England, A New Phase of the Journey Begins

We left the ship at about 8:30 am on Sunday morning and made our way to the rental car place at the airport. Now the fun began...Jim driving and me navigating. Fortunately, I had the help of GPS. We survived what seemed like thousands of roundabouts. Our destination was Winchester, which is about 30 miles from

Southampton. The city is ancient and our hotel is a pub right in the heart with a view of the cathedral and university out our attic room window. This place is everything an English pub should be. The structure has been a pub since before our Revolutionary War.

Love Winchester. It reminded us of how much we have enjoy this country and the countryside. Yesterday was the 60th Anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. We were able to tour the cathedral while they were setting up for a special service. Heard the incredible organ and saw the ladies and gentlemen lining up dressed in their finest hats and the men wearing their army medals.

Jane Austin's House

Today was another day to remember. I am a HUGE Jane Austin fan. We visited the village of Chawton and her home where she wrote so many of her novels. We also drove to Highclere Castle where they film Downton Abbey. We made it through the gate and got a glimpse of the towers of the castle before a guard turned us away. Oh we'll, we tried.

Highclere Castle

Tomorrow we move to Horsted Place, a country house hotel in East Sussex.

Normandy...A Moving Experience

Our last day was a nine hour tour to the beaches of Normandy. We were weary, but it was so worth it.  The Normandy countryside is beautiful. We visited Gold Beach, the British Beach where the pontoon bridges and docks were put in place to download Allied troops, tanks, supplies to support the taking of France. The American Cemetery was the highlight. To see this beautiful serene place where our heroes rest is almost a religious experience. To cap the visit, we were there for the lowering of the flag with taps lingering in the air. Omaha Beach seems so ordinary. We saw families with children playing on the beach. To think on June 6, 69 years ago, the invasion took place and the beach was the scene of such carnage. A truly memorable day.