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A path to explore

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, England, London, paintings, sketching, Travel, Uncategorized

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It is always good going to my gallery in Rehoboth Beach.  I get to see the other work…

Santo Mirabile (mobile) and Rose Minetti (painting) at Gallery 50, photo by me

 

…and discuss with Jay (the owner of Gallery 50 Contemporary Art) my thoughts on my art.  This trip has confirmed a thought  process I had been having about exploring cities in a social context.  The gallery sold one of my favorite new small paintings, “Gallery View”, the week before My Beloved Brit and I arrived.

“Gallery View”, oil painting by me

I had been giving a lot of thought, after all my travels, that I wanted to explore social interaction in three major cities…NYC, London and Paris (3 of my favorites) and see what they had in common and what made them unique.

Cy Twombly at Tate Modern, London

The Louvre, Paris, photo by me

 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photo by me

The blending of location and culture has always intrigued me, and this was an interesting progression to take in my art. I’ve looked at cities before, and the interaction of their inhabitants.

“Metropolitan Spring”, painting by me

MBB and I have discovered, living in a more rural area, that we really are urban animals.  There is nothing I like more than the feel of hot pavement under my feet taking me to explore a great museum, or view an array of shop windows or wander into a park.

“The Voyeur”, painting by me from a park seen in England

A cafe in the Tuileries, Paris, photo by me

I will probably focus on the leisure activities of the cities…what people do when they just want to relax and unwind…and of course it will revolve a lot around what I do with my free time.  So as I explore museums and parks and walking around great cities, I imagine these new pieces will go in that direction.

Playing boules in The Tuileries, Paris. Photo by me

But that is the beauty of a new series.  I am never quite sure where it will take me.

Oxford

11 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in England, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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The new Inspector Lewis series has started back on Masterpiece Theater this past week on Sunday nights.  Oh joy!

I had driven through Oxford once before years ago, but never really had a chance to see it at any length. When we were in England last month, we decided to take the day and wander through the streets where Inspector Lewis, one of my favorite BBC characters, investigates crime.

Oxford University. Is the filming equipment set up for BBC’s Inspector Lewis? Photo by me.

Oxford is a big old university town.  The different schools and colleges are scattered throughout the city, from the historic to the more modern.  You can just feel the scholastic atmosphere everywhere you go, and we did get a chance to peek in to several of the college courtyards.

A college courtyard, hidden gems, scattered throughout the University. Photo by me.

It’s hard to tell where the school ends and the city begins. The main streets were filled with students on a particularly warm day, and every other building seemed to have some academic credential posted on it.

Everywhere you turned, you were made aware that this was a big college town. Photo by me.

You could see the students everywhere with their bicycles casually leaned against a wall while they lingered in a café or shop.

Bicycles were the key mode of transport. Photo by me.

Parking was next to impossible, so you saw bikes, and buses and people walking with backpacks everywhere.

Bicycles everywhere in Oxford. Photo by me

The gold-colored walls are the same as in the nearby Cotswolds, and the architecture was amazing. Around every corner was another gorgeous building in that beautiful stone.

The gold stone is reminiscent of the Cotswolds, which Oxford is really part of. Photo by me

It was fascinating to see how the old and new blended so seamlessly. And, I must admit, t was just fun to be in a city again after a weeks in the countryside.

The modern students walk the historic streets in Oxfords main downtown. Photo by me

So much of it seemed so very familiar.  Was the inspector nearby?

Houghton Hall, The Gardens

07 Saturday Jul 2012

Posted by in England, Gardens, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Houghton Hall, the early 18th century hall of Great Britain’s First Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, had two very distinct draws for my interest besides the main mansion.

One was the Deer Park, which I discussed in my last post.

The front lawns of Houghton Hall stretch for miles down to the deer park. Photo by me

The deer on the lawn. They certainly weren’t shy. Photo by me.

The other was the magnificent 5-acre walled garden. An area of the garden has been retained as a kitchen garden, but most has been laid out as a series of ornamental gardens in various styles.

