I went to England for my Nan's (mum's side) 80th birthday party in the middle of June. Here are some pictures from my trip.
This was our first day in England. Since jet lag was making us want to go to sleep at 4 o'clock in the afternoon we went for a walk. Of course I took some pictures while we walked.

Wow it is not raining!


The pigs didn't appreciate this beautiful view from their stys.


A picture of my cousin's house. It is literally 200 meters from Nanny's!


We went to the chip shop to get good old English chips, mushy peas, pineapple fritters and curry sauce on the first night. On the way back home we followed this three wheeled car, also known as a Robin Reliant!


My aunts came over after dinner so we could all hang out. Yay still no rain!!

Day two of our trip was a Saturday and Nanny's actual birthday. We all went out to one of our favourite local pubs, the Catherine Wheel, for lunch.

The front door of the pub!


About to make a toast to Nanny


Leaving the pub we found rain imminent:(


After lunch at the pub, why it was time for some rock balancing!


Then it was time for some can balancing!


Because it looked like rain my Mum, step-dad, aunt and her friend decided to go for a walk to the village of South Stoke. Of course we had to go by the field full of white opium poppies first.


A cinnabar moth we found!


The village's only pub, the Perch and Pike


After we had our fill of alcoholic beverages (and the rain had stopped) we made our way over to my uncle's house. Of course we had to stop by the Manor Farm where my grandparent's used to live.

The Manor's back garden with the second largest pigeon cote in the whole of Europe (seen over the churchyard wall)!


Gravestone in the churchyard!


A grain storage shed on balanced stones! These balanced stones are so rats cannot get into the building (the steps wouldn't have been there).


Of course at the point most far from any shelter the rain buckets it down!


Finally soaking wet we get to my uncle's house!

Sunday, the day of the big party! I had to get up early so I could make tea-time style sandwhiches for 70! Ater all the food was ready the party started at 3 o'clock sharp.

Everyone enjoying the beautiful British summer. Yay for no rain!


My Goddaughter enjoying the party


Nanny cutting her cake, right before the champagne toast (yum)!


Someone enjoying the champagne.


...and someone else too!


My little bro:)


A Mayfly on car bonnet

The day after the party. Time to relax and enjoy the English countryside!

We went into Goring on Thames and walked along the river with my cousin and goddaughter. This is the path down to the lock.


A barge on the river.


Later that afternoon we went to see the Uffington white horse and Wayland's Smithy, a neolithic site near by.
Here is a European black slug we found (Arion ater). It was huge!!


Wayland's Smithy a burial chamber dating back 5500 years! Legend has it that if you leave your horse and a silver coin Wayland, the Saxon god of metal working, will shoe your horse!


Mummy, sis and me by the tomb entrance


After we left Wayland's Smithy we hiked up to the Uffington white horse which dates back to 1000 BC! Some people think it is more of a dragon than a horse and that the valley below is the site where Saint George slew the dragon.


Check out this link for a view of the horse from the sky!
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/img_400/se_uffington_horse_01.jpg

Sunset over the fields!

This was my last day at my cousin's house. We decided to go and visit Avebury stone circle and henge. Just in case you don't know a henge is a roughly circular area enclosed by an earthen boundary, usually a ditch and the resulting pile of earth formed into a bank.

S looking very happy!


Avebury is larger (there is one very large stone circle enclosing two smaller stone circles) and older than Stonehenge (the megalithic stage anyway). It dates back 5000 years and today it encompasses the village of Avebury that grew in its midst. Apparently the settlement began as a defensive encampment for a Saxon army


My sis and goddaughter in front of one of the stones in the Cove which is in the northern inner circle. The two stones in the Cove represent male and female. This diamond shaped rock represents the female.


Sheep enjoy the shade of this stone which is part of the large outer circle.


After visiting Avebury we headed over to Silbury Hill, the largest man-made mound in pre-industrial Europe. It is about 4,500 years old and 130ft high. We couldn't walk up to the top as it was closed for restoration work.


Luckily West Kennet Long Barrow was not closed. This huge burial chamber was constructed around 3700BC, and is just over the horizon line to the South of Silbury Hill.


The view looking into the chambered area.


The view looking out from the final chamber.


A flint rockbalance inside the barrow!

Me and sis had to get up early to catch the train down to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Devon. We caught the train in Reading and had to change at Basingstoke. From there it was about an hour to Axminster, the closest station to my Grandma's village of Dalwood.

View of a lovely castle from the train. Again the livestock is totally unappreciative of the beautiful scenery.


After lunch Grandma and Grandpa had to take a nap so I took pictures of the garden.

Grandpa's vegetable patch!


Some rockbalancing.


Balance on one of Grandma's statues!


After their nap Grandma took the dogs for a walk. We went down into the village and I had to take a picture of my favorite pub ever. The Tucker's Arms was built 800 years ago and it has a lovely thatch roof!


Sis and Grandma resting on the bench by the stream that runs through the village.

Grandpa drove Grandma, sis and me into Lyme Regis for a walk around today. He had to go back home for a nap so we were going to take the bus home.

An old cannon and view of the sea. The weather was rubbishy, but it didn't rain while we were out.


It did start raining later so I couldn't take any more pictures till we got home. Here are some parts of Grandma and Grandpa's house I don't want to forget.

Grandma's Aga-an oil heated stove that stays on year round and Pippin the dog (all Grandma's dogs are named after apple varieties, where the heck is Bramley?)


Grandma's doll's house


A view into the doll's living room. It looks so real from this angle!

Another day on the train. Grandma and Grandpa dropped us off at Axminster station and we had to make it all the way back into north London where my dad lives.

Me uploading pictures on the train.


Paddington tube station! Mind the Gap Yo


That night we went into London to see a comedic version of The 39 Steps, at the Criterion theatre in Piccadilly Circus.
View of the electric signs and the fountain.


Sis, bro, Dad and step-mom.


British Bobbies near Soho because of all the pickpockets.


Funilly enough there were no police men next to my Dad's car after it broken into!!!!

Day in North London with Dad, step-mom, bro and sis.

Rupert's new guitar! Taken in the Hill Garden on Hampstead Heath.


Cassiobury Park near Watford.
Nadia and Ruperty on children's toys!


A lovely view of a weeping willow.


A barge on the canal. We had to help them open the lock as it was slightly broken.


And then I left!!!!

My cousin's house near Goring on Thames, Berkshire


A few at Grandma's house in Dalwood, Devon
June 20th


June 22nd






Pebble balance in the Hill Garden on Hampstead Heath (North London)
June 23rd


Cassiobury park in Watford North London
June 24th