Romantic Verona

We didn't mean to fall in love.  It just happened. I guess that's why they call it "falling" in love? But slowly and imperceptibly, Kevin and I fell under the spell of Verona.  How could we not, in this city of Romeo and Juliet?  

What explains our fascination, in part, may have been our arrival at night. Our first view of Verona was magical, as we viewed it by lamplight, when soft hues of rose, gold, and white bathed the buildings. It may also have been the fact that Verona is relatively small and easily walked, making it very approachable. But whatever it is that makes Verona special, it held us in its grip, making us feel just a little younger and just a little more open to possibility.

One of the first things we noticed about Verona on our first day was that its sidewalks are made of marble. We have visited many Italian cities over the years, but this was the first time that we remember encountering marble sidewalks.  (But then our memories aren't what they used to be.)  The marble tiles are worn, and some are repaired with concrete and asphalt, but many are in good condition, adding an elegance to this small city that you don't find in other locales.  It was also great fun to find a large number of ammonite fossils in the marble.  Many were over a foot in diameter and one grand-daddy (grandmom?) was a good two-and-a-half feet across!

Of course, we visited Juliet's house (Casa di Giulietta)  and saw the famous balcony. This tourist sensation was created when the city of Verona bought the house of the Dal Capello family years ago, because of the similarity to the name Capuleti. Who cares if Romeo and Juliet are fictional if it brings more tourists to Verona? Juliet was even on her balcony.

We wouldn't pay to see this ersatz tourist attraction. Instead, I took advantage of the free view from the shop next door. I did take a peek at the mailbox featured in the 2010 film, "Letters to Juliet," because I liked the movie, even if it was predictable. Vanessa Redgrave is always worth watching, and sometimes you just want to watch something light and hopelessly romantic.

Juliet's mailbox

We enjoyed strolling the streets of Verona. The sets for the opera, Aida, were outside the old Roman arena. (When we returned to Verona, later, after visiting Lake Garda and the Dolomites, we saw Aida-- but that's another post.) There were little winding streets in the town, Roman remnants everywhere, and intriguing entries and alley ways, along with broader vistas.

And when we came across the Impero gelateria, we felt it was our town.

Kevin says I mixed this up! It isn't Verona, but Malcesine!

Good Friends, Good Times

Note: I feel bad that I lost some of the photos that I took with our friends. It’s one thing to lose pictures of a place, but it's times with your friends that you most want to document.

When you are far from home, nothing is better than connecting with long-time friends.  

A bit road-weary after Oxford, we visited our friends Mitch and Susan, whom we first met back in 1989, when Kevin worked under contract for British Telecom.  His office at Southend-on-Sea included engineers from the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago.  Kevin was the only American, which he liked. Because we all arrived at about the same time, many of us quite far from home, we all became close, sharing dinners and parties, taking trips together, and celebrating Christmas together. It was in Southend that we met Mitch and Susan.

When we arrived at their home outside of London, we needed some downtime.  Can you imagine how good it felt just to relax in the company of friends? Not to mention our relief in getting our laundry done!  And we especially appreciated Susan’s wonderful dinners, which bring a little bit of Trinidad and Tobago to England. We have always savored Susan’s cooking, and this time was no exception. She is also a very kind person.

Not the best photo of Susan. She's prettier than this!

It was  rewarding to catch up and hear of the success of their children, who were quite young when we first met. Their daughter, whom I remember crawling under our bed to “stroke the kitty,” now has her own successful recruiting business. She has two beautiful daughters who resemble both their attractive mother and grandmother.

Their son, building on earlier achievements, has just launched his own software startup, creating custom business intelligence tools. He already has some impressive clients and has hired his first employee. We’re sure he will go far.  It pleases us immensely to see how these two have grown and prospered, thanks in large part to their hard-working parents.

What are these two up to now? Mitch took us to Windsor one day.
Unfortunately, I lost most of my photos, but I'm pleased I have this one.

