The Prettiest Village in England

Confession: of all of the beautiful, stately homes in the United Kingdom,  I really wanted to track down  the adorable Rose Hill cottage (and equally charming town) from The Holiday (aka the chicken soup of movies, pure comfort, and a bit underrated in my humble opinion).  Much to my dismay, I learned that the cottage wasn't real, and the facade was actually constructed on a set in La-La Land, where most of the movie was filmed.  Dreams dashed, I was determined to find and visit the most charming village or town in England (complete with adorable cottages).

After some research, I found that it is widely accepted that the "prettiest village in England" is Castle Combe, on the edge of the Cotswolds, near Bath.  And as luck would have it, it is only about an hour and a half's train ride from London!  So, when I woke up on Tuesday to clear blue skies and sunshine, I hightailed it to Paddington Station to see if Castle Combe lived up to its reputation.

In addition to being among the prettiest, Castle Combe must also be among the tiniest villages in England.  But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in charm.

I spent the day wandering about, following paths both well defined and less so, climbing muddy hills as best I could in boots without any tread (I even succeeded in staying upright on the climbs down, somehow).

It seemed like every time I turned around, I saw another pretty view.

 

 

When my hands finally got so cold that it was difficult to take photos, I retreated to the lovely Manor House Hotel for High Tea.

The tea was wonderful, the location was breathtaking, and the staff were incredibly kind.  I have no idea what the rooms are like, but based on my experience, I would highly recommend the Manor House to anyone wanting to visit the area!  They also have a Michelin starred restaurant for you traveling gourmands.

I could have happily sat in front of their roaring fireplace all afternoon, the light was fading quickly and I had a train to catch!

While I cannot say for certain that Castle Combe is the prettiest village in England (I haven't visited all of the others, yet), it is hard to imagine a prettier or more charming place to spend a day.

I went to Oxford (for a day)

After my lovely trip to Cambridge, I was promptly informed that "Oxford is better." The person who uttered these words has a reason to be biased; a friend from my Canterbury days, Ashley went to Oxford for graduate school (smarty pants) and, determined to prove herself right (or actually just because she's really nice), kindly offered to show me around town, and I could not have asked for a better tour guide!

We started at Pembroke College, where Ashley was a student.  It was a treat to get to go beyond the doors and actually see the inside of a college, especially one so pretty!

Founded by King James I, the College is known for having a strong Boat Club and was where J.R.R. Tolkein wrote The Hobbit and the first two Lord of the Rings books while he was a Fellow.  Fun fact: the founder of Washington's Smithsonian Institute, James Smithson, was a student at Pembroke

My fabulous tour guide, Ashley

After getting an insider's look at life as an Oxford student, I made my way through town to the Bodleian Library for their Reading Rooms tour, taking a few pictures along the way (naturally).

Usually closed to the public,  Duke Humfrey's Library with its rare books and the Radcliffe Camera Reading Room were stunning, and well worth the trip!  Sadly, photography is not permitted in the Library, but I was able to take photographs in the Divinity School, where the tour began.  If it looks familiar to you, then you are a Harry Potter fan! This is where they filmed the infirmary scenes from the first film.

After the tour I met Ashely at the coziest pub I could imagine, the Turf Tavern, for a proper Sunday Roast.

Then it was time to wander over to Hogwarts, I mean Christ Church College. Many thanks to Ashley for her patience as I continued to snap away.

Christ Church Hall was the model for the fictional Hogwart's Great Hall (sadly, no enchanted ceiling or sorting hats in the real one, but incredible nonetheless). The college is also the setting for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as Lewis Carroll studied and taught at Christ Church.

After a walk along the river and a visit to the boat houses, we enjoyed a pint at the Eagle and Child, a favorite of Tolkein and his friend C.S. Lewis and their literary club, The Inklings.

All in all it was a wonderful day with an old friend, I am so glad that Ashley and I have gotten reacquainted during my time in London.

All text and images copyright © 2013, Capital Citizenne.  All Rights Reserved.

