Weeders back in the USA
Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 3:05 am
Good morning kids.... Almost 6am here. It took a total of almost 17 hours for me to get back home. It is amazing how travelling on the incredible UK train system can provide such an extensive and beautiful view of the country. I was entertained until the very last leg of my journey. It is discerning, and confusing to have been in Robin Hoods woods just yesterday, and to be sitting back at my desk here now. I guess I am not a very sophisticated traveler to have one journey make such an impact on me, when others take visiting other places with a grain of salt. It will take me a few days to adjust to being back here... and like a child returning from summer camp, I will be sad because of having had to leave my new friends, who live so far away.
While Minks and the gang saw all the sights, I was living like a resident of Cornwall. I am very easy to please, and am always content with settling in with the locals, feeling privledged to experience living the way they do every day. Because I make my living gardening, I am always thrilled to see what grows in a new place, and why it grows there. As you know, I visited London with the group. Went to the London eye(not on it) and visited the Tower of London the following day. I then left for Cornwall with Betty and Theia. It was a 7 hour drive, and so I saw much of the land going south. I arrived at Theias lovely cottage, and honestly?? Took a couple of days to recover from the trip.( We are the older group you know:) We visited Lands End, Trurro,Penzance and basically saw the coastline. I did see my share of castles and cottages that were nestled into the countryside, but werent necessarily for tourists. On Friday we visited the Glendurgan Garden. It not only was breathtakingly beautiful... It also had and unexpected and quite meaningful connection for me. The area down by the little village, on the seaport is where Daphne DuMurier sat and wrote her books. My all time favorite is Rebecca. We visited Bettys home.. had dinner at Theias daughter and son in laws house...We went out to dinner and socialized with some local " Blokes" We cooked a leg of lamb together to make dinner for Jackies son and girlfriend... We visited Jackies mom who told me an incredible war time love story about relationships made and lost between Yanks and Brits. Most valuable is that I gathered memories that will last a lifetime, and we established the bonds of frienship that began here, and will quite possibly take us on the road to somewhere, together, again some day. Theia treated me like royalty while I was a guest in her home and, I feel privledged that she introduced me to her family. I returned the kindness by allowing her to see the real me... Like me eating baguettes in supermarkets!!!! or laughing and speaking to strangers every where we went, in my standard straight forward very American way. My gift of gab, landed us quite a bargain on a most huge and beautiful leg of lamb. Ive eaten so much great bread, pastry. and chocolate, that now I have to go on water and carrots for a week. I must tell you that a heartwarming experience of my journey was that everywhere we went.... anyone who heard me open my mouth, and suspected I was American behaved as though I were a celebrity... it was food for thought.
I ask you how much more real can it get than visiting the English Walmart??
Slippery buggers those ever dollar hungry Walmart executive minds.
This is not my thank you thread.. You all know how I feel about everyone I met, and I will contact you all personally. Well, when the suitcases are unpacked, and the pictures are put away.... this is what I am left with..
At four o clock, everyday, when I make MY tea.... The faces of my new friends will pass in front of my eyes... I will see the moors,the boats bobbing in the water on the coast... get a whiff of the air laced with the sweetest cornish fragrance... or laugh when I think of myself zipping along the most beautiful English countryside ( on the wrong side of the car!!) and I will feel incredibly blessed, and happy to have lived it. Thank you God... or whoever you are up there, for allowing me to truly live. Thank you UK for existing in this world with us.... Thank You all of my friends for your hospitality, and your love. What a gift!!! Love, Weeder... I mean Laura.. I mean?? Oh Bugger Off .. Lauraweeder, you sappy idiot:-4 :-4
While Minks and the gang saw all the sights, I was living like a resident of Cornwall. I am very easy to please, and am always content with settling in with the locals, feeling privledged to experience living the way they do every day. Because I make my living gardening, I am always thrilled to see what grows in a new place, and why it grows there. As you know, I visited London with the group. Went to the London eye(not on it) and visited the Tower of London the following day. I then left for Cornwall with Betty and Theia. It was a 7 hour drive, and so I saw much of the land going south. I arrived at Theias lovely cottage, and honestly?? Took a couple of days to recover from the trip.( We are the older group you know:) We visited Lands End, Trurro,Penzance and basically saw the coastline. I did see my share of castles and cottages that were nestled into the countryside, but werent necessarily for tourists. On Friday we visited the Glendurgan Garden. It not only was breathtakingly beautiful... It also had and unexpected and quite meaningful connection for me. The area down by the little village, on the seaport is where Daphne DuMurier sat and wrote her books. My all time favorite is Rebecca. We visited Bettys home.. had dinner at Theias daughter and son in laws house...We went out to dinner and socialized with some local " Blokes" We cooked a leg of lamb together to make dinner for Jackies son and girlfriend... We visited Jackies mom who told me an incredible war time love story about relationships made and lost between Yanks and Brits. Most valuable is that I gathered memories that will last a lifetime, and we established the bonds of frienship that began here, and will quite possibly take us on the road to somewhere, together, again some day. Theia treated me like royalty while I was a guest in her home and, I feel privledged that she introduced me to her family. I returned the kindness by allowing her to see the real me... Like me eating baguettes in supermarkets!!!! or laughing and speaking to strangers every where we went, in my standard straight forward very American way. My gift of gab, landed us quite a bargain on a most huge and beautiful leg of lamb. Ive eaten so much great bread, pastry. and chocolate, that now I have to go on water and carrots for a week. I must tell you that a heartwarming experience of my journey was that everywhere we went.... anyone who heard me open my mouth, and suspected I was American behaved as though I were a celebrity... it was food for thought.
I ask you how much more real can it get than visiting the English Walmart??
Slippery buggers those ever dollar hungry Walmart executive minds.
This is not my thank you thread.. You all know how I feel about everyone I met, and I will contact you all personally. Well, when the suitcases are unpacked, and the pictures are put away.... this is what I am left with..
At four o clock, everyday, when I make MY tea.... The faces of my new friends will pass in front of my eyes... I will see the moors,the boats bobbing in the water on the coast... get a whiff of the air laced with the sweetest cornish fragrance... or laugh when I think of myself zipping along the most beautiful English countryside ( on the wrong side of the car!!) and I will feel incredibly blessed, and happy to have lived it. Thank you God... or whoever you are up there, for allowing me to truly live. Thank you UK for existing in this world with us.... Thank You all of my friends for your hospitality, and your love. What a gift!!! Love, Weeder... I mean Laura.. I mean?? Oh Bugger Off .. Lauraweeder, you sappy idiot:-4 :-4
...but at least we got breakfast together .
