We're both back in our adopted country now, but here's a recap of our final day in the UK (Friday). It was one more of those brilliant sunny days we've been having all along, so we couldn't waste it packing and set off for Hastings, not far away from cousin Janet's in Sussex. We parked in the old town area and walked to the old High Street along a cobbled pedestrian way chock full of antique and decorating shops alongside the rock candy and souvenir stores. Easy to spend a couple of hours just peering in windows here and enjoying the streetscape of old storefronts, then looking up to views of the cliff face overlooking the sea.

After a fine lunch of vegetable soup and organic bread, we headed back down to the seafront to visit the net shops, the classic tall skinny wooden buildings usually shown in postcards of Hastings. These are fishermen's huts, said to be used for repairing nets and made to be tall to make best use of costly beach space. Each one had to fit on an eight-square-foot section. They've been renovated recently and look charming alongside the fishmongers' stalls and the museum, housed in the former fishermen's church.

For our final dinner, ten of us gathered at a pub (bet you're surprised) for an excellent dinner and much good conversation. Graham was inspired by our ancestor hunting and brought along some old family photos to pass around.

There is much more to show and tell about our fantastic tour, but for now it's time to recover from the journey home and re-enter normal life. Mum is already back in Owen Sound. After some business in Toronto this week, I will be back home as well.

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Another beautiful day as we approach the end of our holiday had us heading to Fletching near where we are in Sussex, where one of our ancestors was born. It is a lovely village, with an excellent 12th century church very well taken care of. We were welcomed in by the vicar, who was meeting with several others in the pews to plan for some repair to the shingled spire. We took our time browsing through this fine building, then walked through the village, home to an award winning pub.

Next stop was the nearby Sheffield Park Garden, a lovely setting developed for an aristocratic family and now open to the public. Many others were taking advantage of the lovely day; we spent much of the afternoon walking the paths through the colourful trees and alongside the ponds.

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We left early this morning to have lunch in France. It took us just over an hour (Clive was driving) to get to the Eurotunnel staging point, with enough time for a coffee before driving on to the train. The channel crossing takes about 35 minutes. On arrival, we went through a couple of villages, then stopped at Escalle to dine -- and I do mean dine -- at a restaurant called Le Cap. From the fixed menu I chose a starter of pigeon terrine and fois gras and an elegant salad, then a main course of beef rump steak with vegetables. My dessert was creme brulee with Grand Marnier. Every course was beautifully presented. After all of that we staggered out to help Janet and Clive do their very important wine shopping. The prices for a huge variety of wines they chose from started at 69 pence and most were under two pounds a bottle. We loaded up the car and headed off for more shopping at the French equivalent of a mega mall, offering vast selections of food, clothing, perfume and electronics to the crowds within.

The day had started out overcast and not very promising, but by the time we finished lunch it was sunny and clear. One lovely stop we made just after lunch was a viewpoint between Cap Gris Nez and Cap Blanc Nez. The day was so clear we could see the white cliffs of Dover quite well 22 miles away across the channel.

After our shopping, we headed back to the tunnel start point for the return trip and were quickly back on British soil. We went this time to old Hastings, to visit Samantha and Tiffany in the house they have been doing up and decorating since they moved in about four years ago. This topped off a fabulous day for us!

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We made the trip from Norfolk to Sussex, through Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Kent, in good time through rainy weather. By the time we reached our destination in Ninfield, the day had improved to sunny and mostly clear. Once settled at Janet and Clive's house, we had time for a quick trip to Bexhill where the De La Warre Pavilion, a restored 1930s entertainment venue, is right on the seafront. It no longer offers the once popular restaurant where Janet's great aunt used to take our Nana to dine. But the view of the channel is still very fine and a cup of tea still available on the upper level.

