That was a statement overheard from Ian to Eli at the playground last week when Eli was attempting something. We laughed and said that it was going to become the motto for the trip. Rob and I have our own- quieter- motto for when things go wrong “Shit on it”. This is a line muttered, frequently and furiously, by a character on a British sitcom we started watching when we arrived, Friday Night Dinner. I Read more…
Hi! I’m Ian. I am the youngest Wicker and am very interested in Archeology and Paleontology. Yesterday, we went to Hadrian’s Wall. Hadrian’s Wall was a defensive border wall built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 to keep the Picts out. The wall was originally approximately 14 feet tall with towers and forts that were taller. It was about 70 miles long. We were scheduled for an archeological tour but we got stuck in Read more…
Gang aft a-gley.” – from “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns. I never cared much for Steinbeck and prefer the original. It has never been truer than this trip. Those of you who have been following this trip (and those of you who listened to my incessant talking about it beforehand) probably know how much I planned. It was not enough. Partly due to the inherent vagaries of travel and partly due to COVID, things Read more…
The beginning of our “countries visited” list. After all, it’s not a list if it only has England on it. We have started on our three day sojourn in this beautiful country and yes, as Aimee said, I have been looking forward to it because I fell in love with the country almost 20 years ago. And it does not disappoint! However, I can’t really same the same about our accommodations the first night. We Read more…
Along with “Broadening our Horizons” as the boys like to sarcastically quote, we are also trying to go with the flow of the trip, be more relaxed, and have more fun as a family. In that spirit, we have decided to rethink the itinerary a bit and delete a few places. Like all of Ireland. And Northern Ireland. Don’t get me wrong, they are lovely places. But there are a myriad of reasons why staying Read more…
Instead of AAA for roadside assistance they have AA here. We had to use them on both of the first two full days we had the rental car. Yes, that’s right. Two days in a row we needed roadside assistance. I may actually need the other AA before this trip is over…. The first morning after we rented the car we walked out of the hotel and it would not start. The battery was so Read more…
If it was up to me, I could happily stay in London forever. Especially now that there are only half of the people that I am used to sharing elbow room with. London without tourists is my own personal heaven. My family, however, is ready for the next big adventure. Per Eli, “London is A LOT, it’s just A LOT”. They obviously had forgotten how heavy those packs are, though, and may have been convinced to Read more…
So, our time in London is almost over and I think it is time for…. Rob’s Top Ten Random Notes of Importance regarding London Please understand that this is my (Rob) list only, with a little help from family, but it is my opinion only. These are in no particular order, other than things that seem more important to me are nearer the top, or in this case, the bottom: 10. Fish and Chips – Read more…
Life is not a bowl of cherries and this cannot be a picture perfect vacation no matter how hard I try. Eli brought to my attention that I was glossing over some issues on the blog and so in an effort to keep everything as real and authentic as possible here are some things I have learned: – When you spend three years saving for, planning, replanning, and looking forward to a trip it will Read more…
Look out people, Rob’s got the reins………so, from time to time I will take over the updates for those (un)fortunate souls who are taking this crazy journey with us. This is my first official blog entry so please let me know what you like or don’t like as I will probably just blow a big raspberry and keep doing what I do! I do thank you for tuning in though and I promise I will Read more…