London day 6: The Quire at St. Paul's

• After a leisurely breakfast at department store TJ Hughes, we headed off to St. Paul's Cathedral
• Staff were very accommodating, providing a wheelchair for Yvonne to use while we admired the soaring walls, gilded and painted domes, and memorials
• The aspect changed dramatically when a visiting choir began their rehearsal: the hallowed halls resonated with sacred tones; now the church seemed alive, rather than just a memorial to the dead (i.e. side chapels with tombs etc.)
  
• We finished our day with an unguided double-decker bus ride to Paddington Station, where we caught the tube then overground home to Watford
• Thanks to all for your interest in reading our blog! Tomorrow we catch the train for Gatwick airport at 6:53 a.m. so this will likely be the end of the blogs for this trip
• Looking forward to a quiet relaxing week with the family at a rented cottage in Gatineau, Quebec next week!
• CHEERS! (and thanks for all your prayers)

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London day 5: Changing the Guard / Buckingham Palace

• We arrived at Buckingham Palace on a beautiful sunny day just in time to witness throngs of people gathered to watch the ceremonial 'changing of the guard', complete with band and lots of marching about
• When many of those assembled later swamped the ticket office, we decided it might be a good idea to buy the "fast track" tickets offered by the company who'd done our bus sightseeing tour. In fact our 24-hour tickets were still valid so we hopped back on a passing tour bus to get to the main office
• En route we paid a visit to the Canadian High Commission, conveniently located at Trafalgar Square, to use their facilities (including free internet access)
• By the time we got back to BP, Yvonne was so tired and affected by the heat, she commented she was walking like a drunken man
• When I asked about a wheelchair, the Palace wardens quickly responded, and we were looked after royally for the rest of the tour
• Seeing all the gold, silver, and diamonds in the state rooms caused me to marvel that the Queen hasn't let so much power and wealth go to her head (except the crown, on occasion). Perhaps the household servants have picked up a patient, serving mindset because they see it reflected in Her Majesty

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London day 4: Touring by Bus and Boat

• This day was devoted to "The Original London Sightseeing Tour", which gave us a good exposure to London's principal sites, at least from street level
• Included with the three bus tours was a Thames River cruise: we rode the catamaran with commentary from Tower (of London) Pier to Westminster Pier
• Yvonne managed very well without the wheelchair today, which took some stress out of using trains / subway

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London day 3: Visiting an old Friend

• We enjoyed a fast 'London Midland' train ride to Euston station; the escalator there was out of service, so we took a different route than planned to get to the Hatton Cross station. When travelling with a wheelchair, we're starting to appreciate stations with 'lifts' (elevators)
• We were picked up by Yvonne's school chum from 1965-67, Jane Witcombe, who took us on a fascinating tour of their old stomping grounds at Ashford (SW of London, near Heathrow airport)
• We spent a leisurely afternoon catching up with Jane, complete with a delicious lunch and 'trifle'. Jane recently completed her qualifications as a nurse practitioner to write prescriptions

London day 2: Church across the Road

• after a delicious breakfast speedily served at a humble but efficient cafe on Watford's High Street, we walked back up to the Beechen Road Baptist Church for their 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship service
• while the music suffered from the fact the entire choir was away on holiday and several of the pieces were unfamiliar to me, I was able to sing out for "As the Deer"
• it turns out Pastor Robbins was originally from Canada (Oakville ON), having gone to Acadia divinity school in Nova Scotia. His illustration about going to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs with his father as a youth made me feel right at home
• while the 30-odd congregants left lots of empty space in the sanctuary designed to seat over 300, they were warm and friendly, inviting us to coffee and cookies after, and have plans for a 'Back to Church' Sunday in September in preparation for which they wrote names of friends they hoped to invite on sticky notes (see easel in photo)
• for the afternoon, we are enjoying a quiet day of rest before the final few days of our time in Britain's capital

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London day 1: Kew Gardens

• Returning our rental car after 2862 miles, we had planned to take the 'underground' (subway) to our destination. We found out the 'tube' from Uxbridge was shut down for maintenance. The Hertz agent kindly drove us to the West Ruislip station at no charge
• An hour to drive 10 miles on the M25 (London's ring road, under construction) made me thankful we're using public transit this last leg of our journey
• We are learning to get on and off the subway quickly at the brief station stops (with wheelchair)
• The wheelchair saved us considerable admission cost at Kew Gardens: fee 11 pds not 26 pds!
• Our knowledgable guide took us on a 100-minute informative tour
• Although the day started in wet fashion, by the time we arrived at the Royal Botanic Gardens, it was a beautiful afternoon

