The Mother Land

I hopped the pond and gained a European stamp in my passport. At last! I jumped at the opportunity to see the land of my inheritance…ie… the land of my ancestors. It was a whirlwind voyage with endless trips to the pub….don’t read into that! Pubs are the best spot for succulent food. Especially Sticky Toffee Pudding (which we appraised everywhere we went and used our self derived rating system as the judge. FYI the best one came from the Red Lion in a small village in Scotland). I was away for 20 days, I could have stayed away forever. It was more than lovely. What’s lovelier than proper English Tea, greenness everywhere, and that refined accent? I was bewitched, totally and completely. My adventures include but are not limited to: ALL things Jane Austen, touring random mansions, the Lake District, train stations, driving around a single roundabout multiple times, fish and chips, crumpets, English chocolate, Jane Eyre sites, Broadway plays with accents, thousands of pictures, a service at Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Irish Men, traditional Irish music at the pub, Scottish plaid, staying in the village of my people (literally), and stalking my long lost dead in various Scottish cemeteries. Wait, I forgot the shopping. There was plenty of that to be done! My new spray paint tagged luggage was bursting! Here goes, the rundown via photos.
Jane Austen's inspiration for Pemberley
Elizabeth Bennet's comments on Permberley: It came
on so slowly I hardly know... but I believe I must
date it from the time I first saw his wonderful
grounds at Pemberley.

The Apollo something or other. In the new P&P
where Darcy and Elizabeth hook it up!

My new home:)

Jane Austen's Home
The very place were genious was brought about!
Rosings Park from the BBC version.

The most agreeable man in all of England...at
this moment he stated..."Oh behave!"

Proper English Tea. Gorgeous!
Cathedral in York
Shakespear's home
The Lake District....stole my heart!
London
London Eye
Trafalgar Square - Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
**IRELAND**
Skipping rocks with the wee little duckies
My favorite PUB - Amazing traditional music I feel in
love with many a musicians here!
Amazing ruins of a church.
**SCOTLAND** my heart still skips a beat
Clackmannan - The village of my Patterson ancestors
Looking out over Clackmannan
My boyfriend working hard for the money
Total nerd with my genealogy sheet!

Local Perish Church

Family headstone...I've got a lot of headstone pics to sort through in order to figer out the link of my kindred dead

I am certain that I will someday return! I merely got a taste. Walking where my ancestors walked was a blessing. They gave up a beautiful country for what they firmly believed in. The faith of those gone before me has impacted my own faith. I will sign off with...to be continued...in hopes that I will return.