Surrounding Arundel Castle

Arundel Castle, situated in West Sussex, is surrounded 

by 40 acres of grounds and gardens. The view from the keep is lush and verdant.

There are formal gardens which are a tribute to Thomas Howard, the 14th Earl of Arundel

 with beautiful fountains and classic follies. 

Flowers are abundant, including this thistle, which is the national flower of Scotland.

I enjoyed some of the wild flowers the best

which framed the Arundel Cathedral. seen in the distance.

We found the guides at the Arundel Castle to be some of the most gracious ones ever, and they recommended we stroll down to the Black Rabbit Pub for a late lunch along the River Arun. Perfect, we thought, a little walk down the river would be refreshing.

Paddington got distracted when he found a discarded friend on top of the rubbish bin.

After walking for what seemed like ages, we finally found the pub one and a half miles away. 

Thank goodness, it was a pleasant afternoon with the castle in the background,

as we enjoyed some typical shrimp and chips

 and bangers and mash. With peas....always.

The town at the foot of the castle was charming

with cute shops and restaurants which would have been oh so much closer than the Black Rabbit Pub.

On the recommendation of a friend, we checked out Spencer Swaffer Antiques, a favorite among many, for treasures to take back home.  We did not find anything this trip that we could not live without, but

we had a hard time convincing Paddington that these "vintage" friends did not have a train ticket back to London with us.

Arundel gets 5 stars from all us, including Paddington!

Victoria Magazine Goes to England

Watch the newsstands on August 31 when the September/October issue of Victoria magazine is launched. The focus is Romantic England, and having looked through the copy which just arrived on my doorstep, you're going to enjoy this trip to the beautiful English countryside.

Featured in this issue is the beautiful Lake District in northwest England (on my bucket list of places to go) described by William Wordsworth as "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found." Not to miss also are the articles on the legacy of Beatrix Potter, and the old world elegance of the Ritz Hotel in London.

I think you'll enjoy being carried away by the incredible photography that Victoria is known for, as well as the commentary on the villages, gardens, shops and tastes of Britain. Look here for a sneak peek.

Arundel Castle

One of our favorite summer excursions was an outing to Arundel Castle. Paddington was included in our trip, since he adores train rides and adventures. 

Originally built in the 11th century as a fortification on the River Arun, it has been almost entirely rebuilt in the late 1800's.  Currently it is the family home and seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors, and has been for over 900 years.

The current Duke and Duchess of Norfolk live in the private quarters of the castle, and entertain guests in the suite of bedrooms almost year round except in the summer months when the guest bedrooms are open for visits by tourists. They were absolutely fascinating, as were all the rooms in the castle, which unfortunately we were not allowed to photograph. Take my word for it, the interiors were incredible.

The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke and holds the office of the Earl Marshall, who is responsible for all state ceremonies, including the coronations, weddings and funerals of the sovereigns. I expect he is taking quite a close look at the developing relationship of Prince William and Kate Middleton who are rumored to be close to announcing an engagement.

This is the quadrangle which gives you a better idea of the size of the castle.

After viewing the rebuilt sections of the castle in the Gothic style, we headed up the steps to the original keep.

This section dating from the 11th century is an excellent example of defensive architecture.

The crenellated keep is perched on the motte, or artificial mound, some 100 feet up from the dry moat.

Arundel Castle is often used in filming and most recently was used in several scenes in the movie "The Young Victoria." Pictured here is an elaborate banquet scene filmed there. The second butler to the duchess was in the room the day we visited and enjoyed sharing stories with us about the filming that took place. It's only appropriate that the interiors of 

Arundel were used, since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert themselves stayed in the castle for 3 days in 1846.

We also had the chance to see inside the 14th century Fitzalan Chapel,

which is the burial place of the Dukes of Norfolk.

Upon leaving the chapel, we headed to the grounds and gardens

where like Paddington, we took time to smell the roses. The gardens warrant a post of their own, so be watching. The grounds and gardens are coming next....

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise

Just read an article about this book in Tuesday's USA Today, which claims that this book, just out this week, is "captivating" book sellers and may be the surprise best seller of the summer. Having never heard about it before, I did a little homework for us and this is what I found out. This is the sophomore novel of British author, Julia Stuart, who is currently living in Cairo.

Set in contemporary London at the Tower of London with a quirky cast of characters, the story is receiving rave reviews from the Washington Post and Amazon readers.

The Washington Post says, "The plot centers on Beefeater Balthazar Jones, his Greek wife, Hebe, and their 181-year-old pet tortoise. Balthazar and Hebe's marriage is frayed by grief over their son, who died years earlier at the age of 11. Their apartment inside the Tower (where all Beefeaters must live) is damp and dismal, and often during evenings together they speak to each other 'as if the place were filled with a million fluttering butterflies that neither dared disturb.' During his workday, Balthazar has to please tourists who are 'interested only in methods of torture, executions, and the whereabouts of the lavatories.' "

The Beefeaters, of course, are those jolly gentlemen who live on the premises of the Tower of London and lead all of us tourists around each day, enhancing our tours with their humor. It would appear from the reviews that Stuart has presented us with a cast of humorous characters whose story is flavored with some bits of history thrown in for spice.