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Visit with Aunt Shirley and family - Bletchley

• after a very enjoyable 6-night stay at Grantham, we loaded everything up again en route to our final stop, Watford (just northwest of London)
• we had a very enjoyable afternoon with Yvonne's mother's sister Shirley Gear, her husband Sam, and two sons Andrew and Brian
• after a delicious lunch out, we toured the grounds and gardens at Woburn Abbey
• a short drive later brought us to our 3-star hotel at Watford where tomorrow we will say goodbye to our faithful steed (Ford Focus diesel) and hello to the famous Tube!

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Lincolnshire Wolds and York Minster

• we had a beautiful drive through the Lincolnshire Wolds, including a stop for tea and browsing at an out-of-the-way Christian bookshop. While Yvonne shopped, I was given a tour of the off-grid wind turbine-based electrical system :)
  
• York Minster (not only a cathedral, but an early teaching church) was massive and lofty; again, one wonders how millions of pounds for maintenance of aging monuments connects to mission ('fishers of people'). Does the church come across as historical, but irrelevant?
• felt pleased I could make a contribution to the Minster's ongoing development - fixed the toilet in the handicapped washroom so it would give a proper flush!
  
• The first pub we tried in Grantham for supper didn't serve food, but another provided an ample 'ploughman's lunch' including the famous Melton Mowbray pork pie I'd wanted to sample yesterday
• tomorrow we pack up and move for the last time between motels - off to London. It's been a pleasant respite staying in the same place for 6 nights straight.

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Burghley House and Bunyan's Prison

• our first stop was Burghley (pronounce 'burly') House, near Stamford, UK: this lavish country house was built by Queen Elizabeth I's treasurer, and has been used as a set for the recent re-make of 'Pride and Prejudice'
  
• When I asked how the Cecils made their money, a guide informed me their estate largely came from church lands that were doled out after Henry VIII dissolved them. Rental income from the tenant farmers then went to Lord Burghley (ie Mr.Cecil, Earl of Exeter) rather than the church. Sobering to consider how Father Jean de Brebeuf might have used some of that wealth as a missionary among Native Americans had it been available, instead of wealthy Englishers gilding their fireplaces with silver. (Not that I think the Reformation was a bad idea!)
• unfortunately photography was not allowed inside either Burghley House or the John Bunyan Museum, so I can't share images with you. However the paintings on the walls and especially the ceilings were fascinating and skilfully done; particularly meaningful to those with a better knowledge of mythology than me.
• we only had time in Bedford for a quick stop at the John Bunyan Museum; he wrote the 2nd-most-widely-distributed English-language book to the Bible (Pilgrim's Progress) while in a dark prison here. Bunyan's conditions formed a stark contrast to the opulence we had just witnessed at fashionable Burghley House. But now, Bunyan's work is recognized around the world - especially precious in places where Christians are persecuted for their faith, as he (a Non-conformist) was
• Rutland Water is a huge (3,100 acre) man-made lake: a very pelasant place to stop for a breath of fresh air and to stretch our legs. The sailboats were obviously enjoying the conditions, too
• At Melton Mowbray we were unable to find a restaurant serving the town's famous pork pies (having arrived after the main shoppe closed), but we did savour 'Stilton Chicken'  - a dish in which the meat and potatoes were bathed in a sauce made with the town's renowned Stilton Cheese. MM! stands for Melton Mowbray
  

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Norwich in East Anglia

• we drove 2.5 hours east through roads some of which were clogged with farm vehicles, to meet Yvonne's mother's cousin Peter Tims and his wife Carole
• Carole is very active musically, teaching private piano/voice students, instructing at a school, and leading an award-winning youth choir of 45 voices aged 7-18 in her volunteer hours
• they took us on a tour of the town, and treated us to a delicious seafood meal at the Loch Fyne restaurant
  
• we arrived home almost in time for Ernest to take part as secretary for a 2-hour EMC-Canada East District conference call (1:30 pm in Ontario, 6:30 pm here)
• over 2000 miles logged in the car now! Today the clutch acted up briefly, sticking to the floor - Ernest just had to learn not to push it all the way down.
  

