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UK 2023
  • Simon Cox
  • Danielle Cox
  • Simon Cox
  • Danielle Cox

UK 2023

This is our first overseas trip all together.
1 month, 3 countries. Read more
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  • UK 2023
    The ceiling in the entryQueen Anne's throneThe first Duchess of Marlborough who over saw the building of the castleQueen Anne's crownCatching the train from the playground to the PalaceThe room where Sir Winston Churchill was bornCostumes from BridgertonThis room was used for filming of Queen Charlotte Netflix series1

    Blenheim Palace

    June 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We toured the splendid Blenheim Palace. A National monument and home of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. Unfortunately they were setting up for a concert, but it was still a site to behold. Apparently it is the only Palace not occupied by a Royal. However, it sits on Royal land, which was gifted to the first Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne, which is why it's called a Palace. There was an coronation exhibition on display as we went through the state rooms. Blenheim Palace was also the birthplace of Winston Churchill.Read more

  • UK 2023
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    One of the ladies of the family was a maid of honour at Queen Elizabeth II coronation. Her dressNo palace is compete without its own chapel. Scene of QEII coronation stage as part of the exhibitioThe gardens complete with its own lake

    Blenheim Palace cont

    June 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    More photos of Blenheim...

  • UK 2023
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    11111121

    Chatsworth House (aka Pemberly)

    June 18, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today we visited Chatsworth House, the home of the Duke of Devonshire. You may recognise it as the home of Mr Darcy (aka Pemberly) in Pride and Prejudice. Another beautiful stately home with an equally beautiful garden and landscape. They also had a farmyard and adventure playground for the kids, which you will see in the photos. We are now on our way to York.Read more

  • UK 2023
    That second storey wall doesn't look structural sound
    Step out our front door into a medieval street...have I stepped into Diagon Alley??Digging for artefactsDigging for arefactsBuying traditional lemonade. They literally squeeze the lemons into the cupWalking on the city walksBelle defending York with her expert archery skills... thanks to Pa1Eating icecream outside York Minster...a bribe to convince the kids to go in an check out the churchYork Minster

    York Day 1

    June 19, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Day one in York. Step out our front door into a rambling medieval street lined with cute shops. The kids had a one-on-one session with an archaeologist and had fun digging for their own artefacts. After lunch we visited one of the medieval gates into the city and walked along the city walls. Now we are eating icecream outside the York Minster Abbey.Read more

  • UK 2023
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    York Minster Abbey

    June 19, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We explored the magnificent York Minster Abbey. Fact, an Abbey is thus called because it's attached to a Monastery. The kids had a quest, with clues to discover throughout the Abbey. They have also recently installed a statue of Queen Elizabeth II on the facade to celebrate her jubilee.Read more

  • UK 2023
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    Creepy viking mannequins.It was an impressive insight into life in a Viking city, complete with smells to matchThis was the carriage that took us through the Viking streetThe boys spoils from their Harry Potter themed golfBelle outside 'The shop that shall not be named' in the Shambles

    York Day 2

    June 20, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    It is raining today, but that didn't stop us. Everyone put on their raincoat and stepped out into the 🌧.

    First stop was the JORVIK Viking centre which is a museum that taught us about the Viking history of York around the 10th century. In addition to a collection of artefacts from archaeological digs in the area, it included a ride down a recreated Viking street that showed us what life was like in a Viking village. The mannequins they used were very life-like, in a freaky kind of way.

    Next, Annabelle and Dani went off to visit the Harry Potter shop in the Shambles, while Tom and Simon played a round of putt putt golf at the "Hole in Wand" golf centre.    Read more

  • UK 2023
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    111111212Sitting on a Tudor dunnyThe original working from home set up

    Barley Hall

    June 20, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    This afternoon we paid a visit to Barley Hall, a medieval townhouse that has been rediscovered and restored in recent years. In addition to being able to learn about the hall, they also had a Shakespeare exhibition showing costumes that have been used by actors in recent shows and films. The kids were able to try on some costumes and even perform a puppet show.Read more

  • UK 2023
    Castle stronghold
    Victorian parlourTudor parlourGeorgian parlour1950s parlour1King Thomas I1Riding a toy horse1The was an excellent exhibition showing fashion through the ages. This is a dress from Victorian eraVictorian streetVictorian street1Going into the castle

    York Day 3

    June 21, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Today, we visited the York Castle Museum. Housed in the old jail, the museum included a Victorian street, rooms set up to reassemble different periods, an exhibition about WWI, and an exhibition showing toys through the ages. An excellent museum. Next to the museum was the remains of the main stronghold of the York castle, a medieval fortress.Read more

  • UK 2023

    National Rail Museum

    June 21, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    This afternoon we went to the National Rail Museum. It came highly recommended by Kaija and John who were here just a few weeks ago, however I'm not sure Danielle was quite as enthusiastic as they had been.

