Week 2 - England & Scotland (Game 3 & Paul's 30th)

... us to meet Paul's parents (K&D)who were arriving at Heathrow an hour after us. After the first reunion, it was off on the tube to our house where Paul's brother Max and girlfriend Torie were also waiting.

We spent a couple of days playing tourist in London... visiting Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Tate Modern. The highlight was the British Museum as Torie with her classics degree and several weeks in Greece for honours year behind her played guide.


Max & Kay ready to go visit Liz...


Tour guide Torie

Our travels then took us north. First stop was York, with accommodation upstairs from the pub. We spent our day mooching in the city and checking out the Minster. Then adopting the divide and conquer method the girls went factory shopping while the boys went to the viking museum.


The Pub



The roof of York Minster

Next stop was Durham. Mel (Paul's sister) was driving and took K&D leaving the kids to be irresponsible together. We were staying in the castle, which is now a student hostel and enjoyed a tour given by one of the students. The next tour was of the Minster, given by a very knowledgeable woman who was possibly as old as the Minster itself - she wasn't too fond of the modern additions (made sometime in the reign of Victoria).



View from our room in the castle.

Paul woke on his birthday to a full cooked breakfast in the castle's old dining hall. Max jokingly asked for a huge pile of hash browns and got exactly as he wanted.


Birthday breakfast (check out the hash browns) - Paul, Max & Torie

Upon arrival in Edinburgh we took Torie to the Whiskey Heritage Centre and I think by the end of the ride in the whiskey barrel and four region tasting tray she was a convert.

We had a very pleasant dinner out for Paul's birthday - a real treat of nine courses, which included 15 varieties of cheese! Yum!


Birthday dinner - Dennis, Torie, Max, Amy, Paul, Kay and Mel in the front.

This wasn't the only birthday dinner as we had another one with friends who were also up for the rugby on the Saturday followed by kareoke.


Birthday kareoke - Vicky, Amanda, Evan, Tom's mate, Reuven & Paul

Sunday was another day for rugby... this time against Scotland... and another win to NZ.


Haka!

It was a great week, and good to play tourist in the country we actually live in.

The 4am start to get to work on Monday was not so great though!