Visiting Gertrude Jekyll's Home

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">So, wow.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This week I visited the Godalming home of </div><div style="text-align: center;">the most famous garden designer of all time,</div><div style="text-align: center;">at least in my mind</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">- Gertrude Jekyll -</div><div style="text-align: center;">(pronounced GEE-kul)<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-a54lgmwnooLI-glUNkdrEBbvLWtRNfM6flOGJ7ZXYG3-9Nseu5DWjdopumjoqgPeIwFMjPkCtY9rBwxwSal4tdQDryyO2Lie3sGskDV8JeAB2A8q9zZ0uO3IN-n28mZuI5tK4H79w0fY/s1600/DSC01123-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-a54lgmwnooLI-glUNkdrEBbvLWtRNfM6flOGJ7ZXYG3-9Nseu5DWjdopumjoqgPeIwFMjPkCtY9rBwxwSal4tdQDryyO2Lie3sGskDV8JeAB2A8q9zZ0uO3IN-n28mZuI5tK4H79w0fY/s1600/DSC01123-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not only was she THE garden designer for wealthy Edwardian homeowners,</div><div style="text-align: center;">she was an artist, writer, photographer, and propagator</div><div style="text-align: center;">(1843 - 1932)<br /><br />Think of the opulent era of the <i>Titanic</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Being an artist and photographer,</div><div style="text-align: center;">she came to landscape design with a fresh eye</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While formal French and Italian gardens had been in fashion,</div><div style="text-align: center;">she introduced the revolutionary herbaceous border</div><div style="text-align: center;">Americans would describe as 'the English Garden'<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-7lMxcaH8xgw1MzGjQZEHCfW4QCuswI3iA4360mU3ubklExA4xWl1Yw6zxzZCEoHhkRK6Qh87gDwvrtsq4THKymHAMD2KOJJnZCJ_zKaREwSYO1D8T-dWiySEPHrD8pNCyuC65J4nDWD/s1600/2014-05-15+12-07-036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-7lMxcaH8xgw1MzGjQZEHCfW4QCuswI3iA4360mU3ubklExA4xWl1Yw6zxzZCEoHhkRK6Qh87gDwvrtsq4THKymHAMD2KOJJnZCJ_zKaREwSYO1D8T-dWiySEPHrD8pNCyuC65J4nDWD/s1600/2014-05-15+12-07-036.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">She included plants that grow well in England</div><div style="text-align: center;">such as the rose, daylily, foxglove and lavender<br /><br />She was interested not only in flowers,<br />but also texture, structure and leaf shapes</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A border that is a little bit messy with drifts of flowers,</div><div style="text-align: center;">not tidy or formal at all<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nNLAswqLFqmV9QH_tWN8Ue8acAxMiP_SJ03hO5qCFwEWF-aIrrJt5UZXmtBa5fGUOJIsMrCp_7umdNCZjE6XZN7vExnePa45rQyTSH1hOr3KOAQmI0nHjTbIUINDJq6ng20zmWibZc4u/s1600/DSC01112-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nNLAswqLFqmV9QH_tWN8Ue8acAxMiP_SJ03hO5qCFwEWF-aIrrJt5UZXmtBa5fGUOJIsMrCp_7umdNCZjE6XZN7vExnePa45rQyTSH1hOr3KOAQmI0nHjTbIUINDJq6ng20zmWibZc4u/s1600/DSC01112-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Uniquely,<br /> Jekyll also played with color schemes seen in her famous all-white gardens and</div><div style="text-align: center;">all hot and all cool colored borders<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ms Jekyll also came up with the idea of cozy garden 'rooms'</div><div style="text-align: center;">and a peek into another room through a hedge<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0EOJGLImttFMdhPtr-L8Nqh6661EnPvXM7nPowmIf-WgYeDoqqdIsSBkUHVm62nDODe07_8Sb5PEezm2EZbGfq9GZrCnzzw_nM7VYqm2ZYv33waKZjrxc0Q3p1yoNuLydFVV6RX0nSlX/s1600/DSC01072-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0EOJGLImttFMdhPtr-L8Nqh6661EnPvXM7nPowmIf-WgYeDoqqdIsSBkUHVm62nDODe07_8Sb5PEezm2EZbGfq9GZrCnzzw_nM7VYqm2ZYv33waKZjrxc0Q3p1yoNuLydFVV6RX0nSlX/s1600/DSC01072-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This tireless woman had a team of workers</div><div style="text-align: center;">help manage and cultivate her 17 acre property</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">She grew all the plants she installed in her customers' gardens,</div><div style="text-align: center;">so her plantings still grow all over England today<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FsQq2JJh1LzlXovuMHwTHwKzjLXsiwf58xfGC06qZqjRP4fWrWxYtIaNwTlLkxT0ZQcpEyhXj0yjhWp6I3frS9lcsS61pzf6vMCfs24IRSGpG-q_yCufXc6B9YkpnFH4_Lq0Ah8alNAG/s1600/DSC01065-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FsQq2JJh1LzlXovuMHwTHwKzjLXsiwf58xfGC06qZqjRP4fWrWxYtIaNwTlLkxT0ZQcpEyhXj0yjhWp6I3frS9lcsS61pzf6vMCfs24IRSGpG-q_yCufXc6B9YkpnFH4_Lq0Ah8alNAG/s1600/DSC01065-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When WWI rolled around,</div><div style="text-align: center;">customers no longer had money to spend on her designs or plants,</div><div style="text-align: center;">her designs grew out of favor, and her workers went off to fight in the