I started a blog post back in January that had the first line, ‘Before it gets forgotten in the tumultuousness of the new year…’. Having singularly failed to get around to chronicling our travels in England over Christmas, I can belatedly litter a few of those photos over this post.
Deleting most of my notes from the previous drafts, it is nonetheless a pleasant feeling to finish a post about England, and as it turns out – almost like it was planned – we are now back over in the isle seemingly known as Brexit. Ignoring the news though, it is good to be back on home ground, although I’m gutted that the football wasn’t on terrestrial(is this still a term?) television.
Suffering the usual fourteen and a half hour flight – spent watching Creed films this time -the highlight by a cracking English breakfast just before we landed at 8:10pm. It was good to finally touch down, especially when we were gifted fast track passes for passport control, because Crissy has friends everywhere.
It was less than a day before I reignited my appreciation of steak & ale pie and chips. Fighting the body clock around and working on the latest manuscript has been a challenge, but the good news is that I have been able to reacquaint myself with some great books that were left over here from last time, as well as planning a bit of a social life with friends . Life is good, although I am weirdly starting to miss three rice based meals a day.
Book to the Future 
Isn’t it fascinating how quickly we adapt to different lifestyles and cultures – especially on the food front. But nice to dip one’s toe back into the realm of pies from time to time.
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It’s been nostalgia time in this honeymoon period of returning but I really couldn’t help myself. I’m already excited for the football to start again, although Scandinavia and South America is sustaining me for the moment.
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I once read that ‘nostalgia ain’t what it used to be’! 🤣
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We need some new clichés.
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Let us know more about your upcoming travels, duck!
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Ayup love, I shall be begging to use your photos as well.
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Glad to hear you’re having a good time back in England. I too know what you mean about missing rice, although my longing for it is not based on travel. I normally am too lazy to drop 4 cups of rice into the rice cooker, and wait 80 minutes for it to do its thing without a hand from me (sorry sod!). What that means is that in between rice times, I have to portion out the rice I’ve already cooked and stored in the fridge carefully, so as not to run out. I just ate the last of the prepared rice this morning, and now I’m already hungry for the rice I don’t have. And I don’t know what kind of pies you’re thinking of in England, but I could go for a nice chicken pot pie (American style), or a spicy Eastern meat pie….got to go get something to eat! I hope you and Crissy continue to have a swell time while you’re visiting the old stomping grounds.
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We are going to try and do as much travelling as we can before Crissy gives birth so there will be quite a few photos coming. We’ve only been back a week but been around some of Sherwood Forest and one of the local abbey’s, a trip to the coast looks on soon as well so it’s all rather exciting!
A rice cooker is a wonderful thing, and the possession most likely to be saved in the event of a house fire in the Philippines. At the moment I am just enjoying whatever there is to eat. It gives me a more well rounded appreciation for the food of wherever I happen to be in the world.
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Thanks for sharing your lovely photos, Ste J. Will you stay until Crissy has the baby? Enjoy your time with friends and watching the football, too. 🙂
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There will be plenty more photos to come. We will stay in all probability, the plane travel whilst assured it was safe (and it was) left an impression on Crissy and I don’t think it would be wise to risk a flight back.
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I have come to accept my armchair traveler mode so I do appreciate photos. Any of Scotland will especially do.
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If (and when, as Crissy wants to go) we head that way we shall certainly be posting many photos, and the usual suffering that seems to happen at some part of the experience.
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Building memories sometimes involves pain…
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And sometimes a mouthful of bug spray…
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Your rice based meals sound very healthy!!!
Thanks for the neat pics, and I hope all goes well for the UK, or as they say, Brexit.
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I dropped lots of weight with the rice but at the same time, too much white rice causes diabetes so it is a balance game. We are already enjoying being back in England, and are starting to have a few adventures. More photos to follow soon.
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I know that road through the hills above Castleton very well! It’s not very warm up there in the summer, either. Nice to see such a good photo of Hardwick Hall. We will be visiting it for the first time this August. Sorry about the lack of football at the moment; well, let’s say I’m sorry *you* aren’t able to see much on TV – I am grateful for this short hiatus when I am able to talk to my husband on a Saturday afternoon and hope he is listening instead of knowing that he isn’t.
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Haha, yes the football does have an immersive quality, I remember watching the updates on Ceefax back in the day. We didn’t manage to get into Hardwick Hall as it was so near Christmas but I am sure we will redress that and the gardens are a pleasant walk. We broke down on that Castleton road, we had almost an hour and a half of standing waiting for the AA man. I was proud of my Filipino family for hacking the temperatures with a smile, albeit one frozen in place.
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What a shock to the system! 🙂
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It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, thanks to the hills shielding us from the winds. It was bad enough though.
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So nice to know you’re back in your own country. Is Crissy giving birth there?
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It is good to be back, it feels both like home and a holiday which is a bit strange. I think Crissy will end up giving birth here, the plane travel worries me, especially how Crissy felt on the plane over. We would rather play it safe.
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That’s pretty good. It is safer to give birth there with all the amenities you have. And your son or daughter could choose a dual citizenship later.
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That is certainly appealing to us. As long as baby is safe we are happy.
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Right, I have read through this and the comments now and understand! Hope you both (all!) have a good time settling into life over here for a bit!
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Thank you, we are settling well, a bit of local travel and cuisine as well as sorting out a midwife and such. Things are going well so far!
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