Our flight over was great! Minor bumps here and there…nothing like the 90 solid minutes of turbulence from last time. Glen MacDonald was the head steward, and he was amazing. We joked as we discussed the MacDonald/Campbell rivalry….lots of fun. We arrived an hour late due to a mechanical problem at take-off…a bad wheel …yikes! Once we arrived, delays abounded at immigration, and the rental car acquisition was waayyy more challenging. Literally about 100 people there all at the same time to rent a car. Sometimes all goes smoothly….sometimes not. C’est la vie! Part of the cost of travel….small price to pay!

But finally after hours of anticipation (and some frustration!), we arrived at Peter and Ruth’s – the Ambleside Guesthouse. And all the stress melted away as our friends greeted us. There is something very special about returning to the same place because you begin to feel more like family, and the guesthouse feels more like your home away from home. This is the perfect place for us to relax and chill out after 2 long days of travel. And we even got “our room” – #3.

Rain prevented us from doing some filming, so, giant umbrellas in tow (from Peter), we headed to Marks & Spencer to get our British candy and HP sauce hook-up, then on to the charity shops! Think Goodwill….only small, and like a boutique. And not not smelly. These shops are our favorite places to find treasures! They are set up literally like boutiques…displays, etc.  And there are several, usually all within steps of each other. Had a light lunch of tomato and vegetable soup and fresh baked bread at a tea room called Hufftons that Peter suggested. Lovely. we got to sit in the front window seats and watch the world (or at least Stratford) go by!

We got some work done on emails, blogging, photos, and scripting…determined NOT to lay down and fall asleep! A definite MUST is to stay awake on day 1 to get over the jetlag. Another suggestion from Peter was that we have dinner at a small pub in nearby Oxhill called the Peacock. Along the way, the SatNav directed us to “turn right on ROAD.” NO name… just ROAD. Oh, and what a road!!! One little lane with no pull offs, through a wheat filed, and a cattle grid. Always an adventure!  The peacock was in the tiniest little village! SO perfectly English… stonework, thatched rooves nearby, tons of flowers outside. And TONS of locals inside. Oh, and dogs. Yes, dogs. The proprietors are Pam and Yvonne, and were bustling about making sure everyone had what they needed. Courtney had teh best fish & chips she’s had in the UK, and I had a giant burger. Neither of us came close to finishing.. so delicious, and so much delicious!

Now it has been about 36 hours since we have really slept. We need sleep. We’ve hit the wall….and who knows what I may type next….

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.889545727791607.1073741859.453554804724037&type=3&uploaded=14&pnref=story

Enjoying our room and our cozy beds at the Ambleside,

Heather