After 90 days on the continent it was time, by law, to say good bye to most of Europe for 90 days but luckily neither the United Kingdom nor Ireland participate in that part of Schengen. On June 3 we flew from Lanzarote in the Canaries to London.

(Just to clarify terms here:  the United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  That is different from Great Britain, which is just the island and is made up of Wales, England and Scotland.) We chose an Airbnb in the tiny village of Alverstoke, next to Gosport, which has been a spectacular base for us. It’s a great location, a few steps one direction to the post office and a few steps the other to a large convenience grocery and a pub across the street.

In addition to the proximity to public transportation another reason we like our current location is that we’re only a ten minute walk to the sea.  The weather hasn’t been great summer weather, but it’s been decent. (And the resulting flowers and bushes are amazing!) We’ve had rain but never a day (yet!) where it’s rained all day.

To get to the ocean it’s a pleasant stroll through a residential neighborhood and we find it enjoyable to sit on a bench and read or sit at a table with a brew and people watch. There’s lots to see in the area. We had to visit the seaside city of Brighton to see where our son, Stephen, worked for a few months when he was a student at the University of Michigan. We also visited the D Day Museum in Portsmouth.

Wherever we travel in Europe the history continues to astound us. Taking a coach is a slow way to travel but it has worked well for us because it has allowed us to see the countryside which is truly lovely. And unlike train travel which we have used as well, the coach stops in the downtown areas so we get to see the small towns. Winchester had been suggested to us as a particularly pretty city off we headed to see for ourselves. We first walked up High Street stopping at many of the booths along the way where locals sell their wares.

We stopped and chatted with  folks sharing information about the Remain Campaign. And bookstores are always a weakness for the two of us. But I wasn’t expecting to find a whole display of books explaining both sides of the Brexit debate. (Too bad the oral arguments weren’t that clear!)

Winchester Castle was our destination at the top of the street.  The Great Hall is all that remains of the castle.  It was originally built in 1067 for William the Conqueror but later replaced in 1222 and 1235 which is what exists today. This is the hall where Sir Walter Raleigh was put on trial. But most significantly, The Round Table, that legendary table of King Arthur and the Knights is housed here, although it has been determined that it was in actuality built much later probably in 1290.  This is the Round Table on which Sir Thomas Malory based Le Morte  d’Arthur.  It is absolutely huge measuring more than 9 feet in diameter and weighing more than 2 tons!  During the reign of Henry VIII the tutor rose was painted in the middle of the table.  The stained glass windows depict the knights of the Round Table and are spectacular!

Winchester Cathedral was our next destination (and we both had the pop song from the 60’s humming through our heads for several days)!  This Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. But my primary reason for wanting to see it was because this is where Jane Austin is buried.  Her funeral, the literature said, was attended by four people and they were told the funeral had to be over by 10 am so as not to interfere with the regularly scheduled service!  She was only 41! We did stay for the Evensong service and it was mind boggling to think that the music of J. S. Bach (1685-1750) that we were listening to was half a millennium newer than the cathedral itself that was built in 1069.

Bath is located on the river Avon. “Ah,” I thought, “like Stratford on Avon” but then it was pointed out to us that there are about 7 rivers in England named Avon and that the word avon actually means river.Visiting Bath put time in perspective. The Roman Baths there date from 50 or 60 AD and a bathing complex was built over the next 300 years. In the museum we saw the Curse Tablets that were scratched in metal and written to Minerva.  These tablets were, as the name suggests, curses people wrote about injustices that had been done to them.  The writer named the name of the person who had committed the wrong, as well as the injustice they had perpetrated.  I found it particularly interesting that if a person didn’t know who had wronged them, or was unsure, they could create a list of suspects!   There is a suggestion that Bath may have been the site where King Arthur (back in about 500 AD) defeated the Anglo-Saxons.  This is something I can not begin to comprehend!  When I think of the Anglo-Saxons I think of Beowulf and English literature…not a location I can actually visit.

