We'll take another little break from England to check up on some real-life at home, books and more! (If you want to catch up on England posts, click on the England 2024 tab above.)
I'd like to think we've survived the polar vortex. So far, so good, but who knows? We still have a few months of winter. Meanwhile, Lizzie and I are hunkering down and doing some bird watching!
Reliving my England trip and sharing it with you continues with one more post of our road trip. We're still in Oxfordshire with Jenny and T, visiting historic buildings. After leaving Burford and that beautiful church, we headed toward Hughenden, the country home of Benjamin Disraeli, one of Victoria's prime ministers.
After a day perusing the intriguing collections and gardens at Snowshill Manor, we were ready to find our lodgings and have a good dinner. We headed off to Burford, a small town in Oxfordshire, and landed at the Royal Oak, a pub with lodgings above.
It wasn't our favorite hotel -- the rooms were cool and the dinner expensive. I wrote in my journal "adequate but not spectacular fish and chips." Still, the lodging price was right and I would return. The room was comfy enough, but I think we were spoiled by The Bear. (Maybe when it was a little warmer out!)
I'm already eager for spring. I may be a lousy gardener myself, but I love visiting a good one. Charles Paget Wade, whom we met as the quirky collector of Snowshill Manor, loved his gardens as well and reviewing the photos reminds me that he did a fine job with his property. They are far more simplified than his home, which we saw in the last post!
Even in autumn, maybe especially in autumn, the sense of the garden, the colors and textures, were so very alive! We found this true, even though our visit was in mid-October.
I'm a collector. Lots of us are. We pick several (OK, maybe more than
several) things that particularly appeal to us and build a collection.
In my house you'll find vintage postcards, lots of china and dishes,
figurines handed down from my mom, some British royal memorabilia (books, commemorative plates, cups and tins), plenty of Christmas and more than a
few books.
Sometimes our houses get a little full.
After visiting the beautiful, historic Basildon Park, it only seemed right that we overnight in a wonderful town and stay at a historic inn. So we were off to Hungerford, a town Jenny and T know quite well and one I had wanted to visit, in part because of their antique market, the Hungerford Arcade. (If you watch "Celebrity Antiques Roadshow" on PBS Passport, you'll find it in one of the episodes.)
What could be a more delightful way to explore England than a road trip? (Especially if it might include a visit to historic homes, including one that was in "Downton Abbey" (see link to see how t was used as the Crawley's London home) and "The Crown"?) Our friends, blogger Jenny and her husband, T, offered to show us some lovely spots, so we took the next three days to see more of England's beautiful countryside.
Our first destination would be Basildon Park, a beautiful manor house located in Berkshire. You may never have visited Basildon Park, but if you have seen programs like "Downton Abbey," "Pride and Prejudice," "The Crown," "Pride, Prejudice and Zombies," and "Bridgerton," you have seen a bit of this beautiful estate.
We're back in London with a visual treat today -- The Wallace Collection. I'd read about this but what really turned us on to it was a suggestion from the sales guy at the Steinway store. It was only a couple of blocks away (a good thing on a drizzly day) and he said it would be special. It was!
This elaborate collection was curated over time by several generations of the marquesses of Hertford and Richard Wallace, an illegitimate son. It contains an extraordinary amount of paintings, armor and arms, and decorative items.
We're headed back to England for a bit here on Marmelade Gypsy, sharing some of the things we experienced last October in London. One of Rick's goals in London was to go to as many classical concerts as possible. A second thing, one on his bucket list for years, was to attend a concert at Wigmore Hall, a concert hall that opened in 1901 and is known for its excellent acoustics. During its history, it has hosted many of the greatest musicians in the world. It is also known for promoting new talent and for its learning programs, which work to engage those who might otherwise not have opportunities to explore classical music.
So, after a wonderful breakfast at our hotel, we took off, first stopping in Oxford Street so Rick could take a peek inside the guitar store . . .
Will it surprise you to know that my reading really tanked in October, November and December? So, I'm putting these three paltry months together! Some of my reviews are a bit shorter than usual because I didn't write them right after finishing the book!
Happy New Year to you! It's a good time to look back, especially since I'm not that keen on looking forward! Some years are more stellar than others. This one definitely had its highs. But it had its lows, too. We'll start with the "highs," and one of them was spending time with these two!
And one terrific high of the year was our trip to England. I'm doing loads of posts on that, as you know (archiving them on the menu tab at the top of the page here). They'll continue well into 2025 -- my form of escapism and hopefully, yours too!
