Archives for posts with tag: England

I spent from October 22 to 29 in the beautiful walled medieval city of Canterbury, Kent. I traveled by train, taking the slower two-hour route to see more of the countryside (London to Canterbury can be achieved in an hour on the high-speed train). I found it to be a delightful, vibrant and very walkable city.

One of the highlights for me was Canterbury Cathedral. The depth of history and the profundity of spiritual experience I found very moving. Read all about the Cathedral here.

Another gem of the city, tucked away right off the high street, is the Franciscan Gardens, which was the home to the first Franciscan settlement in England, established in 1224.

There was lots of great walking right in the city and all amenities within a few minutes walk, plus a great indoor farmer’s market called the Goods Shed. I was surprised tho by the numbers of tourists crowding the streets in late October!

Would visit again for sure, and perhaps take on part of the Old Way Pilgrim walk!

I took a day off on October 19 to rest and work. Thank goodness, because the next day was wonderful and intense!

At 6:15 am I headed out take a bus to Elephant and Castle, tube to King’s Cross, train to King’s Lynn in Norfolk (because it was Sunday and there are ongoing rail improvements, the train took me to Ely where replacement busses were waiting). Hopped off the bus in King’s Lynn and was happy to see a cab, so I grabbed it and off we went for the 20-minute journey to Houghton Hall and Gardens. My drivers in both directions were so lovely and great conversations were had!

Houghon Hall was constructed in the 1720s for Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and is still inhabited by Walpole’s descendant the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley and his family. The house and gardens are exquisite, and are also home to a large contemporary sculpture collection while hosting rotating special installations.

This year the Hall featured works by Antony Gormley and Magdalene Odundo. I was happy that part of Odundo’s exhibit had been held over. See more about both exhibits here.

Other favourite things about the day were the beautiful walled garden, the cafe, the toy soldier museum and the lovely people I conversed with!

I didn’t get back into London until almost 9 pm! A long day but oh such a wonderful one!

For the month I was in the UK, I was determined to fulfill all the art perks which had been promised to my Indiegogo backers – those which could be produced with pen and watercolour paint. The engravings, which had to wait until I was home, are almost ready to send to the patrons who requested them. I will post those next.

Finding inspiration for these pieces was not hard. Beautiful architecture, lovely nature, vibrant colour, and gorgeous vistas were all around; my heart was so full.

Hopefully these all made it to their recipients.

Art_Inspiration-HidcoteGarden

Art_Inspiration-Ebrington

Art_Inspiration-Mells-OldIronWorks

Art_Inspiration-MellsRiver

Art_Inspiration-Snowhill

Art_Inspiration-StJames-ChippingCampdenArt_Inspiration-Snowhill

Art_Inspiration-StJames1-ChippingCampden

Art_Inspiration-ThatchedCottage

Art_Inspiration-LambHouseRobin

At the very end of my UK adventure last autumn, I spent three last days in London. I didn’t expect to love London as much as I did; and I didn’t even see one tenth of the city. There is so much more to explore and I can’t wait to go back!

I left lovely Rye tearful, and began missing it even as I boarded the train. A quick ride brought me into the gorgeous St. Pancras Station.

TripEnd_London1_StPancras

I checked in at Victoria and Edmund’s beautiful house in Hammersmith, where the adventure began a month earlier. I stayed in The Pink Room for these last few nights, and – just like at the beginning of the trip – enjoyed exceptional hospitality. Back onto the tube and on a mission: to find the Fortnum and Mason store. I hopped off at the Green Park station and made my way a couple of blocks to this beautiful department store, filled with delights for all the senses.

TripEnd_London2_FortnumMason

Since I was so close, I walked through Green Park to see Buckingham Palace. Impressive and majestic, but so many people!

TripEnd_London3_BPalace

The next day I walked around Chelsea in the morning, heading over the Albert Bridge, and spending a bit of time walking along the Thames in Battersea Park. Back over the bridge and a lovely snack at Gail’s.

TripEnd_London4_Chelsea

TripEnd_London5_Chelsea_ViewAlbertBridge

TripEnd_London6_Chelsea_SignAlbertBridge

TripEnd_London7_Chelsea_ViewOfAlbertBridge

TripEnd_London8_Chelsea_Gails1

The afternoon was devoted to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I was completely overwhelmed by the extent of the collections. So much so, that I had a little panic attack and had to calm myself with a cream tea!

TripEnd_London9_VandA1

TripEnd_London9_VandA2

TripEnd_London9_VandA3

TripEnd_London9_VandA4

TripEnd_London9_VandA5

The last day I spent exploring Camden with lovely friend I hadn’t seen in many years. Dinner with dear people was the best end to a remarkable trip.

TripEnd_London10_Friends

I will be back in the UK as soon as possible. My heart remained and I must go collect it!

 

 

As many people do, I love to photograph doorways, door knockers, and other architectural details. Here are a few lovely doors in Rye, East Sussex.