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We started out today a few miles from our B&B in the village of Castle Acre. First delight was St James, the parish church, full of medieval treasures as well as harvest vegetables. It was perplexing that this church had a confession table and chair as well as a Lady Chapel clearly in use for prayers to the Virgin Mary, but turned out to be C of E, not Catholic. Just outside the village are the ruins of one of the few Cluniac priories in England. There are substantial foundations, some partial walls and most of a whole building left, indicating the massive complex it must have been until the Dissolution in the mid-16th century.

On the other side of the village was a castle ruin from about the 11th century. Its most impressive features were the huge earthworks set up to protect it. Now it's just a mostly grassy monument on the popular Pedlars Way hiking trail.

Since we had some afternoon left, we went north to a lavender farm near the coast, then took a scenic route back to our digs while the sun set beautifully.

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Cousin Graham drove us to Swaffham this morning to investigate our ancestors known to be connected to Saints Peter and Paul Church, which also happens to be a beautiful medieval parish church. It is Sunday, and we arrived in time to hear the eight bells pealing gloriously in advance of the morning service. We wandered through the vast churchyard while the service was on and found not one, but two likely relatives. Later we had a good look around inside the church.

We headed out of Swaffham once more to the Iceni Museum and Village in Cockley Cley, a private collection of farm implements, carriages and related items, plus a reconstructed iron age village, all the work of a baronet with a passion for anthropology. A little beyond the main buildings was a 7th century Saxon church, remarkably intact and probably built on the ruins of a Roman temple.

We checked out the village church and pub, then headed back to the village where our B&B is, making sure to walk around the village church there. It's sad to see some churchyards neglected, but easy to understand a parish unable to do much more than keep their building safe and usable. The Swaffham and Cockley Cley churches were well tended, but the Great Cressingham churchyard was very overgrown. The latter church was locked too, another sad sign of the times.

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We spent most of the day driving -- across the country and then south. The cross-country part was beautiful, through the Pennines with a good view of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Even in the misty drizzly morning, it was impressive. Once we reached Scotch Corners and turned south, the scenery was less distinctive, but the roads were very good. When we reached the fens of East Anglia ((Norfolk Broads), we knew we were almost at our destination. This is really flat country, the absolute antithesis of where we had just come from. We stopped in King's Lynn, to check out where Mum had been evacuated to in 1941. The town has grown some since then, but we were able to find the street and house she stayed in. Our finally stop for the day was some distance outside Swaffham, in a small village B&B. It's a Grade 2 listed house, with parts dating from the 15th century. Our room has one of the original roof beams in it and some eccentric plumbing noises. An important feature is the four-minute walk to the village pub. Cousin Graham joined us this evening -- what a nice surprise!

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For our final full day in the Lakes, which started out grey and drizzly, we decided to take a scenic drive east into the Pennines. Dubbed one of the 10 most scenic drives in the world by AA, it was certainly pretty, but no match for some of the drives we had taken already to the west and north. We got pretty high up, but turned around before getting to Alston, because the fog was getting thicker the farther we went. We stopped on the way down at the Village Bakery in Melmerby. Before settling down to a cappuccino and a sweet, we browsed the gallery upstairs where the artist was at work, but not too busy to chat.

Back on the road, we headed down a now-familiar road along Ullswater, glassy as a pond. A minor side trip took us to the Watermillock Church, unremarkable as a building, but charming for its location surrounded by stunning views of the fells. An elderly parishioner was doing the flowers and, once she realized we were there to appreciate the church, she smiled and passed the time of day. A bit further on the Patterdale road, we stopped again to see Aira Force, a lovely waterfall about a half mile walk into the woods. Now we're relaxing again with Cumberland Ale by a cozy wood fire at the Ratcher's Tavern in the Glenridding Hotel, musing on the fact that this is our last visit here for the trip.

