gone riding

I called up Diana for another visit. This time to ride. What a treat! 

don't mind if i do!

aboard a mighty fine steed 

through the bridle paths of english countryside

my head was on a constant swivel

found this in the barn... boys' toys

and again, Diana and I went on some lovely walks

It was a perfect getaway from school and Oxford!! 

cheese, wine, laughs

Well the boys made it! The girls and I prepped their beds (complete with ample stuffed animals to keep them company), drew a nice welcome sign, and checked the train station multiple times looking for them. We had such a great weekend! They were wonderful additions. 

We went to a cheese factory. Calculated millionssss of dollars worth of cheeses in that building. It smelled so rank!

Stuart and I made a friend

Bakin, me, Stuart.
like carrots and peas

an overnight storm brought some snow for a snowball fight

Stu getting that perfect shot

Bakin for a failed sled attempt

our happy family! 

The weekend just wasn't long enough...

couldn't stay away

After my time in the Alps just a few weeks ago, I just had to return. Thanks to my professor for taking a week to spend time with his family at home in Greece, I got the week "off". By "off" I still had stacks of reading, 2 papers, and a 40 minute presentation to prepare. But hey, no class! Off to Switzerland it was...

Caught a nice 3:45 bus to get to the airport just in time for my flight. Landed in Geneva and caught a train to head up the hills to Chateau d'Oex.

lake Geneva

some street art in Montreux

It was so great to be back with the Zeller family!! Even if I spent my first couple days writing my papers and going on the occasional walk in the mountains. 

We even went to a Halloween party in a nearby town. So well done. 

little pony parade

chalet built circa 1732

hip hip hooray!

everyone is winterizing 

2 special boys from Oxford are coming to join us tomorrow. We're all crossing our fingers they actually make it here. 

an irish weekend

After a social with the Oxford polo team, I awoke bright and early to catch a bus at 4. To the airport we go! Off to spend the weekend in Northern Ireland with some dear old friends. 

Arrived in Belfast to so much rain. Spent my day walking around and drying off in coffee shops.   

here we are with city hall

 Finally met up with Keely to head home and curl up to a fire. So wonderful to see these lovely ladies! Quite out of context not to be in the states though. 

Got to go for a little walk out the front door. Fields of sheep and cows. The sea. It's beautiful! 

  

Spent the weekend hiking, site seeing, eating, drinking, laughing, and catching up with friends.

here we are at some cliffs

so cute! 

we crawled out to the edge of that cliff

Giant's Causeway

call me captain

sunday funday

Take advantage of a nice day here, right? So how bout a long walk to have a Sunday roast along the water? That's just what Stuart, John, and I did this fine Sunday. 

We came across a big green field filled with hundreds of cows and ponies! Children, dogs, gardens. So great!

We were almost like real adults and ate real grown up food. Such a nice change from our Keble dining hall grub!

bath time

Today was spent on a field trip! Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon. 

jane austen festival in Bath

check out our new headsets/phones

ze baths 

fun w the GoPro

From Bath we went to Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon to see Hamlet. It was pretty average to say the least...

some child's play in Stratford-upon-Avon

chamonix love

Elizabeth and I had a lovely time exploring the most beautiful town of Chamonix in the French Alps. I'm in love with it!

window boxes and flowers everywhere!

we are the champions!

and they're off!

lots of letter/journal writing

We even made friends!