The beginning of the walled gardens Photo by me

It was lovely, and had so many twists and turns, we weren’t sure where to begin. So we began in the middle.

Photo by me.

Down the center was a long alley with gorgeous borders. The wider north borders are planted with hot colors-reds and oranges-while the south borders are in cooler blues and whites.

At both ends are charming surprises that make you want to linger and enjoy the view

The Rustic Temple makes use of a collection of deer antlers found in the park. Photo by me.

I love when they have intimate surprises at the end of these long vistas of flowers.  It just makes you want to sit and take it all in.

At the other end of the long alley of flowers is the glasshouse. Photo by me

And in between, there are small garden rooms that strike off from the main aisle on paths behind the hedges.

Long passageways gave entry to the different garden areas. Photo by me

Each has its own personality.

A fountain that balances fire on top of the water – the Water Flame – is quite dramatic. Photo by me

One “room” featured some friendly bees in their hives. Photo by me.

Just when you thought you’d seen them all, you would discover one you had missed.

A resident in one of the garden rooms. Photo by me

Truly magnificent.

Another passageway. Photo by me

As we toured the main house you would catch glimpses of the lawn through the windows.  And as classically beautiful as the hall was with magnificent wall coverings and fabrics, I was happiest outside overlooking the park.

Houghton Hall, the home of the first prime minister, and still a politically active family. Photo by me

We even managed as we left the house to see a small white plane taking off from across the fields. Magic!

 

A small plane…

…takes off over the green.

 

and takes off in to the sky. Photos by me.

Houghton Hall, The Deer Park

05 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in England, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Last but not least in Norfolk, we visited the large, beautiful estate of Houghton Hall.  We often found that these grand family estates had something that made it a twist different from the next, and this estate was no exception.

The gates to Houghton Hall. We were first in line. Photo by me

Houghton Hall is a beautiful country house built in the Palladian style and renowned for its many deer that roam the 1,000 acre estate.  Houghton actually has a purebred controlled breeding program of descendants from royal stock from Sweden and Denmark as well as other countries. And the deer were out in force, roaming the large sweeps of lawn.

These white deer are not albino, just a particular breed

Or they could be found hiding behind a grove of trees on the front lawn.  There are many species including European Red Deer, Chinese Water Deer as well as stock from India and Japan.

Shy Red Deer Photo by me

The perfect setting for them, they seem amazingly docile and tame, but i still managed to keep a bit of distance between us.

Roaming free, the happy deer of Houghton. Photo by me

Just wandering around the grand front parkland I walked down to see them hiding in the groves of trees…

Just having a bit of a rest under the trees. Photo by me.

The front view from the Deer Park. Photo by me

and as soon as I walked back to the house, they came out for a graze.  They were as interested in me as I in them.

The deer came out from the trees as soon as I moved away.

A beautiful spot for grazing.

Holkham, A Magical Place

01 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by in England, Gardens, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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One very special discovery we had in Norfolk was Holkham, a huge privately owned estate, that also included a local village and beach.

Holkham is the center of an agricultural estate of over 25,000 acres. The owners are ancestors of the Earl of Leicester, and the current residents strive to keep it a viable working estate. Viscount Coke, his wife Polly and their four young children (Elizabeth, Edward, Hermione, and Juno) live in the Hall  and work constantly to maintain the property and its businesses.

We decided to go for the morning to explore.

The main hall at Holkham, an impressive estate. Photo by me.

We went on a particularly chilly day and were greeted by red deer at the entrance to the Deer Park.  The wind was picking up, but it didn’t seem to bother them at all.

The deer welcomed us to Holkham. Photo by me

We got to the main Hall before the ticket office officially opened, so we decided to explore the grounds a bit on our own. The lake looked a bit deserted for the day. It might have had something to do with the chilly day.

Boats awaited visitors on the lake at Holkham. Too cold today! Photo by me.

Still it was lovely, although the wind whipped along the open field.  There was a cricket pitch on the left for local matches, and the grounds seemed to go on forever. The estate has hosted major concerts in Britain, including Elton John and Girls Aloud.

