JULY 29, 2004 ARRIVAL AND SETTLING IN

We touched down on time at London, Gatwick. After making our way through immigration and customs, we found a phone so that we could contact Kevin. He was to leave his car for us at London, Heathrow...about one hour bus trip away. We found his car, threw our stuff inside and away we go. Driving on the left side of the road took some adjustment...with Doug as the navigator..my job of driving was much easier. We did encounter a problem enroute, but finally managed to arrive at the OLD MANOR COTTAGE about 4 pm. The time difference is five hours so needless to say we were exhausted when we arrived. It did feel good to get out and stretch. Even better to find food in the fridge so that we didn't have to run out to the grocery until the next day. The cottage was wonderful. It is a 15th century dwelling with a thatched roof. The old barn on the property had been converted to an indoor lap pool with a full bathroom and steam sauna. One of the quaint features of this terrific cottage was the low beamed ceiling. While exploring, failure to duck low enough resulted in at least seven knots on my head within the first 15 minutes. Doug had no problems with the beams, even on tip-toe..but the 5'8" beams knocked me squarely in the forehead without ducking..and not ducking low enough caught me squarely on the top of my head. The low hanging light fixtures were another story all together. The yard was in full bloom..lilacs perfumed the air..and the foilage was lush and green. No bugs, biting or otherwise, except for bees and wasps buzzing around the lilacs. There were so many, you could hear the drone of their little wings as soon as you walked outside. There was also an area adjacent to the barn for badmitton. All in all, we believe the "home exchange" is the way to go. Swapping houses and autos for the trip saves a geat deal of money which of course gets used for other things...like fuel and food. We feel that we were more than fortunate with the cottage and all the ammenities and a nice Audi stationwagon. Hope you enjoy the pictures of the cottage and surroundings. Click the link to view the pics.
Remember to stay safe and that you are always on our minds.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gblakesmith3/album?.dir=/482a&.src=ph&.tok=phQ_zYCBAgA1nJVM

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Old Manor Cottage Entrance

Front View of the Cottage

Front View of the Cottage from across the road

Garden View

Back view of the Cottage

Doug demonstrating Beam Height

Living Room

Master Bedroom..check out the fireplace

Bedroom

Dining Room

Barn, Pool, Sauna and Badmitton

Our Cottage Roof..view from a field behind them

Another view from the same field

A Home in our Neighborhood

Our Road..the cottage is just around the bend

Doug at the Neighborhood Church

Blake at the Neighborhood Church

Just a picture to end this post and I have to say that this cottage was terrific.

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