December 31, 2003

• Only two more full days left! *sniff* If only the trip could go on forever, but I will savor all the time left. I will try to catch up on more of our adventures...

  
  

  Christmas Day! We woke to bright sound of bells ringing merrily in the church tower next to the house we are staying in. I just laid in bed for a good 5-10 minutes listening to the sound. The girls woke up and eagerly checked out the bulging stockings that Santa had left at the foot of their beds. Dressing and heading downstairs (we are staying on the 3rd floor in the old Victorian era nursery) the smells of Christmas turkey greeted us and I found Ann busy in the kitchen preparing for Christmas lunch, which was to have 13 people attending.

  
  

  After a short, simple breakfast we heard the sounds of music outside and went to the window to discover the local "Silver Band" assembled outside the Manor, playing Christmas carols.

  
  

  Soon enough, guests began to arrive and we had a delightful time chatting and getting to know one another. Lunch was spectacular, a feast fit for a king, English crackers and flaming plum pudding for dessert. Crackers, for those who may not know, are fancy decorated tubes that pop when you pull on the ends. Inside is a small gift, a paper hat and a silly riddle. This is a popular Christmas tradition here and was a lot of fun, as everyone wore their silly hates for the meal. I had to try the Christmas pudding, just to see what it was like. In many ways it was very similar to fruitcake, but much moister and less dense. Adding cream to it helps a lot as well.

  
  

  

  
  

  A Christmas Cracker

  
  

  The next morning we were up early to pick up Gene from the airport. The girls were very excited to finally see daddy again and I gave him a lot of hugs to make up for lost time. We took him back to the manor, had a nice lunch and then headed off to Warwick castle for the remainder of the day. Unfortunately it was very windy and rainy, following a day that had been windy and cool, but clear. So walking around Warwick was a bit chilling. There is a large tower there, called Guy's Tower and I swear it must have 300 itty-bitty stairs in a circular staircase to the top. Not to mention that inside this stone tower, it was very dark, despite some added lighting. I was panting for breath by the time we reached the top but the view was spectacular. The girls bounced about and Gene and I took lots of photos. After exploring the outer walls we went into the castle which was decorated for Christmas in a Victorian style. They had some singers doing Christmas carols inside, under a huge tree and while it was not all historically accurate, it was very festive and pretty to listen to. We toured the various rooms, learning that this castle had been inhabited till as recently as 1978. Unfortunately, it is now owned by Madame Tussauds, who does the wax museum here, so it is very commercial, aimed at tourists.

  
  

  

  
  

  It was a long day, and I think everyone slept very well, especially Gene. It was so nice to have him with us again. Next, Windsor Castle!

  • 7:23 am
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