A Quiet Day for a Change

• We stayed in today as Yvonne spent much time sleeping, recovering from a 'fuzzy' period related to tumour / hormonal activity. The cool overcast weather wasn't all that inviting anyway!
• I spent some time researching historical sites to visit in the region, and planning a route to the scenic Lincolnshire wolds
• Have been enjoying Josh (and son Sean) McDowell's book 'More than a Carpenter' - especially Sean's treatment of how scientific discoveries at the genetic and cosmic level may refute claims of so-called 'new atheists'
• We enjoyed a fun supper out at an American 50's-style 'OK Diner' with a mixed grill and creamy abundant milkshakes

Grantham Christian Fellowship - and a day of rest
Today we worshipped at a small Assemblies of God congregation in nearby Grantham, after a search of local worship possibilities using Google Earth. The second song they sang was by Brian Doerksen, a Canadian, so we felt right at home. Graham Kendrick and Robin Mark were also featured so the British Isles were well represented. The congregation made us very welcome at the coffee time afterwards.
There weren't many cars in the parking lot. When we stopped by the local ASDA superstore for some food items in the afternoon, we found out where all the local people were: the place was a-buzzing with activity! I mused while standing in line that in a strictly consumer society, perhaps the 'altar' is the cash register and the 'priestess' the cashier. We become what we worship.
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Vacationing with the Venerable Bede - for old time's sake

• Mr. and Mrs. Dow went to Washington - U.K., not U.S.A. (Travelodge motel near Newcastle)
• investigating what there was to see in the area at breakfast using the GPS, we spotted "Bede's World" at Jarrow
• a fascinating exhibit about the life, writings, and impact of this early Briton Christian from nearly 1400 years ago
• his books were still avidly sought and produced (painstakingly copied by hand) two centuries after his death, having a profound reach into medieval Europe
• besides being an active theologian commenting on the scriptures, Bede was an astute scientist, understanding planetary realities and the connection between the moon and the tides before gravity was formally discovered
  
• so, who needs to 'devote yourself to learn the sayings and doings of the men of old' when we have Google? Did these quill-pushing monks actually have a broader grasp of knowledge than we proud 21st-century high-speed iPhone-porting idiot-box-glued post-moderns?
• this evening we arrived just south of Grantham in central England where we plan to stay put for a week and make day trips in a more relaxed manner.

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Edinburgh: Bus and Botanics

• We were blessed with a sunny warm day to tour Scotland's capital in the top of a double-decker bus. Our guide interpreted it as an omen of good luck that we could complete a 1-hour tour without a drop of rain
• It was good to see the mod-looking Scottish parliament and Dynamic Earth tent, along with Reformation-era churches, and the University of Edinburgh
• We saw the place where executions had been carried out, and were told of one woman who survived hanging to go on and bear 6 children!
• Our afternoon concluded with a very pleasant lunch at the Royal Botanic Garden, including a tour of the glasshouses
• Thus ends our experience of Scotland, for this trip.

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Lost in the wonders of Edinburgh - literally

• Despite an early start, after driving 20 minutes from Stirling nearly to Edinburgh, we realized we'd left some laundry in a plastic bag back in our motel room when we checked out, so had to backtrack. However the weather was lovely and Britain's classical FM helped the miles fly by
• Edinburgh Castle proved very accessibility-friendly: I was able to book a disabilty parking spot up on the 'esplanade' ahead of time by phone; the courtesy car drove us right up to the top, through a tunnel blasted out of the castle rock 20 years ago; and a 'lift' enabled us to jump into the queue waiting to see the crown jewels
• We enjoyed very much a 'live history' presentation by a musketeer
• However while I was visiting the John Knox museum, having left a tired Yvonne at the car to eat some ice cream, she wandered off in search of an additional snack. An hour and a half later, thankfully, the local constabulary and ambulance managed to reunite us. When she'd become disoriented, some helpful young people hailed a policeman who called in to headquarters and connected with my 'missing person' notification
• Compounding our chagrin was my involuntary purchase of a $60 ticket to a restricted-parking zone (however it's actually a bargain - half-price of the original $120 it would be if I didn't pay in 14 days!
• Must note all the Edinburghians involved in the episode were most friendly and helpful - including the dress- shopkeeper who let me use her phone, and pub owner whose closed-circuit TV camera caught the time at which Yvonne left the vehicle (not to mention the police / ambulance personnel)
• At the end of the day... must say... the crown jewels pale by comparison with getting my wife back! :)