Bikes, Boats and Bridges: a day in Cambridge

After a few blustery days here in London (thanks to St. Jude the storm), I woke to beautiful blue skies on Wednesday morning.  It was the kind of crisp, Autumn day that makes you want to buy new pencils and notebooks and go back to school, which made it the perfect day to visit Cambridge.  Armed with my camera, I caught a direct train from King's Cross to Cambridge and in about an hour I found myself wandering the city's cobblestone streets and passages, exploring the colleges, and criss-crossing the River Cam on it's many bridges.

In addition to being home to one of the world's best universities and beautiful architecture, Cambridge is also home to more bicycles than I have ever seen in my entire life!  Dozens of bikes were outside every college, and there were hundreds of them "parked" at the train station.  It seems like everyone in Cambridge zooms around on bikes with big wicker baskets. (Note to self: must re-learn to ride a bike!)

Trinity College, one of the University's three royal colleges.  Alumni include Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon,  Prince Charles and more than a few handfuls of other notables!

King's College Chapel. The famed Choir's Nine Lessons and Carols are broadcast from the Chapel by the BBC every Christmas Eve.

Clare College and the River Cam

The Mathematical Bridge (never being much of a math student, I do not understand the explanations I read about the engineering of this bridge, something to do with tangents.  I do know that, despite the arched appearance, the timbers are all straight and it has been rebuilt three times since 1749.)

All text and images copyright © 2013, Capital Citizenne.  All Rights Reserved.

24 Hours in Liverpool

When I set out on my adventure, I can honestly say that visiting Liverpool was not on my must-do list.  I didn't really know anything about the city other than that it is the birthplace of the Beatles and the local accent is a tricky one for my American ears.  My trip to Liverpool was entirely based on wanting to see an exhibition of Tim Hetherington's work at the OpenEye Gallery.  Hetherington was an award winning photojournalist, spending most of his time in the worst places in the world, producing incredible images and telling important stories.  (If you have not already, I highly recommend you see both Restrepo, which he co-directed with Sebastian Junger, and Which Way is the Front Line From Here, created by Junger following Hetherington's death in Libya in 2011 while covering the civil war).

I considered simply making a day trip to see the exhibition (Liverpool is just over two hours from London by train), but after a bit of research I quickly realized there was a lot more to see and do in Liverpool and decided to make it an overnight visit,  booking a room at the modern and minimalist Hope Street Hotel.

 Liverpool is home to numerous architecturally significant buildings - ranging from Tudor to ultra-modern styles - and is scattered throughout with sculpture and street art. It is a photographer's dream city.

My first stop was the Open Eye Gallery and the exhibition was absolutely worth the trip.  While many of the images in You Never See Them Like This were familiar from the documentaries, there is something about seeing them on a large scale that makes them that much more intense.  His Sleeping Soldiers series was one of the most moving I've ever seen.

Following a trip to the nearby Tate Liverpool, I planned to take a ferry ride across the Mersey (cue up Gerry and the Pacemakers) but the gale force winds and my proclivity to motion sickness cancelled those plans!

Instead, I stumbled upon "The Beatles Hidden Gallery" -- located above the ferry terminal -- which is home to a treasure trove of previously unseen images of The Beatles taken between 1963-1964 by Paul Beriff.  It was the perfect bridge between my main interests in visiting Liverpool:  photography and doing something Beatles-related.

When it comes to The Beatles, I am enough of a fan that I had to do something John/Paul/George & Ringo-related, but not so much that I had to take a two hour bus tour or visit their homesteads.  Instead, I decided that I would pay a visit to the club where it all began, and where so many legends have played, The Cavern Club.  Technically the current Cavern is actually next door to the original, but they recreated the space using a lot of materials from the original, so it was good enough for me!  I descended the stairs, ordered a pint and settled in with fellow-fans for an acoustic Beatles-tribute set.  Perfect.

Having finally warmed up, I braced myself for the wind and walked back down to the Albert Docks to do a quick night shoot (and nearly got blown into the Mersey!) before heading "home" to Hope Street for dinner at their lovely restaurant, The London Carriage Works.