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Yesterday we set out for Caldbeck to visit a wool shop nestled near the Skiddaw Forest (we think). On the way we found the Castle Rigg Stone Circle, a mini Stonehenge likely built about the same time. It was a brilliant sunny day and the view of the Cumbrian Mountains from there quite spectacular. Unlike at Stonehenge, you can touch and even sit on these stones. We had followed a winding side road to get to the stone circle, but as soon as we drove a few hundred feet further on the same road, we found ourselves in the major city of Keswick. A few hairy turns later, we were back on track and on a country road to Caldbeck. The wool shop was a gem and the village delightful to walk around in. Our return journey was a hilarious misadventure following the shop clerk's directions, then we finally resorted to the SatNav again and got back to Patterdale.

Today's objective was to see Hadrian's Wall and Lanercost Priory. The wall exists in parts in several places, so we headed first to the priory, a 12th century complex of buildings, some in ruin. The focal point is the parish church, still in use by 162 people in the area. When we arrived, there were professional singers practising opera for a fundraising concert. Wonderful acoustics in the massive stone nave! In spite of a drizzle, we explored the ruined buildings next to the church, including one section of cloisters renovated by a 16th century aristocrat. The adjoining farm is still owned by a 21st century aristocrat. The drizzle was pretty steady by now, but we forged on to find the wall, first bits of it almost obliterated by a quarry, then a substantial chunk near a Roman fort ruin. As we headed back south to Patterdale, the sky cleared.

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We left Kendal soon after breakfast Tuesday and headed for Ambleside, home of the adorable Bridge House and the Armitt Museum, whose holdings include many of Beatrix Potter's botanical paintings. We spent some time in the museum, then continued to Grasmere where we toured Wordsworth's Dove Cottage and the adjacent museum. All this in the company of plenty of tourists like ourselves, in spite of it being off season.

We had spotty drizzle and sunshine throughout the day, with the sun breaking through now and then to highlight the spectacular fells. In late afternoon we headed to Patterdale, our next B&B, with only a slight diversion to Troutbeck -- truly picturesque but with roads I'd rather not share with anything bigger than a bicycle.

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Today was our first wet day in the Lake District, but we spent much of it indoors anyway. We started out at the Cumbria Record Office where the archives of parish records for the area are kept. It was easy to spend several hours looking at microfilms of the baptisms and marriages of our Gradwells as well as reading about life in Kendal at the beginning of the 18th century. The records we found confirmed that we were walking the streets known to our forebears. Kendal has demolished a great many of its older buildings, but some remain and the street names are still there.

We walked through town to the Brewery Arts Centre for a late lunch, then walked on to Abbot Hall, home of the Lakeland Museum, a fine visual history of the area told with the household things they would have used. A leisurely walk back along the river to our car ended the day. Tomorrow we head to Patterdale, via Ambleside and probably a few scenic stops, to end up at our next B&B. No Internet available there, so probably no more posts here until the weekend.

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Today we drove to just outside Sedbergh, which is actually in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, to see the Farfield Mill, formerly a woolen mill and now an exhibition and demonstration space. We spent lots of time looking at the beautiful pieces on display (a couple of the artists were there working) and bought a few things (only one small jug, really!). One floor was devoted to the history of the mill and another had a working loom where the weaver was preparing to weave a travel rug to sell in the shop.

On the way back to Kendal, we stopped at a tiny church, no longer in use but still consecrated and cared for. Inside were Arts & Crafts stained glass windows, some by Morris & Co. and others, in a competing style, believed to be by Frederick Smith of Campbell, Smith & Co.

Once in Kendal again, after successfully navigating into a parking garage in the centre of town (no minor achievement, even with GPS), we walked the cobbled pedestrian streets and discussed the buildings that might have been there when our rellie George Gradwell was known to be in Kendal (about 1820). We finished up at The 1657 Chocolate Shop (in a 1630-ish) building, for a reviving coffee and snack.

