Friday, August 10th, Bath

Greetings!

It's Saturday morning, and we're getting ready to have breakfast here at the Cranleigh.  Yesterday was a terrific sight-seeing day, and my driving record is still unblemished.  Lining up your right shoulder as close to the road's centerline is a continual challenge, and is necessary to keep Pat from cringing every time the road gets narrow.  We also took in a wonderful play last night at the Bath Royal Theater (Hysteria).

We're headed to Stonehenge today, as well as Wells, Glastonbury, and Salisbury.  Tomorrow, we leave for the Cotswalds.

Here is a link to the photos we took yesterday: Friday, August 10th, Bath

Gregory
  

Thursday, August 9th, Bath

Greetings!

It's 7pm on Thursday, and we're resting in a beautiful suite in the Cranleigh Bed & Breakfast on Newbridge Hill in Bath.  We both just got about an hour's nap, after using our Garmin to navigate our way from London to Avebury, where we had lunch.  Avebury is the site of the largest stone circle in the world.  And entire village sits inside it.  An important ceremonial center, its barrows, burial chambers, earthen mounds, and processional avenues are a wonder to see.  Dating from 2500 to 2200 BC (during the first and second stages of Stonehenge), the site contains multiple concentric circles, a central one containing 98 stones (some weighing 20 tons).  

We plan to stay here in Bath for a few days for some day trips to the area, and then head north along the western coast of England.  Tonight, we'll mix dinner, internet catchup, and sleep to get back into a daily routine.

Here's a link to the photos taken today: Wednesday and Thursday, August8-9th, England

Gregory

Great Britain and New England

Tomorrow morning, we'll take the Airporter to SFO, and fly to London.  This trip is a long-awaited visit to England and New England by following the footsteps of my family's history.  Both my father and mother have ancestors which came to America from England, including two families on the Mayflower who trace their heritage to the royalty of England, France, and Spain a thousand years ago.  We'll be stopping by their various homes and graves, and learning more from my cousins along the way.

And I'm sure there will be a ruin or two to photograph.

We'll be back on September 11th,  Stay tuned for the daily posts.

Gregory

 

Greetings!

The Lotus above popped out today just outside our bedroom door.  Our pond surprises me periodically with sights so glorious that it makes it hard to imagine why anyone would take as many trips away from it as we do.

The answer isn't that we grow tired of home.  It's that we're still excited about learning about the rest of the world.  And the times when we can pursue family history, and meet some relatives, makes it even more fun.  That's what we're doing again next week, as we head to England, Scotland, and then back to New England.  The Lary side of my family descends from English and French royalty, and includes two of the families who arrived in America on the Mayflower.   We'll trace their paths, visit the homes, and meet some newly-found relatives.  But mostly, we'll experience the people and places of Great Britain and America's Northeast.  And spend some time with my aunt and cousin.  And we'll try to avoid the Olympic crowds and late summer vacationers.  Check back for photos and stories from along the way.

Gregory
  

Thursday, July 12th, WorldFest 2012

Greetings!

We're up here in Grass Valley, California at the Nevada County Fairgrounds for the 2012 WorldFest.  Music by lots of very diverse artists, and a great venue, all day long and long into the night.  When I find a wifi connection strong enough to send photos, I'll try to limit the scenes I send to you.  But it's gorgeous here (and that's just Pat!).

It's Monday, and WorldFest 2012 is over.  The music was great, the food delicious, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with Ken and Di.  One of the things I like about the venue is the eight stages spread around the county fairgrounds.  With such a diverse range of sounds and performers, and a tendency toward performers intermingling and jamming together, there's no predicting what might be presented.  I hope the photos display that creativity, and the joy of being there.

Thursday, July 12th, WorldFest 2012
Friday, July 13th, WorldFest 2012
Saturday, July 14th, WorldFest 2012
Sunday, July 15th, WorldFest 2012

Gregory

Thursday, July 12th, WorldFest 2012

Greetings!

We

New England and Great Britain

Next August, we're planning to travel to New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine with my aunt Kitty to see the homes and graves of our Lary ancestors.  You can learn more about these great Americans on our family's history blog (http://gfearonhistory.blogspot.com/).  Afterwards, Pat and I will be flying on for a few weeks to the Lake District in England to learn more about my Fearon ancestors.

We always enjoy travel more when we can find a way to relate to the area, and internalize the history and culture around us.  This will be another of those adventures, and we hope to be able to share that with all of my terrific cousins.