The next morning, the sun was shining and the weather was perfect for a trip to the top of Liverpool Cathedral's vestry tower.  The Cathedral is the largest in the United Kingdom and the fifth largest in the world (and was designed by the same architect who designed the iconic red telephone booths, Giles Gilbert Scott).  Thankfully, there are lifts to take you most of the way up the tower, but the hundred or so steps you have to climb offer terrific views of the tower bells (I can't imagine how loud it would be when they are ringing!).

The views were absolutely wonderful and well-worth the ticket and the queue.

After a quick trip to Bold Street for a bowl of Scouse at Maggie May's, I hopped back on a train and enjoyed my view of sunny Autumn English countryside as we raced back to London.

A Visit to Monet's Garden

A short train ride from Paris, a visit to Claude Monet's home and gardens in Giverny was a lovely way to spend one of my last days of this Paris trip.

There is no photography allowed inside the house, but it was lovely and filled with amazing paintings as well as simple furnishings.  I especially loved the kitchen with its vast collection of gleaming copper pots and pans hung on the wall and the beautiful blue Rouen tiles.

The view of the Clos Normand - the flower garden adjacent to the house - from Monet's bedroom.  Monet designed both this garden and the Water Garden, which is located just beyond the trees in the background.

 

After strolling in the beautiful flower gardens, it was time to make my way to the water gardens that served as the subject of  Monet's famous Water Lilies paintings.

The water garden was like walking into a painting and I felt a million miles away from anything, which is especially impressive considering it is now adjacent to a roadway (a nice pedestrian tunnel takes visitors from the flower garden to the water garden).

All text and images copyright © 2013, Capital Citizenne.  All Rights Reserved.

A Day Trip to Epernay

One of the things I most wanted to do in France was spend some time learning more about french wine.  Over the years, I have familiarized myself with California & Oregon wines enough to know my way around a domestic wine list (in other words, I know what I like, what I don't like, and what I can afford!).  But when faced with a continental wine list, I'm often in over my head.  So, upon the recommendation of some friends who had recently done a rather extensive tour of France, I signed up for a wine and cheese lunch at O Chateau, a wine bar in Paris that specializes in english-speaking tastings, geared towards people who enjoy wine and want to know a bit more (like me!). Our first tasting was a champagne, and upon learning I was in Paris for the rest of the month, our sommelier insisted that I must go on their day trip to Epernay.  Well, after one sip of the blanc de blanc champagne he poured us, I was eager to sign up!

About a week later, I was up at dawn boarding a minivan to spend the day learning about, and of course tasting, the bubbly from the only place in the world that makes Champagne.  The tour is intentionally kept to a small size - eight people - and is lead by a sommelier.  Our guide - Guillaume, a self-professed wine geek - was terrific, giving us just enough information but also allowing us to just enjoy the day.  I was the only non-Australian on the tour, but by the end of the first visit was declared an honorary Aussie for the day.

After making great time getting out of Paris, we stopped for croissants and cafe at a picturesque spot overlooking the countryside.

Our first stop was Moet Chandon, one of the largest champagne producers (and one of the few to fully embrace wine tourism).  The tour was very informative, taking us down into the caves where they store the champagne, turning the bottles and preparing them for distribution.

Their caves are massive, and their team zips around in little motorized carts, tending to different sections, all marked with road signs.  The different batches of bottles were all marked with a "secret" code, known only to the head wine maker.

Next up, we went to the home of a small, independent grand crux champagne producer: Penet-Chardonnet.  And when I say home, I mean literally, we were treated to lunch in their family home.

 It was an incredible experience, not to mention delicious (and one of the many reasons they keep the tours so small!).  We visited their vines, and then went down into their caves where we were treated to a tasting of unlabeled champagne with absolutely no sugar added.  It was wonderful.  The champagnes we enjoyed with our tasty meal were also fabulous and I wound up buying a bottle.

Our final stop of the day was another small, though not quite as small, producer: Monmarthe.  Here we got to again see the caves, and hang out amongst their reserve bottles that are purposefully sitting gathering dust (light is bad for champagne), as well as see part of their bottling process (it was labeling and packaging day when we visited).