Might be the first book I buy for our new iPad. Let me know if anyone reads it, and I'll try to update once I've finished it. 

Happy reading!

A Window into My World

Recently, I had my windows cleaned here in London. I had put it off for way too long, imagining all sorts of scenarios about how on earth the cleaners would get all the way to the top floor, and how many £££'s that would cost me. I was very pleasantly surprised when they gave me the quote and it was so reasonable. You know what kind of equipment they hauled up to my house to clean all those windows?  Not a single thing. Instead, two very hardy young men came and raised each window, sat on the outside ledge of each window and cleaned them from the outside by hand. Wow! It was one of the best and cheapest investments I ever made, because I now look out on a whole new clean world, and that's saying a lot in the city of London where grime, not crime, is rampant.

Twenty four windows opening up to the street life around me.

From my bedroom window, I can look to the left down Flood Street towards the Thames River,

or straight down St. Loo's street ahead. Yes, St. Loo--I wondered if he was the saint of toilets, or what, but when I researched it, there was not a single mention of a saint by that name!

Straight out of my bedroom window I see right into the windows across the street. When we first moved in, we were sleeping on air mattresses, waiting on our shipment to arrive, with no coverings on our windows, and we had a fine view of the neighbors across the way. We used to get dressed and undressed in the dark, and then flop down on the air mattresses, and make up soap operas about the people in the flat across from us. The middle-aged man would sit at the window for hours on end working on his computer, and his wife would stick her head in every now and then, and in our story, implore him to turn off the lights and come to bed.

This is the view from my kitchen window. As you can see, the kitchen is below street level, and it's fascinating watching the street activity just above my head, as I go about my chores in the kitchen. Free entertainment, I say!

And then there are the street characters that play a role in our story. I love the street cleaners in London. Jolly chaps, and they do such a great job of tidying up each day.

There's the gentleman who climbs up to the second floor level to check out the gas lamp right outside my window,

And even interesting sorts like this painter who was perched outside the window one day, creating his view of my world.

We wondered about this "critter" we saw hanging from the window for a couple of days.

But my favorite view of all is of the Christ Church school just outside our door where the children happily greet their friends each morning at 9 AM. Nothing like waking up to their sweet voices in the morning.

I'm thinking that there is so much more to share from my window to the world, that I may add to this post in the days to come. What do you see from your window into the world? 

Jordan Celebrates

Today's a big day in Jordan's life. As most of you know, I've mentioned that Jordan, along with her mommy and daddy, have been living with us in our Houston home for several months after selling their house and waiting to find just the right place for their new home. Today, they are celebrating the closing on a new house. Jordan is going to get a new room very soon, and this house will become a lot quieter, and not nearly as much fun.

I thought today would be a good day to share a sweet video I took of her yesterday. She is quite creative these days, making up impromptu songs, dances and being very imaginative with all the "toys" in the Tupperware drawer.  I'm giving her mommy and daddy fair warning--when the moving day comes, don't be surprised if she shows up AWOL, because this Gigi is not sure she can let her go so easily. After all, she's going to be living a whole 20 minutes away soon!

As always, if you would like to see a wider screen, click once and then once again.

This is Why I Walk

It's not easy living in London. I know you may think that living in one of the world's most fascinating cities with history oozing from every pavement, is a piece of cake, but it's not. 

Well, let me take that back--maybe you could call it a piece of cake. Stick with me here.  In a tight circle surrounding the South Kensington tube station that I use, you find no less than nine shops selling sweets. Starting with the Hummingbird Bakery...

and its infamous cupcakes

known worldwide,

the spiral of shops beckons you at every turn.

 Ben's Cookies

in competition with Miss Ellie's cookies.

The brand new Crème de la Crêpe has just opened, challenging passersby "don't be a pancake!"

SNOG with its frozen yogurt and selection of toppings is a big favorite! You'll enjoy their cute website here where, Oh my goodness, they've just announced a new shop opening next month just steps from my house on King's Road.

Le Pain Quotidien, which originated in Belgium, is known for its communal tables and open face sandwiches,

but many jump straight to the pastries displayed in the window.

Another cute Crêperie, that I've been meaning to try.

Paul's, a French patisserie and boulangerie, and you know what that means! Translate pastries and bread!

And the new guy in town--the Wafflemeister with their handmade Belgian waffles. Having spent a couple of years in Belgium, I have a nostalgic yearning for Belgian waffles.

They are offered with toppings, fruit, chocolate and ice cream, but

my favorite way is straight off the waffle iron, pure and simple. Of course, Belgian waffles have a sugar glaze, so even simple, they are sweet and tasty.

 With all the options calling out for me every time I go through the tube station, I must remain strong. Stay focused. And to balance out a treat or two from time to time, I walk--I mean I walk a lot. Several miles a day just going to and fro. It's the trade-off, you realize, for indulging. And if you eat and walk at the same time--all the calories are cancelled. 

Please don't try to educate me and tell me otherwise.