Our guide was very good and helped us envision the landscape as it would have been when the glaciers were nearby and mammoth, reindeer, hyenas, and bears roamed the landscape.  There would not have been large trees since the few that could survive the cold would have been growing close to the ground.  We saw some of the flint and bone tools the people would have used as axes, knives, spears, and sewing needles while they followed the seasonal migrations of the reindeer from southern France.

Apparently, when people arrived at the caves after during their long journey, they would send in the kids to make sure that there weren’t any dangerous animals already sheltering in the caves.  People generally lived in the entrances of the caves and stretched animals skins across the openings to provide additional shelter.

We were hoping to be able to see the recently discovered artwork in Church Cave, but it was closed for the winter due to hibernating bats.  We had listened to a program on the BBC about the first discovery of cave art in Britain here and everyone was interested to see how it compared to the art we saw in Rouffignac Cave in France.  We’ll have to return in the spring after the bats have emerged and the new visitor centre is completed.  In the meantime, we might spend some time exploring the virtual ice age.

We spent the night in a Victorian era hotel in Strathpeffer, just north of Inverness.  Apparently, it was one of the first locations to have electricity installed.  Sage has been learning about Victorian times and was excited to tell us about how they would have done things when the hotel was first built.

We stayed on the third floor and it was a veritable labyrinth to get to our room. We didn’t mind the walk, though, and we loved the character of the hotel. The garden outside was beautiful as well.

From Strathpeffer, we went to Chanonry Point to look for dolphins and seals swimming in the Moray Firth. For those like me who were not familiar with the word, a firth is a narrow inlet of the sea or an estuary. The most northerly population of bottlenose dolphins lives in the Moray Firth and can often be seen swimming close to shore here.

We quickly spotted several seals who kept poking their heads out of the water to look around. We spent some time exploring the beach, but were just about to leave without seeing any dolphins when we noticed one in the water off the point. There was a pair of dolphins that leapt through the water together. We couldn’t tell if there was more than one pair, though, or if they just kept swimming in circles and reappearing in the same place. Anyway, they were beautiful to watch.

Next, we went to see Culloden battlefield, the location of the last battle between Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite forces and the government soldiers. We have an interest in the Bonnie Prince because he and his army camped in the fields outside our house near the Swarkestone bridge before retreating back into Scotland. Also, one of our local pubs is “The Bonnie Prince”.

Anyway, the new visitor centre there is fantastic. The interpretive displays presented the background of the conflict and the details of the battle in a very accessible way. It is perhaps the best historical presentation I’ve ever seen. We saw interactive maps showing how the armies moved through Scotland and England, heard accounts from soldiers from both armies, and got a chance to hold some of the rifles and pistols used in the battle.

Finally, we drove along Loch Ness towards our accommodation on the Isle of Skye.  Loch Ness was beautiful and very, very long. We talked a lot about the Loch Ness monster and Molly read about the evidence for and against the existence of such a creature. River was convinced that it was a hoax.

We stopped to check out the ruins of Castle Urquhart, located picturesquely on the north shore of the loch.

And we stopped at just about every wide stop in the road, just because it was Loch Ness and it was a particularly beautiful, sunny day in the Great Glen

Then we headed for the Royal Mile, the famous section of streets between the Holyrood Abbey and Edinburgh Castle.  We ate a late breakfast in a cafe and then wandered towards the castle.  River took quite a few pictures along the way.  Some of the highlights include these classic red telephone boxes.  These are now being replaced by more exposed public phones that offer internet and text messaging in addition to the traditional phone service.  They aren’t nearly as aesthetically pleasing, though.  

We also encountered Adam Smith, father of modern economics and creator of the invisible hand metaphor.  It seems to me that the market’s guiding hand hasn’t been merely been invisible recently, but perhaps absent altogether? 

Nearby is the Heart of Midlothian, marking the spot where the tolls where collected at the old entrance to the city.   Apparently, some people have a tradition of spitting on the heart or leaving their chewed gum here.  There are several interpretations of the origin of this custom, but all of them seem pretty barbaric to me.

