Derby and just gave them a taste of what life is like here.

 Visit to Chatsworth....a must-see for anyone visiting Derbyshire.

Alexa got to show off her new reading skills, it's amazing how fast she's learning.

First Visitors from Home

Sean's Sister Nicki and her boyfriend Mike came to visit us this weekend after spending the week in London.  We were so excited to have loved ones from home with us...it was a great comfort for those of us who are missing home. 

We spent Friday touring Derby a bit without the kids, and then went to Chatsworth on Saturday.  Chatsworth is all decorated for Christmas on the inside, so it was neat for Sean and I to get a different view of the house than when we went last summer.  The rest of the weekend was fairly relaxing, with lots of UNO games and a short hike at misty, foggy Dovedale.

The kids sitting in a sleigh...Alexa holding the reigns.

Sean, Nicki, and Mike walking back to Chatsworth house through the gardens.