7.4.09

Last day in London!! Last day?! Where has the time gone?? I can’t believe that we have just finished up our last day here. We had a wonderful, memorable day. I am grateful that we were able to get out and enjoy our time.

We met up with the group and made our way to Buckingham Palace!! I was not aware that the palace is only open for one month out of the whole year. We lucked out to be able to be here. I loved the interior. We were unable to take pictures so I purchased a souvenir book that has a few pictures in it. It was like nothing else that we have seen so far. I loved to think that it is a functioning palace where events are held regularly, a place where the Royal family resides. We saw the Green Drawing Room (favorite), the Music Room, the Thrown Room (so cool!), and the White Drawing Room. We saw outfits that have been worn by Queens in their day. We saw brooches and jewelry that were once worn. It was remarkable and so much fun to see. The pictures of the Queen showed her to be such a darling woman. She seems to be very sweet. Darrin said that the past two times that he has come, he has actually seen her. She once waved to him as she slowly passed by in a car. Unfortunately, she must not have been home today. It would have been fun to see her

I loved the palace. I liked that it was a modern place. It was extravagant, but very tasteful and real. I thought it was a perfect place to visit on our last day here. We went into the souvenir shop as they so conveniently feed everyone in that direction on the way out. I saw everything there and admired a few things but never actually considered purchasing anything. There was a jewelry collection that was on display that Allie and I passed by but didn’t look at too closely until Darrin called my name saying, “Erica?? Wedding jewelry?!?” I jumped right on that, to admire anyway. Well, I was in trouble from the moment I laid eyes the most beautiful pair of studded pearl earrings that are surrounded by Swarovsky crystals!! Oh, I loved them! They would go perfectly with my wedding gown. . . . I couldn’t resist!! I bought them!! One problem. . . they are clip-ons. It took me 45 minutes to decide if I should get them or not because I was not sure if I’d be able to replace it with a normal earring back. But, I decided to take a risk and I am so glad that I did!!! I called my dear jeweler friend when I got home and told her about them. Without hesitation, she said that it shouldn’t be a problem and to just bring them in! These earrings, along with the entire collection were inspired by jewelry worn by the Queen. I want these earrings to be a keepsake of mine that can be passed on to my children and future grandchildren. I want them to know that I not only wore them on my wedding day, but that I got them from Buckingham Palace in London. I think I made a wise purchase today. I think that they will be a lovely addition to my wedding attire. Yay!

We were hoping to catch the Changing of the Guard, but it wasn’t happening today. We asked directions as to where we could get some good pictures of guards because we are so deeply fascinated with their uniforms. A policeman gave us directions and while we were walking to our destination, we looked in the distance to see what looked like the Changing of the Guard. We made our way over, only to find that a film was being produced. They were filming the marching band for a movie of some sort. We watched for nearly 30 minutes because we were determined to get good pictures. I am so grateful that we saw this because we were bummed to have missed the ceremony at the palace.

We got awesome pictures! I knew that when we would be seeing these guards that I wanted to take a picture that appeared as if I was kissing the guard on the cheek. I was hoping to get one with both Allie and I but it didn’t work out as it took too much coordination between us and the photographer and the waiting crowd for their turn. So, I decided to have Allie just do one for me. I positioned myself nearly two feet in front of him and Al moved to make it look like I am kissing him. She took a couple and didn’t like one of them that I saw. She suggested that I get a little closer so that the proportions wouldn’t be so dramatic. I got within a foot in front of him, mind you, I had told him what we were trying to accomplish. The entire time, he stood there as if nothing was happening. It was really quite funny, but as I was attempting to go a little closer, he said to me in his English accent, “You might as well just kiss me, It’ll be a lot easier.” I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. I responded, “Really?!?.” Haha I was too excited. Believe it or not, I kissed the guard on his chin strap! I’ll tell you somethin, that doesn’t happen everyday! (don’t forget to capture the look on his face. He is loving it!)

One more thing that we wanted to do before leaving London, was to get pictures in the public telephone booths. We got 'em. I don't know what it is that is so great about these booths, but they are everywhere and they are truly a trademark of London. I love them. Everytime I see them, it is a reminder of where I am. Fun times.