Holkham Hall. Photo by me

Holkham is farmed by over 25 tenanted farmers.  We saw everything from wheat, to pigs to cows. Holkham’s ancestral residents were pioneers of rotation crop farming, and they have a large exhibition on it.

Farming tools at the museum. Photo by me

Some of Holkham’s happy tenants. Photo by me.

The estate is still privately owned and leases almost 300 houses to people who live and work locally, as well as two inns, The Victoria and The Globe, restaurants and a caravan park.  They also started, and run to this day, Holkham Linseed Paint.  It is its own little economy and fascinating to see how the family supports this massive estate.

Battered by the chilly breezes, we decided to go back to The Stables Cafe and get a hot cup of latte.

The empty garden, but the baked goods looked great in the cafe. Photo by me.

The tea garden was quite empty but inside it was warmer and very inviting. We bought our tickets to tour the complete grounds and the museum. Outside the cafe, we met a friendly guide who took us around the estate in his open tram, and ended up at the walled garden.  It was incredible.  They had been working on restoring the 6 1/2 acres of garden that had originally been laid out in the 1700s, for over three years,  and still had huge amounts of work to do.

In transition. I think my garden projects are overwhelming, but this is immense! Photo by me.

The boiler heating system had been fixed, and My Beloved Brit was fascinated with the system of pipe works bringing hot water to the outside walls.

My Beloved Brit was fascinated by the boiler and heating system for the glasshouses. There was a huge underground system. This is the chimney. Photo by me

It also heated the Victorian glasshouses which are still being restored.

The glasshouses have underground heating which has been reconnected. Photo by me

It is never-ending. There was garden room after garden room in various stages of restoration. It was interesting to see one of these great gardens going through the process of re-birth.  We’ve seen so many in England where the end results were on display.

The payoff for this chilly morning was the Bygones Museum and History of Farming back at the main house.   It had rooms and rooms of historic memorabilia from cooking utensils, to an old water pump.  And for MBB, the favorite were the cars.

The coutrtyard at the museum at Holkham, filled with all kinds of excellent old vehicles. Photo by me

Everyone who worked at Holkham seemed so happy to be there.  Our guide told us endless stories about how the family had changed the area for the better. Very refreshing to hear.

Time for a warming lunch at a pub on the way back to our Inn. Photo by me

It was another memorable day, even though our toes were numb, and our fingers blue. A perfect day in Norfolk.

St. James’s Park, An Oasis

27 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in England, Gardens, History, London, The Royal Family, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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I spent a great deal of time in St. James’s Park on Jubilee Weekend because of its proximity to Buckingham Palace and The Mall where many of the regal activities took place.

One of the most elegant entrances to St. James’s Park from The Mall. Photo by me

Skirted by three royal palaces–the ancient Palace of Westminster (now known as The Houses of Parliament), the Tudor styled St. James’s Palace, and Buckingham Palace where the Monarch has lived since 1837–St. James’s Park is located in the heart of historic London. It is also one of the most beautiful parks in the city.

St. James’s Park, one of the prettiest in London. Photo by me

In 1536, King Henry VIII decided to turn the marshy farmland and woods into a deer park conveniently located near his palace at Westminster.

The Palace of Westminster, now known as the Houses of Parliament

He acquired the land and eventually built a hunting lodge on it which finally became St. James’s Palace.

St. Jame’s Palace is just around the corner from The Ritz on a busy London Street during Jubilee. Photo by me.

St. Jame’s Palace borders two worlds, the park and The Mall on one side, and a busy London Street on the other.

The side of St. James’s Palace backs up to St. Jame’s Park. The Palace is still an active court. Photo by me.

After many reincarnations, the park got another makeover in the 1820s in the naturalistic style when George IV did a major renovation project creating many of London’s best-known landmarks, including Regent’s Park and The Mall as a grand boulevard.

The Mall, a grand processional boulevard next to St. James’s Park. Photo by me

It was overseen by landscaper and architect, John Nash. His design is pretty much as you see the park today.

