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September 5, 2016. Next adventures in England

LOCATION:  Oxford, England

WEATHER:  Mostly cloudy. Highs in 60s

I took the dogs (still in Whitchurch) for a walk.  Lots of their dog friends were in the park, so they nicely got worn out playing.

We packed up, said goodbye to the dogs, and left about 1:00.  The homeowners weren't home yet, so one of their friends kindly took us to the bus station.

We arrived in Oxford, and got settled in the youth hostel.  It is a family room with 3 sets of bunk beds. Really quite nice.  Completely full with mostly international guests.  

We picked up Alexis and Graham who arrived by train from London.  We introduced them to a pub we like here.  Nice evening for sitting outdoors.

NOTE:  New blog address...www.reidsontheroad2.blogspot.com

September 4, 2016. Last full day in Whitchurch

LOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, England

WEATHER:  Mostly cloudy. Highs about 60

I took a long walk with the dogs in the park.  It was like a doggie play date.  Two sets of dogs were there being walked with their owners.  The dogs played and played.  One female dog is in season, so I had to keep one of our dogs away because, as the English endearingly explain..."he still has his bits".  

We are trying to finish our England stay by making sure we have eaten traditional foods.  Today we had a scotch egg for lunch.

We dabbed on a little spicy English mustard which added great flavor.

In the afternoon, we walked to our local pub for the last time.  We chatted with some local guys who were deciding between having another pint or mowing the yard.

Our daughter arrived safely in London and is staying with our former exchange student.

DINNER:  Fish pie, another British favorite dish.  I used a can of smoked mackaral as the bottom layer, then mashed potatoes, topped with a little cheese.  

September 3, 2016. Indoor activities on a rainy day

LOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, England

WEATHER:  Cloudy in AM, Rain in PM

The weather forecast was for rain, so I took the dogs for a long walk in the morning.  Happily, we encountered another dog walker with one of our dogs' friends.  They played together and worked off their energy.

It did rain most of the day.  The dogs seemed to understand this and rested quite a bit.  In a break from the rain, we got in a second hike.

We did rainy day things.....read books and watched some BBC shows including "Miranda" featuring the actress Chumley from "Call the Midwife".  Highly recommend.  

For lunch, I warmed up the faggot we had bought at the butcher shop.  I looked it up on google.  It is a  sausage ball-type thing made of pork shoulder and liver, all the leftover bits of the pig I think.  This is what it looks like, even though my google search of "faggot pictures" resulted in an amazing other bunch of photos!, 

We made some future travel arrangements.  On George's bucket list are the French islands off the coast of Newfoundland named: St Pierre and Miquelon.  

One would think this is Canada, but it is actually a part of France.  They speak French there, use euros as currency, and apparently have great French restaurants.  It will be an adventure.    We bought tickets to go there later this fall.  Our next travel plans are coming together.....

This week:  Canal trip with daughter Alexis and her friend

Late September:  Ireland 

Then 3 weeks in Nova Scotia visiting 2 sets of friends.  One couple we knew when we lived in Gainesville, Florida, and another couple we met traveling in our Airstream.

Then, 3 days in St Pierre and Miquelon.  

Then early October to visit daughter Meredith and her husband in Detroit

Then mid-October back to Rochester, Minnesota where we used to live.  

From there, our plans are not definite, except for  3 future housesitting assignments.....

**Late November/December in Portland, Oregon

**Christmas in San Muguel de Allende, Mexico  

**February/March in Lake Norman, North Carolina

This around-the-world trip started with the month of February in New Zealand, 4 months in Australia, and now  2 1/2 months in England.  

DINNER:  Pasta using some courgettes from the garden and sausage we bought at the butcher shop in Thame.  

 

September 2, 2016. More Vicar....

After strolling around the village, we stopped at the Dibley/Turnville pub for lunch.  Very cozy.

As we were getting seated, the couple next to us invited us to join them.  They are from a nearby town, and had come here, to one  of their favorite villages and pubs, to celebrate the wife's birthday.  It was lovely chatting with them.  Luck #3.....When we got ready to call the taxi to pick us up, they insisted on giving us a ride to Thame,  their town, where we could pick up the bus back home.  

They suggested that we check out the regionally famous butcher shop in Thame,  and one of the many pubs.  We had 20 minutes before our bus, so bought some goodies at the butchers, and split a pint in the Birdcage, the town's  oldest pub.  Built in the 1300s, it is supposedly haunted.    

Back home, I took the dogs for a good walk.  One of their puppy friends was out, too, so they released a lot of energy playing together.  Luck #4..... Just as we finished our walk, the sky opened up and it poured.  

DINNER:  Pizza

Final lucky bit of the day......  The final episode of Vicar of Dibley  (which I hadn't seen before) was on BBC.  We watched it, recognizing many of the scenes we had seen just a few hours ago.  What a great day!

