James!!!

What were we to do after a long day of rummaging around the past, but to dip into the present and be treated like the rightful royalty we were. Fortunately, we found just the place at an exquisite B&B on the outskirts of town called The Ashton in Lancaster, England.

With our GPS programmed correctly, we thought we were headed in the right direction, however we drove right by the darn place a couple of times, wondering why there wasn't a big sign or something identifying the place. "You'd think they'd have a sign or something," Deb exclaimed, peering out the front windshield. Back and forth we looked from the GPS to the road and back again. Still nothing. Eventually, we ended up on country roads in the heart of farmland. Instead of getting worked up about that, we decided to take a little tour and completely ignored the navigation system altogether. We drove up a tiny road to see a breathtaking sunset overlooking Lancaster and all the FARMS! Our smiles spread from ear to ear seeing those kelly green crops fanning over the rolling hills framed in historic rock walls. Each one of us felt as though we had arrived home. Just imagine...our ancestors walked these very same roads.

Of course, we momentarily forgot about our lodging problem and jumped out of the car click, clicking away with our cameras.  A few minutes later, we drove ahead and watched the fading sunset. I tried to ignore my growing anxiety of not knowing where the B&B was, but it got the better of me. 

"We better get back," I tried. "We still don't know where we are staying." 

Everyone looked at me like I was ridiculous. "We'll be fine," Sue said, and off we drove further and further away from the little red flag on the GPS.

"Let's go over there," Deb insisted, pointing up the hill further. It was obvious that Deb was looking not only at the beautiful sunset, but also scouting a field to sleep in. Surely, she would see the woolly white sheep dotting the landscape were not inviting her to bed down, but the farm girl in her obviously took precedent. "Turn in here," Deb suddenly insisted, nearly taking the wheel from me. With an abrupt left turn we sat in a random farmer's gravel driveway.

Before the car had even stopped, Deb jumped out with her camera and raced toward those sheep mewing in the field. It didn't appear to matter that the sheep were a bit skittery or that we were blocking someone's rightful entry to their own home. Even Edie now thought this was a fabulous idea and had left the car as well! It appears we never want to miss a thing when it comes to farmland! Sue and I watched from the idling car as Deb stood on a grassy 12-inch grass shoulder taking pictures while cars narrowly missed her as they navigated the tight turns. At times I could hardly watch, but Deb didn't flinch at all. Finally, the sun had fully set, and we headed back to try and find James and The Ashton once again.

This time on the final pass, I spotted an A...something on a wall as we zoomed passed the same rock wall we had been by before. Whoops, it was a HUGE sign. Turns out we couldn't keep our eyes off a good farm, so we had kept looking on the wrong side of the road!

As we drove in, I turned off the ignition and finally relaxed. We'd made it! The place really did exist and it wasn't an internet scam that had run off with our deposit. James, the proprietor, quickly greeted us  with a smile and said something we hadn't expected, "Would you like a glass of wine?" 

How did he know?

This would definitely take the edge off Sue's disdain of James' cats, one of which had already taken a liking to her. It would also help us all relax after a long day!

James must have recognized us as Lancaster royalty because he ever so politely directed us into his quaint sitting room. We didn't take any time to collapse into the soft leather sofa and chairs. It took only seconds for us to start taking yet more pictures as we admired all the beautiful flowers and charming eclectic furniture. If only we could put our feet up, Sue whispered. We nodded in agreement, but refrained from doing so. Shortly after, James not only came back with wine, but he also brought out warm homemade scones topped with fresh whipped cream, raspberry jam and a fresh strawberry. What a treat!

James had it all figured out for us. He not only directed us to our beautiful rooms with exquisite linens, heated floors and towel racks, he ordered a taxi and booked a reservation for us at a local French restaurant. It was as if the we had a personal butler, and it's not often a man knows what a Batty woman needs in times like these!