Day Three

It was such a pleasure to wake up at Hever Castle every morning, looking out at the garden. I would pinch myself every day.   Each day each participant could choose between two trips for the day. The day trip I had chosen this day was to go to Rye, which is in the south of England, on the ocean, and is known for its smuggling past and its famous residents. Sarah Gristwood, another resident historian and author, spoke to us on the bus about what to expect, but seeing it was even better. It is a beautiful town on the ocean with many small houses, restaurants, and tea rooms.  I had my first tea and scone in England at the Cobbler’s Teahouse and all was right with the world.

Beautiful Rye

First tea and scone

After going to Rye, we also went to a wonderful and beautiful home called Great Dixter. This was probably my favorite stop on the trip. It is a beautiful medieval home, and the garden was designed and planted by Christopher Lloyd, a very well-known gardener. It was so beautiful that words cannot describe it. I think because we were there right when all the spring blossoms were blooming really made it perfect. It was lovely to spend time walking through the gardens and we even had tea at the end in the shop.  I only wish that the gardeners in our family had been with me!

Great Dixter-my favorite

The small courtyard near my room at Hever

When we got back on the bus, there was this a talk by Alison Weir about Eleanor of Aquitaine, a famous medieval Queen. We returned to Hever and went to dinner that night at a restaurant called the Plough and Lee. All the restaurants were very nice, and Alison really liked to do it up for dinners. By the way, all the food was great, so maybe the British cuisine’s reputation is changing? There was a talk that evening over coffee and dessert by a very young historian named Sophie Ambler, who wore her trainers and a cotton dress. I wondered how such a young person would know anything. Boy was I wrong! She got up to speak and I was mesmerized.  She knew her subject completely, forward and back, and was fabulous. She spoke about Simon de Montfort, a medieval aristocrat who planned a rebellion against Henry III. We didn't get back to Hever Castle until about 11:00 pm that night.

The Plough and Lee

Every night I would check in with Allen, post my pictures of the day on Facebook, organize for the next day, and then go to bed. There was not much time to just dawdle. But I loved every minute!