September 2, 2016. The Vicar of Dibley trip!!

LOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, England

WEATHER:  Mostly cloudy.  Cooler. Highs in 60s

This was a lucky day, all around.......

One of my dreams while in England has been to visit the village where one of my favorite BBC shows, The Vicar of Dibley, takes place.  It is a very remote village, Turville, not on a bus or train line. I researched it as best as I could, but when I asked people where Turville is, no one had heard  of it.  I found out there is a pub there (of course), so I contacted them to confirm how to get there.

The first leg was to Aylesbury, the bus hub around here.  Luck #1 .......We were running a bit late and arrived at the Whitchurch bus stop one minute after the listed departure time.  Luckily, the bus was running a minute late, too, so we hopped on just as it pulled up.

Luck #2.....In Aylesbury, our second bus was just getting ready to leave.  We boarded with a bunch of older locals.     When we tried to pay, the driver just ushered us on.  I think he assumed that we were with the other British seniors, who ride the buses free.

The bus travelled through beautiful countryside, just like the scenes from the tv show, arriving in High Wycombe, the closest we could get to Turville by local transport.  We hailed a cab.  The driver wasn't 100% sure where Turville is, even though it is only about 8 miles away.  He did figure it out, and took us there.  

Turville looks just like Dibley.  It IS Dibley!  Our first view was the church, called St. Barnabus in the show.

 

Next to the church is the Vicar's cottage.

We walked into the church, seeing familiar scenes....

It is smaller than it looks on tv.  This is where the Vicar preaches...

The village is comprised of the church, a pub, and about 20 houses.  

It is all so impossibly quaint.

See next post for more Dibley!  

September 1, 2016. A day at the fair!

ILOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, England

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Sunny. Highs in 70s

We are lucky to be here for the annual Bucks County Fair.  It is a huge fair about 3 miles from here.  We, along with about 22,000 Britons, attended this fair which is similar to an American county fair, but with some twists.

There were lots of food booths, retail shops, farm machinery sales, and children's rides.  Our favorite part was watching the animals.  The young horse jumpers cleared the high fences.

I've never seen such huge cows.

We watched the cows being judged.

Lots of cows, and cow poo.....

Then, cute children showing their calves...

We watched the sheepdogs herding geese, and the dancing sheep.  George talked with a thatcher, a professional thatch roof-maker.

We decided to walk home.  Halfway back, we walked into a village even smaller than our Whitchurch, and stumbled upon this pub.  Again, the pub is the only business in town.  The village is comprised of houses, a very nice central village green, and this pub.  What an idyllic place to live!

We returned home, hot and tired.  In the evening, after relaxing and exercising the dogs, we walked back into Whitchurch to "our" pub where there was a band playing.  The pub was capitalizing on all the traffic passing through after the fair.  We listened to the band in the outdoor patio, then ate dinner there, a nice seafood lasagne dish.  

August 31, 2016. Reunion in Oxford with friends

LOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire , England

WEATHER:  Mostly sunny.  Little PM rain. Highs around 70

We had a great day today in Oxford, meeting up with friends from New Zealand who are traveling through England.  We hiked along the canals, and had lunch in one of the pubs we had previously discovered.

We met our friend Ken about 40 years ago when we were living in Japan.  George and I got married in Japan, then Ken officiated the marriage in the American Embassy.  Ken later was transferred to several other countries, then met his lovely Kiwi wife Lynette, and has been living in New Zealand.  We visited them in Auckland in February when we started this trip.

We sat outside in the pub's beautiful garden and chatted.  It was a perfect day.

Then, the bus ride back to Aylesbury through cute towns like this one.  We like to sit on the upper deck  so we can enjoy the views.

We stopped in Alyesbury to get our Visa bill mixup from yesterday's lunch restaurant corrected.  I won't bore you with the details, but it was a fiasco.  

It started to rain in Aylesbury while the sun was still shining, producing this glorious double rainbow.

Back home, the dogs were ecstatic to see us.  George took them for a long walk.

DINNER:  Beans and rice with chorizo and cilantro, called coriander here.

August 30, 2016. Trip to Aylesbury

LOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, England

WEATHER:  Another beautiful day. Sunny. Highs upper 70s

Today we took a 15-minute bus ride to Aylesbury, a fairly large town.  We walked through the historic section where a farmers' market was taking place.  We stumbled upon the Roald Dahl Museum on a back street.  He was born here.  How poignant that we were here today, as everyone is remembering actor Gene Wilder, of Willy Wonka fame, who just died.

We found the canal basin with several longboats moored. Just in one week, we will be living on one!

We had lunch in a Greek restaurant.  All good, but afterwards when we were back home, we realized that the Visa charge was wrong...one decimal in the wrong place......instead of 15.1 pounds ($19 USD), it was 151 pounds ($190).  We have  to return to the restaurant to get it straightened out.  