As a little treat to ourselves to celebrate our last day here in London, Allie and I went out to dinner to a nearby place called the Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Very yummy, and very fun to enjoy that time with my dear friend, Allie Bytheway.

I can’t believe that this trip has come to an end. We are meeting at the Tube at 5 in the morning. I AM COMING HOME!!! I am coming home to my family, to my future-in-laws, to the Love of my life whom I am marrying in ONE WEEK!!! One week and one day to be exact. I never imagined how I would be feeling at this point in time. I can’t wait! I am grateful for this opportunity to be here, to experience this journey of inspiration. I know that it will impact my future in Interior Design. Nothing can replace this experience. Thank you to everyone for all of your love and support!!! It means the world to me.

.work first, play later.

7.3.09

Today was a day filled with work, work, and more work!! Well, first off, Allie and I went running which felt so good! We made our way to Hyde Park to and we loved it. We actually ran into Julia and Amanda. Actually, they ran into us and scared me to pieces. It was really fun to enjoy the weather and the morning breeze. And to work out, sooo great!!!

I caught up on my blogs today!!!! I feel so good about it!! It has taken me all weekend to work on these blogs to get pictures uploaded. I am so happy to have this to remember our adventures. We are almost done! I can't believe how quickly this trip has flown. It is unbelievable to look back and see where we have been. It has truly been remarkable.

We wanted to make it a point to go to Harrods today. It is a high end department store that holds top name brands and the designs inside are amazing!! I wish I would have known about harrods when I was designing my Macy's fragrance boutique. Wow. This place had the coolest designs, layouts and features that made it feel high end. We did a lot of looking, wishing, and wanting, but not a whole lot else. We did get ourselves a little treat, just so that we could take home the box, and enjoy a little somethin from Harrods. We had so much fun!! I'm glad that we took the time to get out and enjoy it.

Due to the crowds, the smoke, and the thrill of the city, we were ready to come home for dinner and get back to work. Where we are down to our last days here in London, I feel that Home is calling my name. I have enjoyed so much the time that I have had here. I wouldn't trade it for anything and I am so grateful for the many opportunities that have had.

.blessings.

8.2.09

I had the opportunity once again to go to church here in the Hyde Park ward. I have enjoyed coming to this ward while we have been here. Several people commented last week that this ward has several visitors each week and many members coming and going. Sister Bell, a dear friend of ours, has been a member of this ward for 27 years. She said that this ward is exhausting because of all of the activity. Today was a good illustration of their comments last week. I'd say that nearly one/fourth of the congregation were visitors. . . from Utah.

It had fast and testimony meeting today. I loved to hear the testimonies of these people. They come from all over London and on the outskirts of town. They have such varied backgrounds, yet the church brings them together. I was impressed with the testimonies that were born. It is interesting, as I mentioned last week, the trials that they face here. I think a big part of it comes from the fact that they live in the city. With that comes many challenges. In hearing their struggles and challenges, the strength that they have is remarkable. There is a man who's wife is in the states while they are working to get him a visa. They had their first anniversary yesterday, yet they were apart. This has gone on for 9 months. Wow. This same man told us to keep his family in their prayers. He bore his testimony of prayer and asked that we pray for his family as his 15 year old niece ran away a few days ago and is now lost in London.

Another woman from Korea is here with such faith. She has been given the opportunity to be here and in tears, expressed that she was unable to make it back to witness her son's wedding. She testified that she knew that through faith and trust in the Lord, that things would work out. I believe that she was unable to afford going back for her son's wedding.

