Two months in the UK - the Places... and a few activities

From fields and forest to beaches and bodies of water, from ancient to modern, it's impossible to capture - let alone post all that I saw and experienced during my two months in the UK but here are a few of my favorite photos and memories (outside of the people - see previous post for that!) If you're friends with me on fb, you've seen some of these before, but not all!

Always an adventure with Alan - in this case we saw a very large apple on tree long since abandoned in the fields behind his house...and of course we had to get it! see photos below for size comparison

Size comparison - that's a grapefruit next to it and a regular size apple!

Geocaching - so much geocaching...

Fifteens - Irish sweet treat

more geocaching...

zoom in....

Montalto Estate with the Dormans

More geocaching...this one about did us in but we found it!

On the way to...

Devenish Island Monastic Site founded in the 6th century by Saint Molaise on one of Lough Erne’s many islands

Two months in the UK - the People

 After two months in Seattle I set out again on part three of what has become my 'eat pray love' tour. For someone who appreciates alliteration,  the British Isles sounded like a good destination to follow Bermuda and Bangkok. And it also sounded really good to see friends - many of which I had not seen for decades. So I set off at the end of September, flying into Dublin and catching the bus up to Belfast where I soon was doing exactly what I hoped to be doing - being with good friends in beautiful countryside - within a couple hours of arrival, Alan had me geocaching all over the place:-) 

This post captures the friends I was able to see on the journey.

Leaving Seattle - nice view of West Seattle

Flying over Ireland...

...into Dublin

Setting off with Alan and the dogs

Geocaching with Alan and Hetty

Alan and Hetty, Chrissy and Dave and Lola!

From N. Ireland it was off to Glasgow to meet up with friend and Chefoo classmate  from first grade Fi and her husband Dave as well as sister Nini and their parents...and then I continued wandering south meeting up with friends including many former classmates along the way. 

Covid kept us from having dinner together but we were able to skype with Graham Ellis and his wife Joyce.

Lovely Scottish tea with Bob and Jan Trelogan

Nini and some of her artwork

A side excursion to somewhere tropical? or Inchacailloch on Loch Lomond!

In case anyone was wondering where we were...

Meeting Langley in Edinburgh

Miriam in Durham

Paul Briffa and family in Manchester

Eating/Grazing/Food observations - Updated

If you are familiar with Bermuda you know most of its food is shipped from the US (most grocery stores especially the fruit and veg produce section looks remarkably like any produce aisle in the US) which makes everything really expensive. Like $1.89 an apple expensive (not $1.89 a pound) or $10 for the liquid hazelnut coffee mate that my parents enjoy so much (sorry parents, guess I outed you there!) which can be found often for $3 in the US. So I'm trying to be thoughtful in how and what I buy. However should I run out of money and have to survive off of foraging the island, here's how I would survive. 

1. Fish. Yes, I love looking at them under water but if push came to shove...

2. The island is teeming with wild chickens. I asked my first airbnb hosts if any local residents ever snatch a chicken out of the tree where they roost at night. It was a definite no. Guess people are not going hungry here in Bermuda.

3. Fruit of the island - prickly pear, Bay Grape (sea grape or cocoplum in other parts of the world), Surinam Cherry, Natal plum, loquats -  and of course in season you can find bananas, mangos and oranges also that people have growing in their yards. And should you need some allspice, the trees are abundant everywhere as well!

Prickly Pear, Surinam Cherry, Sea/Bay Grape

Prickly Pear

Surinam Cherry

Surinam Cherries are new to me having a citrusy taste especially when less ripe (with hints of not fully ripe mango) and as they darken up becoming quite sweet. It's not really the season for them right now but they are popular at this time of year, looking like little pumpkins! More info on the Surinam Cherry here.

Sea/Bay Grape

Things that brought me joy one day...

Some of you might have seen a few of these photos on facebook but for those who didn't here are a few recent things that have been bringing me joy recently...

Making the amazing discovery (and I mean amazing, literally second only to the wide expansive love of Jesus) that geckos love coffee. As soon as I sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee in the front living area of the garden house I am staying (and where this view - 1st pic below - brings me inordinate peace and joy), FIVE of them started scampering skitterishly toward me. They literally smelled it across the room and they kept building up courage to come take a lick or two. I have since discovered that tea even with milk and sugar does nothing for them. I thought I was coming to Thailand to grow rice, but I’m thinking about perhaps training a gecko troupe instead. The most I have had hanging around the cup and saucer is eight - but never all at once – fights frequently break out even with 2-3 on the table at the same time.

this view...

...creeping...

closer...

...IN!

toes do not produce coffee but they are also very curious about them...

Finding larger size critters (just a little larger) hanging out in and around the river that I used to cross daily before a bridge was built allowing farmers much easier access to their gardens and fields on the other side.

This guy eventually submerged himself completely (hippo-esque) and floated down stream a little...they don't get their names for no reason!

Walking old trails and paths that I used to run and ride my bike as a kid (pre concrete), gathering some fallen mangoes (mostly) along the way and by the time I got back to the family I am staying with, Auntie Youie already knew I had been ‘gathering’ mangoes - eyes are everywhere:-)