London, episode 16. In which we get Down(ton).

I will be the first to admit that Mari should probably have called the authorities at several points during my London2012 planning. Among the many institutionalizable (?!) causes was the fact that I had scheduled way too many activities. I admit it. I was overzealous and after the initial disappointment of only receiving tickets to a few events I jumped at every opportunity and available ticket that came up after our original CoSport allotment.

Thirteen events in six days was thrilling but exhausting.

I won't ever do that again.

Probably.

A Tokyo2020 expedition is in the early planning stages, so I'll never say never.

Unlike our first London visit back in 2007, our London2012 experience was not a sightseeing adventure, but I did manage to squeeze a sightseeing day into the middle of our week. I knew we would want a bit of a break in the Olympic action and we had one site that we particularly wanted to see.

At left we are posing our familiar we-own-the-place pose in front of Highclere Castle, home to the Earl of Carnarvon, but more familiar to those of us Downton Abbey fans as the home of the Earl of Grantham and his deliciously mischievous yet lovable lot.

While my favorite Dowager Countess (aka Maggie Smith) was not on the premises to share a cuppa (or thinly-veiled insult), Mari and I were thrilled to thoroughly immerse ourselves in the private world of a favorite fiction. Much of the "upstairs" part of the 300-year-old Jacobean Revival estate is open to the public during July and August while the Earl and his family are away, so I indelibly inked a visit onto our own summer schedule.

After doing a bit of research online, we decided to embark on our own and make a day of it much like we had five years earlier with our public-transport outing to Stonehenge. Although the train station in Newbury is just five miles from Highclere, there are no taxi services available at the estate. We arranged with our helpful cab driver to meet us back at the castle in the afternoon for a return trip to the station. You will need to make similar arrangements if you plan your own visit without a tour group.

Visit the well-curated site for loads of visitor information,
a calendar of special events, and for every detail of the estate's fascinating history,

including a personal and beautifully-documented blog by Lady Carnarvon herself.

highclerecastle.co.uk

During our beautiful and restfully restorative day at the estate, Mari and I were free to wander the lush grounds and gardens (including the "secret garden") aimlessly and we did our best to be as aimless as possible. Rounding the end of one of the gardens towards the back of the property where we could see sheep grazing on the grounds of the adjacent estate, we both looked up the hill and back towards the castle and let out simultaneous gasps as we encountered the ethereally expansive sea of Queen Anne's lace surrounding us above. Having never seen this "backyard" view via PBS Sunday nights, we were overwhelmingly awed by the natural beauty surrounding what was already arguably the most beautiful "home" we had ever visited.

Following the 60-mile return train ride back to London's Paddington Station, Mari and I set out for another of our favorite travel activities, a night at the theater.

On our initial London visit, we were privileged to have seen the original cast of Spamalot at the West End's Palace Theatre and we were rewarded again on this return visit with a performance of One Man, Two Guvnors which was absolutely brilliant even without James Corden who had recently left the original cast to earn his Tony in the Broadway production.


Mari and I took another touristic break from the action on Friday morning, the day following our extraordinary evening at Olympic Stadium. We had a bit of a gap in our event schedule so I managed to squeeze in a Buckingham Palace tour. Although we had previously witnessed (and not witnessed, if you recall) the changing of the guard ceremony, Mari and I were excited to discover that guided tours inside the palace were available during August and September when Queen Elizabeth II was visiting other royal estates.

It was a moment-making experience walking through the majestic public rooms of the royal residence, most of which were filled with historic works of art and exquisite furniture.

It is what you don't see but can only imagine that makes the tour an unforgettable experience. A history full of visitors, guests, and family long ago departed but not forgotten fills the spacious rooms as you meander through carefully placed furniture to admire original artwork once admired by famous (and infamous) visitors past.

Our nostalgic tour ended at the rear of the palace (pictured above right) where we were then invited to walk through the beautifully lush gardens. Along the way out into non-royal society there was, of course, an extensive gift shop. Time for another confession, and I think you already know what's coming...

I'm just a big sucker for a gift shop.

Big.
Sucker.

Always have been, even as an elementary school student on field trips. Back then if it wasn't another post card it was a key chain. Today, of course, it's anything that supports one of my (too) many collections.

The good people at The Garden Shop knew I was coming that day because I definitely contributed my fair share to the Royal Collection Trust which is responsible for the upkeep of royal sites throughout the United Kingdom.

While not exactly fleamarketed treasures, souvenir reproductions of official royal china (in non-fragile, easily-packable, and affordable ceramic-coated tin) found four welcome spots in the limited space still available within my carry-on and now form a colorful backdrop in a display cabinet in our home.

At left is the very detailed and informative stamp from the back of the pink plate (bottom right) pictured above. Although I did not enjoy the pleasure of Victoria and Albert's company at the 1851 royal banquet, that must have been quite a ticket! Imagine Charlotte Bronte, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, and Alfred Tennyson making small talk while pushing sticky toffee pudding around on this larger than life dessert plate!

Be sure to visit the website for information about tour availability

on specific dates and to browse the online gift shop.

royalcollection.org.uk/visit/the-state-rooms-buckingham-palace

Instead of concluding this week with a casual quip inviting your return, I would like to extend a most meditative invitation to my loyal readers and any casual followers of my musings.  

I am thankful as ever to travelers the world over, particularly those in Las Vegas this past week who demonstrated that compassion for fellow travelers will always prove its courageous strength against aimless adversity. May we learn, however, to always demonstrate respect for one another and be instruments of peace every day, not just in adverse times.