All of these stories, these challenges that these people are facing, are very different than the challenges that we face at home. However different our challenges may be, I know that the Lord is aware of our needs and that we need to have the same faith and trust in the Him. I was very emotional today in sacrament as I heard the testimonies and recognized the opportunity that I have to enter the temple in a week and two days and then married two days later. My heart was consumed in gratitude as I realize the blessings that have been given me. I am grateful for the opportunity to be here in Europe. I am grateful for my parents who have been so loving and supportive of my choices. I am grateful for a loving fiance to whom I will marry in the Salt Lake Temple. I am grateful to have had the opportunity of growing up so close, to now 5 temples. I am grateful to have had a chapel within blocks of my home. Things are different here and it has provided a challenge to be able to make it to church for 3 weeks. How I longed to come to church when we got here. I am grateful for the gospel and the opportunities that provides. I am grateful that I was able to attend church today, to feel of the spirit and the unity within the church. It is a wonderful thing.

I have learned that we live in such a small world. While sitting in sacrament meeting, there was a family who walked in late. As I saw them, I had to take a double take. It was Tyler Landgren, a boy that I have gone to school with since seventh grade who was a pretty good friend of Chandler's. His family came to pick him up from his mission here. He served in the Birmingham mission. I just never imagined running into someone I know at church in LONDON. He looks great. He will arrive home on Wednesday. I made it a point to tell him about the wedding next thursday. His parents, whom I've met several times, were fun to see and talk to. It is fun to see all my friends and acquaintences from high school coming home from missions. I am grateful for their willingness to serve. The church is wonderful!

.Wicked.

8.1.09
FREE DAY!!! Oh, how nice it is to have a free day. We made it a point to get up this morning to get tickets for Wicked. Fortunately we made it there in time to get tickets. I am so bad when it comes to waking up in the morning. I tend to be late to everything I attend. I want to be better and work on it. We had hoped to get there early to guarantee tickets. We didn’t get there until it opened so there was a line. Fortunately, Courtney went ahead of us to wait in line. We got 60 pound tickets for the price of 25 because we are students. How awesome is that?! I sat right in front of Allie, and Courtney was just in the section next to us. We opted to split up so that we could get closer seats. We were very excited to see it!!

After we got tickets, we made our way to Portobello Road and Notting Hill for the second time. I did some more souvenir shopping and I am done now! We wanted to go today because it is on Saturday that the fun shops and markets are set up. I found some fun stuff there but there were so many people there that we were going crazy!!! We had to get out ASAP! We got home and were drained from battling the crowds for quite some time. It was worth going for the experience. Because of the crowds, we didn’t even make it down to the main market which is really quite a bummer, but we were done. Too many people. Regardless, I got some fun stuff.

We just came home afterwords to try to blog and catch up a bit. We took an hour to take a nap and were rudely awakened by the fire alarm. That darn thing has gone off 3 times in the two weeks that we have been here. Fortunately it was turned off within 30 seconds of it going off which allowed us to stay inside rather than evacuate the building. I’m actually kind of glad that it went off this time because it got us up to get going again. We worked up until the time that we left for the show!!

Wicked was awesome! I think that Allie really enjoyed it, where it was her first time seeing it. I enjoyed more this time to observe the set, the costumes, stage affects and more so the small details that were overlooked the first time I saw it. I really liked it! Wicked is definitely a must see for those of you who have not seen it. The costumes and effects were very impressive to me. I got thinking what it would be like to design a stage set. It takes a lot of creativity to produce a set that will work for any type of atmosphere that needs be produced. I have a professor (Darrin) who has done some set design and I can see now truly how much must go into it. It is interesting, having gone through three years of design, the way I notice design aspects. It is engraved in me and I love it.

On our way home, we saw an itty bitty car parked on the side of the road. It was so small. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a car like that. It even had a carseat in the back. The edge of the carseat was touching the back of the driver's seat.

.Haddon Hall and Chatsworth.

