It was June 11. I was sitting with friends in London on a warm evening. My husband handed me an iPad with the following headline from the New York Times: “What’s To Be Done With 15 Feet of Snow in June? Utah Knows.”
My first unspoken reaction was “I’ve got to get home. What kind of brave ski mom am I that I am in London and it is snowing in Utah?” My second unspoken reaction was a bit more sane, “I am in London. I am having a great time. Maybe the snow will last until I get home.” And my third unspoken reaction, “Give it up. You had a great season.” With that, I asked for another glass of wine.
The funny thing with me and skiing is that I really can never get enough. We did have a great season and we skied plenty. And when we planned our trip to England and Ireland for early June we never thought that it would still be snowing.
Who could have predicted that the Colorado snowpack would be at 254% of normal in late May? Who could have predicted that Aspen would reopen for several weekends in May and June? Who could have predicted 15 FEET of snow in Utah in mid-June? We certainly couldn’t. And we didn’t.
So, for all of you who were able to get out and take advantage of the epic late spring conditions this year, Cheers! I salute you and I want to see your pictures. Send ’em on over. While you were skiing in shorts and working on your sunburn, this is what I was doing. While I am envious of you, I wouldn’t trade these two weeks. In just a few (I promise) pictures, here are the highlights.
When You Go….
London: When I told my sons that we were going to London, they couldn’t imagine what we would do there. “No museums, no churches,” they told me. “Fine,” I replied. “You’ve got a deal.”
Luckily London abounds with non-art museums and most of them are free, including the British Museum (home of the Rosetta Stone), an enormous Natural History Museum, a fine Science Museum and the Imperial War Museum (home of so much more than tanks and planes).
The London Transport Museum is a great stop for those interested in transportation and the history of development in London. There is a fee to get in, although this one-time charge allows for free subsequent visits for the rest of the year. Geared toward all ages, I would definitely make it a first stop for kids under 8. You’ll come back again, even if you’re only in London for a few days.
As for churches, we went to Sunday services with friends and it was lovely. The boys liked it even better when they were invited to explore the crypt and discovered 1000 years of history in the foundation of one building.
Liverpool: Home of the Beatles, yes, but what really interested my family was going to Anfield, Home of the Liverpool Football Club, with our friend Paul, a Scouser by birth. “Another Place,” a sculpture installation of 90 identical cast-iron men tattoos the expansive Crosby Beach west of the city center and is peacefully beautiful. It is definitely worth a visit, both to ponder the scope of the installation and to ponder one’s place in this place, our world.
Ireland: How we ended up renting a cottage in County Donegal for a week is a skiing-related story, but one I will save for another post. Suffice it to say that skiers the world over have a lot in common. County Donegal is home to Europe’s highest sea cliffs; endless golden, soft-as-silk, sandy beaches; the peaks and glens of Glenveagh National Park; miles and miles of hiking on bouncing, brilliant green turf; and Mount Errigal, Ireland’s tallest peak. Too bad they don’t get much snow.
So, that’s my summer. While you were skiing, I was hiking. And while I may be jealous of you, perhaps you’re just a little bit jealous of me? Just a little? Perhaps?
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