After a few days with Mitch and Susan, we moved on to London to visit our friend Shirley. We only had a short time with her before we had to fly to Italy, so we made the most of every moment. One highlight was seeing her niece’s video creation in an art exhibition at the Barbican in London, Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference center.  (Benedict Cumberbatch was playing in Hamlet at the Barbican that week too.)

A proud father and aunt at the exhibition.

Shirley’s niece is part of Fish Island Labs, a collaboration of artists and technologists, who are taking digital art in new and exciting directions. We felt honored to be a part of the family and friends who attended the show and celebrated at a nearby pub.  (It should be mentioned that Shirley’s other niece, the sister of the artist, is also on her way to achieving success, working at a prestigious London public-relations firm. The fact that she has received kudos on her marketing writing made me feel a connection to her, of course.)

You can see the artist's innovative work on her website. I particularly like C_NOw White.

The next day, Shirley took time off work to treat us to a tour of the state rooms and gardens at Buckingham Palace.  (This tour was not available when we lived in England, and we have missed it on subsequent visits.) Since I forgot to bring my tiara, we had to take the public tour; otherwise, I’m sure the queen would have greeted us personally. (Actually, she wasn't there that day.)

In the gardens of Buckingham Palace, minus tiara.

We enjoyed the tour immensely, and I was surprised at how much we got to see.  Visitors enter by the same staircase as visiting royalty and heads-of-state, through all of the official state rooms and the impressive art gallery. There are several exhibits showing the work of the chefs, dressmakers, and other staff of the palace, In addition, the tour takes you through the state dining room. The audio\video guide is one of the best I have tried—I usually dislike them--and I highly recommend the tour. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside the palace.

Later, we poked about expensive antique and furniture shops, including Linley, the store owned by Princess Margaret’s son. The custom furniture pieces there are true works of art. The gentleman’s valet cabinet is sold out (£80,000, approximately $121,371), but maybe you’d like the drinks cabinet? It’s only £10,000 more. It's an ideal gift if you have a spare $136,927 lying around. Take a look.

I don’t know why they didn’t throw us out. Shirley claimed she doesn’t get the kind of treatment they gave us while we were there, which is hard to believe, because she always dresses much more stylishly than we do. The staff seemed pleased to demonstrate anything we took an interest in. Maybe they thought we were software millionaires when they noted our casual dress and heard we were from Seattle?

We also paid a brief visit to the Saatchi Gallery in London. We have always enjoyed touring galleries with Shirley. We viewed an interesting and sometimes thought-provoking exhibition on the work of artists from emerging countries, and I liked the way the artists blended native art forms with contemporary themes and styles.

Kevin and Shirley at the Saatchi Gallery.

Time with friends is always good, but it’s especially cherished when we are heading off to foreign lands where it may be a long time before we see another familiar face. Thanks Mitch, Susan, and Shirley for your warm hospitality!

Walks Around Warwick

This is a little out of sequence, because we went to Warwick before we traveled to Oxford. We didn't visit the castle at Warwick (pronounced War-ick), because we had been there before.

We also had a nice walk to nearby Leamington Spa, a town we came through on the train. Much of the walk was along the canal towpath.

Scholars, Spires, and Harry Potter

Bill Clinton, Kris Kristofferson, and Rachel Maddow have nothing on us. They may have been Rhodes Scholars, but Kevin and I are "road scholars" and we went to Oxford too! (OK, it's not quite the same thing.)

However, we did get to act a little like Oxford University students. In the summer, many of the colleges rent out student accommodation to tourists, so we signed up for a room with a double-bed (almost a queen) with a private bathroom at Keble College. It was modest, but clean and comfortable.  

At Oxford, the 38 colleges serve as accommodations for the students, while they all study at various locations in Oxford and receive their degrees from Oxford University.

We strolled around the quad like we belonged there!

I kept wanting to call Keble College, Keebler, like the cookies. When the college constructed its buildings in the Victorian era, it created quite a stir, and some termed them "monstrosities." In a way they are, but I like them anyway!

Keble is one of the newer colleges. The oldest ones were founded in the 1200s, and Oxford has actually had a learning institution of some type since 1096. The residence we slept in was constructed in 1995, but when we walked out, we saw those gorgeous old buildings.