It was designed by John Nash in a natural style.  Photo by me.

The natural curves of the lake fits in beautifully with the English landscaping. Photo by me

A small cottage on the south edge of the park was the bird-keeper’s cottage built in 1841. Photo by me.

You may picnic in the park, but many people prefer to just stroll through the grounds admiring the flower beds…

The flowers bloomed just in time for the Jubilee. Photo by me

 

The color combinations were so creative. Photo by me

…and seeing the amazing collection of wildlife. With over 5.5 million visitors a year it is amazing that the habitat survives.

The park is very well used, especially on bank holiday weekends. Photo by me.

But survive it does, and flourishes. There are over 15 different species of waterfowl in the park.

A mother and her babies in St. James’s. Photo by me

Some of the waterfowl are beautifully colored. Photo by me

To commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, The Royal Parks fashioned a magnificent crown which is a floral replica of the St. Edwards Crown that was used in the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation ceremony on 2 June 1953.

The Royal Parks Jubilee Crown. Photo by me.

I could have spent many more hours just getting to know the park a little bit better.  It makes me want to return for a sketching day along the lake. For more information on the Park, visit their website with a click here.

The lake at St. Jame’s Park looking towards the Horse Guards Parade off Whitehall. Photo by me.

 

Kensington Palace

23 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in London, The Royal Family, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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I had so many adventures in England it all seems a blur now that I am home in the US.  I have been going through my photos recalling the details, and realize there were many really special days.

One in particular was a rather dreary morning in London during jubilee weekend. The Queen was busy at Epsom Downs for the races, so I decided to head down to Kensington and see the new renovation of the exhibition halls at the Palace.

A busy dog walker in Kensington Gardens. Photo by me

I decided to take the bus after learning how to get and use an “Oyster” pass.  With the crowds coming in to London for the weekend, it seemed like the sensible thing to do, and it turned out it was easy to use on either a bus or the “underground”.

The busy bus stop at Green Park in London. Photo by me

I got to Kensington Palace at Hyde Park at 10am.  It was gray and misty but lovely and very quiet. Grey skies or not, people seemed to be out enjoying the park and getting on with their day.

People were still enjoying the park despite the misty weather. Photo by me

I did a quick tour of the entry with the statue of Queen Victoria and the sunken gardens, and then headed inside.

Kensington Palace from the sunken garden. Photo by me

The new exhibit was wonderful.  There were several areas to view and each had it’s own personality and distinct style.

The exhibit as a bit cheeky and had a sense of humor to it. Photo by me

The rooms managed to combine the rich history of the royal apartments with a rather modern design element that kept it fresh.

An interesting design representation of Queen Anne’s lost children–out of 18 pregnancies, none survived to adulthood, resulting in the extinction of the House of Stuart, and the throne passed to the Hanovers. Photo by me

I rather like the way London has combined a modern sensibility with their historical past.  I wonder at times if it was a controversial decision or whether the modern Brits just accept it. Everyone seemed quite enthralled by it.

A beautifully restored classic ceiling in the King’s apartments. Photo by me

Either way it was great fun for me, and I actually lingered in many of the spaces, especially the state apartments George I and II.

The staircase to the apartments. Photo by me

There was also a beautiful set of rooms in the exhibition “Victoria Revealed”, where you got a real sense of the life of the wife, mother and woman behind the crown. This is where Victoria spent her childhood and became Queen, and artifacts tell the story of her love for Albert and her great loss when he died.

Victoria’s wedding dress. Photo by me.

And Victoria’s mourning clothes. Photo by me

The temporary display on Princess Diana gave just a brief glimpse in to the life of this famous resident of the Palace,

Two of Diana’s dresses on display. Photo by me

and a chance to see some of her most beautiful dresses.

The whimsical wallpaper leading to the exhibition of five of Diana’s dresses. Photo by me

The golden gates at the south side of the palace were covered in floral tributes to the princess after she died in 1997. In the following days every inch of railing around the palace was covered, “and the flowers stretched out like a carpet into Kensington Gardens.”

