Saturday, June 23, 2018

Welcome Summer.

While many of you are enjoying the delightful warm days of summer, we are heavy into our June Gloom days - foggy, cool mornings followed by partly sunny afternoons.  It is always a great time to escape and enjoy the warmer temperatures.  So....for the last two weeks we have been away and enjoying ourselves.

We have traveled my many modes of transportation - planes, trains and automobiles, just to start.  We flew to New York and spent time eating our way through by visiting Chinatown, Little Italy and many restaurants in between.  lol



From there we boarded the Queen Mary 2 and cruised for seven days to Southhampton, England.  It is such a great way to bridge the time change as you loose an hour each day.

We left New York Harbor on a cloudy day, but had spectacular views of the city and Lady Liberty as we set sail.



We had an amazing crossing and, again, ate our way across.  Afternoon teas with warm scones, finger sandwiches and delicate desserts is a habit that I could really get used to.



Each evening we enjoyed a cocktail in our lounge and they brought small bites to enjoy.  This was one of my favorites, a small jar with creamed potato and a bite of bacon along with a spoon filled with prosciutto wrapped melon and a rolled anchovy.  It was different each day.



Once in the UK we stayed in London and traveled around by bus, taxi, underground subway and trains.

Love the streets around London as we walked to our underground station.



We visited Cambridge and walked for miles while enjoying the sights of the city on a warm and sunny day.



We also spent time with our friends in Finchingfield.  Their village is just charming with beautiful thatched roof cottages and wonderful walking paths.



Coming home is always fabulous too.  It's great to be around family again.  There was happy mail waiting for me since June is my month for being the Queen in the Gridster Bee.  Marsha sent me these two wonderful heart blocks.



 I am looking forward to reacquainting myself with my sewing machine this weekend. I was able to start the Christmas stocking for the newest grandbaby while on board the ship and I got a good start on it.



 I had the perfect setup in our room where I could stitch and watch the ocean pass.



24 comments:

  1. Your trip sounds wonderful! What a view you had while you sat and stitched. And afternoon tea looks divine. A few years ago my daughter and I went to Cambridge to visit my niece who was there getting her Masters. We went to Evensong at Kings Chapel and it was so beautiful. The history in that city alone is amazing. Love the new stocking! Welcome home.

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  2. What an amazing trip! During our last cruise, I found a lovely window seat off of a lobby area (where they served afternoon tea) and knitted each day. Congrats on the soon to be new grandbaby addition!

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  3. What a lovely journey you enjoyed! Sounds wonderful. Welcome home again! Sweet stocking!

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  4. What a wonderful way to spend a few days! More memories! And somehow sleeping in your own bed after a long trip is so comforting too. Welcome home!

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  5. great trip! and another grand? Mine have slowed down hatching

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  6. What a wonderful way to get to England!! It is fun to take their tubes and trains...the countryside is amazing! You were about 150 miles south of where I went - Tealby is a fabulous little town!

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  7. sounds Marvelous! Did you plan the trip?

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  8. Wow what an amazing trip you had love the pics and wow that xmas stocking is amazing you do such beautiful work,well done xx

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  9. What a wonderful trip! Being able to sew while watching the ocean go by sounds perfect to me.

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  10. Welcome home!, What a wonderful vacation. Yes, your suite did provide a nice set up for sewing and the Christmas stocking is gorgeous. I love the heart blocks.

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  11. Wow your trip looks awesome. Thanks for sharing the pics.

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  12. Oh wow.....New York and England, how fabulous. I can relate with you, eating your way through New York. I loved all the different cuisines in New York. How fabulous to be able to sew on the Queen Mary and have that spectacular view of the water. It truly does sound like the most amazing holiday. Love your grandbaby's stocking. It is so very cute.

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  13. What a wonderful trip! I've been to England once and it was like going home without ever having been there. My paternal grandfather was from England. The people were absolutely lovely and did not seem to have some of the fears we do - like having our pictures taken. NY is a wonderful city to visit, too. I used to go there on business often for a time and did a few things in the city. Another blessing - a new grandchild. How wonderful. I can only imagine - stitching and watching the ocean go peacefully by. Thanks for sharing a wonderful memory.

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  14. Oh that food sounds decadent! Sounds like you had a really great time and the stocking for your new grandbaby is really cute!

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  15. What a wonderful trip and I enjoyed all you photos..
    Lovely Christmas stocking for little Grant.
    Welcome home and happy sewing.

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  16. What a wonderful trip! I love NYC...but Chinatown is my fave! Your stocking is just PRECIOUS!! Love it, love it! Thatched roofs come in a close second. ;) Enjoy your time 'reacquainting' this week, and welcome home! :)

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  17. Sounds like a wonderful trip filled with good food and good company. Plus a little sewing too. I never manage any motivation to sew while on a trip.

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  18. Your trip sounds perfect. I hope to visit London one day.

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  19. Sounds like such a beautiful voyage :)

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  20. You almost persuade me to try a cruise, with that idllyic set-up, those delicious treats, and the idea of no jet-lag. Bliss! Sounds like a lovely experience. You did a lot on that stocking, I can see. Is that for the baby that was born before you left?

    We are just getting our plans together for Berlin in September, with a stopover in Dublin for three days on the way there. Your pictures of England are making me think of what I'll find in Dublin. Such a great trip, and I love that thatched roof you showed! I also had fun reading the comments...looks like your trip resonated with a lot of people.

    Welcome home!

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  21. What an amazing trip! So great that you got to see New York and London separated by the ocean voyage. Just like the old times. The stocking looks adorable! Welcome home!

    -Soma

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  22. What a wonderful way to escape the weather! I’m quite envious!

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  23. YOur trip sounds fabulous but I fear I might not be able to handle a ship that far from land. Cruising around and near islands would be more to my liking.

    The view out your window was amazing though.

    The traditional thatched house is so neat.

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