Mom and Dad come to town

Cardiff Bay

My parents came to visit and although Kevin and I had to work during part of their stay, we still thoroughly enjoyed the time and took advantage of their rental car.  We drove to Cardiff for a day trip to the coast and a small taste of the Welsh culture.  We found the country to be beautiful and filled with kind and friendly people.  I don't think I'll pick up the language any time soon, though.  "Hello" is simple enough with "helo", but "exit" is "ymadael" and "bathroom" is "ystafell ymolchi".  I would not like to be stuck in a place with a full bladder!

Monkfish, Halibut, and Pasta in Cardiff

The Lake District is a popular vacation destination for the English.  The area is more than 5 hours from London, but with a few days off from work, Kevin, my parents, and I made the trek up north.  The land was more beautiful than we could've expected!  The green grass was nearly iridescent with patches of white, black, and grey were the sheep could be found grazing.  There were trees, bare trees, budding trees, and trees covered with pine needles.  The lakes were absolutely breathtaking seemingly affected only by the wind and boats ruffling the surface.  There's just one thing I would change about the lake district.  The roads.  I have never seen such narrow roads in my life and they were "two-way".  Driving may not have been so bad if not for the stone walls lining the roads.  The skill it took to drive was far beyond anything my mother or I pretend to have, so my dad and Kevin were left with full responsibility. They did a fantastic job with not even a scratch to tell the tale of the treacherous roads.

 

While in the lake district, we took one day exploring the coast.  We went to Maryport, a small fishing village along the sea which boasted of a Roman museum and aquarium.  We looked at both, but decided that the outside was a sufficient enough experience and did not venture inside.  From Maryport, we headed toward Carlisle to see Hadrian's Wall (the wall built by the Romans to keep the Scotsman out of England).  Sadly, we didn't get to see the Wall, but we did set foot in Scotland and bought some chocolate.

On the way back to London, we detoured through York to see the spectacular York Minster.  The time in York was brief but beautiful.

It was wonderful to have my parents here.  I can't believe how quickly the time went.  We saw and did so many interesting things.  We even ventured into the kitchen to make scones and cupcakes, but most importantly enjoyed time with each other.  I am very fortunate to have the parents that I do.  They are models for me of loving parents and faithful christians.