7.31.09

We are among the last days of our adventures in Europe. Today was the second to last day with the whole group. I can’t believe how fast time has flown. Five weeks seemed like an eternity to be away from home, from Chandler, from family and work; however, the time has passed. It feels like yesterday that we were anticipating our time in Rome, Florence, and Venice. Paris and London seemed so far away in the beginning. I am blown away as I look back at my blogs to see everything we have done while being here. What a wonderful opportunity it has been to be here.
We made our way to the town of Chestershire to visit Haddon Hall and Chatsworth. We saw some beautiful gardens and homes that are extravagant and filled with history. Hadden Hall looked like a castle! I would say that it is the most original design that we have seen. By that I mean that it has not been modernized. There was a period that lasted 200 years where it was uninhabited up until 1920 when the current Lord decided to bring it back to life. It is incredible. It has the most beautiful tudor features that I have seen. It was comprised of stone with greenery up the walls. Inside it had beautiful timber and stone. I loved the feel of it. The widows were strategically warped with diamond shaped pieces of glass, with some colored, which gave it a unique look from both the interior and exterior. I really liked it. The furniture inside was remarkable. The fabrics and features had details that were beautiful. Several of the walls were covered with beautifully embellished and carved oak wood that was stained to look like cedar. Cedar at the time was very expensive and highly desired so they did what they could to make it look like it. I loved the feel in this home!! Although this house was huge, it felt rather humble. Of course at the time that it was lived in, it was highly desired and very expensive to occupy. It was here that I felt as if we had stepped back in time to experience the home in its original state. The fact that it was not modernized was actually a highlight for me.

The interiors were incredible, yet the exterior was so cool!!!! The gardens and the view . . . the house was set upon a hill so it looked out on the river and rolling hills with cows and sheep in the distance. Allie and I had fun taking pictures.
I have taken thousands of pictures on this trip!! I know that they will be of great value to me when I look back and remember my experiences here in Europe. We have loved it here! Now I just need all of my loved ones here with me!! One day, perhaps.

After Haddon Hall, we traveled nearly 12 miles to Chatsworth. Chatsworth is most recognized by many because of the many films that were produced here. In Pride and Prejudice, it is the home of Mr. Darcy. It was really fun to see the various places that I recognized from the film. Chatsworth was very family friendly. The Duke and Duchess wanted it to be a place where people of all ages can come and enjoy. There were several children playing outside. It is fun that Chatsworth can be a fun place for families to come but as for me, I was expecting it to have a more subtle, serene atmosphere that was interrupted by children laughing, crying, running. If I were a mother and wanted to take my children somewhere like the places I have visited, it would be Chatsworth. I liked it just the same, it was just different than what I had expected which is always kind of fun. The property was beautiful.
There was a water feature that was so much fun. We took off our shoes to wade in it. There were children all around in their bathing suits, whity tighties, and clothing, drenched and having a wonderful time. It was cute to see all the children having so much fun. We joined in on the fun ourselves. There were gardens all around and a landscaped maze. I enjoyed the exterior but it was the interior that had me sold.
We saw rooms that were absolutely gorgeous. Artwork that was incredible. The sculptures were held in a room that felt so open and light. It is actually in the film as well. There is a door in the music room that has a painted violin hanging from a knob. It looks so real. It is hard to believe that it is not. I tried to take pictures but the lighting wasn’t sufficient enough to make for a good photo. It was unreal, and really fun to see. The highlight for me was the opportunity to dress up!!! They had costumes that we put on and photographed. Oh, so fun.

On the way home we had a short bus ride back to the train station. I zonked out. I was so tired. When we got on the train there were limited seats and I ended up sitting next to a woman who actually was a tour guide at Chatsworth and Haddon Hall. She mentioned that she was there when Pride and Prejudice was being filmed. She said now that there is a bust of Mr. Darcy, everyone raves over it, even more than the other beautiful sculptures. She did admit, however, the Mr. Darcy was, “quite delicious.” Haha, I laughed when she described him to be delicious. She was, I’d say, in her 70’s and was on her way to London to stay with her daughter for a couple of days. We talked the entire train ride home. I liked her a lot. She had a personality that reminded me of Grandma Whitehead. I really enjoyed talking with her. You can imagine what a two hour conversation would comprise of: history, art, interior design, families, religion, the fact that I am getting married in less than two weeks, life’s adventures. Jill has lived abroad all of her married life. She has lived quite an adventurous life. I loved talking to her. She was very cute. She said that she quite enjoyed our conversation and that she would be thinking of me. She was so kind and classy. Those two hours sure flew by. Such fun.

.Bath.