[click for PHOTOS]
[click for video pan from top of Edinburgh Castle]
[click for video history presentation by musketeer at Edinburgh Castle]

Alloa, Clackmannan, and William Wallace

• had hoped to find out some more info about my Dow forebears that sailed from Alloa about AD 1821 to carve out new homes, first in Lanark County, Ontario, then moving to more fertile areas in Perth County (Hibbert Township)
• both churches in Alloa were closed and the clerk of session wasn't home; no answer at the manse
• enjoyed a tour of the Clackmannan church in the afternoon, with a very knowledgeable clerk of session as guide; he referred me to scotlandspeople.gov.uk for further research genealogically
• fascinating tours and vistas from the top of Alloa Tower and especially the National Wallace Monument (over 200 steps up! not to mention the steep path up to the base from the parking lot)
  
• Yvonne and I enjoyed a delicious meal and relaxing live (if loud) music at a bistro in Stirling to cap off the day

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[click for Video pan from top of Wallace Monument]

Inverewe Garden, north-western Scotland

• Praise God it didn't rain the morning we visited Inverewe Garden!
• marvelous floral beauty at a latitude 300 km north of Edmonton Alberta's - made possible by the Gulf Stream / North Atlantic Drift
• drive back to southern Scotland went much more smoothly than the drive north - more motorway, through straight level patches rather than winding along lochs

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Loch Lomond, Loch Ness, and the Scottish Highlands
Sorry if you missed my posts - I was incommunicado on the northwest edge of Scotland, then have been so busy posting photos I didn't have time to blog! Will be brief and try to catch up.

• Great scenery on the drive north from Glasgow to Inverewe area; highland mountain scenery is truly majestic
• roads a bit scary where they wind around curves between steep hillsides and lakes
• lunch at hotel while asking them to do a load of laundry was a great idea until the laundry ended up taking 2 hours for a single load

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[Video of Bagpiper busking in Highlands]
[Video of Three Sisters Mountains at Glencoe, Scotland]
[Video of More Highland Scenery]
[Video of Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness]
[Video of Little Loch Broom, Scotland]

Flagging Attachment on the Edge of Empire
Sunday was our long drive day - I've now logged over 1000 miles on UK roads, in a single week. Yvonne slept in til noon in one of her 'fuzzy' days (low-grade seizure activity associated with her remaining brain tumour) so instead of visiting the local Baptist or Methodist churches I'd found using the GPS, I did an online search using Google.co.uk 'pages from the UK only' hoping to find live British streaming video church services. Holy Trinity Brompton (church of Nicky Gumbel, originator of the Alpha series) did not offer live services, but some pre-recorded talks. The Church Channel had Adrian Rogers' Love Worth Finding (from Florida) so I watched that for a sermon. I then looked at GodTV.com, which had teaching from a conference somewhere in North Carolina.
   However a knock at the door reminded me noon and checkout time had come. We scrambled to get to the car; thankfully Yvonne was able to walk by herself with some assistance, so I didn't need to bring in the wheelchair. Next we drove to Ironbridge near Telford where the world's first Iron Bridge still stands, herald of the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution (1779).
   En route to Scotland, we made a couple of brief detours. The first was to Blackburn, home of my father-in-law's favourite football (soccer) club, the Blackburn Rovers. An impressive stadium; I was able to obtain a couple of coasters for souvenirs.
   Also we stopped at Gilsland in Northumberland to see remains of Hadrian's Wall, including Poltross Burn Milecastle. At vintage AD 122, this was the oldest man-made object I've encountered in my British travels.
   Having left about noon from the north edge of Birmingham, we arrived at our motel in Glasgow about 9:45 p.m. It had been a long day; Yvonne slept most of the way so missed most of the excellent scenery from the Lake District north. But we have a fair bit of rugged Scotland yet to see. I listened to several MP3s by John Piper from his album "Men of Whom the World was Not Worthy" - biographies of John Bunyan, John Owen, and Charles H. Spurgeon.
   I have been realizing how in elementary school in the early 1960s, we still felt part of the British Empire. Our flag, the red ensign, contained the Union Jack in the top left. When we looked at a map of the world, we felt part of all that PINK (British commonwealth). Then in 1965 a new distinctively Canadian flag was introduced. Next, our constitution was officially patriated in 1982, severing ties with Great Britain (although we still have the Queen on our coins). Slowly our British-consciousness faded. Now we feel more an outpost of the United States, sharing close economic ties through NAFTA (our government is now a 1/8 share owner of General Motors!). Culturally the U.S. has infiltrated our attention, as the Emperor Hadrian and his legionnaires once pushed north through Britain. The propaganda effect of the media has been very successful. Hence even here in Britain it seems the only 'live' online religious broadcasting I can find is streaming from Florida or North Carolina.
   As the Picts and Scots resisted Hadrian's imperialism, should we be more conscious about our entertainment selections today? Which is more tending to 'barbarism' - turning off the TV, or consenting to watch what Hollywood throws at us?
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[click for Video of Poltross Burn Milecastle]
[click for Video of scenic panorama near Gilsland]

