Seeing the Sights

Greetings! We have been very busy these past few months and have loads to share with you! We have been to the castle at Skipton, to the city of York, and all around Manchester. We have also still just been adjusting to life in a new place, and even though we speak the same language, it can be frustrating (especially on phone calls) to understand and be understood. The slang and idioms here are different, but we try to watch local TV and talk to people while we’re out, so we pick up what we can.

We have also since celebrated Abbie’s 12th birthday! She requested a unicorn cake, of course, which her sweet friends in Alabama will appreciate (hi Sydney and Sarabeth!) She has also been cooking all kinds of delicious things in her food tech class, including these fruitcake muffins.

Eli has been doing a lot of Lego building, and he made this cool Lego volcano for his school volcano project. He also got a Robin Hood costume complete with sword, shield, and bow from our trip to Skipton. He likes to get all dressed up and pretend he is Link from the Zelda games, and he also wore it to school for World Book Day.

The first big trip we took out of Manchester was to the historic market town of Skipton. Skipton is about 50 miles north of Manchester, about 2 and a half hours by bus, and the scenery was really beautiful.

The castle at Skipton was built originally in 1090 as a motte and bailey castle, then rebuilt and fortified with stone around 1200. There is a yew tree still standing in the courtyard that was planted in 1659. It is an amazingly preserved medieval castle, and well worth a visit.

We then sat down in the Castle Tea Room for the most touristy tasty treat – a pasty, mushy peas, spice cake, and tea and crumpets.

Our other big trip out of Manchester was to the city of York. York is about 70 miles northeast of Manchester, and this time we took the train, so the trip was only about an hour and a half. We only spent one day in York but we can’t wait to go back. There is a lot to see and do there, and one day was definitely not enough!

York is a really lovely city. Walls like those extending from the gatehouse still surround much of the city. The city was founded in 71 AD by the Romans, and there are still some standing Roman remains, plus a collection of Roman artifacts that we saw in the Yorkshire Museum. I didn’t take any pictures inside the museum, but outside in the York Museum Gardens there are the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey, built in 1088 and destroyed in the 16th century after Henry VIII banned monasteries in England.

Abbie’s favorite place in York was by far York Minster. The present building was completed in 1472, but churches have stood on the site since 627 AD. There are many sculptures, artworks, and stained glass windows to enjoy. Abbie and I followed a guided tour and learned a lot of interesting details about the building and its history.

After York Minster, Abbie and I decided to have a posh ladies tea at Bettys Tea Room. We had a cream tea, which is scones with jam and clotted cream (and tea, of course!)

Aside from our two big trips out, we have also been exploring more of Manchester, both into the city and further out. I enjoy going into the city some days to enjoy a coffee and do some people watching. The weather has been really nice for a few days, and people have been out enjoying it.

We went on Friday for a long walk, 3.5 miles, from Stretford Meadows into Ashton Upon Mersey. It was a beautiful day and there were lots of people out on bikes or walking their dogs.

Thanks for following our adventures, we hope you are all doing well! ❤