[oldE]

Milt,

Since both my ancestors (Methodist Yorkshiremen thrown out in 1775) and my Wife's (Scots, left about 1740) were from across the pond, we told ourselves we had to visit. Finally in 2001 it happened for the first time.

Since then, we've spent about 5 weeks over there in various trips ranging from Somerset, Wales, Lincolnshire, The Cotswolds, Yorkshire, Lake District, Lowland and Highland Scotland. The wife and I are self-professed "country mice", so we tend to pick up our 'hire car' at the airport and get away from the city.

If you like cities, use the public transit, subways, buses and rail. If, like us you prefer the countryside and small villages, get the big AA Atlas (2.5 miles to the inch), get off the M and major A roads, and plan to stop often. They pave everything, so when you meet the Royal Mail van or a farmer on a one-lane blind corner, prepare to dive left onto the verge or the small lay-bys' you notice every 100 yards or so. The biggest problem I had was learning to shift with my left hand. Drivers are quite courteous by NA standards.

Small communities feel so much like home to me (hey, I was a farm kid), so we tend to go where you can walk around the fields (almost everywhere). There is an amazing network of walking paths throughout most of the countryside and a variety of maps available.

The weather has always been good for us, but there are rainy days (that is why the hills are green) The people have always been fantastic and we are planning our next trip for the fall of 2012.

Enjoy.
Les