At the top of the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle is perched on the basalt plug of an extinct volano.  This position provides an incredible view over the city as well as making the castle almost impossible take by force.  The water supply, though, was restricted due these geological circumstances and became a severe weakness during sieges. 

There is an incredible historical legacy in this castle.  We learned a bit about the people who lived in the castle, including Robert the Bruce and Mary Queen of Scotts, while looking for clues to complete puzzle sheet the kids were working on.  While exploring the castle, we saw the sword, sceptre, and crown known as the Honours of Scotland and heard the one o’clock gun that ships in the harbor once used to set their chronometers.

This lion guards the entrance to the Scottish National War Memorial in the castle.

We also saw the churchyard known as Greyfriars Kirk where the scottish terrier Greyfriars Bobby is buried.

Hi, my name is Katie. I am eight years old. This is a story about when my sister got the plague.

It is London 1665. The plague is raging. I can hear carts on the cobble stones which are taking the dead people away. The air smells horrible! My family has not got the plague yet!  I feel a bit worried because I’m afraid my family might get it.

My mom Sarah sent me to get some bread. On the way there I saw lots of red crosses on doors. The red crosses meant that the family had the plague. I also saw some plague doctors. The plague doctors had some bird beak thing and a long coat so that they would not get the plague.  When I got to the the bakery there weren’t as many people as normal. I put  my money in some vinegar because the vinegar was supposed to kill any germs on the money.  Just as I was leaving I overheard some kids talking about how lucky they were because there Mom had recovered from the plague.

When I got home I asked where my sister Molly was because she always comes running when I open the door. Molly is only two.  My Mom said in a worried tone of voice “I’m afraid Molly has caught the plague!” I tried not to cry but I could not help it. I just hoped and hoped that she would recover like those kids’ Mom. I asked her if I  could see Molly but Mom just said “She has gone to Grandma Beth’s house because she lives alone in a big cottage so no one will catch it from her.” “Can’t I do any thing about it?” I said. “No, you can’t but you could go and see if you could find a plague doctor for me.” So off I went. I knew it would be easy because when I was going to get the bread I saw tons of them. But I didn’t think it would be that easy. As soon as I walked out of the door I saw one coming to our house because my Mom had painted a red cross on our door and a doctor had not come yet. I told him that my sister Molly had caught the plague and was at my Grandma Beth’s house. He asked me how to get there. I told him how.

After 5 days Molly was better!  The last symptom, black buboes, had not appeared.  I was soooooo happy!

The house was designed for Bess of Hardwick, the Countess of Shrewsbury and an ancestress of the Dukes of Devonshire.  Bess was one of the most influential women during the time of Queen Elisabeth and her dramatic and innovative home reflected her power.

There are an enormous number of windows, especially for 16th century construction.  Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside, but the interior is possibly even more dramatic.  A grand entrance way leads up a wide stairway leading eventually to the great hall.  The walls are almost entirely covered in elaborate tapestries.  It really is majestic and awe inspiring.

The ruins of the old hall are preserved nearby.

I also visited the stone carving workshop on the site.  Stone for the restoration of the house is quarried on the estate, cut in the yard outside, and carved using traditional techniques.  It’s a pretty interesting process and it looks like there are some wonderful craftspeople working here.

I had a nice lunch at the restaurant run by the National Trust. The focus on fresh, local, and seasonal foods yielded a beautiful pie, salad, and tart. Recommended!

The following day, Chris Sackett and Steve and Debbie Barbee offered to show us the ancestral home of the first Sacketts in St. Peters Village in Thanet and Sacketts Hill.  They had been on the village tour on Thursday and were able to share a lot of knowledge of the area.

Inside St. Peters Church, we saw a plaque commemorating John Sackett, a prestigious member of the community who died in 1623.  There are many other Sackett graves in the churchyard.

