.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.