Saturday, October 19, 2019

Pictures, You Need Pictures: Part 1: London and Just Outside of London



First of all, when I was planning this trip, my friend Sarah who hosted me asked me what I wanted to see. I told her that I wasn't interested in the royals or jewels, but I wanted to see Blake's drawings and watercolors at the Tate. THERE WAS A BLAKE RETROSPECTIVE AT THE TATE MODERN.

What are the chances?






 I might have geeked out seeing so much Blake in one place.


And the people in London were exceptionally London-like.




The show was so overwhelming that we went out into the country the next day. The country estate we visited was EXACTLY what I imagined the country to be like.  The house itself was old and shabby inside, and to be honest, I don't care much for fancy houses except the downstairs. I'm a downstairs kind of person, I declared. Sarah said that she would feel quite at home in charge. I imagined myself as Jane Eyre. Truly.


Did anyone else pretend that you were Jane Eyre, a poor orphan put upon by wicked relatives?













When we went to the "walled garden," I was Mary in "The Secret Garden." I realized how much these places lived in my imagination, put there by books and poems in a lifetime of reading. The apple orchard smelled like apples, something I bet you haven't really smelled in America unless you've been to one.





 Friends for more than 35 years, Sarah took complete and total care of me. Honestly, I was in a bit of a jet-lagged daze, and I vaguely remember having a bit of a mini, silent tantrum walking in the rain (Sarah agreed that I was quite a weather wimp), but she and her beautiful family.restored me. I am so very grateful for these dear and beautiful women friends I made so long ago.



Those are apples on the ground, and they smelled like apples.















Have you had enough?

Because there were sheep, too.




To top it all off, we went to a pub afterward and had beer with STEVE REED, my blogger friend that I've "known" for nearly ten years.




Honestly, it felt like Steve was someone I'd known for real for many years. We talked about books and Brexit (I still don't what the hell Brexit is and why it even happened in the first place, but then again, who the hell knows why we have Trump, either, and how the hell that happened) and movies and laughed and had such a good time.

Stay tuned for Part 2: London and then Part 3: Rome


13 comments:

  1. Yes Jane and Mary and Sara too. These photos every single one filled my eyebulbs with first joy and second hot burning tears. Love and thank you.
    Rebecca

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  2. I do like England. Love the photos and I'm glad you had a good time.

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  3. This is all sheer perfection. From the many dahlias to the countryside to William Blake to your beautiful face and to seeing you with Steve Reed- one of my favorite people in the world.
    More! More! More!
    I love you to pieces, Elizabeth. I am so glad you are on this gorgeous journey.

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  4. What a wonderful thing for you to do! I adore England. Never been one for Blake but the house and gardens are just my cup of tea. Looking forward to the rest of the trip - and thanks for sharing so many beautiful photos.

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  5. Wow! What a generous outpouring of memorable photos. The autumn light is extraordinary. The generosity and kindness of your friends. So many splendid gifts on this journey. And, of course, William Blake!

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  6. You brought your "A" game with all these beautiful photographs, Elizabeth! And the Blake show -- what an amazing exhibit to see! You and Steve look like old friends -- I love finally meeting cyber friends and having that connection manifest in real life.

    You are a lucky woman, and you have dear friends for good reasons! How nice to be so well taken care of by your friend and her family. Especially so far from home. Looking forward to more stories and photos.

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  7. Absolutely wonderful photographs, and I am a wee bit jealous seeing you with Steve Reed. I fantasize about a big blogging pals party one of these days, and even the shyest among us will be there and realize we are with the people who make us feel at home. Love you, my friend.

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  8. I haven't been back to England, and London, since the early 1970's, so Thank You Thank You for taking me back vicariously here in the Land of Blog! It is an enchanting Country so rich with History and Culture... we still have Relatives in North Wales, where my Mom was from. So glad you got to meet Steve in Person, it's always wonderful to meet up with our Blog Friends in Real Life. So Happy to hear your Trip is all you Hoped for!

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  9. It was terrific seeing you in person -- I also felt like I'd known you for ages, even though it was our first encounter in person. I especially love seeing all the photos of your day in the country, which you told me about when we met. Now I can visualize it fully! Sarah is a gem!

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  10. Oh, and NONE of us understand Brexit. LOL!

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  11. I understand Brexit perfectly though it is usually mis-spelled. The correct spelling is Brexshit with empahasis upon the "shit" ending. I wonder what the opposite of Steve's LOL is? Perhaps VIT - Vomit in Toilet!

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