Mom and Norm's First Visit

Last week my mom and my step-dad, Norm, arrived on Sunday morning (May 2) from Ohio. This was their first time to the UK, so I was very excited to show them our new home, including our first house, driving on the "other" side of the road, using "strange" words such as "lorry", "rubbish" and "ta", and just the lovely scenery that we're surrounded by.

On Sunday, we took it easy so they could recover from the trip over; however, we did make an exciting trip to Sainsbury. I showed them the bakery in which I start working next week.

On Monday, we drove out to Much Marcle to take a tour around Westons Cider, just as Jeff and I did back in September. While waiting for the tour to begin, we had a tea break in the cafe. During the tour, it poured buckets on us, and our tour guide just kept talking as we attempted to stay dry. Luckily, as if God turned off the water faucet, rain stopped. The tour was just as entertaining and as informative as I remembered it being. The tour finished off with a cider tasting... so refreshing.

Mom and Norm in the cafe.

During the tour just as the downpour was starting to subside...

...and only moments later the sun was shining and the birds were chirping.

Mom reaching for a taste of cider.

On Tuesday, we went to Bath, which was also my first time there. The Roman Baths are the main attraction in the city, although there are many more things to see and do in Bath. The tour of the Roman Baths was fantastic. Each of us were given hand sets to carry around for our own personal tour of the baths. There were even comments by Bill Bryson to listen to.

View of the Great Bath from the terrace around it.

View of Bath Abbey from the Roman Baths

Worshipers to the baths would pray to the goddess Sulis Minerva.
This is the head of the statue they would have prayed to.

After the baths, we ate lunch at Sally Lunn's Refreshment House: "Sally Lunn's is the oldest house in Bath (c.1482) and serves the most famous local delicacy; the Original Sally Lunn Bun. Sally Lunn, a French refugee, arrived 1680 and established her bakery. Today Sally Lunn's serve a menu based on the world famous Sally Lunn Bun during the day and are open for fine English food in the evening. Museum open daily, showing the original kitchen she used."

My bun as a turkey and bacon sandwich

Half of a bun with clotted cream and jam

It was a good thing that we had time to walk around the city after lunch!

The Pulteney Bridge over the River Avon

The Royal Crescent

On Wednesday, we drove into the Cotswolds and stopped in 3 villages: Broadway, Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the Water.

Beautiful wisteria growing on the side of a store in Broadway

Twenty baby duckies in Bourton-on-the-Water.
I was trying to persuade Jeff to take one for me, but he wouldn't do it.

On Thursday, we took a tour of Gloucester, led by Val Etherton, a member of our church.

On Friday, we decided to stay home for the day, though we did make a few errands.

On Saturday, we drove over to Caerphilly Castle in Wales. It was a cold and windy, so it wasn't the best day for walking around a mostly open-air castle. Caerphilly Castle is/was one of the largest medieval castles in western Europe.

One week is never enough time with family, but we look forward to having Mom and Norm visit in the future, as well as many more (perhaps you!) visitors in the future.