From there, we walked to Sacketts Hill.  It’s actually not really much of a hill, more of a bump in the otherwise mostly flat countryside.  You can make out the rise beneath the trees on the other side of the cabbage fields.

It was interesting to contemplate the hundreds of Sacketts who must have trod this footpath over the years on their way to the church and the market.

It was fascinating to see things as mundane as the bus stop for Sacketts Hill.

Here are some contemporary Sacketts visiting Sacketts Hill:

Part of the hill is now occupied by a waste transfer operation.  Apparently, the owners reused  much of the material from an older Sackett residence that is no longer standing when building their own bungalow.

The other half of the hill is occupied by a commercial market garden operation.  This cottage, built in 1633, was once part of the Sackett estate.  We could just make out the roofline of an abandonned larger house behind this one.

It is a powerful thing to connect with our ancestors.  Exploring our history in such a way makes the past seem so much more relevant.  I’ve enjoyed seeing where my grandfather’s family came from in Italy and I look forward to exploring more family history while we are here in Europe.

It was interesting to learn about Canterbury.  Long an important ecclesiastical city influenced by its location near the channel routes to Europe, Canterbury was devastated by bombing raids during World War II.  Rebuilt after the war, it lost much of its ancient heritage, but the cathedral still sprawls, towering over the city.

It really is a remarkable place.  It was originally built in the Romanesque style with the rounded arches, but as things were rebuilt over the years due to fires and other disasters, the newer Gothic styles were incorporated resulting in a bricolage structure.

The inside of the cathedral is truly grand in scale. Apparently, it was once even more rococo, with gilded artwork embellishing the elaborate decor.

The stained glass was amazing.  The bright sun shone through revealing the vibrant hues in the glass.

The tour was very interesting and I think we all learned something.  The kids were not particularly bothered about seeing another cathedral, but they seemed to enjoy it alright.

They seemed pretty interested in a pattern of coal dust in the crypt that might have been Thomas Beckett’s ghost.  This candle marks the spot where Beckett’s shrine lay until it was removed by Henry VIII.

Despite the hectic pace of the tour, there were some nice quiet moments.   Both kids lit a prayer candle.

At one point, I had to return to the car park to extend our parking time.  When I returned, it took me some time to rejoin the group.  In the meantime, I spent some time sitting in the crypt’s dimly lit chapel and exploring the medicinal herb garden.

After the tour, we found a tea house for lunch and wandered around the streets of Canterbury a bit.

Molly and Sage warmed themselves against a sunny wall after lunch.

Probably the highlight of the weekend (for some of us anyway) was the discovery of a fudge shop.  This fellow is preparing the freshly made fudge to cool before it is sliced and sold.  The copper pot in the corner is used to mix and cook the ingredients before they are poured onto the marble table.  We ended up buying several different varieties, all of which proved to be delicious upon gustation.

We’ve read several books about the British fossil collector, Mary Anning, whose work in the early 19th century contributed to the modern understanding of extinction and geological timescales. Her important finds included an icthysaur, a plesiosaur, and a pterosaur and she was very well respected in scholarly circles despite her gender and lack of formal education. She is also, possibly, the inspiration of the well-known tongue-twister:

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

While we ate a picnic lunch on the beach, the kids collected many of the amazing stones that they found on the shore. I imagine that small grains of sand are all this uniquely beautiful if you could see them up close. Each stone was different; some bright, some patterned, some with shells embedded inside. It was easy to see why they were so fascinated.

We then wandered around the town, did a bit of shopping in one of those stores that Molly describes as “dangerous”, visited the Lyme Regis museum, bought some rock hammers, and finally ate some ice cream.

The coast near Lyme Regis is very beautiful and we enjoyed searching the shoreline for fossils.

After we’d walked a bit away from the town center, we began to find more a number of interesting fossils. There were several areas where large ammonites like this were preserved.

We eventually came to these cliffs, which I imagine are loaded with fossils. You can really visualize the layers in the sediments here. Fossil collecting is prohibited in the cliffs; besides it is fairly dangerous since rock falls can happen at any time.