We were treated to the last bottle of one of their 2004 reserves, as well as a wonderful blanc de blanc, out in their vineyards.

Was it a fabulous day?  Yes!  Did I learn anything?  Yes!  I may not know my way around a full french wine list, but I can certainly pick out a little bubbly when there is an occasion that calls for it (you know, like lunch...)  Cheers!

Bonjour, Paris!

I'm strictly tourist, but I couldn't care less, when they parlez-vous me then I gotta confess, that's for me: Bonjour, Paris! 

Instead of practicing my francais in the weeks leading up to my departure, I prepared for my month in Paris by watching movies set in Paris, like Midnight in Paris and Funny Face.  While it might not have been helpful in the practical sense, it did help calm some nerves I had about moving to a new city (again) for a month.  Though I must admit, my attempt to channel my inner Audrey Hepburn failed miserably on my first evening, when I tried to ride a bike.  Thankfully, my ego was the only thing bruised.

Lack of french language (and cycling) skills aside, I am in Paris!  And it is shaping up to be everything I imagined a month in Paris would be: full of delicious food, lovely wine, and lots and lots of trial and error.

I have been here for five days, and not one has passed in which I have not gotten turned around on the streets or the metro, or completely butchered what little french I can remember.  I have tried to see exhibits that are not yet open, go to a museum that has been and will continue to be closed for renovations for a year, and - perhaps the most serious error as of yet - visited a major tourist attraction on a Saturday (Sacre Coeur - the pick pockets/scam artists were in full force).  **If you are planning a visit to Paris in the very near future, a word of warning, from what I can tell, the gypsies / vandals are much more prevalent -- or at least more aggressive -- than my last visit, even Parisians have told me to be extra vigilant.

But it certainly has not been all errors!  I have strolled through the Marais, crisscrossed the Seine on its lovely bridges, tucked in to more macaroons than I care to admit, and taken a cooking class (more on that in another post).

The last (and first time) I was in Paris, we had about 5 days total and we filled them with tours and shopping and eating, making a fairly detailed and full itinerary for each day.  Having a month in Paris is a bit overwhelming. I don't want to cram each day full of museums and shopping and burn out too quickly, but I also don't want to wast too much time (after all, when am I going to get another month in Paris?).

So, I have made a list of exhibitions I want to see, things I want to do, and day/weekend trips I want to take, and every day I try to tick at least one experience off the list.

So far I have seen the delightful Little Black Dress exhibit at the Mona Bismarck center (the exhibition is sponsored by the Savannah College of Art and Design and curated by Andre Leon Talley),and the wonderful Roy Lichtenstein expo at the Centre Pompidou.

 I have enjoyed macaroons from Pierre Herme, scarfed down crepes avec fromage et jambon for lunch,lingered over un cafe and un glace Berthillon on the isle-de-cite, and tracked down a recommended fromagerie in Montmarte, where I successfully ordered and enjoyed some delicious cheeses.

On my last visit to Paris, we stayed in the 7th Arr, on the Blvd. St Germain.  It was incredibly convenient to everything we wanted to do and see in Paris and we did not stray too far off the beaten path.  This time, I am living in a lovely little apartment (courtesy of my new friend Nathalie) in the 10th Arrondissement, very near the Canal St. Martin.

While it is not as central, this is a very fashionable and "hip" neighborhood, filled with cute cafes, bistros and one of the best boulangerie's in all of Paris (it is literally around the corner, I have not decided whether this is a good thing or a very, very bad thing...).  The four flights of stairs up to my apartment should help mitigate the proximity to world class croissants...right?

It is also a very typical Parisian neighborhood, without the touristy trappings you might find elsewhere, meaning I am getting a very nice view of life in Paris. I am also getting very familiar with their very convenient metro system!

All in all, it has been a great start to my time in Paris, and I look forward to what the rest of le vie parisienne has in store!

