Cotswolds

Oh my goodness, this place is so amazing!! Today I spent the entire day traveling around the Cotswolds! I don't exactly know where that is but I've seen it now and it is beautiful! I can see Wales from the hilltop above where I am staying. Across the River Severn. Look it up!

Sunday I left Poole (a very tearful goodbye to Tony~whom I've grown very fond of!) and caught the train up to Cam & Dursley. I'm trying to think how far back to go. Tony adn I went to Corfe Castle on Thursday. Friday we had a real relaxed day and then met up with his friend Jumbo at the Kings Head pub (then off to the Jolly Sailor) Jumbo knew Tony from way back so I got to hear alot of good stuff about him from before. Saturday we got up and walked to the Quay and watched the tall ship Stavros S Niarchos come along side. That was really awesome! I'll attach some photos so you can see it. Tony used to volunteer on that ship and had sailed on it quite a lot. He has also climbed up to the very top of the rigging so it was really cool to see that very ship that got Tony started on his sailing adventure!

Sunday we went out for a Sunday roast dinner and that was really nice. We had a great time and then ran to the train for me to take off. I headed toward Weymouth and then changed trains at Bristol to reach this place. Rob came and picked me up in this really terrific little sports car. Really great fun!

This morning Rob and I walked to the family farm and said hi to Uncle Sam and Auntie Claire and then we all geared up and went to the lake for some sailing. Such great fun!!

This lake they go to is actually a little pond, compared to our lakes back home. You let yourself into this gate and there is this great lake lined with dinghy boats. Nobody on the lake, thank goodness and so you set up your boats, change in this really terrific empty house and then off to the lake with ye!

I borrowed a shorty wet suit from Rob and all the other stuff basically and off we jumped. Rob tried to teach me about crewing, running the jib sail etc. then he put me on the helm, which was a real disaster, turns out I really sucked at multi tasking!! Go figure, I'm usually so good! So after a while, Rob stopped us and we learned about capsizing! So much fun to capsize, we did it over and over again. Lots of good experience, similar to flipping a raft on purpose to learn about righting it again. the boat was called a Laser.

It was really great!! So awesome! After we came in I jumped into Lilla's (rob's mom) boat and it just has one sail. Its called a Topper. So I played around quite a bit in it. Rob took Lucy (his little sister) out to learn to capsize as well. So it was just us "family" at the lake, no one else was there to enjoy the place I couldn't believe it!! It was awesome! No worrying about dodging boats! Thank goodness!! I was a maniac at the helm!! Hilarious!!

This place where I am staying is so cool! We are up on a hillside overlooking the valley, the name of this farm is called Tree Tops. There is an actual sign out front that says Tree Tops, and their address really is Tree Tops. They have a huge garden and a cute little pool. Tonight we all walked up and watched the badgers play. Yeah, badgers. They are the cutest little (big really) things, playing around and wrestling. Really quite cute. I had to fight the urge to run away. We always here about badgers being so mean! Who knows.

Rob got a phone call about sailing a motor yacht with Charlie over to Rotterdam and then back again so he leaves tomorrow early morning adn is back late Wednesday night. Which means I won't see him until he returns from his 10 day trip with this school group. Luckily his family is amazing!! So great!! They will put me to work earning my keep and show me around while I'm here and its going to be great!!

In the mean time Greg has said I could go along with him to the Canary Islands and that will happen mid August. I have to get to Portugal from the UK. Greg will be in touch with me when it gets closer to the time to go.

Lets see what else. Oh yeah!! On the way home Robert Sr (Rob's stepdad) took me in his Mazda MX5 and we went on a scenic trip all over the place! We went and had a pint at this place called the Tunnel House (they built a canal for the 2 rivers Severn and Thames to run) look it up, really neat. I had a glass of this stuff called Old Spot from a brewery in Uley. Then we drove to this hill top looking over the whole valley adn the sun had just peeked through and shone on the whole valley! It was one of the most amazing sights I've seen! So amazing, green, the sun seemed to shine on each field individually! I can't even begin to describe it and since I've broken my camera it will have to be in my head forever!

We drove through towns called Nailsworth, Amberly, Cirencester, Tetbury, Minchinhampton, who knows what else, it was great fun!! The Mazda has a soft top so we were cruising in style with the top down! No rain!! So awesome!!

I can't think of what else. Its been a great day! Totally full of stuff. Tomorrow Rob leaves and Lucy and I are planning a bike ride and it should be another eventful day for sure!! Who knows whats ahead!

I'll keep you posted. They have Wifi on this farm so I'm in luck! Uncle Stan and Aunt Maureen will undoubtedly be in York for this week.

I'm headed to bed soon. Having had a great busy day for sure!

Later,

K

p.s. pictures are of Stavros S Niarchos, look it up on You Tube there is a funny video of them performing a song by "queen" so hilarious.