Bath is a lovely city and everything speaks to its history.   We ate breakfast at a Sally Lunn’s which dates to the early 1600’s.

We found a pub where supposedly Charles Dickens wrote, The Pickwick Papers. But in addition to all that it’s just a generally pretty city!

Then there is Stonehenge! Without a car it took some figuring out how to get there. But in the end it wasn’t too complicated.  We got on the bus, took the ferry and then got a train from Portsmouth to Salisbury.  From there we had made reservations on the Stonehenge tour bus to make the last half hour drive.  Because we were visiting in the summer, the website strongly suggested that we get tickets in advance for a specific time to enter. By calculating how long the trip would take us in total we figured noon would be a good entry time. And it turned out to be perfect! We were dropped at the Visitor Center from where we got a shuttle to the actual site. Even with all the pictures I had seen, the first glimpse took my breath away. It’s definitely one of the world’s greatest antiquities dating from 3000 – 2000 BC. Because of millions of tourists who visit the site each year, the stones are fenced off so you can’t actually touch them. This also protects any archaeological treasures that may still remain beneath the stones. And it’s been done in such a way that it doesn’t limit the visitors view. While its origins are not exactly known, it has been discounted that Stonehenge was a Druid construct, dating much earlier than that. The best scientific thought of today is that it was created as an ancient people’s memorial, part burial site and part worship site. Since we’ve been in England a research document has been published saying that the stones were moved from Wales. The stones were cut and the literature points out that tongue and groove techniques were used in their construction.  The whole idea is difficult to comprehend, but to think that people moved these colossal stones to a distant location is overwhelming.  After leaving Stonehenge we stopped in Salisbury for lunch, (during which time it began to pour!) and then visited the  13th century Chapter House of the Salisbury Cathedral in order to view one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. It was written in Medieval Latin so we’ll just have to take historians’ word about what it says!

Our travel continues to be motivated not by traveling to see interesting sites but traveling to be interested in whatever we see. That being said, this has been a fascinating time to live in England.  We had read a lot about Brexit, the referendum the Prime Minister had proposed to let the citizens decide whether to stay in or leave the European Union (EU). But even though there is a lot wrong with the EU we figured that the economic stability and benefits that it provides would be too great for the majority of UK residents to vote to leave.  But as we listened to debates on television we began to understand how many people were extremely frustrated and how close it appeared the vote was going to be. Even so I think most were shocked to wake up on Friday morning to find that the UK would be leaving the EU.  And most horrifying is that there seems to be no plan for going forward.  Unlike the US where everything seems to operate in slow motion here things happen immediately.  A few short hours after the vote was final, David Cameron, the Prime Minister had stepped down.  Then a few hours after that the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, gave an amazing and articulate speech expressing her displeasure with the final vote since the Scots had voted to stay in and stating that while she will work to resolve the issue, there is a good chance that Scotland will have another referendum to decide whether Scotland should remain part of the UK.  Nothing happens until the UK officially asks to leave but from this American’s perspective it appears to be a long difficult future ahead for the country!

The second big event going on throughout Europe is the Euro 2016, the futbol championship that only occurs every four years.  England had made it to the final 16 teams and now only had to beat Iceland to move on to the quarter finals against France!  The excitement was contagious.  We tried to get into our neighborhood pub but it was impossible to even find standing room where we could see the television.  So we headed back to our cottage to watch there. As unbelievable as it was, Iceland upset England (just like their surprise tie with Portugal that got them to the final 16)!  For many it was like rubbing salt in a wound! And within hours the English coach had resigned!

For many it has not been a good week for England, but we’ve certainly learned a lot, and enjoyed our visit so far. And now we look forward to next week and London!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t know what we expected but the Canary Islands were unlike any place we ever experienced! When we first landed in Lanzarote, the landscape reminded us of Iceland, barren with pockets of small communities sprinkled among the volcanic rock.

Beautiful in a very Spartan way! It is obviously much warmer in the Canaries and for the month we spent there we never saw more than a light mist and that occurred only twice. (I did read that the record rainfall in May is less than half an inch. And July has never recorded any at all.)

