Highclere: Visit of a Lifetime

I was at a loss for words or even anything but total elation as I walked up the drive to see Highclere Castle.  I kept thinking “I am really here!!!” The 1.5 hour tour of the castle was worth every pence and the tour guides were lovely older ladies who were informed and entertaining.  We even had a complimentary light lunch and a gift bag in our package. No photos allowed inside, but you may want to join the free “behind the scenes” blog done by Lady Carnarvon. www.ladycarnavon.com   
  
I happened to see her walking some new pups and she said she was going to do something on the filming of the movie in her next blog.  The "Downton Abbey" movie people have caravans in a pasture and are filming each weekday. She was personable and down to earth and even did a warm intro to our large tour group.  The home has at least 250 rooms and over 1,000 acres of beautiful landscape and pastures.  It was truly a fantastic afternoon. We had about 45 in our tour and divided into two groups. During summer they can have up to 1,700 visitors a day!

Newbury was the closest town to stay in and I knew the Dolphin Hotel in Newbury was unique when the 3 printed sheets in the room had the most unusual verbiage of any hotel I have ever seen.  An example: “ Its lovely having you to stay so please relax, unwind and make yourself at home….if you need anything, just pop down stairs and ask….if we have time we love to have a chinwag, but equally, if you want some peace and quiet just tell us.”  It was the perfect place for me

It is a “market town”.  I enjoyed the long walking street and I was surprised to see the major stores found in London.  I enjoyed looking as I have absolutely no room left in my luggage! I even had time to take in a new movie  and smiled at the “Sweet Home Alabama” music playing when I walked in – don't you love it when that happens?

I next returned to London where I enjoyed a few 2018 London Film Festival movies and was next to the red carpet waiting forever to see Hugh Jackman.  He was a "no show" but I did see the Director.  Interesting anyway.  Do not forget the Fairhope Film Festival coming soon!

Near the end of my stay, I was able to obtain a ticket to Hamilton.  It is rare for one person to write the book, music, and lyrics of an original musical, but Lin-Manuel Miranda's amazing hip hop musical in the newly redone Victoria Palace was an experience. Unique casting.

I was delighted to attend a communion service at Westminster Abbey and take a tour of it and the Queen's Gallery.

I am looking very forward to seeing my sister and brother in law at the London airport on Wednesday when we all fly back to Scotland for their too brief visit.  

Historic Hilton (Cambridgeshire) with Michel and Roger Jackson

Mazes were often used as a mini-pilgrimage "to be done on one's knees as a penance or used as a rite to cast out the Devil who could move only in straight lines".  Turf mazes were often found on village greens.  Hilton, small Cambridgeshire village, is no exception. This maze was cut by Captain William Sparrow in 1660.

 I am visiting Michele and Roger, dear friends that I taught with in La Maddalena, Sardinia years ago.  They picked me up at the Cambridge station and we ate at Jamie Oliver's charming restaurant in an old library in the center of Cambridge.  Felt like old times!

Their house is near Cambridge in a beautiful residential village with only 2 shops nearer the main road.   What it lacked in shops, it made up in charm with large houses, (thatched and otherwise), nice walking trails, a 12th Century church, old Post Office, manor houses and a maze and village green designed by "Capability" Brown, the renowned  18th Century landscape designer who lived here.  Their house was also huge and my guest bedroom was the largest I have ever seen!  We had a wonderful visit and I loved my time with them!

Guided road with walk/bike trail alongside

Transportation to Cambridge was more difficult with one bus in and out.  I happened to meet a person in the only store that insisted on driving me to the nearest park and ride (about 30 min walk away on busy roads).  Tina had darling black and white terriers in the back seat and was a creative artist and I enjoyed her.  That was really nice of her and typical of the friendly people in Great Britain as I had missed the only early bus!  From the large car park, I rode a "guided" bus for the 1st time.  Guided buses are capable of being steered by external means, usually on a dedicated "track or roll" way that excludes other traffic. They can also be driven at times on regular roads!  That was a really unique experience and made a great deal of sense!  The trip was easy and only took about 35 minutes to the center of Cambridge.

 Coming back was much more difficult as I there was only one late afternoon bus directly back to Hilton.  It went through every village in a very convoluted ride so it was also interesting though scary on small roadways when cars pulled up on the side of road for us to pass.  It sounded like we took out at least one side mirror!  A short walk took me back to the house and a lovely dinner with Michele and Roger and hearing about their day at school and mine on the road.

I was able to get a close up of a thatched roof and it was so thick and interesting.  Michele said they just dump a pile of hay on the roof with a crane and then put on properly by hand.  I saw there was a small wire net keeping it in place. Some have a nice decorative touch at the top.


My next stop is Newbury and my Highclere Castle - Downton Abbey Tour!  I have truly loved every minute of this short time in England!

Keep Calm and Carry On

It may be my English grandfather's genes speaking to me, but London was a total delight on this 3rd trip.  We all know of London's historical significance but I did not remember that the great London fire of 1666 destroyed the homes of 70,000 of it's 80,000 inhabitants.  It may now be my favorite city to visit.

