Hello Chroniclers!
Last time, we mentioned that we’ve been occupied over the past couple of months. Well, a big reason for it was we were having a ton of fun with the grandparents!
We were very lucky when Duke was born that his Memaw (Libby’s mom) was able to come over last year. Unfortunately for her, we had to press her into service into Dad’s Army while Libby was in and out of the hospital.
This time, we were determined to make her trip a lot more relaxing and let her be a tourist. We didn’t let her stop! Over the course of her time here, we took her to Stonehenge.
I took her to one of the local breweries, my personal favorite, Hog’s Back Brewery.
Libby took her into London to see all the sights. They toured Westminster Abbey. They spent the day at Tower of London.
The highlight of the trip had to be the trip to Harry Potter Studios. In case you don’t know, Jan is a total Potterhead! Every time she would pass by some place in London, she’d point out “That was in Harry Potter!” It was so cool to see her so excited.
The entire time we’ve been over here, we’ve been trying to get Derek’s dad to come visit. He finally did! He came over to spend time with us, and we were so happy to have him. First thing we did was make him earn his room and board!
Just kidding! For the record, we did not ask him to do this… we definitely didn’t turn it down. We’re not crazy… but no threats were made.
We made sure he had a good time. He went to Hampton Court, Henry VIII’s palace. He got to see our little village. He got to see the city where I work. Neat things… things that are a part of our daily lives (well, not Hampton Court)… but we wanted to make sure he got to see things that on his wish list and some things he might not have even known about! First, the thing he wanted to see most was Stonehenge. So we made it happen!
From there, we went to Salisbury Cathedral!
We got to see one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta. This year, they are celebrating the anniversary of the signing of one of the most historically important documents. The US Constitution was not an attempt to write laws guaranteeing new freedoms, but to preserve liberties and rights that they believed were established in Magna Carta. Much of the Bill of Rights was a direct correlation from Magna Carta. It is a really cool thing to see in person.
Dad wasn’t done yet! We shipped Dad went off to Edinburgh. Dad and I went off to experience the land of our forefathers. We tried to give him the full Scottish experience. First thing, Dad had to experience the local cuisine, haggis!
Afterwards, I let him know what haggis was.
Then we let Dad experience the local beverages. I took him to Malt Disney… I mean the Whisky Experience. Me and dad tried several whiskies, and I showed him my happy place.
Dad also experienced the local culture. I took him on a couple of ghost tours of the haunted Kirk yard and Covenanter’s Prison. Once I heard a high pitched scream from his direction… must have been a banshee… it’s the only logical explanation.
I also took him to Edinburgh Castle. I mean you pretty much have to…
He was a great sport. I walked him up and down the Royal Mile. He complained afterwards that he wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but he was pretty certain he walked up hill both ways!
It was great for both grandparents to come and experience some of the local culture, but let’s not kid ourselves. The real reason they both came was to spend time with Duke.
It was so nice for them to spend quality time with him, and for me that was the highlight of their trips.
So we’re nearly caught up! Next time, we’ll share about business travel and what the experience is like for us.
Hope you’re doing well!
Derek, Libby, and Duke