Lanzarote is the island in the Canaries farthest east, located about 75 miles off the coast of Africa and technically part of the African continent. But the Canaries are part of Spain and while Spanish is the native language of the locals, most people speak English because it is a major vacation destination of the residents of the UK.

We had arranged to rent a car but had planned to pick it up the day after we arrived because we thought after a long day of travel we would take a taxi to our abode and not try to figure out the directions to the house. (The airport is only about a 10 minute drive from the apartment.) So we were thrilled when Drew, the man we rented from, offered to pick us up at the airport.  It was particularly nice because he also explained the details of the apartment, pointed out local sites, gave us an extra key, and as an extra bonus provided us with cheese, lunch meat, bread and both beer and wine for a light dinner allowing us to just relax.

Our travels are never without glitches. The next morning when we left to pick up the car, we found that the key we had didn’t unlock the gate. So we called Drew who once more came to our rescue and not only provided us with the correct key but drove us to the airport to pick up our car! We thought we’d have another VW Golf which we really enjoyed but instead it turned out to be a Ford Focus. (Funny, few Americans in the Canaries, and we had an American car!)

The rental we had was perhaps the best we’ve had yet.

While the apartment was lovely, two bedrooms, newly redone and a beautiful view of the water, the best part was the community itself.  It is a small complex with only about 24 apartments, most of which are owned by UK residents (with a few others nationalities in the mix, namely Swiss and Bolivians) and so there is almost a sense of family among the residents and they were very gracious to include us in their circle.  Sandra and Kenny, a friendly outgoing couple from Scotland who now live in Lanzarote full time went out of their way to offer suggestions for our upcoming trip to Scotland, even asking their daughter to bring maps and brochures to help us plan.  On two different occasions folks celebrated their birthdays with food and conversation around the pool in the evening followed by the singing of Irish folk songs! And again, we were included in the festivities! We truly felt like we  had known these people forever! And there is no doubt this familial environment led to our warm feelings for the island itself. Everywhere we turned people were super friendly.

Lanzarote is a small island: 37 miles long and maybe 16  miles wide. But there is lots to see and do. The main roads are all very good, and there’s very little traffic making the island easy to tour. Even the “round abouts” are landscaped with gorgeous splashes of color. One “round about” even had a sculpture of camels! Caesar Manrique was a local resident/architect who is largely responsible for developing tourism on the island and it truly is a model for the world. His influence is based on his love for the island and his desire to share it with others while maintaining as little impact on the environment as possible.   His home is built on the site of the volcanic eruptions of the 18th century and volcanic bubbles below ground have been made into different rooms of the home. His artwork is ubiquitous throughout the island.

One of Manrique’s sculptures honors the Campesino (Farmer) whose job is beyond comprehension.  Because of the desert like climate the vines are planted in pits surrounded by low stone fences that protect the plants from the wind and allow for the maximum moisture to be retained (primarily from overnight dew). These stone fences are everywhere and it’s hard to imagine what a tedious tiresome process it must have been to build them all.

We drove to the Timanfaya National Park which is the home of the volcano that erupted in the early 1700s and changed much of the island. From the Visitors Center we took a bus that toured the edges of the volcano that erupted .  I swear the road was the same as the width of the bus! And how the driver made the hair pin curves is beyond me

We definitely didn’t want to sit in the first row, and Bob’s comment on departure, “I hope this isn’t the driver’s first day” sort of summed up our feelings  But the views were spectacular. When we arrived back at the visitors center, chicken was barbecuing on a rack over the top of a volcanic steam pot!  Talk about efficient use of energy!  In the late 1400s camels were brought from Africa and today there are still caravans that tourists can ride in the Timanfaya National Park. http://www.discoverlanzarote.com/timanfaya.asp (No, we didn’t do it, but we were thrilled to be able to catch a glimpse of a caravan!) On the way back from the volcano we passed a salt pan.  At one time in the 1940’s Lanzarote had more than 20 salinas on the island but today there are still three that produce salt.  Many local recipes including Canarian potatoes call for salt crusts.