The title of this post is exactly what Londoners did during WW II.  They know how to preserve their history while embracing modernization and a great diversity of citizens.

Taking the Caledonian Sleeper from Aviemore, Scotland was a good choice.  My 1st hotel was right across from the British Library and I was amazed at the treasures such as Michelangelo's letter to his nephew about choosing a wife….mainly good health, birthright, and disposition! A letter from Gandhi to the Viceroy of India protesting that his non-violent demonstrations was the opposite of lawlessness, and seeing the extremely tiny handwriting of the Bronte sisters.  Their small print handwriting saved paper, mimicked actual print, and discouraged adults from wanting to read it.  There were too many items to mention and all fascinated me.

Newer British Library with olderSt. Pancreas Hotel behind

I noticed there would be a "Travel Writing Study Day" a few days later - so I signed up and enjoyed learning more about writing travel pieces and blogging.  I may even attend a film or two at the London Film Festival next week as I am missing my beloved Fairhope Film Festival which is coming up soon.  When you read everything you see - you find many opportunities for learning new things of interest.  That goes for my Fairhope, AL  hometown too.

I alway revisit the Victoria and Albert Museum, St. Martins in the Fields, Harrods, John Lewis and every museum shop I see and add new places on every trip.  Taking buses and using the Underground was easy.  London is fast paced with people out day and night and the restaurants and pubs always have outside lines or beer drinkers galore enjoying each others company.

London is a vibrant place made even nicer when I moved to an upscale hotel the Strand Palace (with my friends from Italy for the rest of this stay.  Sunny 65-70 degree weather for the long weekend together was perfect.  Debbie brought my long lost wallet and drivers license back to me!  A happy reunion.

Out group visited Kensington Palace and I loved seeing Queen Victoria's apartments as well as a special exhibit or Diana's iconic gowns.  We did not see the younger royals!

We also had High Tea (expensive)  at the Shard, a 92 story modern slice of glass with a great view of the tower and the Thames below.

Actual Kings Cross Station

Harry Potter was much in evidence during a cute photo opp I ran across at Kings Cross Station.

Holding a golden ticket to Part 1 and 2 for the Harry Potter play of a lifetime at the historic Palace Theatre was a highlight of this trip.  We were in awe at the magic, production tricks and theatrical illusions during this well-done play.  No matter how hard I looked they remained magical. The J. K. Rowling's creativity never seems to end!

Adrienne Warren (Broadway Star) was rarely off stage when she played Tina Turner to perfection in "Tina", a celebration of triumph over adversary.  The music had us dancing in our seats for this excellent bio-musical.  Now,  just to quit singing "What's Love got to do with It" in my head!

London was a "movable feast" I will have again when I return after a nice visit with old fiends I taught with in LaMaddalena, Sardinia years ago.  They live near Cambridge.  I also have the opportunity to see Highclere - the site of Downton Abby near Newbury.

The surprising wonderful weather, experiences with friends, and unexpected opportunities make this trip of a lifetime very special.

"Pop Up" Barbecue Party

Throughout my life, my 1^st Cousin John McCarty has been like a brother to me through frequents calls and visits over the years.  In the 80’s I introduced him to a friend I worked with at USM named Melissa. They have now been married about 27 years and have two grown children.   They moved to Daphne from Texas a few years ago and we often do many fun things together and they have been a blessing in my life.  They are taking care of my things while I am away, so I was very pleased they could visit me while here.

They visited Edinburgh and drove up to meet me in the Highlands. The highlight of their trip had to be our “pop-up barbeque party” hosted by Calum Ross and meeting several of his friends from Nethy Bridge.  Calum is Lesley’s (my landlord) significant other.  He was in the area and met us at the pub for drinks one night.  We met and talked to a number of friendly locals in both the bar and restaurant area.  Johnny enjoyed a conversation with a guy who was a star in the Highland games of skill.

Calum  offered to cook a barbecue in the “Buffalo Bar-be-que house” in our yard and planned the whole next evening. We bought some wine, beer, and salad fixings and looked forward to the evening to come! Johnny even went on a long hike and to the pub with the “boys” one afternoon.

Calum’s  Nethy Bridge friends, Brett and Fiona Wells, their children, and their grandfather came over and we had a great time.  Calum's menu included steaks, lamb chops, potatoes, asparagus, and salad.  He bought our steaks from the local Nether Bridge butcher (Mr. Mustard). 

The barbecue was such a special treat for us all and very generous of Calum to want to do it for us all! It is this type of event and the generosity and friendliness of the people that make my time here even more special.

Johnny loves photography, so the vistas, sights, and scenery in Scotland were of great interest to him.  He brought a fantastic camera and tripod. We took a walk around  Loch Eilein and saw the castle in the water near the shore, tried to go up the funicular (too windy) and drove to the haunting ruin of Ruthven Barracks  near  Kinggussie.  We had coffee and a scone at a shop there that was soon filled with young teens on their lunch break from the nearby school. All were so well behaved and amazing quiet for such a large group.

Another day we traveled to Ballindalloch Castle and Gardens.  I had visited it, so Melissa and Johnny enjoyed seeing the amazing home to 24 generations of Macpherson-Grants.  

