May Day

My new favorite weekend pastime is gallivanting. England is so pretty in the spring, so I'm trying to take in as much as I can. The best part is when one of my driving friends feels the need to spread their wings and travel. I'm not ashamed - I will most definitely beg rides. So here's today's adventure in pictures.

Hmmm . . . a perfectly good Saturday, even if it is a bit (or maybe a lot) cool. Where shall I go?

Jane Austen's House in Chawton - this is where she wrote or revised most of her novels.

A typical cottage garden flower bed. I love the organized chaos!

"To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment."
~Jane Austen in Mansfield Park
Such a great line!

Can you picture the Bennet ladies enjoying tea here?

Happy flowers. Almost every room of the house looks out over the garden - quite the inspiration.

To celebrate May Day, the Chawton Dancers were there to dazzle us with traditional dance.

After tea and scones in the nearby tea room, we watched the clouds roll in. But never fear . . . our adventure wasn't finished yet!

On to Stonehenge! The clouds make it look more stately anyway. And since it stopped raining while we were there, you'll hear no (major) complaints from me!

Then we visited the Great Hall in Winchester - home of King Arthur's round table. Did you know that only original Roman settlements can have "chester" as part of their name?

A close up of the round table. Does anyone know which seat is Sir Lancelot's?

The bad news is the table post-dates the legend of King Arthur by about 200 years, but who's really counting? It's still pretty neat!

Another enjoyed Saturday. Ahhh . . . now it's time for bed. Perhaps I'll dream about Mr. Darcy.