Highclere Castle - Winchester Cathedral - Bath

Oh my, what a nice day that was..... we went to the little church on the grounds of Highclere for a presentation being given by Lady Carnarvon. She talked about the history of the castle and the grounds, as well as the church and the parish, and the wonderful opportunity they were all given with the filming and success of "Downton Abbey."

Before the presentation, everyone was treated to tea and desserts, baked by the ladies of the church group. Lady Carnarvon brought sweets from the Highclere kitchen, but said she 'rather enjoyed' the homemade baked goods from the church ladies.  By the time the teacups were put away and the presentation was over, we all felt as if Lady Carnarvon had been a friend of ours for years.  Touring around the interior of Highclere, it was beautifully surreal after watching "Downton Abbey" for these past years. (I kept looking for Mr. Carson but maybe he was off on holiday.)  Lovely to see all the rooms that have been featured in that PBS series... it was a highlight for me, but maybe not for my husband since he doesn't watch "Downton." (Perhaps that will change after this trip? I have the complete set of Downton DVDs and would watch it all again, and again.)

Winchester Cathedral... I don't think I can say enough about any of the English churches and cathedrals. They are all so magnificent and extraordinary. The ceilings of Winchester are awe-inspiring in their craftsmanship, and they make you wonder just how many years (decades) that work took from start to finish. The remains of Jane Austen were buried in this cathedral in 1817, most likely because her father was a clergyman in another parish. On Austen's grave-slab, there is no mention of her accomplishments as an author, which was typical of the time. There is a brass plaque, however, later paid for by her nephew, listing the legacy of her writing talents. The stained glass windows and extensive statuary within Winchester are just breath-taking, beautiful beyond words, and the serenity in that cathedral is mesmerizing, even with all the people walking around to look into every nook and cranny and chapel. To think that the first construction on this cathedral began in the year 645 is just extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary.

Afterwards, driving along the motorway towards Bath, we could clearly see Stonehenge. The traffic was going so slowly along that road, with everyone coming to nearly a stop to take photos. Being that the road was close to the monuments, and the stones are just so huge, we didn't take time to walk around the grounds there. Too many tour bus groups at the time, and the stones are roped off so you can't get very close to them now. Seeing Stonehenge from the roadway and taking the photos was enough of a treat.

We spent the day in Bath.... Jane Austen house and museum, Victoria Park, Bath Old Books, the Victoria Art Gallery, the Roman Baths, dinner at "Opa!" (Greek restaurant), the Holburne Museum, and the indoor shopping markets in the center of the city.  After a day walking around that very crowded city (we had left the car at the B&B because of the traffic), we were totally exhausted at night.                    

The B&B in Bath left a lot to be desired, especially after our first night at the B&B in Andover, which was a home filled with plush furniture and treasured antiques. Unfortunately, we were booked at that sparsely furnished and IKEA-esque B&B for two nights... both nights were interrupted by the sounds of seagulls with insomnia. At all hours of the late night and early morning, we heard the calls of the gulls... some of them sounded like cats or monkeys, with just a few making sounds like birds.

In Bath, we found a tea room called "The Boston Tea Party" which had the most delicious scones. We had lunch one day at "The Green Bird," a very serene and pretty cafe... the owner collects maps and he had a framed map of Manhattan hanging on the wall near our table. Bath Old Books was a treat... lovely old bookshop, but I didn't buy anything because the few books that I found interesting were just too expensive. Still was fun to look and browse amongst the shelves. (Amongst - another British word to love.)

The city of Bath... very crowded, but a lot to do there. The Roman Baths were interesting and filled with ghostly spirits, I'm sure. To think that the warm springs below the baths are still giving forth water is just amazing.

In the Victoria Art Gallery, there is a painting of Henry VIII that is just mesmerizing, whether or not you're interested in British history. (I certainly am... my husband is getting there slowly.)

We walked all over Bath, even walking out of our way to a little cafe near the B&B for our breakfast. (Neither my husband nor I wanted to take a chance in the kitchen of that particular B&B house.) The cafe owner was a sweet lady who scrambled our eggs and warmed the croissants and asked us what we planned to do each day.

At the "Opa!" Greek restaurant, our meals were made to order, nothing re-heated or microwaved, and yes, it took nearly two hours for lunch, but it was the experience that is memorable, and of course, as always, the delicious tea.

The Jane Austen center was a surprise.... my husband found it on the Internet and included it in the itinerary without telling me. They have a life-sized wax figure of Jane Austen in the rooms of their museum, based on portraits and original clothing of Jane's.... so it's as true a representation of Jane Austen as one is likely to get.

Victoria Park..... as always, the English know how to grow flowers and make beautiful garden arrangements. No matter where one looked in that park, your eyes were drawn to colorful flowerbeds just bursting with blooms.

Bath wasn't my favorite stop in our ten-day trip, mainly because of the disappointing B&B accommodations and the ceaseless city traffic there, but the city was definitely filled with interesting architecture, jam-packed bookshops, and an energy that was off the charts in character.