Verona with UA Study Abroad

We went to a UA class on the Mediterranean Diet at 9 this morning in Verona.  Donato taught the class and was gracious to allow us to sit in.  After his lecture, we boarded a bus for Valeggio Sul Mincio, where we visited a pasta shop and were allowed into the kitchens where the pasta was being made.  It was fascinating to see!  We ate lunch at the pasta shop, with an appetizer of eggplant chip with ripe grape tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, then seven courses of pasta (unbelievable!), and a platter of desserts.  Lunch was amazing!

After lunch, we walked up to Castello Scaligero, then down to the village of Borghetto.  With the Mincio River running through it, Borghetto is quaint and picturesque.  We walked about and had a gelato before returning to Verona.  We had a terrific time with the UA Mediterranean Diet students!  We also learned that Donato and Ornella are our neighbors in Tucson!  It really is a small world!

Travel Day, London to Verona

We spent time with Emerson, Colby and Claire this morning, before Emerson went to school and Colby went to a gymnastics camp.  Colby has the week off from school (British system).  We walked from Claire’s house to the tube station at St. John’s Wood.  We took the tube to Green Park, then got on the Victoria Line to Victoria Station, where we got tickets for the Gatwick Express to Gatwick Airport.  We picked up our boarding passes and flew to Verona.  Once in Verona, we walked out of the airport and onto a city bus that drove us directly to Porto Nuovo Train Station, where we got on a second city bus that dropped us off directly in front of our B&B.  Voila!  We arrived in Verona!

After checking in, we wanted to see a bit of Verona.  We took a walk along the River Adige to the Castelvecchio, where we crossed onto Via Roma and walked to the Arena.  We walked around the Arena, then went for dinner at a restaurant near our B&B for pasta.  Delicious!

Ickworth House and Gardens

We were up early at the thatched cottage and walked with Colby to a nearby playground just after breakfast.  Along the way, we passed a house with the largest pink and red poppies we’ve ever seen!  We came back and spent time in the back garden, then packed up to leave by 10.

We drove about 45 minutes to Ickworth, an estate that was in the same family over 500 years.  After many additions and through centuries of “feast and less,” the Hervey family had allowed the estate to fall into disrepair.  In the early 1900’s, the 4th Marchioness and the daughter of a Victorian railway contractor, brought with her to Ickworth a considerable dowry which she used to remodel the house.  In 1956, the 4th Marquess presented the house and estate to the UK Treasury in lieu of death taxes.  The UK Treasury passed Ickworth to the National Trust. It’s rotunda and Italianate Garden are exceptionally beautiful, and there is a luxury hotel in the West Wing.  We walked about the gardens and grounds, explored St. Mary’s Church (over 900 years old), and had lunch.  We still had time for Colby to play in Ickworth’s Adventure Play Area.

We took the train from Bury St. Edmunds back to London, with a stop in Stowmarket.  We arrived at Claire’s house by 7.  It was a long day.  We enjoyed seeing new sites and we had a good time with Colby.

Thetford Forest

We went to Thetford Forest today.  Thetford Forest is the UK’s largest man made lowland forest with 18,730 hectares to explore.  Emerson and Colby had fun on the various versions of swings, the Great Pyramid, and a giant blow up slide.  We went on a hike and had lunch there too.  It was a beautiful day and we had a terrific time!

A Day at the Beach and a Castle

We drove to Dunwich Heath and Beach, a National Trust property on the Suffolk coast, this morning.  We went on a discovery walk with Emerson and Colby, helping cheer on their snail races, playing in life size “nests,” collecting bugs, and playing on the beach.  We had lunch there, then drove to Framlingham to visit the Castle, an English-Heritage property built in 1148.  There was a village festival in full swing when we arrived, so Emerson and Colby spent time at the carnival.  We explored the castle, walking the ramparts, then around the moat.  We had a wonderful day!

A Few Days in Thatched Cottage in Norfolk

Claire found a cute thatched cottage near the small village of Pulham Saint Mary, in Norfolk, about 30 miles south of Norwich.  We left London this morning, driving about 2.5 hours to the house.  It really is adorable!  We spent much of the day in the backyard, going for walks in the countryside, and Papa napped a bit.  Emerson and Colby washed the car, then played for hours in the back yard.  We had dinner at a local pub, The Crown.