Cassie & Scott’s neck of the woods…March 5, 2010

Cassie and Scott Muir are friends of ours from back home. (www.agoodscottishname.blogspot.com) Scott worked at Abbott with Darron and then at Hospira with me! It’s such a small world…Scott’s dear Grandma Muir is friends with my aunt-and also volunteered for my mom at Purdue Cal. He and his wife Cassie moved to England back in 2008. Cassie and I have fun helping each other plan trips (okay, mostly Cassie helps me) and joking about expat wife life via facebook and skype. We were so happy that Cassie was able to show us around the English countryside. First we stopped in Stratford to tour William Shakespeare’s birthplace and home, and then had a bite to eat. What a great little town! Next we went on to Warwick Castle. It was a beautiful day and were were very thankful to have such a wonderful tour guide!  After our touring, Cassie took us back to their beautiful home and fed us the BEST blondies EVER. And I do mean EVER. It was great that Scott was able to leave work at a reasonable hour to come and visit with us!

 

 

Erin and I played checkers on my IPOD all the way to Leamington Spa. Good thing we didn’t sit in the “quiet car”-we’d have been kicked out!

 

 

 

 

                    

                  We’re here! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s Cassie—she was a perfect hostess! I had to take this picture because the drivers seat is on the opposite side! Cassie is a great driver, but it was a bit scary being a passenger on the other side of the car!

 

 

Loxley Church. Just a quick drive by. Lovely little church. Supposedly, Robin Hood is buried here…

 

 

 

 

Front of William Shakespeare’s home

 

 

 

 

Back and gardens of William Shakespeare’s home

 

 

 

Erin and I in front of Warwick Castle. I called it Dionne Warwick Castle. Actually, those crazy Brits don’t say the second “w” so it’s Warick…

 

 

 

 

 

Gate/Entrance area within the castle.

 

 

 

 

Our tour guide within the castle. He was VERY comical. He called one of the older lady’s in our group a “saucy bird”.

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the castle walls.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the towers we decided to climb to get great views!

 

 

 

 

Looking at another tower of the castle from up high!

 

 

 

This view is of Warwick's town centre and also of St. Mary's Church, as seen from a tower look out point at the castle. This church was founded in 1123 by an Earl of Warwick.

 

 

 

Another view from the tower.

 

 

 

 

What goes up must come down…the stairs we had to climb down from the tower.

 

 

 

 

Cassie and Scott’s foyer. After a fantastic end to the day with Cassie’s homemade goodies!