    The museum was a twenty minute walk from our accommodation and as we stated walking it was beginning to drizzle so we were prepared for some grumbling from the kids. However, about 2 mins into our walk we stumbled across a shuttle bus that offered to take us directly to the museum so we hopped on board and the kids were all smiles.

    Train nerds would love this place, but for us I think we were expecting it to be more interactive. They have a huge collection of locomotives and carriages, but only one carriage was able to be entered, all the rest were for looking only. Probably half the museum is currently closed for upgrades, so maybe when that is complete it will offer a better experience for non-enthusiasts.

    The kids enjoyed the kids play area. It was designed more for toddlers than kids our age, but they still had a lot of fun there.    Read more

  • UK 2023

    On the road again 🎶

    June 22, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Today we left York behind and made our way to Newcastle. However, before we left Dani prepared a picnic and on the way we stopped at Gibside, an old Georgian era estate that is now effectively a national park.
    It was much less touristy than all our previous stops. We had a lovely picnic lunch, the kids played on a playground and then we went for a 4.5km walk around the estate (it was supposed to be 3.5 km but our navigator took a wrong turn and it took a while to realise that we were heading in completely the wrong direction).
    Along the walk we found a low ropes course that we all tried, and also went past the ruins of the old homestead and orangery. Near the end we stopped for a cuppa and the kids had an ice cream.    Read more

  • UK 2023
    1The kids are delighted that our hotel has a pool and spaPool timeOur to dinner. Mexican. Yum

    Royal Station Hotel, Newcastle

    June 22, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Our hotel in Newcastle is an old Victorian era building with some lovely original features (and some not so lovely features, such as no air conditioning in the rooms). It also has a fitness centre with pool and spa, and the kids were straight in.Read more

  • UK 2023
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    The Famous Five go on an Adventure

    June 23, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today the famous five ( Thomas as Julian, Annabelle as Georgina, Simon as Dick, Danielle as Anne and of course Junior P as Timmy the dog) went on a grand adventure to the English seaside that Enid Blyton would be proud of. The day included walks along the beach, fish and chips for lunch, castle ruins and caves full of smuggler's treasure.

    Actually, we went to Tynemouth and visited the old castle and priory which included plenty of places for the kids to explore, including the old castle keep, ruins of the old church and WWII gun turrets. We then grabbed fish and chips (all gluten free) and had lunch on the beach. After lunch we walked along to the next bay where we found some caves in the cliff. What a smashing adventure.    Read more

  • UK 2023
    1The area is not quite as militarized as it was 2000 years ago2Proof that we are actually both on this holiday togetherAround every corner is another Georgian mansionThe only actual bit of Hadrians Wall here. Other locations have better examples.1Beautiful English country side

    Hadrian's Wall

    June 24, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today we have ventured north, to the Scottish city of Edinburgh. But on the way we stopped to have a look at the excavated ruins of Chester's Fort, built by the Romans as part of Hadrian's Wall to keep the pesky Scottish barbarians from coming South.Read more

  • UK 2023
    1111Apparently Australia is opposite Edinburgh on a globe. The sign said ladder to AustraliaLook how skinny and tall we all are

    Sunday Fun Day

    June 25, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today was all about the kids.

    This morning we went to visit the Edinburgh camera obscura and the associated World of Illusions museum. The camera obscura offers a 360 degree view of Edinburgh from the top of a 6 storey building. The camera and views were interesting, but let's face it, we were there for the Illusions museum. It was 5 storeys of weird and wonderful illusions. Very hands on. We all had a great time... until Tom slammed himself into a mirror in the middle of the mirror maze and did himself an injury. Nothing serious, more of a bruised ego than a bruised body, but it put a bit of a downer on the last little bit of the visit for him.

    We then walked back to our apartment to grab some lunch.

    In the afternoon the rain set in, so we donned our rain jackets and hit the buses in search of further adventure.

    As is becoming our habit on this trip our first stop was a putt putt golf course. Tom was on fire, and won easily. A future Tiger Woods perhaps.

    The afternoon was still young and the rain was getting heavier so our next destination (actually, in the same building complex we were already at) was ten pin bowling. Dani started out with a strike, but it was all downhill for her from there. She ended up in last place. It was a close fought battle for second place with Annabelle just taking the honors from Tom. The winner was Simon, including a three-strike turkey 🦃 in the middle of the game.

    Back to the bus and a quick stop at the shops and then back to the apartment to refresh before dinner.    Read more

  • UK 2023
    1View from the top
    Edinburgh castleThis road is normally bustling with cars and buses. Looks a bit different at 5amMy destination in the distanceHollyrood Palace1GPX

    Arthur's Seat

    June 26, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Today I got up early, left Dani and the kids in bed and went for stroll up Arthur's Seat.

