York, Kirbymoorside, Gillamoor. June 22.

We set out with one goal in mind: To take a nice walk, to drive as little as possible, and to see the Yorkshire Moors. 

It was one of those days where you get things half right all day, as Nic says. We set out with Google Maps, a loose plan, and a relaxed attitude. Less than 30 miles into our short drive, which we really hoped would be no more than 30 miles, we realized that our loose plan had led us to the Howardian Hills, rather than the North York Moors National Park. We were within striking distance, so with Google as my co-pilot, I directed Nic to what Google promised was a 'Nice English Walk' in the country. Because Nic has felt a little run down, and slightly over-stimulated, I thought something less rigorous than some of other adventures was in order. 

That is the story of how we went from York on the second day of summer and ended up in Kirbymoorside, a small, market village with a footpath leading right to Gillamoor (an even smaller village) through a pasture with a bull, Google recommended against wearing red on this hike, and lots of mud. 

We pulled into town, slapped on sunscreen, dropped into the local bakery for a bit of bread and cheese, and headed out into the pasture, where we found rich, rolling fields of wheat, and other unidentified crops.

Over the fields you can see the moors in the distance.

The grass was as tall as my head in many places.

It was warm, the company was good, the sky was blue. For half right, this was not half bad.

June in the UK brings the poppies, and I LOVE poppies. Poetry I love from English authors has popped up in mind over these past few weeks finding a new place in my head, deepening my understanding of them. The other day we drove past a field filled from one end to the other with red poppies blooming wildly. Of course, my mind flew to "In Flanders Fields," which I know is about Flanders, and not the UK, but suddenly I had a visual image of those fields. Snips and clips of other poetry pops up and makes me smile as I spend time in the homeland of some of my very longest, and best intellectual friends.

The Yorkshire Moors have also been pulling at my mind and reminding me of The Secret Garden. Set in the Yorkshire Moors, I keep thinking of the children sneaking out onto the Moors together to learn about nature, listen to birds, and heal from their traumas. Mary is constantly told by her maid that the Moors will do her good and bring color to her cheeks. I would like to believe that this time is bringing color to our cheeks too!

The sun was hot and warm (I was thrilled). When we arrived at Gillamoor, we sat down on these benches with a cold drink and ate our picnic. It was pretty idyllic. The UK is very quiet. One does not hear a lot of traffic, even in Bedford, or York, the birds are the loudest sound you can hear. Nic really, really loves this. I am learning to listen more carefully to bird song.

It was the sweetest village, complete with panoramic views of the Moors, and a handy bench upon which one could sit and look at the Moors, next to an engraved stone set into the wall of the village. 

And so we sat, and viewed our kingdom.

And then wandered in the deep dark woods, where I looked for druids, unicorns, fairies, and dragons.

Nic looked for birds.

I am really loving this big, lovely lady trees of England. I have been really into drawing trees in the past year, so I have been taking lots of tree pictures so I can get my roots and branches right. Nic hopped in to offer scale for this tree. His science brain hypothesizes that this tree might be 500 years old. Right?!?

The UK, and Scotland in particular, has a very progressive approach to conservation. Logging is happening throughout the UK, but in each of the Natural places we have been, we have read and heard from employees about preserving old growth, replanting those trees for future generations, and logging and using invasive tree species. It has been really interesting to see this work in action and to begin to see the fruits of that labor. Nic keeps marveling about how the world will look in 400 years when these trees will be old growth. It is an awesome legacy.

And then we wandered back to the car through fields and valleys. In this wandering I learned something else: the only thing worse than the cold and rain is allergies. And I am incredibly allergic to England - even more than Scotland. By the end of our walk, I was covered in hives, my eyes were swollen, throat was sore, nose was running - I was the picture of misery. The chemist in the pharmacy stood and looked at me and told Nic, if it gets worse, and the medication we bought doesn't start to help soon, I should go to the doctor.

Did I mention that my eyelids are made of sandpaper, and they scratch my eyeballs with every blink? Or that I am considering taking my knitting needles and scratching out my eardrums? Or using them to scratch the back of my throat? All of that is 100% true.

The moral of this story is that I hate rain and allergies and I am not sure which I hate more, but today it is allergies. Ask me again tomorrow. I seem to remember being pretty pissed at the rain a couple of days ago.

 

Drugged up on allergy medicine (taken in appropriate dosages), Nic and I headed back to York for a cookout with Ian and Shirley, Mark and Stina, and a lot of children, partners and friends. Ian and Shirley have 6 kiddos, so that party got hopping quickly. It was amazing and a vegetarian feast! We had so much I didn't take any pictures. I truly understand now why Nic loves his friends so very much. I have been humbled by people's kindness again and again. 

The UK is really great about vegetarian options. I have not had any problems whatsoever finding great options and really experiencing amazing English food. From restaurants to friends and family, everyone has impressed me with their culinary skills and consideration. 

I really liked York, and I would like to go back - and now we have to because I have new friends to visit. I wish we had seen a bit more of the city and the church, but truth be told, Nic and I are both pretty tired at this point. We have seen A LOT of the UK in a very short amount of time. It is good to leave some things for our next visit. I also think there is a bit of fatigue and desensitization when you see too much at once. I mean how many castles can you see in a day? A lot, we saw three in our quick 30-60 minute drive. Every village, town, and city hosts castles, churches and so much history, one almost becomes numb.

It is hard to believe that we are past our halfway point in our visit! Nic is eager to spend time with his family, so we are heading back to Bedford. It will be nice to see Rob, and James, and meet the other kiddos. It will also be nice to wash some underwear. I hope I will have some time to revise and edit the blog and add the bits that I have been forgetting as I write late at night, rubbing my eyes and trying to record that days events before I forget the names of places and what we did each day. I have a feeling we stay busy though, even from Bedford.