Back in Panama we knew many people from the UK who had retired there. As they listened to us talk about our pending house sitting abroad and travels to the UK in winter they all expressed some concerns. "Why would you go there in winter?" Well, as Americans we can only stay in Europe for 90-days out of every 180 days. So to get out of Europe until our clock reset so to speak for three months or so we had to go somewhere. The UK is close to Europe and welcomes visitors for up to six month. Besides that it offers tons of house sitting opportunities just waiting to be filled.
So while we KNEW we'd have to experience winter temperatures somewhere in our travels IF we wanted to stay close to Europe, the UK filled our needs. And now that our time here is almost over for now, we have to say with a smile that WE SURVIVED WINTER! Although the temperatures here are not that low, the dampness and continual rain made it feel worse. While we saw occasional freezing temperatures, most of the time it was around 40F/4C yet felt colder with the wind and dampness. And we expected to see lots of snow but really only saw a light dusting two times. So all in all it wasn't that bad.
It's been almost five months that we've been living in the United Kingdom having a blast house sitting. We have met some great people, made some great new furry friends and learned a WHOLE lot about the UK and its people. For those that are not aware (like we were not at first) the United Kingdom consists of the countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
One of our favorite experiences was a visit to "Chequers". This beautiful home is the weekend / vacation home of the Prime Minister. We were contacted by a friend from Panama and she told me that she was working there and would we like a private tour. Of course we accepted. We had no idea what an honor this was as Chequers is closed to the public as it is a private residence. We enjoyed a two hour tour of this magnificent home. That was a part time home for many prime ministers including Winston Churchill.
Our travels through England took us from London down to the tip of Cornwall where we lived in Penzance and visited places like Lands End and Saint Michael's Mount. Along the way we stopped at the world famous stone circle, Stone Henge. While there are many stone circles throughout the UK this one of course is the most famous.
From Cornwall we headed back to West Sussex and stayed in the village of Storrington. Next we were onto Taunton in the county of Somerset and then onto the country Cambridgeshire where we stayed in the town of March. From there we stayed near the foot of the Chiltern Mountains in the town of Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire.
Since there is more to the UK than England we headed over to the country of Wales. To break up the six hour drive we stopped a few nights in the city of Liverpool. Known for being the home of the Beatles it was a fun trip down memory lane.
Once in Wales we visited the lovely city of Cardiff, toured many other parts of the country and spent some time in the town of Maesteg. Our short time in Wales was sometimes confusing as we experienced the most difficult language barrier in the UK. Sometimes we literally we could not figure out if people were speaking English or Welsh, the native language spoken there.
Speaking of language at first it was like a breath of fresh air to be living in an English speaking country once again. But there is English and there is American English, and sometimes the TWO do not meet in the middle. During our time here we learned a WHOLE new vocabulary of English words, phrases and pronunciations.
And lastly on our United Kingdom tour was to spend some time in Scotland. Another long drive landed us in the town of Dunfermline for our first sit. From there we crossed the bridge into Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh. The correct way to pronounce this city name is Edin-burrah since the G is silent and followed by an AH sound. There we spent an entire month enjoying the sights, sounds and culture of city life. And something we both learned about ourselves is that we really enjoy city life and all that it has to offer.
Our time in the United Kingdom has been filled with wonderful memories, good times with new friends that we will keep in touch with always. And many of them already asked us back to house sit for them again. Surely we will return to the UK again sometime, but perhaps next time we will be here in warmer temperatures to explore more.......along the gringo trail.
Sights Of Lovely London
Clyde's Queen Poses In Front Of Buckingham Palace
The Changing Of The Guard During A Cold Snap
Freezing Temps, Standing In Crowds For Three Hours
Tower Bridge, AKA London Bridge
The Royal Coaches At The Queen's Mews
So while we KNEW we'd have to experience winter temperatures somewhere in our travels IF we wanted to stay close to Europe, the UK filled our needs. And now that our time here is almost over for now, we have to say with a smile that WE SURVIVED WINTER! Although the temperatures here are not that low, the dampness and continual rain made it feel worse. While we saw occasional freezing temperatures, most of the time it was around 40F/4C yet felt colder with the wind and dampness. And we expected to see lots of snow but really only saw a light dusting two times. So all in all it wasn't that bad.
Snow....In England
The Dogs And Sheep Don't Seem To Mind
It's been almost five months that we've been living in the United Kingdom having a blast house sitting. We have met some great people, made some great new furry friends and learned a WHOLE lot about the UK and its people. For those that are not aware (like we were not at first) the United Kingdom consists of the countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Lovely Coastline
We Walked Along Many Backroads
St Michaels Mount
Christmas In England
Perhaps Too Much Time On My Hands? Made This Hat Then Took Many Photos Of This Sweetie
Chequers Estate
The Country Home Of The Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom
Our travels through England took us from London down to the tip of Cornwall where we lived in Penzance and visited places like Lands End and Saint Michael's Mount. Along the way we stopped at the world famous stone circle, Stone Henge. While there are many stone circles throughout the UK this one of course is the most famous.
Stone Henge
From Cornwall we headed back to West Sussex and stayed in the village of Storrington. Next we were onto Taunton in the county of Somerset and then onto the country Cambridgeshire where we stayed in the town of March. From there we stayed near the foot of the Chiltern Mountains in the town of Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire.
Terraced Houses Everywhere
Since there is more to the UK than England we headed over to the country of Wales. To break up the six hour drive we stopped a few nights in the city of Liverpool. Known for being the home of the Beatles it was a fun trip down memory lane.
Come Along On The Magical Mystery Tour
Beatles Tour, Liverpool
The Famous Penny Lane
Strawberry Fields Forever
Famous Cavern Club Where The Beatles Performed
Once in Wales we visited the lovely city of Cardiff, toured many other parts of the country and spent some time in the town of Maesteg. Our short time in Wales was sometimes confusing as we experienced the most difficult language barrier in the UK. Sometimes we literally we could not figure out if people were speaking English or Welsh, the native language spoken there.
Sights Of Wales
Castles Everywhere
Speaking of language at first it was like a breath of fresh air to be living in an English speaking country once again. But there is English and there is American English, and sometimes the TWO do not meet in the middle. During our time here we learned a WHOLE new vocabulary of English words, phrases and pronunciations.
And lastly on our United Kingdom tour was to spend some time in Scotland. Another long drive landed us in the town of Dunfermline for our first sit. From there we crossed the bridge into Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh. The correct way to pronounce this city name is Edin-burrah since the G is silent and followed by an AH sound. There we spent an entire month enjoying the sights, sounds and culture of city life. And something we both learned about ourselves is that we really enjoy city life and all that it has to offer.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Scotch Whiskey
What Can I Say Ladies....He's All Mine!
He Was Too Cheap To Buy This Hat But Insisted On Posing With It On
Bagpipe Players Everywhere
Our time in the United Kingdom has been filled with wonderful memories, good times with new friends that we will keep in touch with always. And many of them already asked us back to house sit for them again. Surely we will return to the UK again sometime, but perhaps next time we will be here in warmer temperatures to explore more.......along the gringo trail.
Terry and Clyde are able to "Travel The World House Sitting" and so can you! We have created a website to help people who want to learn about house sitting. Information for both the prospective house sitter and for someone who needs a house sitter. the New Website --> CLICK HERE
How to Get Your First House Sit --> CLICK HERE
How to find a house sitter ----> CLICK HERE
How to Get Your First House Sit --> CLICK HERE
How to find a house sitter ----> CLICK HERE
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