Sussex, Apparemtly

Allie tells me that we're in Sussex not Suffield or whatever I said in the last post. Oh well. The rest was accurate enough.

Herstmontceux was amazing. Our room included breakfast in the dining hall, one day continental and one day, most gloriously, cooked. Allie assured me that since it was ten years since she's been here, no one would remember her. In fact all the staff would squint at her, say she looked familiar and then when she told them when she was at the Castle, they would place her right away. It was a bit like travelling with a celebrity.

The castle itself is incredible. It dates from the 1400s, and until the 1700s at least the same family owned it. It's had a few different owners since but it's still great. It's brick, and looks just like a castle should, moat and dungeon included.  We had a tour which was very good. Because the castle is old and has been through a lot, lots of stuff inside was added by different people.  So some owners would buy things like a staircase that Queen Elizabeth walked on, and then find a place for it in the castle.

Today we explored the gardens a little before it rained. There are beautiful formal gardens and some lovely walks through the forest. There's also a very neat folly set way back from the castle and right against the forest. The forest was filled with bluebells and bird song and was perfect.

Now we are in Battle, which is the location of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 with William the Conquorer. We aren't a very neat Airbnb which dates to the 1400s. The ceilings are low and the beams are lower. Our room is up a narrow set of stairs and looks on the high street. We have two very comfy arm chairs and a tv with British programming so I think we will save exploring the town until tomorrow.

Oxford and Suffolk

Our trip is still going well. The rest of our time in Oxford was a lot of fun. On Sunday we went to Church near Anne’s. It is the church that CS Lewis (and mom and dad for that matter) went to. It was a nice service and we saw CS Lewis’s pew. No one offered to show us mom and dads pew. After church Anne and Del and Lachlan picked us up and we went to Blenheim Palace. Mom had told me how great it is and she was right. Huge rooms, beautiful decorations and a great exhibit on Winston Churchill (he was born there). Weirdest exhibit has to be his curls, which are lovingly framed. 

On Monday Allie and I went to the Natural History and Pitt Rivers museums.  They were great. Lachlan went at the same time to get his vaccinations, so when we came home he was pretty grouchy.  After Anne persuaded him to sleep we took him and went and sat in Anne’s garden. It’s really really nice. The sun was hot, the baby was sleeping and it was lovely. 

Yesterday Allie and I met Anne downtown in Oxford. We took the Bodleian tour, and Anne didn’t because she has a card and can go anytime. I am quite jealous of that. Then we went with Anne and Lachlan to the Turf Tavern. I thought L would join me in a pint because he was the only other one not  pregnant or breastfeeding. However, he decided to stick with milk. 

Today is May Day which is a big deal in Oxford. Lots of people gather on the Magdalen Bridge at 6 am, and the Magdalen College Choir sings some hymns and there’s a prayer. It’s been happening for 400 years. So Anne Lachlan Allie and I got up before the crack of dawn, trekked down and heard the choir. There were tons of people- many of them folk who had been out all night in anticipation. After the ceremony we sat and watched a very odd hippy type band and then (much more entertainingly) some Morris dancing. There was also a man dressed as a tree, and a drunk guy who was getting in the way of the dancers. We had to wait for normal bus service to get sorted after the crowds on the bridge, so we went for a nice Pimms in the 14th century Congregation Room at the Church of Saint Mary. 

Allie and I had to leave Oxford today. We went south, to Suffolk. There is a castle here that is a campus of Queens University (the Queens in Kingston). Allie did her first year of University here, so we came for a couple nights. The views are beautiful - all these long rolling fields. Incredibly English vistas!