Sunday July 22nd: The Yorkshire Dales and Ribble Valley

This is above the small village of Malham, it's in the midground of the photo, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, a stunningly beautifull area of green meadows, high moors and fells, streams, sheep, limestone cliffs and caves, and quaint villages and farms. It is also well known for one of its residents, James Herriot, the vet, who wrote books about his life as a vet amongst the Dales.

Click on photos to make them larger.



Xavier was happy because there are more sheep than humans in this part of country. Xav likes sheep, but has yet to catch one.



One of the most impressive features of the Yorkshire Dales is its cliffs, in particular Kilnsey Crag, Goredale Scar and this 300ft cliff, Malham Cove.



Right below the Cove. Just to the left of Xav's head is a climber on a route that Dada was the first person to climb in 1986.



We walked up to the top of the Cove then over to Gordale Scar....but on the way Xavier went Sheep hunting.



And he also liked the worn feel of the wood of the stiles over the drystone walls, rubbed smooth by thousands of hands and the weather.



The path to Gordale Scar....



Then, turn the corner and you are there. We have to climb up that waterfall too.



Gripping stuff and a little wet.



And there's another one to come and yes we are going up there "behind' the waterfall.




Very atmospheric, wet and noisy up here.



Dada used to live in the Yorkshire Dales but spent most of his childhood and youth nearby in the Ribble Valley. We went to a place were he used to play, and where J.R. Tolkien wrote the Hobbit and was very much inspired by the area and its buildings and feel.

This is an old bridge called Cromwell's Bridge on the way to Hust Green and the Shire of the Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit. It was raining by now.



This is the Shireburn Arms, Tolkien used to take a pint here.



This is Stonyhurst College, a private school run by Jesuit priests, J.R. Tolkien's son went to school here, as did David Bowie's son.




I think it may be Bilbo Baggins, Hobbit of Hobbiton.



Which led to the River Ribble, 5 miles from where Dada used to live, with the river in full spate. I bet the salmon are running.



We did Ben Nevis. Next up is Scafell Pike the highest mountain in England, and Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. Here's Xavier and Jess starting up Scafell in the Lake District.



More later.

Catching Up: Saturday 21st July: Blackpool

Blackpool is a seaside holiday resort in the northwest of England, the waves of the Irish sea lap its golden sands and wet the rolled up trousers of the descendents of the mill workers, who spun slave cotton into fabric. It wsa very popular in Victorian times and still is, although it is undergoing a makeover.

We were greeted with the Red Arrows of the Royal Air Force.



There are two Piers and the infamous Blackpool Tower, an imitation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It's a bit like Coney Island.



Here is Xavier on the north pier with Blackpool Tower and gray radioactive Irish sea behind him.



So inspired by aeronautical acrobatics of England's finest fighter pilots Xav decide to take a ride in a flight simulator.



We had fish and chips next, a very traditional seaside lunch. Then it was off to the Pleasure Beach. A huge amusement park with very frightening rides.



Then we went on this.....




Just kidding Grandma. This is the one we went on next, Flying Ships, built in 1904.



Then this the Big Dipper, another old ride but still took my breathe away, as did the toboggan run.



The next day we did something completely different that included mysterious woods, tiny mushrooms, elves, goblins, caves, waterfalls and sheep.......oh and J.R. Tolkien.

later

The Rockfax Babies

home

I'll be home soon.

The Jousting Tournament At Lithingow Palace And The Rest Of The Week

Real Knights with real jousts.....REMEMBER...click on the photos to make them bigger.



This must of hurt!



And this:



My Aunt Felicity, second cousin Ben, and Mariah and little James.



Then it was back to Kendal and the English Lake District and quite a bit of rain.



We went climbing at the local Rock Gym. And I climbed.......



And sometimes fell off.



After climbing we went fishing a few hundred yards from the Rock Gym and caught my biggest trout yet.....at midnight it was off to the book store to get the latest Harry Potter.....I'm upto page 106.

Managed it. This is the coffee shop in Edinburgh where J.K. Rowling started to write the Harry Potter books. We are on our way to the Royal Mile and Edinburg Castle.



Here we are, Edinburgh Castle and a Scottish Thistle.



Sitting on a cannon in the Castle overlooking the Firth of Forth and Edinburgh city.



We saw lots of armour, canons and the Scottish crown jewels also known as the "The Honours of Scotland". They consist of a crown, sword and sceptre. They were made out of Scottish gold in 1540.





The next day we went to a Jousting Tournament at Lithinglow Palace the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, with Aunty Felicity, her son James and family, Mariah and James.

We've got a bit of a slow internet connection here in Kendal at the moment, so apologies for the lack of posts this week.

We left Fort William and Ben Nevis on Saturday 14th of February after two days. We stayed at the Achintree Farmhouse. Below are our hosts, Scott and Heather.

Unfortunately the internet is still slow and we can't post any photos.

We shall try later.

Edinburgh

Now we are in Edinburgh




More later

Two Days: Glencoe, Loch Ness and Ben Nevis

First stop in the Highlands of Scotland was Glenco. Jump here, jump there. !SPLASH! don't get wet. This is where they filmed the Highlander and Dad tells me that there is lots of climbing here.



Next stop was Loch Ness and a small village called Drumnadrochit. We had dinner here and Dad did some work on his computer as they had a free wireless connection. Then we went down to the shore. On the way we met a fisherman who told us the salmon were biting at the mouth of the river and the loch. We dug some worms out of a dung heap, called Nanno. We caught a couple of small ones but in the morning I caught.......





This.....it put up a bit of a fight. Then we took a photo and released it.



We went to the Loch Ness Visitor Center. It was closed. But we did see Nessie and went for breakfast.






Don't look now .......... I can't explain this. But I was honoured with a Nessie appearance. Click to make this photo larger.





zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........actually, this is just before I woke up at 5am. We are in the Achintee Farmhouse in Glen Nevis at the base of Ben Nevis which at 4,409 feet is the biggest mountain in the United Kingdom. Funny we used to live at 4,409 feet in Bishop, California. This day we got an early start, an alpine one, and starting at sea level climbed the 10-mile roundtrip to the top of Ben Nevis.



High up there was even snow.








The summit of Ben Nevis, 4,409ft. We were the second people up this day. A German man was first. Time 9:17am we seet off at 6am. It was cold, but we had good food.

Mama.....this is Tesco's finest chicken and basil pasta. Then we had to go down.

There are big 1,000ft cliffs on the North Face. Dad climbed one called Tower Ridge last year with his friend Greg.



This is Tower Ridge.




Attack of the sheep

On the way down we passed a million other people and said, "good morning," a million times and that yes the bar was open and no they didn't have far to go. As we got back down to the valley...sorry Glen......a lamb attacked me.