 

We particularly like to visit local markets and while many of them begin to look the same selling similar jewelry and leather goods, we found a few really interesting items. Cactus burgers (which Cary and Claudio are both really fond of) are a big item with a long line! Aloe vera is one of the main products of the island. They even have a museum dedicated to it.  There is aloe cream, aloe lip balm, aloe bath crystals, aloe for burns, aloe drink for digestive issues. There doesn’t seem to be any ailment it doesn’t cure.  (We did find however, that the aloe cream made mosquito bites disappear almost instantaneously!) We also enjoyed the local venders who sell their products of jewelry made from volcano rock and olivine, a lovely green gemstone found in some of the volcanic rock. We also liked the homemade jams and jellies as well as wine. And of real interest to us was the huge bag of saffron that sold for two euros! The real stuff?  Who knows?  We also visited an art museum housed inside a castle!  Very unusual, very interesting.

Puerto del Carmen, the main tourist town where we lived has a spectacular beach  (one of many on the island) with plenty of restaurants.  Again, we found friendly folks everywhere we went. Our favorite restaurant, Kristian’s, http://kristians-restaurant.com/en/was especially so.  Cary and her friend  Claudio were visiting from Rome and they immediately connected with one of the waiters who was from Italy. Whenever folks hear our American accent they immediately ask where we’re from and the staff at this restaurant was no exception. When it was discovered that we were going to spend much of July in Galway, Ireland, a waiter from Galway was sent over and not only offered suggestions but provided us an email address in case we had questions when we got there!  Another waiter was from Glasgow, and noticing Bob’s Bears jacket was proud to tell us that he played American football in Glasgow. The restaurant is small, seats only about 40 people so not only are reservations a must but the chef is asked when you call for a reservation if he can take another table at that time. You can even call ahead for a vegetarian meal which is made special for the diner! In addition, the chef interacted with us asking how we liked the food and commenting on what the waiters were saying.  A man at a table close by was celebrating a birthday which called for Celtic music played by the bartender on her violin!  

 

It was a evening we shall long remember!

Usually when we leave the house, Bob and I have this routine:  “Do you have your wallet? The car keys? The apartment key?” (which was put in the door so we’d see it as we left). But one afternoon, for whatever reason, we didn’t do that. And lo and behold! Bob closed the door and then commented, “Now I’ve done it!” Yep, the door was locked and the key was inside. I had the combination to the key box on the outside of the door but as luck would have it, Drew had given me that key the night we moved in and it was still on the bookcase in the apartment…thus leaving the key box empty. Neighbor after neighbor offered suggestions. Perhaps the man who was doing work on the apartment would have a key. No, he wasn’t there.  Maybe if they tried a spatula on the door it would spring the lock. Nope we had secured both locks. How about climbing over the railing of the porch? No, we had locked that door too! Finally, we realized that the back window was open. So a ladder was found and Kenny (who is afraid of heights) climbed up the ladder to the second floor, a significant distance from the ground, and into the window!  Voila! Apartment unlocked! Talk about above and beyond!  We will be forever grateful!  And I’ve learned my lesson, when there’s a key box, ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU PUT A KEY THERE IMMEDIATELY!

Perhaps one of the most memorable experiences occurred on one of our last nights. Bob and I had gone to a favorite restaurant near the beach, sitting outside sharing all that we had enjoyed in our last month. A middle aged couple and their teenage son were seated at the next table and inquired where in the States we were from. We began chatting about our adventure and they seemed genuinely interested. But I was astonished when the woman got out a napkin, wrote down their address and told us that they would love to have us stay with them if we’d like!  Talk about friendly! We were amazed.

Because our 90 days in the EU were up, it was time to move on to non-Schengen areas, so we bid farewell to our lovely new friends, many of whom we hope to stay in touch with, perhaps even meet up with, and move on to our next adventure.  We leave with many happy memories and truly understand why Lanzarote is called the European Hawaii!