Steve's Hometown - Burntwood, Staffordshire

After the semi-finals we needed some time to relax. Two games back to back is brutal especially when the first night ends at 3 AM (thanks Karl Rogers). After a detox Sunday we headed to see Steve's mom for the last week of our rugby world cup tour. Val - my new mom in law to be - and her sweet new kittens gave us the comforts of home. It is always good to be with mom.

Monte and Elsa next to the original Cat Boy. 

We decided to do a day's adventure while we were there and rented a car (which turned into a minivan) from Enterprise and headed to Warwick Castle. Now mind you, Steve and I have been doing major historic sites and walking on coastal paths so it was a shock to enter Warwick Castle and see the Disnification of a fine historical castle. Granted it was half term (school holiday) and just a few days before Halloween but that didn't dull the pain. We lasted 2 hours. Good thing there was a gift shop smack in the middle of the tour (you know the kind you have to walk through) we picked up a bottle of mead perfectly wrapped. We ventured toward the little bit of nature and peace we could find.

Warwick was a bust but we used the van to go to the tip!

Glorious

Too many kids. Too many ice cream carts. AHHH!

Outside the crazy by the river

The mead. Enough said. 

The next day Val took us to the National Arboretum Memorial an expansive garden of memorials to the endless wars England has fought and for conflicts universally. Somber and important.

Ending our time in Burntwood, we had a curry with Bill Blair who taught the Harris boys PE in school and is an avid rugby player and fan. We are super grateful for him. He signed us for the local club so we could have a chance to get the tickets in lottery. Good luck and lifelong friendship made this possible!

Stonehenge .... Semi-Finals RWC

It takes about 2.5 - 3 hours to Stonehenge from Bodmin where we picked up the our rental car. And as we do, Steve and I stopped at a pub just before Stonehenge in search of a pint and lunch. To our dismay and our benefit, the pub stopped serving food so had a quick pint and took off. Good thing. When we arrived at Stonehenge the attendant told us we had 5 minutes to park and get our tickets - as 3:30 was the last entry time. Just in the nick... we hopped on the bus to Stonehenge. 

I expected to have some sort of magical feeling when I walked around the monumental stones but that didn't happen; however, I did feel an enormous sense of amazement for humanity. The reasons for Stonehenge's existence will be always be debated. It's clear nonetheless that a community over hundreds of years created, rearranged, and kept these stones aligned with the universe - sunset and sunrise - marking the change of seasons. Remarkable, really. 

Speaking of the change in seasons when we drove down to Cornwall the trees were green and now in London the season is changing. Autumn is here and the colors are magnificent. 

Walter and Eric from Fort Lauderdale joined us for the semi-finals. White Swan was our kick off point. Mark Harris connected us to his best mate Karl who was in town with his beautiful wife Nazarene and his brothers Mike and Scotty. Debauchery ensued. 

Cornwall - Final Days

We returned from our adventure to Land's End by traveling back on the coastal road and stopping into Tinner's Arms for one last pint and quick walk to the beautiful head lands behind the pub. Villages are bound to have two things - a church and a pub.

For our last two days in Cornwall, Rob and Julie took us to small coves on the coastline and one last epic meal at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in Watergate. After a scrumptious lunch we hiked to St. Nectar's Glen - a mysterious waterfall about 2 miles in the woods.

The next day Steve and I walked from Polzeath to Rock and took the ferry to Padstow  in hopes of having Rick Stein's fish and chips. Cockny gran would say "those bastards closed at 3PM - no love during the off season. F-off. " Padstow's fish and chips subbed in and we headed home to cook dinner for the family. This 10 day adventure to Cornwall was magical. I miss Julie and Rob already!

That's me down there... pano of the St. Nectar's Glen

My rock pile at the foot of the waterfall. 

The waterfall comes through a natural stone hole. 

Rob and Julie hiking down to St. Nectar's Glen

Wearing my WELLIES (galoshes, rain boots.... you get it)

Beautiful view from Jamie Oliver's 15.

Harlyn Cove -- Family Love. 

We are so happy. Seriously. 

Hello Sun! Padstow pano shot. 

Padstow Ferry

The sun broke through the clouds for us. 

Hiking the sand dunes - one of my favorite parts of the coastal path. It's mystical. You can hear the sound of the reeds like a thousand crystals. The sand is soft under your feet. Silence. Nothing but ocean and birds. I LOVED this part of the hike. 

From the Daymer Bay cliffs...

Minnak Theater & St. Michael's Mount (AHHH-MAZING)

After a hearty English breakfast at the Land's End Inn, we headed out to see the Minnak Theater. This is one woman's life work to create a theater by the sea literally in the cliffs of Cornwall. I've never seen anything like it. I'm absolutely coming back to see a production (and the bucket list continues). 

From Minnak we headed to St. Michael's Mount - a breathtaking castle that has a walkway in the sand that you can take during low tide. We had the great fortune to take the ferry out and walk back. Seriously. Everything is going our way! I'm bursting with gratitude for this epic adventure. 

At the walkway back see St. Michael's Mount in the background.

From the north part of the castle.

You can see the walkway to the right and small harbor to mid photo.

It's a journey up here. Not for the faint of heart. Many floors all made of cobblestone.

The harbor at St. Michael's Mount. 

Carl's mate Mig who owns Lamp & Whistle in Penzance. 

Incredible Minnak Theater -- and oh look at those gardens!

Breathtaking. 

Journey to Land's End via St. Ives, Zennor and Penzance

We left Polzeath to drive the coastal road from St. Ives to Land's End. St. Ives is an artsy fartsy sort of village with beautiful head lands to walk. From St. Ives, the coastal road was not only beautiful but fun to drive (says Steve). You can see the sea while driving the rolling hills and sharp turns (motorcycle must for Mauri and Rick Neyman!)

 Emily's husband Tim gave us a tip about a pub called Tinner Arm's on the way to Lands End. It turned out to be our favorite pub in Cornwall and the only place to serve Zennor Mermaid cask ale (our favorite to date). After a delicious detour in Zennor we stopped off at church on the side of the road and another quick pint in Sennon Bay.

Finally we reached Land's End Hotel where were quickly moved on to our final destination... the low tidal pool at Nanjizil Beach about a three mile coastal hike. I've really been challenging my fear of heights and cliffs on this trip. I'm clear I wouldn't have made it through this one if Steve had not been with me hand in hand. (Great video of what I look like when I'm terrified and we are walking a coastal path with a plunge below). To top off this epic day (and 9 coastal miles of hiking and 40 floors) we had an EPIC sunset and delicious dinner. Life does not suck.

The sky was incredible. See the dark to light contrast - post sunset glory!

I'm smiling but I'm SCARED.

The tidal pool -- pictures don't do it justice!

We started the hike beyond the far left mass of land.

The coastal path view

This dish was perfect - in your face Rick Stein. 

Front of Tinner's Arms Pub

That's a crank car in front of Tinners Arms. 

Chapel on top of St. Ives head land - Steve loved this crow on the cross.

St. Ives