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London, England It’s our last full day in London, and — just as it was when we arrived last Monday — it’s gloomy and rainy. But that did not deter Don from a trip to the British Library and the British Museum.

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,Continue reading “The downstairs of the upstairs”

London, England We spent a lovely afternoon visiting friends in Highgate and were treated to a delicious luncheon. I would normally call that meal lunch, but this was of such a refined character that it moved up the scale to merit luncheon status.

Rainham and Leigh-on-Sea, England We had two adventures today, courtesy of June and Alan, and both revealed charming parts of Essex. The first was a stop at Rainham to visit Rainham Hall, an elegant Georgian house built in 1729.

London, England Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as was further proven by our adventures of the day.

London, England A trip to London just wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum. So many wonderful things to see, a great gift shop and a lovely café. A perfect trifecta for the art-engaged tourist.

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 upContinue reading “Chasing the Renaissance”

Rome, Italy Our last day in the Eternal City. We spent it touring artifacts of the ancient Romans, and some the Greek treasures that preceded them. We began at the National Museum of Rome, which houses a magnificent collection of statues, frescoes and mosaics.

Rome, Italy We did a bit of wandering around the city today. Instead of going two blocks one way to go the the Trevi Fountain, we went two blocks the other way to the Pantheon. On the way we passed the Temple of Hadrian, next to our hotel.

Rome, Italy We have arrived in Rome, and so, it seems, has most of the touring world. We are used to crowds here, but somehow we thought that October would be a bit calmer. Not so.