We next traveled to the Aberlour Distillery where no tours were given that day.  It turned out to be a lucky thing as we headed to the newer Maccallan single malt whiskey distillery nearby. I have visited several distilleries in the past, and this one was a marvel and such a classy tech-modern distillery.  The tour was carefully orchestrated and extremely well done. It was followed by a tasting of 5 major bottles they produce.  The eco-friendly building design was well worth seeing.

Another amazing site near here is the Elgin Cathedral ruins in north-east Scotland.  It was established in 1224.  It suffered extensive fire damage in 1390 by the “Wolf of Badenoch”. The cathedral was abandoned around 1560 and fell into decay.

The next two days were spent in Nethy Bridge having lunch at the local coffee shop and taking walks.  I really enjoyed spending time with Melissa and Johnny.  We cooked several meals at home and took it easy most of the week.

I am now busy repacking for 18 days in England during the first part of October.  I will be in several different places during this period and hope I am ready for the city life of London!

A Walk in the Woods Surprise

Coming back on the bus from Aviemore shopping, I met a young couple backpacking.  They were in Scotland 5 days walking trails and were looking forward the the well-known Nethy Bridge hiking trails and took the bus to the center of the small village.

I too, have loved walking through the beautiful nature trails while I am here.  You often come across a nature or man-made sight in the middle of your walk that is picture-worthy.

I had heard their were some "Fairy houses" in the woods, but had not seen them yet so it was a nice surprise to come across several on one of my recent trail walks.  The leaves are changing and I even saw a rainbow yesterday when I walked to the village.

Lifestyle Trends from Other Countries

When I was in Italy, I picked up an American newspaper with an article about living your best life.  Since one of my main goals of this sabbatical was to reenergize, recalculate, and recognize what was most important to me, I clipped it out to add to my other reading.   It is interesting to note that money and material things are not necessary to live your happiest life.

The article was made up of several foreign concepts that I had not heard of and that seemed worth thinking and reading more about over this long period of time. There is a good bit on the internet and in books on these 5 concepts.  I hope it gives each of you something to consider and a break from scenic photos!

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IKIGAI– (Ick-ee-guy) a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being.” The English translation means “things that you live for” or “reason you wake up in the morning.”

What you love and are good at and what world needs from you  

-      What brings me joy and purpose?

Make 3 lists: your values, things you like to do, and things you are good at. The cross section of the three lists is your ikigai.

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GEZELLIG– One of the first words you will hear in Dutch countries is “gezillig” pronounced “he-sell-ick”.  It is a feeling more than a word. 

Surround self with people, places, things that are comforting  

-      Time to relax

-      Friends over

-      Eliminate wearing individuals

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FRILUFTSLIV- This is a Scandinavian philosophy of outdoor life.  Translation: open-air living.

Appreciation of Nature through outdoor activities, beautiful scenery.  

-      Strolls

-      Bike Rides

-      Forest or beach paths- enjoy forest  or beach atmosphere

-      Screen time vs green time

I have been so interested in the European’s love of walking, hiking, bike riding, and interacting with others outdoors.  I see numerous backpackers walking and taking buses to even more remote locations for mountain and trail hiking. Swedish people have a saying “There is no bad weather, only bad clothes”. 

Nethy Bridge has a community walk available to all every Tuesday at 1:30 and numerous trails that are well marked and safe through beautiful woods.  I have enjoyed daily walks on my own and hope I will continue the walking in beautiful green or natural surroundings habit when I get home.  

Henry Ibsen used the term to describe the value of spending time in remote locations for spiritual and physical wellbeing. 

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PANTSDRUNK

 This is a funny one as it means chilling in your underwear with a cocktail of choice in hand and comes from Finland.  It is all about allowing yourself (by yourself) to totally relax away from the “real world.” It also includes binge watching your favorite series and not feeling guilty. It encourages solitude.  Finding a suitable image was almost impossible.

Planned solitude, relaxation, recovery and self empowerment to face future challenges

-      Stay home

-      Take time for self

-      Don’t do things do not enjoy

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LAGOM– (LAH-gum) This is a Swedish lifestyle trend meaning “just the right amount”.

This is one I felt good about!  When I decided to rent my house for 6 months, I touched, cleaned out and organized every item I owned over a 2-3 month period.  I told friends it was an amazing side benefit to my decision to travel.  My hotels are usually very small spaces for several days or a week at a time.  I am amazed with how little I need while traveling. I have also had larger 3 bedroom homes to stay in for extended periods.  I only buy what I am about to eat (due to smaller refrigerators and freezers) and shop every day or two for my basic needs.

Less is more

Live simply, harmoniously, strike happy balance

Quality living  

-Take breaks

- declutter

- capsule your wardrobe-minimalist, highly practical wardrobe

- reduce stress and boost productivity

Try the 52-17 minute rule:  the most productive people work for 52 minutes then take a 17 minute break.

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I feel as though my time remaining is slipping away so fast these days.  I am in one place for the longest time and it has given me more time to reflect, take nature walks, and read books.  I have not been lonely nor bored and have enjoyed every minute of this sabbatical so far.