Ta Ta, old Chap!!

Well, I think we have reached the end of the (long and winding) road of our English Roots trip.   There are still many images but I suspect you’re pretty tired of them by now, and after a while the story loses it’s legs.

There is still one English culinary bunny trail I am running down, and if successful will provide an interesting story.  (this is a literary technique called “teasing”, designed to keep you interested and not running off), so stand by..

The purpose of the trip was to visit some of the places that were important to the Calvert family, who founded and governed their colony in the new world, which we now know as Maryland. I have often stated that “being there” is worth a hundred books and photos.  Things like standing in an actual home of George Calvert or seeing the house that Cecil lived in develops a deeper understand and appreciation of history. Kudos go to Dr. Henry Miller who did a lot of research and gave us invaluable insight and a deeper understanding of what we were seeing.  Things and places one would never know on your own without his guidance.  Thank you Henry!!

 



 

 

 

And, the Feeder side of me was also fed, with some great meals and food experiences.  I guess I enjoyed the meal we had in the Mole Inn as much as anything, the combination of food and service (except for the damn cold cheese) was most enjoyable and indicative of place.  Pub food and the pubs are not to be missed, more for the ambiance than the food although it was always solid.  Bangers and Mash…  And perhaps, the next time we visit the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate they will figure out who gets the salmon..  All part of the fun.

There was one feature I never did work in, so maybe this is a good time to mention it.  Our coach driver, Andy, (who used to be a palace guard and had a pretty spectacular military career) had a “toy” that he brought out at a lot of the places we visited

Not a UFO, but a really slick little device that he flew up and around remotely.  It has a video camera on it, and he got some pretty spectacular and usual shots.  Besides being a coach driver he is developing a budding business of using it for unique coverage of weddings and so on.  He was really a neat person.  He is supposed to be making a DVD for us, and we hope to have it soon.

All in all, it was a great experience.  I suppose that I have used the quote by George Ade: “The time to enjoy a European trip is about three weeks after unpacking” before, and it really isn’t true, but it does convey the feeling that as time passes, you tend to forget the long security lines, hiking through airports, the sore knees subjected to yet another set of castle stairs, looking for bathrooms and the like; and remember the awe of seeing a castle that is hundreds of years old, and the company of new and old friends.

And finally I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the people at Cole Travel for organizing such a fine trip.  They know how to do it right… Thanks to Pat and their whole team…

Memories of people

And places

And now, depending on resolve, we may venture south across the English Channel and return to Normandy where of course you had to be

DFD

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

Hilaire Belloc