Stratford and Woodstock (not the Ontario ones, but the originals)
I grew up near Stratford, Ontario; two of my daughters were born at Stratford General Hospital; and we lived for a year near Woodstock, Ontario, while I completed theological college in Toronto. Today I got to visit the original cities in England after which those Canadian towns were named.
Blenheim Palace is located just outside Woodstock. We stopped just long enough to stretch our legs and snap a picture from outside the gate. Impressive building and grounds.
We took more time at Stratford-upon-Avon; this was Shakespeare's birthplace and where he retired, at the site of his former home 'New Place'. We were most impressed by the beautiful gardens. After the heavy off-and-on showers during the day, the colours seemed particularly brilliant and everything was fresh and verdant. And, "A rose by any other name would [still!] smell as sweet."
[click for PHOTOS] [click for Video of New Place garden]

Off to Oxford through the Cotswolds
While we did not see much evidence of the Cotswolds along our route for quite a distance, finally the rolling patchwork of fields came into view. Our GPS which has been very reliable got us almost to the church near Oxford where CS Lewis worshiped and is buried, but a little hunting brought us to the correct spot a block over. It is a very peaceful churchyard, with many flowers brightening up the cemetery.
It being Friday, we enjoyed a tasty traditional English fish'n'chips (haddock) lunch at a fine pub, The White Horse. It was time to do some laundry so the helpful pub server directed us to a local 'launderette' (or laundromat) which brought me to the need to convert some travellers' cheques into cash at a nearby Barclays bank. While the laundry was in the machine, we toured part of Oxford University, though were somewhat thwarted by pedestrian-friendly roadblocks.
In the early evening, we popped in unexpectedly on Yvonne's mother's sister (Aunt Shirley) and family, as they are located only half an hour from this night's motel. Uncle Sam's love of flower gardening is obvious from his backyard!
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Up Hill and Down Dale
Today we got underway later as I took some time to fine-tune the route using Google Maps then copying the co-ordinates manually into our helpful GPS. (Plus we're on holiday, so aren't we allowed to be leisurely?!) While finishing breakfast at McDonald's (with WiFi) I read to Yvonne from my handheld computer interesting facts about our principal stops for the day - Barnstaple, Exmoor National Park, Glastonbury, and Bristol. Our first stop was the 'chemist's' (pharmacy) in Barnstaple (which used to be an important town in its own right, with its own mint, at the time the Domesday Book was written to aid William the Conqueror assess the state of his new nation; Barnstaple was one of the few 'staple' ports by which goods such as wool were exported and taxes levied).
Next we drove for several hours through Exmoor National Park - which actually seems to be mainly farmland, grazed by sheep and cattle - catching glimpses where we could through towering hedgerows of its undulating natural beauty. We spent an hour having 'garden cream teas' at the village shop and post office at Challacombe, just before leaving Devon for Somerset. Clotted cream, jam, and fresh scones - calories don't count when you're on holiday, right?
Yvonne has enjoyed an historically-based book Glastonbury so we headed next for this unusual Tor rising high above the Somerset plains. I was fooled at first, mistaking Burrowbridge Mump for the actual Glastonbury site - well, isn't one ruin atop a hill much like another?! But Glastonbury's height was really amazing and worth a few extra miles.
I had hoped to visit the oldest Methodist church in the world - John Wesley's 'New Room' in Bristol, but alas, by the time we arrived (after 6 pm) it was closed. However I was able to get a picture of the famous evangelist atop his circuit-circumnavigating steed in the courtyard. Perhaps our modern churches could be reminded by Wesley's chapel of the merits of simplicity and frugalness in church construction - saving resources for the church's mission.
Yvonne has, thankfully, been holding up very well through these first few active days of our trip. She didn't doze at all today in the car despite not having time for a nap; but, then again, perhaps it had something to do with the 14-18% grades on the hills, twisty turns, non-existent shoulders on the roads, and me pulling out Canadian-style to almost meet an oncoming vehicle head-on... I decided I'd better be a bit more careful!
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[click for Video of Exmoor pastoral panorama]