7.30.09

Today was originally going to be a group day but they decided to make it a free day so that those who didn’t want to go to Bath, didn’t have to. We decided to go today since the time was already set out. We really enjoyed it. I actually enjoyed going on our own time because we weren’t so rushed to get out this morning. We were still able to get out at a good time to enjoy our time there.

The Roman Baths were pretty cool. We participated in an audio tour that explained all the various rooms and the ways of the people. The baths go back to around 76 AD. Ancient engineering and concepts were used to build and create this space. The Romans believed that personal cleanliness was important and believed that it should be done every day. When asked why the Roman emperor bathed every day, his response was, “because I can’t do it twice a day.” The process of bathing was quite a long one. After arriving, the Romans would change and make their way to a room where they would be lathered with oils. They would then go into a sauna-like room that was heated by steam on a raised flooring system. They would poor water on the hot floor that would create steam. It was said that the floors were too hot to walk on with bare feet. After steaming, they would go to a room where they would use sharp tools to scrape off the dead skin and particles from their skin before entering the bath, which was filled with warm water from the natural springs. I was really quite fascinating to see how things were done.

More than not, the Baths were a social gathering place. Historical assumptions have been made as well as research done to explain the ways and activities of the people. I would be interested to know what it life would have been like in their day. Quite fascinating, I’m sure. It is amazing to see the engineering and the science used to bring it all about.

There are some gems that have been discovered in the baths that are now in a unique collection. All of these gems were uniquely carved. It is believed that these gems were once held in a ring setting and due to the chemicals in the water the gems would fall out. It was said that losing one of these gems was like “losing a piece of your soul.” I thought they were beautiful.

We had a good time today. It was nice to have time to enjoy and learn about the Roman Baths. It only took us about an hour and a half to get out there by train so I’m glad that we took advantage of our time to go.

On our way home, we just so happened to hop on the tube train that was headed in the wrong direction. It was headed to the end of the district line and by golly, I am so glad that we got on that particular train. The driver was quite a character. He got on to announce that we were approaching the end of the district line and encouraged everyone to “gather your belongings, your luggage, your laptops, your lunch boxes,” and then paused to say, “your loved ones.” We laughed as he rambled on. When the train came to a stop, he thanked us for riding with them and said, “Keep smiling, now. A smile is of no value until you give it away.” Cute!!!

.Burghley House.

7.29.09
I have enjoyed the unique visits and tours that have been set up for us on this trip. To see interiors and architecture from hundreds of years back has been very inspiring. I enjoy seeing the styles of furniture and textiles that have come around again in various ways.

We visited Burghley House today. Lets just say, it wasn’t exactly a house. . . more like a Castle!! It was incredible. From the moment we drove up, we were amazed. To start off, they own a flock of deer and they were right up near the entrance. They were not afraid of us by any means. If we weren’t a flock ourselves, they might have actually been willing to stick around but everyone as everyone walked toward them, they were on their way. Fortunately, Allie and I were able to get within a few feet before our own flock followed behind. We hoped to be able to come back out before we left but by that time, the deer were long gone. It was really cool to get as close as we did though. They were beautiful.
The Burghley House had a different style than all of the other places we have visited. It wasn’t overwhelmingly embellished with gold, the way that some have been. Rather, it had the most beautiful Elizabethan features that I will ever see. I loved it. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside which was really a bummer this time because it has such a different look and feel than anything we have seen.

My favorite was the billiards room that had dark wood walls with ornamentation that was carved. It had several paintings that had rich colors. We walked through bedrooms and drawing rooms as well as social rooms. The beds were all rather large with beautifully embroidered testers and bedding. We went into a dining room that was actually used in Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth is dining next to Darcy with Lady Catherine Deburgh. We also were in the room where Elizabeth plays the piano. I recognized that room the most. It was kind of cool to see it! This palace was beautiful. I loved the feel of it inside. I so wish I could have taken pictures.

The furniture and structural aspects of the design were fabulous. In various spaces were Tudor features. In one room, our guide explained that wedding receptions are still held there today. It had a vaulted roof but there were beautiful dark wooden beams or trusses that held the structure. I loved it. The most unique feature that I noticed were thick spiraled pillars, which were actually continued onto the backs of the chairs in the dining room.