The gates to Kensington Palace. Photo by me

It’s interesting to think of the lives that have passed through these hallways.

The history these halls must have witnessed. Photo by me

Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridge (Kate) are now preparing a large apartment in the complex to become their future home.  And so the history will continue to the next generation.

In the entry vestibule, some past and current residents are pictured on the walls. Photo by me

I did enjoy my visit, and loved the touch of whimsy and design detail that carried throughout the exhibition, like this directional sign for the public toilets. Those Brits do have a wonderful sense of humor.

 

It is an amazing place.  It makes the imagination run wild when you think who has walked these hallways.

Kensington Palace with the statue of one of its most famous residents, Queen Victoria. Photo by me.

 

 

All Good Things…

18 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in Burnham-on-Crouch, England, Sailing, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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It has been an incredible 4 weeks in the UK, but I suppose it does have to come to an end sometime.  As miserable as the weather could be at times, as they say here, wait 5 minutes and it will change.

Burnham on a misty morning. Photo by me.

It is time to say goodbye, and what better way than to go out racing with your mates. I am perfectly happy waiting on shore.

It is 7am in the morning, and MBB is with his crew getting the boat ready to start the race. Photo by me.

I can’t remember a better trip.  It was a combination of old favorite places and friends, and new discoveries and fresh faces.

 

MBB with his sailing mates, walking along the sea wall. Photo by me

I have stories to tell for months, so I get to relive my time with all my British memories.  Brilliant, as they say.

It will all be here when we return. This part of England changes very slowly. Photo by me.

At the End of the Day

16 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in Burnham-on-Crouch, England, Sailing, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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I love that very British saying ”at the end of the day”. It means  “when all is said and done” in American, and people use it often here to say that when everything is finished, the important thing is this. Appropriate as our trip draws to an end and we reflect on how wonderful everything was.

Young sailors out on the River Crouch. Photo by me

Late yesterday evening we watched a group of young sailors race on the Crouch River outside My Beloved Brit’s yacht club.  The wind was picking up, the light on the river spectacular, and the children having an absolute laugh.

The river has never looked more beautiful. Photo by me

The race for the older sailors this morning has been postponed 24 hours because of high winds expected this afternoon, probably 40-50 mph.  Disappointing for our last weekend in England, but they will try again tomorrow, and, at the end of the day, the safety of the competitors is the most important thing.

Putting the boats away for the night. Photo by me

I understand why MBB loves coming home.

Southwold and Adnams

15 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in England, History, Travel, Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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We are working our way back to the lower southeast shore, and My Beloved Brit suggested a stop in Southwold, located on the eastern coast in Suffolk.

High Street in Southwold. Photo by me.

It is an upscale beach community with many beautiful homes, many of them second homes for Londoners.

The green in Southwold with houses running down to the sea. Photo by me.

We found a strange little historic “restaurant with rooms”, The Sutherland House, believed to be constructed in about 1455 with Georgian and Victorian extensions.  Our suite is two rooms in what might be considered the attic, above the high street of the town.

Our lovely 15th century room. Photo by me.

There are very low ceilings with exposed beams , great space and a book on the table explaining the family’s heroic restoration efforts on the restaurant and a few rooms. Braver people than I.

The small hall between bedroom and living area. Photo by me.

The town revolves around the sea…

The coast stretches along the edge of Southwold, whipped by the wind. Photo by me.

…and Adnams & Coy Brewery, which MBB arranged us to partake in a tour.

The little Adnams Brewery right in the middle in town. Photo by me

It is a small brewery, but has stayed in the village for many decades, and is still family run.

The employees of the brewery have lunch in the green outside the gates. Photo by me

The tour was only for about 10 people, and we got a lovely tasting at the end.

We got to see the whole process, and had a tasting at the end. Photo by me.

It was a fun visit, and we goth to go to the an Adnams’ pub for dinner in the evening.

An Adnams’ pub in town where we had dinner. They had 4 or 5 located in Southwold. Photo by me.

Still love a good pub. Nothing like fish and chips with the sounds of gulls outside the window.