A RELATIVE-ly Good Day
Wednesday we managed to catch up with three of my mother's first cousins and their families in the area of Devon between Holsworthy and Bideford. The next generation is involved in a wide variety of occupations, from sheep-raising (upwards of 850 animals) to repairing search-and-rescue helicopters to high-tech import/export. We were deliciously overfed and graciously received even when we were way overdue on account of longer-than-expected visits at a previous place.

It was wonderful to feel a little connection with my mother's mother Ada (nee Blight) Glover who I had never met - died 8 years before I was born - who grew up in the little village we visited today. Also to share concern with committed church folk who long to see the church return to the significant role in people's lives it once played (before we got busy with other things).
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The Idols We Keep: Salisbury to Stonehenge
While the 'light breakfast' deposited outside our door of our Travelodge room may not have been impressive (cereal flakes with UHT milk from Ireland and a cookie), it was good to see Fair Trade coffee and sugar was used. Having recently flown across the Atlantic in 7 hours contrasted to the 5 weeks it took my Dow ancestors to come across by ship in the 1820s, it was a reminder how tightly interconnected the planet is today, and how our actions (together) do affect farmers and economies in distant countries.
My morning reading included a somber reminder from Psalm 106 of our fallen human tendency to get off-track in what we make sacrifices for / of: “At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal...They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.” (Ps 106:19, 36-38)
Our first main historic outing of the day was the impressive cathedral at Salisbury, sporting the tallest wooden spire in Britain at 404 feet. Our tour guide was friendly and full of interesting details. However viewing the twisting pillars, eroded sandstone statues, and crumbling walls, one cannot help but wonder if the monument conservation funding of £15,000 per year is the best way to spend the money. When does a religious building outlive its usefulness and become simply a costly monument? Would the needs of local Christians and the community be better met if such an antique structure were replace with a modern, eco-friendly one? When do our religious edifices stop being a facility or tool, and become an idol that robs money from mission and worship more suited to God's Kingdom?
Our afternoon concluded with a stop at Stonehenge, the massive stones of which force one to wonder what celebrations were conducted here. 'Henge' means 'gallows', and an altar is a central feature, so the Psalm's warning against idolatry seemed particularly apt. The structure of the 'gallows' reminded me of the butchering props constructed by deer and moose hunters to deal with their kills. One can only hope a minimum of human sacrifice was carried out at such a garish place. How easy is it for an entire society to become caught up in idolatry that victimizes the innocent? Devilish power then is wielded by those called priests.
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[click for Video of world's oldest working clock at Salisbury]
[click for Video of quick pan of Stonehenge]

Safely Across the Pond
[photo] Air Transat A310 airbus that faithfully delivered Yvonne, me, and 300-odd other passengers to London Gatwick airport from Toronto Pearson. With a good supper meal and breakfast muffin thrown in, too! Departed 21:50 on time, arrived 9:45, ~7 hour flight.

Praise God that the flight went well; baggage came through fine; rental car was awaiting us as expected; I did not crash today! Think it will be fun having a standard transmission after all (I like shifting, even if it is with my left hand). Took a few times to learn how to follow Ms Garmin's [Gps] advice about exits on roundabouts but seem to have picked it up. Took "shortest distance" rather than "fastest route" option to start, so got some driving practice on back roads as desired, before graduating to the M3 (high-speed motorway) this afternoon.I had a few hours sleep on the flight; Yvonne became very bushed by the trip so has settled down for a well-deserved nap.

We stopped in at (her mother's cousin) John Tims' in Fareham, near Portsmouth; no one home, had a hospitable 'cuppa' with a neighbour lady while waiting to see if he'd return shortly; will try again this evening. Travelodge Motel in Southampton is very clean and adequate if not posh (as expected). Thanks to any who prayed for my driving the first day when tired and jet-wupped by the lengthy flight.

[photo] View from our top-floor Travelodge penthouse, with the derricks of Southampton's docks silhouetted against the sky on the horizon.

[click for Video of Southampton skyline and street]