Our tour guide was so much fun. She was passionate about her job and she knew what we would relate to most. After we finished up our tour, we made way to the café where Darrin recommended that we order a scone with clotted cream and jam. It was yummy. Their scones here are really just biscuits and their biscuits are cookies. The scone that I got had raisins in it and it was freshly baked which made it so much better. Clotted cream is really just thick fluffy butter. I actually enjoyed it. Certainly didn’t need it, but it was worth the experience, and besides, I went for a run tonight!!! It was so nice! I needed to get out and feel good about it! We ran to Hyde Park and to the palace where Princess Diana lived. As we did so, Julia asked where Chandler and I first met, and it all began from start to finish, the reader’s digest version of course. It made our run go by much faster. It was fun to tell her about our story. She was really excited about it. It makes me excited for the wedding. Two weeks to go!!! I can’t believe it is here!!!

.blenheim palace.

7.28.09

Today was such a nice day. It was a group day, but it was a little less structured which was really so nice! We took a train to Oxford and then made our way to Blenheim Palace, which was so much fun. We made our way there and then Susie told us the plan and set us free. We were free to do whatever we wanted for the rest of the day. She suggested taking time to enjoy Blenheim and then head back to Oxford for some fun shopping and architecture. It loved being able to enjoy Blenheim at our own pace. Jeanette, Allie, and I spent the day together and had so much fun.

Blenheim Palace itself was beautiful. We were able to go inside and see the public/entertainment aspects of the building. It was built in 1705 to 1722 and houses the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. It is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and has been their home for nearly 300 years. I enjoyed seeing that. We could have paid an extra fee to see the current wing where the Duke lives now, but we opted out on that one and decided to spend more time outside on the property. It was comprised of gardens and grass and a beautiful lake. It was so nice to be outside. It felt so refreshing and relaxing to just walk around and smell the fresh air and see the beautiful sights. It helped that we were able to just enjoy it on our own time and go at our own pace.

My favorite was the Secret Garden. It had abundant trees and colorful flowers. It was a nice nature walk for us. There were streams of water with small waterfalls and huge goldfish. I loved it! It almost felt like we were in the mountains at home which are always refreshing to me. We had fun getting our photography on, taking pictures of the flowers and streams and, not to forget, one another. We had a fun time with that.
There was also a rose garden filled with vibrant colors and sizes of roses all around. They smelled fresh and looked so beautiful. About a week or so ago, a girl named Malory offered us some Rose Chocolates from here in London. She warned us that they were not very good, but that she knew a lady that wanted her to bring back a box of Rose Chocolates for her. Malory was interested to know how they tasted so she spent 5 pounds (nearly $8.50) for these chocolates. She gladly offered them to us, allowing us to try them. I can tell you exactly how it tasted . . . just like the scent of the rose. It sounds like it would be pretty good. Let’s just say that it tasted like perfume in our mouths with a hint of dark chocolate. It was nasty!! It was hard to get the taste out of our mouths as well. Unfortunately, due to that experience, smelling the roses today just wasn’t the same. By smelling them, I could almost taste them. I will only hope that that passes, because I love roses. I never hope to eat them in a piece of chocolate again. Regardless of the flashback, I enjoyed the garden.

After Blenheim Palace, we decided that we ought to just head home. We have a lot to do so we made our way home. We stopped in at Notting Hill where Portobello Road is located. On weekends there is a street market, but every other day, there are fun shops all around. We made our way there and had a great time. I had so much fun today! It was good to be able to just take the time to wander in such beautiful grounds and territory. Every once in a while, I just think about it . . . .I am in London. I am in London! I really like it here.

Oh, I can't forget to say that our transportation for the day was a double decker bus!! It was crazy to be in the top portion of it, but we quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it wasn't red like the ones we see in the heart of London; but we still rode it one. . . .on the opposite side of the road! Way cool!!!

.full day.

