11 October 2023

We landed around 7:30 a.m. at Heathrow, breezed through customs, and picked up our rental car.

Then—on our way! The A1 and the North! With Ruth as trusty navigator, and me struggling to remember how to drive stick, we zoomed and drifted and clutched our way up the M25 and thence northwards. We chose Burghley House as a stopping point (two hours from London), which was good, because at age 70 it’s not as easy to drive for hours on no sleep. We walked the half mile or so through the lawned and forested parkland toward the house (thinking not about a tour but about bathrooms and a cafe), passing ancient English oaks and massive sweet chestnut trees that must have been close to a thousand years old, through grounds that had been landscaped by the inimitable Capability Brown. 

The lawns and house were lovely, and it would be nice to return someday to do more exploring. Burghley, the chief advisor to Elizabeth I and an ardent Protestant, lived here when not in London serving the queen. Notice all the Tudor-era chimney pots:

We lunched at the garden cafe, then splurged on a cream tea for dessert. It was just what we needed!

Back in the car, we returned to the A1 and drove for about a hour before I realized my brain was shutting down. So we pulled into a “services” area and I closed my eyes while Ruth got tea. I was so deep in sleep by the time she got back to the car that I woke and had no idea where I was or what we were doing there. So both of us napped again, then purchased a few items from M & S for supper. 

Then back on the A1–but soon ran into snarled traffic that seemed to wind for miles. So Ruth bravely opened the map and navigated us on the back roads through countryside and small towns to York, where it took us over half an hour to drive just a couple of miles to our destination (horrible traffic at that time of day. Note to self: Do not drive in York unless it’s an emergency.)

We arrived safely at 11 Dewsbury Terrace, opened the door, fell inside, ate quickly, showered, and crawled into our great, comfortable beds. Asleep within minutes! Thank you, Lord, for bringing us safely here.