    The weather has cleared up since yesterday and I had clear blue skies. It was a bit windy at the top, but the walk was well with it with amazing views of Edinburgh on offer.

    Here are a few happy snaps I took along the way.    Read more

  • UK 2023
    A knight guards the entrance to the castleFire!11View from the castle wall2St Margarets chapel. Grandmum would have been allowed to get married here for free.The chapel is quite small, so if you get married here you'd better not invite many friends2Annabelle picked up a new hat from the souvenir shop outside the castle gates

    Edinburgh Castle

    June 26, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today we visited Edinburgh Castle. Set on a rocky outcrop in the middle of the City, you can see why the Scots chose build a castle there. From the outside the castle bore a strong resemblance to Hogwarts, but alas there was no magic inside just hordes of tourists. Maybe because we are two weeks in and the novelty of old buildings is starting to wear off... but it felt like the site would have benefited from some more interpretative signage. Interesting fact... inside the castle is the oldest building in Edinburgh "St Margaret's Chapel". According to a reliable source if your name is Margaret you can get married in the chapel for free... for anyone else, it costs £20,000.Read more

  • UK 2023

    A rest day

    June 28, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We are staying in London with Sam and Stef, and after 5 nights in hotels without laundry facilities today has been a good chance to clean our clothes and have a general reset. Tomorrow we are off to Paris for a few days, so it has also been a chance to get ready for that.

    We haven't been completely housebound though, we jumped on a double decker London bus and headed to the local shops to grab a few supplies.
    The was a very noticeable cultural diversity at the shops, a lot of international food stores and clothing shops.

    Ater Chloe and Isobelle got home from school it was off to the local park so the kids could run off some energy.    Read more

  • UK 2023
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    Our first glimpse of the tower after getting off the metro1Starting the climb1121The reality isn't quiet as romantic as the movies suggest1Grabbing an overpriced hot dog for lunch... glamorous1

    Eiffel Tower

    June 29, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    It was an early start today. We headed to Kings Cross Station and caught the Eurostar to Paris in preparation for our trip to Disneyland.

    The first thing we decided to do was visit the Eiffel Tower. We wanted to go up the tower, but of course the tickets for the lift up the tower sold out months ago, so it looks like we have a few steps to climb instead. 674 of them to be exact.

    Dani is not a big fan of heights, so she stayed at ground level with plans to seek out a gluten free bakery she had spotted on Google (more on that later). The rest of us, including the Pearce's, headed for the stairs.

    Everyone did a great job on the climb up the stairs even the little ones. However the number of people at the top made things a little unpleasant, especially given that it was quite a warm and humid day. We spent a bit of time enjoying the view and then made our way back down to meet Dani.

    Verdict: it was a fun and worthwhile experience, but the views OF the Eiffel Tower from the ground are probably than the views FROM the Eiffel Tower.    Read more

  • UK 2023
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    11111132311

    Disneyland Day 1

    June 30, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Finally the day had arrived. We were going to Disneyland. As we lined up in the pristine forecourt with musical fountains and a Disney worthy soundtrack serenading us the excitement was palpable. Through the gates and of to line up for our first ride. Thunder Mountain. Probably more thrills then some of us bargained for...but who knew Belle had an inner thrill seeker hidden under her nervous disposition. 14hrs later we dragged ourselves home after a full day to grab some 💤 so we cam do it all again tomorrow at Walt Disney Studios. Sorry we don't have more photos we were too busy having fun. Although it wasn't all fun. Every ride had long lines, and we needed much stamina to see us through.Read more

  • UK 2023

    Lines lines lines

    July 1, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Disneyland is great, but you spend a lot more time in lines than actually on rides (ie 45-60 mins per 1-2 min ride)

  • UK 2023
    2211We caught a show. Micky and the MagicianStudio 142

    Disneyland Day 2

    July 1, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today we went to Walt Disney Studios, which is the second themepark in the Disneyland complex. It was another day of fun and frivolity.

    Our day started a little later than yesterday with everyone needing a bit longer to get started after a midnight finish the day before. We also ended up finishing earlier as the fireworks display was cancelled and the park closed at 9:30pm due to the riots in Paris that are causing disruptions to public transport. However we still eked out as much value of our time as possible, including deferring dinner until we got back to the apartment at 10pm, rather than giving up our chance to be on the rides while the park was still open.

    Annabelle continued her thrill seeking ways with a go on a parachute drop ride in the morning, and later in the day also went on the Crusher Coaster.

    Tom had a more low-key day compared to Belle, preferring the gentler rides with the Slinky Dog ride and the Flying Carpet being a couple of his faves.

    Overall, we have had a great two days here. It has been well worth the visit.    Read more

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