I really liked going in and out of the college through the porter's lodge and stepping into the door-in-the-door.  In former times, this arrangement allowed pedestrians to enter while keeping the weather out, so the larger door only had to opened to admit carts or carriages.

I have a better photo of the chapel, but I look better in this one, and it is my blog!

Our room at Keble was basic, but pleasant, with a large double bed (almost a queen), and an attached shower and toilet room. The residence building itself was built in 1995, but when we walked out the door through an archway, we found ourselves in the old quad.

But the best thing about staying at Keble College was eating breakfast every morning in the great hall. Keble's dining hall is the longest at Oxford, and we felt a little as though we were in a Harry Potter movie. That's not surprising since the dining hall in the Harry Potter films was modeled on Oxford halls. Sadly, there were no flying birds or floating candles, but the breakfast was good. And to think we passed on the baked beans and stewed tomatoes. (Usually a full English breakfast has grilled tomatoes, which I like, but I left the stewed ones for someone else.)

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Oxford, strolling the streets, taking a fact-filled walking tour, and visiting the Ashmolean Museum, which we missed on a previous visit. It's a gem of a museum, with art and artifacts of all periods. It even houses the mantle, or cloak, of Chief Powhatan,  Pocahontas's father.

Fans of Inspector Morse, Endeavour, or Inspector Lewis may recognize the buildings below as the Sheldonian Theatre, designed by Christopher Wren, and the Radcliffe Camera.

We also visited a pub that Bill Clinton was known to frequent in his student days at Oxford. In spite of the goofy-looking selfie, we only had one beer each.

We had such a good time exploring "the city of dreaming spires" that I'm sure we'll be back again. I wouldn't mind staying at another college next time, just to compare.

Haddon Hall and Turnspit Dogs

View of Haddon Hall from the river bridge.

The grand houses that are built later may have lavish furnishings, but somehow I find the medieval manor house of Haddon Hall, even more enchanting. It was used in the filming of The Princess Bride, as well as The Other Boleyn Girl, the 1996 version of Pride and Prejudice, and the 1998 filming of Elizabeth. It does have a fairy-tale quality about it, doesn't it?

Medieval window at Haddon Hall.

The brother of the current Duke of Rutland lives there today, and the family sometimes entertains its guests in these rooms. Like many aristocrats, they open their home to the public for a fee, which helps offset the costs of maintaining these old buildings.

This detail in the ceiling of the dining room caught my eye...

It was a Tudor rose, the emblem of England that dates from the time of Henry VII, who united the white rose of York with the red Rose of Lancastershire when he took the throne, ending the War of the Roses between the two factions who had fought for the crown. 

The grounds and gardens, full of roses, lavender, and other flowers provide a picturesque setting for this medieval jewel. 

But what really captured my attention was the kitchen and, especially, the turnspit dogs.

Tudor fireplace and sign about turnspit dogs. I wish they had one of the wheels on display!

I had never heard of turnspit dogs! A sign on the wall told all about  the breed. It is now extinct, but in medieval times, the dogs were bred to run in a wheel at the side of a fireplace, not unlike a hamster wheel, but larger of course.  The wheel turned the spit where large joints of meat rotated as they cooked over the fire, hence the name “turnspit dogs.” They were also called  Vernepator Curs and “kitchen dogs." They had short, often crooked legs, and long bodies.  (Talk about an underdog!)

The dogs worked in teams and ran in the wheel for a specific interval.  According to the sign, the dogs were very aware of how long their shifts were, and they would jump down if they thought their time was up.

The poor little does were horribly treated. Of course, human servants were often treated cruelly then, too. The one good thing that came from the plight of the turnspit dogs was that their abuse helped inspire the formation of charities to prevent cruelty to animals, such as the ASPCA.

Our Walk Around Lyme Park

The Lyme Park estate is expansive, and the house is elegant. (Another white sky!)