Rye_Doors1

Rye_Doors2

Rye_Doors3

Rye_Doors4

Rye_Doors5

Rye_Doors6

Rye_Doors7

Rye_Doors8

Still dreaming about Rye, and the lovely place I stayed for three nights, Jeake’s House. It took about five minutes to walk to cobbled Mermaid Street from the train station. I was welcomed warmly and shown to my pretty room. Jeake’s House is perfectly situated for easy walking around Rye. It’s just around the corner from Lamb House, and close to St Mary’s Church and Rye Castle/Ypres Tower.

Rye_Jeakes1

Rye_Jeakes2

The house is beautifully appointed and my stay included a delicious, hearty breakfast each morning in the gorgeous dining room.

Rye_Jeakes3

Rye_Jeakes5

Rye_Jeakes6

I am looking forward to my next trip to the UK and Rye, and would certainly stay at Jeake’s House again.

This is one of my favourite photo series from my trip: some of the lovely details of Rye, East Sussex. You will notice that more blogging time will be dedicated to Rye than any other place I visited (Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire is a close second!). There are three more posts in the cue after this one! Not a day goes by that I don’t think of this town!

rye_detail1

rye_detail2

rye_detail3

rye_detail4

rye_detail5

rye_detail6

rye_detail7

rye_detail8

rye_detail9

What a glorious time I had in England last autumn! My travel companion chose some beautiful places to visit; stunning towns and villages I will always remember. In the last week of my visit, I traveled on my own to a little town in East Sussex. It was a town I knew about and had longed to visit, a town known for its literary history and outstanding beauty. I left Brighton on the train the morning of October 18 and within two hours I pulled into the station in Rye. I stepped off the train and my heart swelled to bursting. Within 5 minutes I was at the door to my accommodation, Jeakes House. Being in England gave me the feeling of being home, Rye, even more so.

rye1

rye2

For three days I wandered the lanes and paths, enjoying every vista, every shop. I visited Lamb House, a National Trust property, former home of Henry James. I saw sunrises and sunsets. In between the wandering, I got caught up on my painting projects and blogging.

rye3

rye4

rye5

rye6

rye7

rye8

rye9

rye10

rye11

rye12

rye13

rye14

And there was a cream tea or two! The Cobbles was outstanding!

rye15

rye16

I would happily live in Rye, and will be looking for opportunities to spend a lot more time there in the near future!

I was so excited to have an unexpected night in Brighton near the end of my month in England last October. It was very nice to be beside the seaside, and explore this interesting and artsy town. A quick train ride from Brockenhurst brought me right into town and just steps away from the hotel I found near the station: ibis Brighton City Centre. My room was clean and comfortable, and I had a nice view of the town.

brighton1

As soon as I had dropped my bags, I headed out to explore the town and find the iconic pier. Brighton Palace Pier, opened in 1899, is an amusement park featuring rides, carnival games, entertainments and restaurants/food stalls. It also offers a lovely view back towards Brighton, which became a fashionable seaside resort in the Georgian era.

brighton2

brighton3

brighton4

brighton5

brighton6

brighton7

brighton8

I also had a bit of time to explore the Royal Pavilion, The Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, and The Lanes (a car-free area filled with shops and restaurants).

brighton9

brighton10

brighton11

The food theme for my 12 hours is Brighton was FUN! I met the lovely owners of a wonderful Belgian fries shop called Befries, had a big soft ice cream on the pier, and enjoyed a very nice pizza from Very Italian Pizza.

brighton12

All around an exceptionally fun time was had. I would love to spend more time in Brighton!

After our week in the Cotwolds, we traveled to Somerset to the charming village of Mells. Situated alongside the Mells River, the village holds a rich past from Mesolithic flint workshops, Roman occupation, a Saxon village, a 16th century Manor House, wool trade in the middle ages, to more recently an Iron Works and Quarry. The Village amenities include the beautiful Talbot Inn, a lovely café attached to the Village shop and post office, the Walled Garden with it’s seasonal café, walking and cycling trails, and a general sense of serenity.

Mells_View1

Sheep and stone, with beautiful autumn colour.

Mells_View2

Green in every direction.

Mells_View3

The glimpse of St Andrew’s Church from the Walled Garden.

Mells_Cottage1

Through the gate in this stone wall was our river-side sanctuary; the loveliest cottage.

Mells_Cottage2

The Mells River ran directly alongside the patio of our cottage. The sweet and gentle sound was the first to greet me each morning. In the green space across we saw many pheasants, and the view of the stars at night in the dark village sky was spectacular.

Mells_Cottage3

The stone bridge near our cottage which is one of the main roadways into the village.

Mells_RiverWalk1

The path along the river through deciduous forest.

Mells_RiverWalkFalls

A small waterfall along the riverside walk.

Mells_RiverWalk_RuinBuilding

An abandoned building from the old Fussells Iron Works.

Mells_RiverWalk_RuinWall

Old walls in various states of ruin are all around the area near the old Iron Works.

Mells_TalbotInn

A half of Guinness and some sketching on a rainy day at the Talbot Inn.

Mells_BlackwoodAndBrown

A sweet little jam closet next to a cottage, open most days selling delicious preserves, plants and fruit. I brought home a jar of Strawberry-Rhubarb-Rose jam!