Titchwell Manor

Last Sunday, I took myself on a holiday to North Norfolk and stayed at the very lovely Titchwell Manor.  I learned about the hotel, and the area in general, after reading an article about Houghton Revisited, an  exhibit of the impressive art collection that once belonged to Sir Robert Walpole - the first Prime Minister of Great Britain - at his family home, Houghton Hall (the collection was subsequently sold to Catherine the Great, this exhibit is the first time it has returned to its original home.).  Interested in the exhibit and the Hall, I checked the Houghton Revisited website for more information, and listed among the recommended places to stay was Titchwell Manor.  After one glance at their website, I fell in love with it. After seeing that Houghton Revisited was sold out for the month, I decided to head to North Norfolk to see the coast and enjoy Titchwell Manor anyway, taking advantage of a special Sunday night "dinner, bed and breakfast" offer  (and the fact that I did not have class until 6:30 pm on Monday!).

After a slightly bumpy journey (Tube closures, cancelled trains, diverted trains, causing a late arrival and a missed bus) I finally arrived at Titchwell, where I was shown to a beautiful room (complete with a comfy king sized bed and a fabulous claw foot bath tub).

Tempted as I was to simply soak in the tub and take a long nap, I instead set out on a walk on the path through the marsh across the road from the hotel.  It was a brisk, breezy and sunny afternoon, perfect for a stroll.

I wish I could bottle up the light that soaked the marsh as afternoon began to turn to evening - the pictures do not do it justice.

Following my walk (and yes, a quick soak in the tub), it was time for dinner in the Conservatory - the fine dining restaurant on the property.  After ten days of toast and cereal (thanks to a lingering stomach bug), I was so looking forward to my meal, and it did not disappoint!

  

Mushroom ravioli to start, pork belly for my main, and a little sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream to cap it off.  From start to finish, it was delicious.

The next morning, I boarded another bus to Holkham to see what I was told is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  I don't think that's much of an exaggeration.

If it looks at all familiar, it is the same beach used in the final scenes of Shakespeare in Love (in my mind, I looked just as peaceful and elegant as Gwyneth as I walked along the sand...).

All too soon I had to hop back on the coast hopper bus (a very convenient little bus network that gets us car-less folks to and fro along the Norfolk coast.) and hop on the train back to London.  It was not nearly long enough, but my quick escape to the coast was lovely and I look forward to returning with a bit more time.

Day Trip to Dover

A belated post on my day trip to Dover with Mom before she returned home.  A two hour train trip from central London, Dover is home to the medieval Dover Castle, a lighthouse dating to the First Century, the famous White Cliffs and a maze of underground tunnels that served as a command center during World War II.

Dover Castle

  

The over 2,000 year old castle is surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge, and has walls nearly ten feet thick

In addition to being heavily fortified, it has some great views, here the over 1,000 year old Saxon Church, St. Mary-in-Castro, and the Roman pharos lighthouse

The lighthouse was built in the 1st Century by Romans, and is said to be the oldest structure in Britain

 No trip to Dover would be complete without catching a glimpse of the famous White Cliffs, which face France across the narrowest part of the English Channel.  The clouds rolled in by the time we got there, so the photo really does not do them justice.  They are quite stunning.

One of the  reasons we visited Dover was to see the medieval underground tunnels that, over the years, have been expanded and adapted. serving as barracks and a strategic command post during World War II.

For any WWII buffs, Operation Dynamo - which involved the evacuation of over 300,000 British and French troops from France following the Battle of Dunkirk - was conceived and executed from the tunnels below Dover Castle.  They have since turned the tunnels into an impressive museum that we both really enjoyed.

Did I mention there were a lot of steps involved in our visit to Dover?  No?  There were. A. LOT.  But they were worth it!

Swinton Park

After several days of touring Edinburgh and St. Andrews, it was time to wave goodbye to Scotland and head back south.  We decided to break up the journey back to London with a stop over at Swinton Park - a beautiful old castle near Ripon that was refurbished and opened as a hotel about ten years ago.

My mom's friend Lynne had visited Swinton Park recently with her husband and recommended it to my mom when she learned of her impromptu trip.  When my mom sent me the link, I (being an admitted Downton Abbey fan) was giddy and practically insisted that we work it in to our adventure - and I am so glad that we did!

