One of the best surprises of the trip was how wonderful and accessible footpaths were. They were decidedly un-American. Public footpaths made it very easy to get to places, not only on paved sidewalks, but along routes that were more direct or more private than roads. Public footpaths cut across private land, even private land [...]
Category: travel
Kelmscott Manor: The Home of William Morris
One surprise that hadn't been on the original itinerary for the retreat was the opportunity to go to Kelmscott Manor, William Morris' house. Most of you have probably seen William Morris' work, even if you don't recognize his name. He was a pre-Raphaelite artist, at the head of the Arts and Crafts movement in the [...]
Iford Manor and Gardens
June is peak season to visit England...but it is worth every extra penny for the gorgeous flower show! I had to make myself stop taking pictures of roses because I was running out of storage space. Really, anywhere I looked something was blooming. The medians and sides of roads generally weren't mowed. There were wildflowers [...]
Oxford: City of Colleges and Churches
After a quick bus ride from London Heathrow, my first 24 hours on English soil were spent in Oxford. The Air B&B that I booked was so charming! The window was open when I arrived (thanks to the lovely 65-degree sunny weather) and overlooked a very sweet garden. My host had white laundry drying at [...]
“England?! I’m Going to England!”
As a little girl, I had a recorded-from-TV tape of the 1949 version of Little Women. (Yes, that was the 1949 version, not the 1994 version). I felt all of Jo March's ecstasy whenever Europe was mentioned. "Europe?! I'm going to Europe!" When Laurie asked about her plans, she sheepishly admitted she wasn't going any [...]
Welcome To The Carriage House 