And the Winner Is:

Best Meal in England:

It's a tie between:
a sort-of-quiche-like dish with a sweet tomato chutney sauce on top; eaten at the little cafe at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. I had never tasted anything like the yummy little sauce, and oh, it was mighty tasty! The portion was very teeny, so it left me wanting more, which is good!

And, in Edinburgh Scotland, at a Beefeater's Restaurant, I had the most delicious sort of burrito which featured spinach, cheese, and carmelized onions. Oh, wow, that was so good. Unfortunately, that was a very generous portion, and I ate every bite!

Best Day Trip in England:

Another tie:
Blenheim Palace left me incredulous; not only the grounds, the palace itself, but the fascinating history of it. I just loved being there and learning about the Churchill family; Sir Winston, who was such a remarkable figure. It was a great outing, made even better by a delicious little luncheon; (see above)

the Wedgwood Factory....wow, wow, wow! My mother always loved fine china and things like that. I was never interested in it, or really saw its value. I'm sure that was a big disappointment to my dear perfect mother, but I repent now. Mom, I hope you know how I've seen the light. Seeing those master craftsmen at their work absolutely fascinated me! And, learning about Josiah Wedgwood, his passion for his craft, his concern for his workers - long before it was fashionable to be interested in the labour force, and his devotion to making each piece of Wedgwood perfect left me astounded. It was wonderful to be there and see it all. Sad side note: no one wants to take the time to make china the way it has been done in the past, so each factory is floundering, and in fact, the Wedgwood factory - in existence since the 1700s was just bought out by an American company.

Best Overnight Trip:
Oops, another tie;
I loved our trip to the Preston Temple; we went through a temple session for three days, then went to see church history sites in the Preston area; then went to work on family history at the family history center. It was a peaceful, pleasant, inspiring three days.

But, for sheer beauty, nothing could match the Lake District. It was indescribable, so I won't even try.

Most Fun City:
Oh, now that is a tough one! It's a tie:
Edinburgh, Scotland and the Royal Mile...that was just a fun walk and so interesting to see all the Scottish "stuff."

Chester: I wanted to go back here. It had a vibrancy about it that was intriguing! We walked around the city on an ancient Roman wall, and it was just so fascinating! But, to tell the truth, after awhile, all the cities sort of run together in my mind; so sad!

Best Book Read while in England:
Easy answer, Sense and Sensibility, which incredibly, I realized while reading it, that I had never read it before...what was I thinking?!?!? Loved it. Although I also read a Rumple book, which I dearly love, and am almost finished with a Dickens book, so I was really into Brit Lit while there!

Most Interesting Event:
Sad to say, we missed the horse races, so I felt really disappointed about that, but we went to Newborough, a little village very close to Abbots Bromley for a well dressing. It's a centuries old celebration where the town vicar blesses the well(water) and the people of the village. It's a little bit like our county fair; lots of booths, food, dancing, celebrating, fun, and frivolity.

Worst Part of the Trip:
Easy answer: the long flight going and coming!

Thanks, Tony and Agnes, for allowing us the use of your car, your home, and for being part of the village for five weeks. It was a JOY!