Here's a boring old travel log...

On Monday my Aunt Sally took us shopping because there was a really cute store my mom and I had been wanting to go to. The mall we went to is a mall my uncle designed, so the was interesting. Then we went to a small village to see the lighting of the beacon in honor of the Jubilee. 4,000 beacons were lit all around the Commonwealth.  Then we went back to Sally's to watch the Jubilee concert, which was amazing.  I sure do love Paul McCartney.

We went to a street party at Simon and Cordelia's (cousins) on Tuesday.  It was pretty fun, and we got to see a lot of cousins, but after a couple of hours it got rained out, so we hung out inside Simon and Cord's house.  They're little boy, George, is two and is absolutely adorable with big, bright blue eyes!

Wednesday was a day I have been waiting for for a long, long time.

Sally and her sister Mary drove us all the way from the east side of the country to the west side of the country to see Stonehenge and Bath.  Oh.  My.  Heavens.  I don't even know how to describe this day.  Stonehenge is just so much more amazing than I ever thought it would be.  You know the stones are huge, but you can't really comprehend the total size of them until you see them.  And then you realize that 1/3 of the stones are actually placed below ground to hold them up.  The size is absolutely insane.  And it still boggles my mind to think about it.  I think the people who created it are probably up in heaven laughing at us that so many people go everyday to look at this "thing," and we can't even figure out what it was actually used for.  It's totally incredible.  And Bath is an absolutely stunning city.  If I could pick anywhere in England to live, it would be Bath.  All the buildings are made out of limestone and have such a surreal look to them.  There is a good university in Bath, so it has respectable students and a good atmosphere and life there.  The Roman Baths are immensely beautiful.  And I didn't know this before going there, but adjacent to the baths was a Temple of Minerva, so that was quite entertaining and interesting for me and my sorority-ish-ness.  The water at the baths is still warm and reminds me of a hot spring at home.  You could see the steam coming off the water, which has an incredible structure around it with lots of gorgeous architecture.  If the Romans hadn't been conquered in war, we'd be hundreds of years ahead of where we are now.

Yesterday, Thursday, Alison and Jessica met us and took us to the Suffolk Show, a much more sophisticated version of the State Fair.  People were dressed up, and there are a lot of horse competitions at the show.  We have a rodeo at our state fair; they have equestrian competitions and hound dog demonstrations, which reminded me of going to watch the sheepdog trials each September.  Unfortunately, my mom and I have discovered that when we are outside it rains and pours, but while we are inside the sun comes out.  So, of course, it rained and poured at the Suffolk Show.  It was still enjoyable, nonetheless.  Afterward, Aunt Alison had planned a family dinner for us at her home, so more cousins came to visit.  It's funny how you can have cousins on the opposite side of the world that you don't see very often, but when you do see them, you realize how much you have in common with them.  The cousins here have a lot of the same genetic traits as my brothers and I, particularly Cousin Rob.  And that whole side of the family, again including my brothers and I, and my sister, have a very artistic sense to us.  Everyone enjoys doing design or photography or some sort of art.  Funny how much a family can be connected even when you see some of them once every ten years.

We are now staying at Aunt Alison and Uncle Steve's with their kids, Jessica and Jonathan.  Alison and Jess took us to see my mom's aunts on her mom's side today, which meant going back to my momma's hometown.  Those aunts are so similar to my grandma back home that again it struck me how strong genetics can be.  They look and act exactly the same.  As we walked in Auntie Janet's house today she asked if she could make us a sandwich or get us a drink or anything.  That's exactly what Grandma does back home.  "Can I make you a sandwich?  Do you want a cookie?  Ice cream?  A drink?  Are you sure you don't want a brownie?"  It's hilarious.  Anyway, then we drove around the tiny fishing town of Lowestoft to see Mom's house she grew up in.  Then we drove to Southwold and walked up and down High Street.  We walked past a brewery for one of the biggest beer companies in England.  Boy, I sure don't miss the smell of the fraternity houses!  It smelled AWFUL!  But it was all better after we had some real beer-battered fish and chips on the seafront followed by a 99 (vanilla soft-serve cone with a chocolate bar stuck in it)--some real seaside village England traditions.

Tomorrow we're off to Cambridge!