7.27.09

I’d like to say first off that Allie and I made it to our meeting place early, well a few minutes late, but before anyone else got there. We were both so proud for making it on time. We have struggled from the combination of being so tired, and having to wake up so early, when we are truly not morning people. Hopefully we can keep it up for the next week that we are here . . . we’ll see how that one goes.

Once everyone showed up, we made our way to the train station to head to Salisbury where we were able to go to the Wilton House, Salisbury Cathedral, and Stonehenge. What a fun and exhausting day it has been. Once we made it into town we took a bus ride to the Wilton House.
This is where the Earle of Pembroke has resided for hundreds of years. It was a beautiful house and the guides and employees were just delighted to have us and were so excited to show us around. It is amazing to see the difference in tour guides and the participation of the students. I am so much more captivated when the tour guide is excited about the space and has information that we can take it as a result of their enthusiasm. Our tour guide was Jose. She was really cute with such a fun and unique fashion about her. She told us that several movies have been filmed in this home because it can resemble other historical spaces. She said that Sense and Sensibility as well as Young Victoria had significant scenes filmed there. It was a beautiful space. I didn’t fully understand the role of the Earle of Pembroke. The current Earle, Jose explained, is in his thirties and is recently engaged to a young lady from Scotland. We saw their picture and they appear to be normal people. I came to conclude that the Earle is supposed to carry on the family name and keep the House running. . . not much else other than be rich and famous. Will, the young Earle as Jose described, is a classy, handsome man. We saw some pictures of him. I couldn’t imagine living that kind of life. Regardless, the house was incredible, the property and exterior, even better!! It was absolutely beautiful. To top it all off, they served us pastries and Lemonade. We enjoyed our time there and then headed to Salisbury Cathedral.

On our way, we walked past a small business that had our name posted on the sign!! I was so excited!! It was really nothing too excited but as soon as I saw Whitehead, I couldn't contain my excitement. It appears to be a soliciting company. I knew that my time at good ol Aggie Connection was fitting. :) Fun. It's not everyday that you see your last name posted on a company in Salisbury!!

Another favorite shop we ran into was called "Best of Buds." I thought it would be appropriate for Allie and I to snap a picture with it. It fits.

Once again, Salisbury was another cathedral that was very different than the others we have seen. It is amazing to me to see so many designs in cathedrals. They are all so impressive in their own ways. I really enjoyed Salisbury. This building was commissioned in 1217!! 1217? Can anyone even imagine what life must have been like in 1217? This cathedral was the most impressive thing I have seen, coming from a time like 1217. I loved most of all, to see the structural aspects of the cathedral. There is a central spire that was never originally intended for the design but was later added. The entire building was built using a mortise and tenon joint with wooden pegs to secure it. I really enjoyed a tour that we were able to take into the bell tower and later on, into the spire. What a site to see from the top. Salisbury is a beautiful area of England. I loved it so much. Salisbury Cathedral is listed in the Guinness Book of Records to have the highest spire in Great Britain, reaching 404 ft. It was so beautiful!! It helped, once again to have a wonderful tour guide who was passionate about his job. It was fun because we were in the bell tower when the clock struck 4. It was a fun experience for us. The engineering behind the spire alone is absolutely incredible. The wood structures on the interior are truly an art. I loved to see the structure behind the beautiful spire.

Last but not least was our adventure to Stonehenge. I was really excited to visit Stonehenge. I’ve only ever seen pictures of it, but never knew anything about it. It turns out that the stone comes from Wales. It is assumed that is was brought across the river, and then somehow transported to it’s current location. How that was done is unknown, as each stone weighs up to several tons. I just enjoyed the scenery most. The sky was so beautiful at the time that we were there as it was the sun began to go down. I thought that Stonehenge was beautiful and I am grateful that we were able to spend a half hour or so there, as it was originally thought that we’d only have 10 minutes there. Although there is not a whole lot to do or experience while there, I still feel that it was worth seeing.

Exhausted and tired after a long day, we are home, preparing for another early morning tomorrow. This is our last little while here and I want to be able to enjoy it with as much energy as possible. We have had a wonderful time. I expect tomorrow to be a wonderful day as well. It is truly a blessing to be here to be learning and experiencing so much.