It was fun to bang at the rocks with the hammers.

But we really started to find an abundance of specimens just past the cliffs where a large ongoing landslide has brought lots of material down to the water.

Most of the fossils we found were small ammonites, which are spiral-shaped shelled creatures that are reminiscent of the modern nautilus, but are actually more closely related to squid and octopi.

River and Sage were both inspired by this trip.  When we got home late on Sunday night, River asked me if I would read to her (we’ve been reading “Awesome Archaeology“) and if she could get fossils for Christmas.  The next day, they both spent quite a bit of time arranging their finds into displays on the collection table.  Each display is sorted generally by the type of rock or fossil and marked with color-coded labels indicating the date and location of the discovery.

Overall, it was a very interesting trip.  We’re considering returning to the area again sometime as well as checking out some other fossil collecting sites nearby.

The Bath Abbey is also a pretty amazing architectural gem.

This fountain outside the Abbey is inscribed “Water is Best”, revealing the reason Bath has been so special to everyone including the Celts and the Romans thousands of years ago.

This is the entrance to the Roman Baths and the associated Pump House on the same plaza as the Abbey.

Inside you can get a sense of what it might have been like in Roman times.  I tried to imagine folks wandering around in togas.  Actually, there were a few actors who played the part fairly effectively.

This carving was once over the entrance to the baths.  It is most commonly assumed to be of a gorgon, one of the symbols of Minerva, the Roman goddess to whom the baths were dedicated.  Traditionally, the gorgons were female, but If you look closely, you can see some snakes in his hair and beard.  It may also represent some sort of water god, reflecting the more ancient Celtic traditions.  Beautiful work, regardless.

This is the King’s Bath, the source of the hot water from deep underground.  Water from this pool was brought to the various other pools in the complex.

The drain from the King’s Pool was stained red with iron deposits.  I can only imagine how magical this must have seemed to people many years ago who could have had no way of imagining where the hot water came from and why it turned things red.  It still seems miraculous today, even with our more advanced geological knowledge.

The water was pleasantly warm in the main pool.  I wouldn’t really want to swim laps, but I can easily imagine lounging here.  It seems like a giant hot tub!

In other rooms, the floors were heated using this ingenious system.  Piles of tiles created space for hot air to circulate under the floor, warming the cold stones.  A swim, sauna, and massage sound pretty nice about now.

Later, in the Pump House, we tasted the waters from the bath.  The tea room known as the Pump House has apparently been a fixture of the Bath social scene for hundreds of years.  The waters have long been prescribed as medicinal.  People came here to imbibe as well as perform their ablutions.

The kids loved this merry-go-round right next to Clifford’s Tower, a 13th century fortification.

After revolving rapidly for several minutes, we went into the adjacent York Castle Museum, which has some amazing historical recreations from Britain’s past. Among other things, the ladies had a chance to try on some Victorian undergarments.

We also spent some time wandering around York Minister. The majestic arches and towers of the cathedral truly inspire awe. I recently read Ken Follet’s The Pillars of the Earth, a historical novel about building cathedrals. While I can’t unreservedly recommend the book, it did give me a new perspective on the process that must have occurred here.

I took quite a few photos of the interior as well, but somehow they don’t capture the soaring nature of the building. You can’t help but look to the heavens.

The stained glass was incredible.

We happened to coincide with a choral service. The sound of the organ filling the church was quite amazing.

We returned to York on Monday morning for more. The Jorvik Viking Museum was very interesting. We went through a recreation of York as a Viking city complete with actors in costume. There was also a fascinating display of bones and a discussion of the types of archaeological details they can reveal. Some it was quite graphic – one skeleton in particular displayed a number of wounds, any one of which would presumably have been fatal. River is especially interested in archaeology these days, so our visit was apropos.

There are lots of other interesting things to see and do in York and we are hoping we will get another opportunity to visit again before too long.