visitors from Canada

It has been too long since the last post. Karen is in going home mode, and I am getting there quickly so I'd like to let you all know what we have been doing before we get home May 31. My Aunt Joanne from Winnipeg and my cousin Gay who is living in Calgary came for a visit the weekend after we went to Slaithwaite. It was great fun. We followed the same trip that we did with Karen's brother Jim-- Avebury which is a miniature Stonehendge and Lacock where we had lunch at a very old inn which has resident ghosts. I couldn't believe it so i had to ask of course. And the young woman who was our waittress confirmed it was true. She hadn't seen one yet, but there had been a medium who said that there was a young boy she had seen. Another staff person had seen an old man ghost. Go figure.... We didn't have the pleasure of seeing any ghosts.

We got into the Abbey where someone is actually living. They opened it up for a few hours. The Abbey, where Harry Potter was filmed, started out as a Catholic Abbey for rich women who didn't want to get married and their fathers could put them up in the abbey. Lots of choices in those days. And then when Henry VIII started the Anglican church so he could get a divorce and marry again, he cleansed the country of catholic abbeys, monastary's and some churches also converted to anglican! So the abbey was closed. And it was sold for 500 british pounds to some fellow who made it his home.

We also went to Bath and i finally got to the Roman Baths which was how Bath began. The Roman Baths are not funcioning today, it is like a museum where you walk around. It was quite the scene. Lots of baths. And there were people to scrub you... We did go to the modern spa with the baths which was quite relaxing. A pool on the roof and then steam rooms with different scents and then a pool underground. We were pretty relaxed after two hours of floating around.

We ate well and Joane taught us a new card game--kings in the corner which Karen and I play every now and again. We turned Gay and Joanne on to Rummy cube, the game we learned to play in Sinai with our Israeli buddies. Joanne and Gay loaded up their suitcases with things that we have bought over the year which i will pick up in Winnipeg when i go this summer for a visit.... it was a fun time.

next post will be of some recent walks we have been on...
love mary