We've spent the last month and a half in visits from both sets of parents, with side trips to St. Ives in Cornwall (with the Berks) and York and Edinburgh (with the McDermotts). St. Ives is a delightful seaside town with tons of art galleries. The Tate Modern has a branch there, thanks to the establishment in the early 20th century of a colony of abstract artists led by Barbara Hepworth. Her home, studio, and sculpture garden (picture 1) are a highlight of the town. Fabulous restaurants, great shopping, and, for Robin, the best feature -- besides a beach to dig in (picture 2) -- was the Bob the Builder ride outside the boardwalk arcade (picture 3). We saw ancient stone artifacts like the Man-a-Tol, a holed stone whose original purpose is a mystery (picture 4).
Robin is a terrific traveler (picture 5) and loves to see new places. He loved York's cobblestone streets and snickets (alleys), and especially the Cathedral. We also saw the Jorvik Viking Experience, where Robin was able to "dig" for bone shards in their archaeology exhibit. Edinburgh was fantastic, with its castle perched high above the Old Town (picture 6). I was thrilled to spend time absorbing the atmosphere in Holyrood House (home of the Scottish Kings and Queens, including James VI, about whom I'll soon be writing) and Edinburgh Castle. I saw the room in which James was born, a tiny "closet" with Mary Stuart's prayer for her safety in childbirth painted on the wall above where the bed would have been. From the castle, you can see the "New Town" below and the Firth of Forth beyond. We enjoyed gorgeous fall weather, and the leaves turn much more brilliant colors in the north of Britain than they do down here in the Southwest.
The trip home from Edinburgh was a 9-hour train ride that Robin handled like a pro. But he's beginning to ask when we're going back to Michigan, and we've started the one-month countdown!
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