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Today we made like tourists (or like kids, as Mum pointed out) and went for a train ride and a boat ride. A steam train took us from the village of Haverthwaite to Lakeside at the south end of Lake Windermere. There we boarded a cruise boat for a leisurely journey about half way up the lake to Bowness. The gorgeous day, warm and sunny, brought out lots of other sightseers, including many families and dog owners. We checked out the woolens shop and a little of the town and sampled ice cream (to excess, for me), then returned by boat and train to our starting point. Driving further southwest, we reached Ulverston, birthplace of Stan Laurel, we discovered, and home to the Hartley Brewery, regrettably closed because it was late on a Saturday. We made do with giant pots of tea in a charming tearoom with a welcoming fire.

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Yesterday's adventure was our trip to London, specifically to Mum's old neighbourhood in Wandsworth. Our objective was to find the final resting places for several rellies and we did pretty well, considering that some had no headstone or marker of any kind. Both Wandsworth and Putney Vale cemeteries were fairly tranquil islands in this very congested part of south London. Meryl took us to visit the church where many of the family were married and I was christened, then to the streets where she and Mum and Nana lived -- all very close to each other. Just being there sparked lots of memories for both of them. The area is now very upscale real estate, but the homes are much the same as they were 70-odd years ago.

Our last evening with Meryl was spent with Ant and his family about an hour away from Meryl's house, then we set off this morning for the Lake District. The trip was entirely on good motorways and, except for some congestion around Birmingham, quite a pleasure to drive. Once we arrived in Kendal about mid-afternoon, we found our B&B and settled in with a restorative cuppa. Then I walked to the centre of town for a look around -- lots to see here and in the immediate area, so it will be a matter of choosing priorities. Today has been beautifully sunny and warm, but I know better than to count on good weather, so we'll see what tomorrow brings before we decide what to do first.

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Yesterday morning we left Bath to head cross-country, covering parts of Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. It only took about two hours, including one hilarious diversion going around in a circle repeatedly when the GPS information didn't match the road, but the GPS Madam wouldn't give up trying to get us on track. We reached Meryl's house in Stokenchurch in time for a leisurely cup of tea (surprise!) and then an expedition to see a lovely parish church at Fingest, not far from where Meryl lives. This church is in use and well preserved, including its 12th century Norman tower with a double gabled roof.

Today we had a wonderful afternoon visit with Patricia, our cousin on the Gradwell side, who shared many stories of her parents in Birmingham. Her son and daughter-in-law joined us for the evening meal with their mostly-greyhound puppy curled up under the table.

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Today we drove from Lyme Regis to Bath, a journey that can be done in much less time than we took, no doubt, but it was a very pleasant meander through the Mendip area of Somerset. Once we located our B&B, we set off to walk to the centre of things and found the Roman Baths, one of the star attractions of this very old city. The tour takes a full two hours and is absolutely worth it. There is a free audio guide to explain more than you ever wanted to know about the place (supplemented with commentary by Bill Bryson which is mainly a waste of time). I was most impressed with the drains. The abbey was closed for some inconvenient church business, so we took the bus tour around the key points for almost an hour. Did I mention that it was raining all day? Didn't really affect our enjoyment of this exquisite city. We finished up at the fish and chip restaurant recommended by the bus driver, then grabbed a cab back to our Victorian digs.

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Yesterday was our last full day in Lyme Regis, and I spent a great deal of it walking the roads of the town and the adjacent village, Uplyme. The parish church in Uplyme is much like the others I saw in the area, but this one was full of people, enjoying coffee after their Sunday service. They welcomed me in and offered me coffee while I looked around. Back down the hill to Lyme Regis, I dropped in to a couple more artist studios and walked along the seafront with chips in a paper cone. Wandering by the bakery I had visited before, I caught a group of musicians drawing a crowd, so I stayed to listen. They were playing a selection of kitchen-band instruments -- a gut-bucket box, washboards, etc. This was the last day of the Art Fest and I finished up with a couple more studios before heading back to Pat & Fred's house. We had dinner with Trevor & Paula and the kids before they left for East Grinstead, then spent the evening playing with Pat & Fred and their wii.

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