Daryl & Heather Overland

(in reverse order)

Automobiles
Two weekends ago we rented a car and Heather had to remember not only how to drive after not doing so for 18 months, but how to drive a manual, after doing so about five times since getting her license. So with nary a bunny hop, we picked up Kim and drove to Warwick, visited the castle, then carried on to Stratford-upon-Avon, the UK version of which is slightly nicer than Stratford-upon-Avon in Gippsland, although the bakeries aren't as good. We saw the Royal Shakespeare Company do Chaucer's Canterbury Tales II, which is not so much a sequel as the second half of a six hour play. Did I mention we had to stand. It was genuinely really good. We also visited a number of Shakespeare related properties (where he was born, where his mother grew up, the next door neighbours of where his mother grew up, where his wife grew up... you get the picture). Here is a photo of one of those, the slanty shanty (the result of building a house 500 years ago with fresh wood and no foundations).

The 'Slanty Shanty'

Trains
Last weekend we jumped on a train to the Lake District, staying with Mark and Bec, and spent our time mostly peering through the fog and mist at the many beautiful natural and cultural sites scattered throughout that region. Lame highlights include King Arthur's Round Table and the Giant's Grave - be sure to catch these if you are ever in the region. Real highlights include the lakes (oddly), the mountains, the sheep, the varieties of dry-stone walling, and Mark and Bec's cheese platter.

Dancing on the 'Giant's Grave'

Planes
Stay tuned... this leg of the journey begins on Monday.

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