A spot of tea before we went exploring

Croquet anyone?

After a bit of exploring, it was time for dinner.  Swinton Park is a bit of a foodie's paradise, priding themselves on their fine dining restaurant Samuels.  Before being seated in the dining room, we enjoyed canapes and a bit of bubbly in the drawing room.

Pre-dinner bubbly in the Drawing Room

Both our dinner and breakfast the next morning were delicious.  For our dinners, mom enjoyed a smoked trout starter, guinea fowl and a dessert of poached pears and praline.  I was delighted with my rabbit rillettes starter, fresh halibut entree and a wonderful white chocolate mousse with salted caramel ice cream.  We both somehow found room the next morning for some of the very best eggs benedict I've ever tasted.

After breakfast, we explored the beautiful walled garden and the aviary, where they keep a number of falcons and owls (separately of course!) and continued to explore the grounds and house on a beautiful day.

    

The beautiful walled garden, where they grow lovely flowers as well as much of the produce used on site

There was a bit of news happening in London while we were away

Swinton Park is simply lovely.  The house, the rooms, the grounds and the food were all wonderful.  I am only sorry we were not there a bit longer to take advantage of the activities they offer, especially their cookery school!  Perhaps another visit will be in my future...

A Family Affair (or, Mom decides on a whim to visit and we go to Scotland)

Of the many wonderful adjectives one could ascribe to my mother, spontaneous is not one that often comes to mind. But, last Sunday, following Phil Mickelson's victory at the Scottish Open, my mom said that she wanted to see Scotland, so I suggested she come that week and we could go to The Open at Muirfield.  To my surprise and absolute delight, she decided to do just that! After arriving on Thursday and attending class with me (and standing in as my model) on Friday (more on that in another post), we boarded a train bound for Edinburgh.  (Note: Mom managed to not only navigate the Tube during near rush hour, but she also did it with a suitcase !)  Approximately four hours later, we had left the heat wave in London behind and fell into bed in Scotland, getting some well-earned rest before a day at The Open.

Saturday morning, we joined many thousands of other golf fans in making the short journey to Muirfield to watch the world's best compete for the Claret Jug.  Unlike most tournaments in the U.S., the Open at Muirfield features 20,000 seats in a number of grandstands set up throughout the course, providing a great view of the action.  We settled into the grandstand on the 7th hole (a short par 3 with some very deep bunkers) and saw nearly the whole field (we got there a bit late and missed the first few pairings).

After Tiger and Lee Westwood (on a hot streak at that point!) finished the hole, we decided to walk the course back towards the entrance, giving us the chance to see the likes of Adam Scott, Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter and Phil Mickelson a few more times.  It was a great day for golf, and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

A bit of advice to any of you thinking of traveling to The Open, while tickets are not difficult to purchase, merchandise is!  We put off our stop at the official shop on the grounds until the end of our day and they were very nearly sold out of everything!

On Sunday, we wished the golfers good luck from afar and headed to Edinburgh's Royal Mile to explore Edinburgh Castle.  It was a beautiful, bright and cool day and we spent several hours touring all of the exhibits, including the National War Museum and, of course, the Honours of Scotland (the regalia, or crown jewels).

Edinburgh Castle

  

Views from the Castle

We retired from our touring after a lovely lunch at The Witchery and enjoyed watching Phil's victory from the comfort of our hotel room, with tea and shortbread, of course!

Monday morning we boarded yet another train, this one bound for the home of golf (in keeping with the theme), St. Andrews.  While I had been to Edinburgh before, this was both of our first trips to St. Andrews and we picked a great day to do it - just chilly enough to give it the right amount of ambience.  We toured the ruins of the Cathedral and Castle - Mom even made her way down to the beach to find a seashell or two - before catching a glimpse of the Old Course and heading back to Edinburgh.

St. Andrews Cathedral ruins

 

St. Andrews Castle ruins

St. Andrews is getting ready to play host to the Women's British Open

We wound up our trip to Scotland with a visit to Holyroodhouse (in a thunderstorm!) and then back on a train to our next destination, Swinton Park in the north of England.