A Weekend in the English Countryside

This past weekend, we decided to finally do some exploring outside of London and meandered through the countryside of Kent.  We stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast in a 16th century Tudor manor with a moat dating back to the 13th century.  Zoe was graciously invited to stay as well and to our delight, was on her best behavior and thoroughly enjoyed investigating the many new smells of fox, sheep, cows, horses, ... and some tourists :)  

We saw many castles, farms, abbeys, cathedrals, and pretty historic towns, including the following: Hever (the castle in which Anne Boleyn grew up), Edenbridge, Tunbridge, Lamberhurst, Ashford, Rochester, Leeds, Canterbury, and Sevenoaks. 

It was a memorable experience and we're planning our next trip to explore a new section of the countryside!

Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn
William Waldorf Astor later invested and restored it
http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/Castle.aspx

Fountain in the gardens of Hever Castle

Gardens of Hever Castle 

Part of the moat of Hever Castle 

Tonbridge Castle, a Motte-and-Bailey Gatehouse
Defensive structures - quick to build - using wood and stone on raised earth with a protective ditch.  In 11th century England following the Norman conquest, William I ordered many to be built to occupy his new territories, to protect his soldiers, and as a defense against the protesting population. 

Canterbury Cathedral, one of the oldest cathedrals in England 
http://canterbury-cathedral.org/history/history.html

View of Canterbury Cathedral from outside the city wall
The wall once surrounded Canterbury's city center, but today only half of it remains.

Another view of Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury town center, near the entrance of the Cathedral

Town of Canterbury

The Three Tuns Hotel - 15th Century Inn
"This inn lies on the site of Canterbury's Roman Theatre which was first built about A.D. 80 (about the same time as the Colosseum in Rome).  It was rebuilt in about A.D. 210 as one of the largest theatres in Britain. The walls were mainly robbed out by the 11th and 12th centuries but much still survives below ground today." 

The Chaucer Bookshop

Pastures outside of Canterbury

A goat that wasn't too happy about us taking his picture ...

Rochester Cathedral, founded in 604 AD.
Second oldest cathedral in England.
http://www.rochestercathedral.org/history

Interior of Rochester Cathedral

Fresco inside Rochester Cathedral

"Eastgate House," a preserved Elizabethan town house in Rochester

Rochester Castle, 12th century
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/rochester-castle/

Omaha Beach, Normandy

Matt's weekend trip abroad! A few weekends ago, Matt visited his mother and her husband Mitchell who were visiting friends in Omaha Beach and did a bunch of sightseeing, including the towns of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer and Bayeux, the Normandy American Cemetery, and the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux.  Matt also made sure to get his fill of delicious crepes, cider, and sorbet! 

Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach

Normandy American Cemetery

"Military Operations in Western Europe: 6 June 1944 - 8 May 1945"

"Here Rests in Honored Glory A COMRADE IN ARMS Known But to God"
(Gravestone for an unknown solider)

Town of Bayeux

Ham and cheese crepe with egg 

Market in Bayeux ... oysters, mussels, prawns ...

Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux

The Wallace Collection

While Matt is in Normandy this weekend (pictures of that to come!), I went to see The Wallace Collection which is one of my favorite collections of art in London.  The Wallace Collection reminds me a lot of The Frick Collection in NYC.  It's a collection of art assembled by one family over the course of five generations, beginning in the 1700s, and it's housed in the London townhouse, 'The Hertford House', of its former owners.  The building itself is impressive and was originally built because there was good duck hunting nearby.  The interiors are gorgeous and colorful, including furniture, art, arms & armor, porcelain, and beautiful chandeliers.

Head's up - I'm including a lot of pictures here, but I couldn't help myself.  I took pictures of the interiors, and some of my favorite pieces ... enjoy!

Exterior of The Hertford House

Turkish style tiles which one lined the entire walls of the smoking room.

Equestrian armour of Ottheinrich, Count Palatine of the Rhine Hans Ringler,
Nuremberg, 1532 and 1536.Powerful German war-leader, patron of the arts,
and champion of the Protestant Reformation.

Love this!  Hey Matt, my birthday's coming up ... 

Joshua Reynolds "The Strawberry Girl," 1772.

Rembrandt "Titus, the Artist's Son," 1657.
This was painted a year following Rembrandt's bankruptcy.  In 1658 his wife and son
were forced to sell most of his etchings and paintings. 

Willem Drost "A Young Woman in a Brocade Gown," 1654.

Gerrit Dou "A Hermit," 1661.

Frans Hals "The Laughing Cavalier," 1624.  

Rembrandt "Self-Portrait in a Black Cap," 1637.

Canaletto "Venice: the Bacino di San Marco from the Canale della Guidecca," 1735.