.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!!!