Back home, I gave the dogs a run.  This is the natural area behind our house with Brook running freely....

 The nature area leads to the village park, well-equipped with a children's playground  and fitness stations.

George grilled dinner on a perfect summer evening.

DINNER:  American theme.....grilled hamburgers and potato salad.  One food I miss from the USA is a dill pickle.  We have found a few "gherkins" here and in Australia, but they just aren't the same.  

August 29, 2016. Soaking up Whitchurch

ILOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, England

WEATHER:  Beautiful. Sunny. Highs in 70s

Today is a bank holiday.  I don't think it is any special celebration, just an end-of-the-summer 3-day weekend.  Being a bank holiday, bus service was quite limited again, so we stayed in Whitchurch.

We walked around the village.

I assume Whitchurch got its name from its whitish church?

I just can't get enough of the thatched roof houses. 

Many of the houses are really old...

This one, called The Old Courthouse, has an interesting door.

We had lunch in the village pub, the White Swan.

The people are very friendly.  the staff remembered us from our first visit.

After lunch, we walked around town some more.  This collection of buildings,  The Firs, was called Churchill's "Toy Shop" during the war as inventors worked here trying to create gadgets to win the war.

On the dogs' afternoon walk in the park, I met a garrulous 8-year-old boy.  He talked non-stop in a darling little-boy English accent, as he walked the dogs with me.

DINNER:  Frittata.   

August 28, 2016. Quiet day with the dogs and chickens

LOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, England

WEATHER:  Mostly cloudy.  Rain in PM.  Highs in 60s

Today, Sunday, the buses have very limited service, so we stayed home.

George is in charge of the chickens.  He collects 3-4 eggs a day.

 

 The dogs seemed antsy today, so I took them for 3 walks throughout the day.

The homeowners are trying to train the puppy to be a bird dog for hunting.  George practiced some commands with them.

In the late afternoon, between rain showers, we walked about a mile to the next village's pub.  As with many villages, the pub is really the only business in town.  It is another cute pub.

We had eaten there in the beautiful back area the first night we arrived with the homeowners.

DINNER:  Pasta with leftover chicken.  

August 27, 2016. National Dog Day

LOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire,England 

WEATHER: Patchy rain, including thunderstorms in the pm.  Highs in 60s

I saw on Facebook that today is National Dog Day.  On this housesitting assignment, we are taking care of 3 spaniels.  

Mocha, the next to the oldest,  is a cocker spaniel mix.  Easy to see how he got his name.....

Murray is the oldest, a springer spaniel mix.

Brook is a very energetic springer spaniel.  This photo catches him in a rare quiet moment....

They have a nice backyard to play in as well as a huge field and park next door for walks.

After a morning run in the field with the dogs, we took off for Buckingham which someone had recommended.  It is an old market town, and today was actually market day.  We walked around the town, visiting the old prison which is now the visitors center.

We popped into the pub when it started raining.  It seemed like the entire town was there, everyone watching the football (soccer) game.  

We have started seeing signs like this one in front of the pub.  Hard to think about Christmas already!

We had an all-day bus pass so we rode around a bit appreciating the beautiful countryside scenery.  

Back home, George used the BBQ to grill the kabobs we had bought at the butcher the other day.  Side was rice  and cucumbers in Greek yogurt.  

August 26, 2016. Day trip to Winslow.

LOCATION:  Housesitting in Whitchurch, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Sunny.  Highs in 70s

In this rural part of England, the old-style custom of doorstep milk delivery still exists.  Last night we left our empty milk bottles on the front doorstep and this morning, the milkman delivered our order.  Brilliant!

Today's destination was Winslow, an old market town about 8 miles away.  We figured out the bus and caught it near our house.  We could never do this housesitting  in the USA without a car, due to lousy American public transportation.  Here, however, we get along fine with buses and trains, even in a small town like Whitchurch.

We found two cute pubs.  Both date from the 1400s.  The first one, The George, has a wide selection of beers, including American IPAs, and friendly people.

We chatted with the bartender and a customer.  We had a lively discussion about politics, both American and British.  

Across the street is another pub, this one advertising the best steak pies in England.

With that proclamation, we of course had to order a pie.  We split their award-winning Stilton and steak pie and sat next by the cozy fireplace.

The pie was indeed delicious.  Crispy crust, served with mashed potatoes, gravy and peas.

Winslow has a small grocery store, so we did a bit of shopping and returned on the bus.  

After another walk with the dogs, we enjoyed the evening, another night of Vicar of Dibley programs on BBC.  

DI NNER:  A huge stuffed zucchini, called courgette here.  Stuffed with a mixture of hamburger (mince), rice, onion, and grated cheese.