Sunday, September 14, 2008

The touring of England begins

My sister Carrie arrived just in time this past week to become a migrant worker in our household. We ordered a barbecue grill (the barbie as they say here) and it was delivered on Friday morning. I put Carrie and Scott to work to assemble the grill so that we could grill hamburgers for dinner. The cheeseburgers coupled with home made (Paula Deen style) macaroni and cheese rounded out the request I had for my birthday dinner this year. 
Scott and Carrie setting up the grill inside (due to the rain - again - outside)
This is what it's like to grill in England. Umbrellas are necessary.  :( 
My birthday dinner with Jason, Emma (only partially shown), Lauri, Carrie, and me with my cake. (Scott is the photographer). 

On Saturday, we began touring the country. Our first stop was Stonehenge. 
The entrance to Stonehenge and an explanation of the site.
Scott listening to his audio tour at Stonehenge. Does he look like an American in those shorts????
Cassie, Scott, and Carrie at Stonehenge. 
After Stonehenge, we drove to Cheddar, England. Yes, it is the birthplace of Cheddar Cheese! 
The river that runs through the village of Cheddar.
The village of Cheddar has two main attractions - the making of cheddar cheese and the Cheddar Gorge and caves. While we did not hike into the Gorge and caves, we did visit a local cheese shop and tasted some of the products. 
We visited the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company and tasted their products.
The wide selection of cheese at the shop. The mature cheddar cheese was my favorite. 
After a long Saturday of sightseeing, we then spent Sunday a bit closer to home - at IKEA. This morning, I am now waiting for the delivery men to deliver of our new wardrobes, desk, and my sewing table.