day trip

We leapt out of bed yesterday like young children on Christmas morning.

With coffee in hand, we huddled around the kitchen laptop to check the final score of the Canucks and Ducks game. The second overtime just concluded and, although facebook messages were sent regarding the Canucks’ win, we tuned into sportsnet and caught the highlights on broadband fresh off the press.

Isn’t technology wonderful?

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Yesterday was an outing out to the ocean.

Since we live smack in the centre of Britain – the heartbeat of the industrial revolution - we really miss the natural and rugged beauty of BC. We knew that either direction would be a long trip and after a coin-flip discussion, we headed East.

We made our way through Boston (on this side of the Atlantic!) and ended up in Skegness, a brash seaside resort town, where the prevalence of tourist accommodations, fast food joints, and crazy golf (aka mini golf) greens out numbered the springtime visitors. We started the morning with a walk along the beach but immediately after setting foot on the soft sand, I realized that should have put more thought into my wardrobe choice. I thought today would be a good day to wear shorts to give my pasty legs a good dose of much-needed Vitamin D but I should have paid a more careful consideration to the time of year (it’s only the end of April!) and location (being by the ocean = colder and windier!).



We walked through the amusement park and memories of my early school years flooded back to the fun May weekends at the old Memorial Arena fair. My travelling companion was surprised at the expert with him explaining all the ins-and-outs of the games. While I didn’t dare to play skee ball or whac-a-mole or any of the brightly flashing casino games, a loving attempt was made to win me a much-coveted plushed Carebear.


While the selection of food here was enough to make your arteries scream, I had heard that fish and chips by the sea was in a class of their own and being in Skegness, there was an array of chipper stands to select from. We, of course, forewent the mushy peas option and enjoyed our grease-for-lunch, served on newsprint and complete with a wooden fork the size of your index finger, along with everyone else.


On the way home, we stopped in Newark-on-Trent to stretch our legs. We found free parking a bit of distance from town and had fun walking through the city centre and discovering all its little nooks and crannies. In this process, I wished that our own home city was as cute as this old historic town. We eventually came upon the piece de resistance, the remains of Newark Castle along the River Trent, but shops along the way, advertising cakes and cream teas, were attempting us to visit but remnants of our lunch wisely advised us not to do so.



More photos here.