Sunday night and I’m off to Scotland tomorrow morning. This trip has gone like the wind. I guess I know it would. I’m glad I’ll be back for 2 more days at the end. Spent yesterday with the lovely Maria Hartrich. We took the train to Hampton Court, a most beautiful palace, with endless gardens that Henry VIII rebuilt for Anne Boleyn (whom he beheaded after not too long). And of course he more or less swiped it from Cardinal Wolsey, whom he later also had beheaded because he failed to get the Pope’s approval to annul his marriage to wife number one. Quite a guy. Well, at least he left us all something most gorgeous to explore. I did most definitely approve of the interior decorating, even in its pared down form. I notice that here and in many other royal abodes the ceilings are not to be missed. They also had excellent signage, so I learned wild things such as—they consumed 4500 to
5000 calories a day in Henry’s time. Whoa! Maria and I visited the “downstairs” as well as the royal rooms. The kitchens were fabulous and included an herb and spice room, meat prep rooms, huge fireplaces, veggie prep rooms, and even several rooms for making yes, chocolate. Unfortunately, it was pouring, so we didn’t have much garden time, but still I got a sense of something fabulous. And a walk along the Thames in the rain. So blissful.
Today a required pilgrimage to the Tate to see Turner paintings and found other wonderful treasures as well. . .Rosetti and other pre-Raphaelites, Millais, Constable. My favorite museum so far. Now home and packing.