An easy train ride from Buxton, Lyme Park is a grand estate, which includes a large residence and a deer park, now managed by the UK National Trust. Because we have visited several stately homes in the past, we did not go into the house, for which there was a charge, but instead strolled the grounds, which were free.

The tower, which is known as The Cage. (We did have intermittent sun
and, for once, in this photo, a partly blue sky.)

Views towards Manchester from our picnic spot.

Kevin standing in front of The Cage.

We ate a picnic lunch at the  tower on a hill, enjoying the sweeping views across the countryside. Once a hunting lodge, and later a park-keeper’s lodge and lockup, the current building dates from 1737.

The house, itself, a grand and imposing structure, has been featured in several films and TV shows, including Red Dwarf, and The Awakening. It also served as Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s residence in the 1995 BBC production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. (Colin Firth rose to stardom for his role as Darcy.) I could happily live there.

View of the rear of the great house.

We particularly enjoyed our walk in the grounds behind the house, where we searched in vain for the red deer that hang out there. As you can see, the view of the house and gardens from here was majestic.  

Sadly, after our long walk, we craved an ice cream, but we felt the price was too high, so we, regretfully, saved our bodies from overindulgence. Nonetheless, it was a grand day out!

A Poignant Visit to Eyam

Street in Eyam

I've never been to a place like Eyam (pronounced Eem). It is impossible to know how many people owe a debt to the brave people of Eyam, and their story is a remarkable one.

In late August 1665, plague came to the town. Apparently, it arrived when the local tailor, George Viccars, received a bolt of cloth from London. Because the cloth was damp, he hung it in front of the fire to dry, unwittingly releasing the plague-infested fleas that clung to the cloth.  On September 7, George Viccars died, the first victim.  Before long, the plague begin to claim life after life, and by the end of October, more than 23 had died.

Today, when you visit Eyam, you can see the plague houses where so many families died.

But the deaths aren't what is most noteworthy about Eyam. When it became apparent that the plague was spreading, the rector, William Mompesson called the people together and proposed that the town quarantine itself to keep the scourge from spreading to nearby villages.  The townsfolk agreed, though some left before the quarantine went into effect. The rector, like many others, sent his children away to relatives. But for 14 months, the town kept its self-imposed exile until the plague had finally run its course. By then 260 out of 350 people had died.

During the quarantine, the nearby town of Stoney Middleton provided food and other goods to Eyam. The villagers left coins that had been soaked in vinegar (to disinfect them) in the holes of a boundary stone on the outskirts, where the people of Stoney Middleton left the supplies.

The boundary stone

One of the saddest stories is that of two young lovers, Emmott Sydall  of Eyam, and Rowland Torre of Stoney Middleton. They originally met in the village, but they soon realized that meeting there was dangerous and could spread the plague. So they agreed to meet at the boundary stone and simply look at each other from a distance, never touching.  Every day, the lovers came, until one day in April 1666, Emmott did not show up. Rowland, worried but unwilling to give up hope, continued to come to the meeting place until late 1666, when the quarantine was lifted. He was one of the first to enter Eyam, but he discovered his beloved Emmott had died in April, a day or two after he had last seen her.

In the church in Eyam, there is a stained-glass window that commemorates the plague and the villagers' sacrifice.  In the lower right panel of the window, Emmott and Rowland are represented, standing at a stream, looking across at each other.

The church in Eyam

All of Emmott's family died, except her youngest brother. The Reverend Mompesson's wife, who had stayed to nurse the sick, also caught the plague and died. The rector lived, later remarried, and moved to another village.

Maybe it's because these are not nameless people, or maybe it's because of their selfless sacrifice, but the humanity of those people who lived so long ago still resonates. I don't think it's possible to visit Eyam and not feel moved by their stories.

There is also some intriguing evidence that what infected Eyam was not bubonic plague, but some other fast-acting agent. But the evidence is still unclear. Regardless, the visit to Eyam is something I will not soon forget.

This is a plague doctor's mask and cape meant to keep him from getting infected.

I seriously doubt that it worked! I'm sorry that it's not a little more clear, but it was taken

at the excellent Eyam plague museum and the lighting was low.