The downstairs of the upstairs

Saffron Walden, England Some stately homes put a real damper on their hospitality by restricting one’s ability to record their magnificence. Such was the case with Audley End, a Jacobean treasure outside Saffron Waldon in Essex, which is the family seat of the Barons Braybrooke. It is considered one of the finest houses of that era, and though it is a mere one-third of its original size, it is still quite immense. If only photography were allowed inside the house!

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Chasing the Renaissance

London, England So many things that we were hoping to see in Florence migrated years ago to places other than Italy, namely London and Washington DC. And since we’d much rather spend time in London than in our own capital, here we are.

We arrived on a day flight yesterday early evening and were up and at the National Gallery at a very reasonable hour.

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