war<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp4swxFOi_zy5lh2dtN4hfAn6xkt-UeIfyfxUUwzxn_8Ix__MRGIRHRj3LO_juBk62OgpWW9G335pp2iSazSSOIkuavdXT4RZUy5UixtVIsXg-t5CeJowrgBxL6YMvPewN1DNhbA6JIhC/s1600/DSC01100-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp4swxFOi_zy5lh2dtN4hfAn6xkt-UeIfyfxUUwzxn_8Ix__MRGIRHRj3LO_juBk62OgpWW9G335pp2iSazSSOIkuavdXT4RZUy5UixtVIsXg-t5CeJowrgBxL6YMvPewN1DNhbA6JIhC/s1600/DSC01100-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From donkey carts to potting sheds, Jekyll's house was a working home</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Finding herself with a sharp decrease in income,</div><div style="text-align: center;">she did have a bit of luck</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although she never visited America,</div><div style="text-align: center;">a high demand for her services started coming across the pond</div><div style="text-align: center;">which created a resurgence in her business</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is probably why she is the only historical garden designer</div><div style="text-align: center;">I had heard of before I moved here<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGWwhvPJzYr1qadWZTNJ52Jpl0FLccfnjXqXhVBtF6CpcjY9Oze5oiJ4_rOEhQ0Uivr7bqPcslOAnS74tyNVztWEx79emawL_jOiLssQbo7CHFCqG2J21K_4ZIOS1i-0fKhyphenhyphen-hUOMje4m/s1600/DSC01078-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGWwhvPJzYr1qadWZTNJ52Jpl0FLccfnjXqXhVBtF6CpcjY9Oze5oiJ4_rOEhQ0Uivr7bqPcslOAnS74tyNVztWEx79emawL_jOiLssQbo7CHFCqG2J21K_4ZIOS1i-0fKhyphenhyphen-hUOMje4m/s1600/DSC01078-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">She left a legacy behind in America with Munstead Lavender </div><div style="text-align: center;">being one of the most common lavender varieties sold in the US today</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's named after her home, Munstead Wood, </div><div style="text-align: center;">where she propagated it<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQCBSMZhWxHP3CuPD7ujsKMj1YyGgqkpYnUmub5_g4XVtBxamflfcHsofMfcJwKsfVR4Hu_ntEtXPg592secvqDqHoh9i82cW5BjuP1TeLwOU7o9KBufg0YyL8RwUvbF_r3Et_mruSuHz/s1600/DSC01090-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQCBSMZhWxHP3CuPD7ujsKMj1YyGgqkpYnUmub5_g4XVtBxamflfcHsofMfcJwKsfVR4Hu_ntEtXPg592secvqDqHoh9i82cW5BjuP1TeLwOU7o9KBufg0YyL8RwUvbF_r3Et_mruSuHz/s1600/DSC01090-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">After Jekyll died,</div><div style="text-align: center;">her property was divided into five parcels and sold off</div><div style="text-align: center;">Much of it was turfed over, and some transformed into a tennis court</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fortunately the current owners of her home realized the treasure they had</div><div style="text-align: center;">and restored the gardens to their original state,</div><div style="text-align: center;">thanks to the documentation in Jekyll's photographs and plans<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx4xndvvU0lRL9q-vhhGLTmN83HQLMKcc-9RRJjZ8gasK6YkNHSG97G2EzB2NS51W3D-8zqpiJWHOP9Sa9sZ-AAZfGyGLOT_yIKQqfdVCyZK1cyXaVsRvWA3uX8rF5sL8_wYJPHnBhaYi/s1600/DSC01127-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx4xndvvU0lRL9q-vhhGLTmN83HQLMKcc-9RRJjZ8gasK6YkNHSG97G2EzB2NS51W3D-8zqpiJWHOP9Sa9sZ-AAZfGyGLOT_yIKQqfdVCyZK1cyXaVsRvWA3uX8rF5sL8_wYJPHnBhaYi/s1600/DSC01127-003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Some of the original trees still stand</div><div style="text-align: center;">and the gardens feel original<br />Ah, such tranquility and beauty<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In fact, Jekyll created the gardens <i>before</i> she had the house built</div><div style="text-align: center;">She had a very successful partnership with the famous architect, Edwin Lutyen</div><div style="text-align: center;">He was in great demand for designing country homes<br />and she designed the gardens for his houses<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He designed Munstead Wood too<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyLaSMUD-47BMT-i4fJ7ISnxbHye80swysPZ4dHYLoa6nI2xTb4u0UVb3_nw31INbxspkBDA3XLybwHHsa-OloGNTGeY1oTQPTaJB7J5Qepets92CtEhDM5dlPvWSY5AMUbrTKXrOH6uP/s1600/DSC01093-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyLaSMUD-47BMT-i4fJ7ISnxbHye80swysPZ4dHYLoa6nI2xTb4u0UVb3_nw31INbxspkBDA3XLybwHHsa-OloGNTGeY1oTQPTaJB7J5Qepets92CtEhDM5dlPvWSY5AMUbrTKXrOH6uP/s1600/DSC01093-002.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>So amazing to brush against</div><div>such a tireless and innovative woman</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">- photos my own -</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Visitor informaton: <a href="http://www.lutyenstrust.org.uk/properties/jekyll.htm">Lutyens Trust</a> </span></div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Visiting Gertrude Jekyll's Home

So, wow. This week I visited the Godalming home of  the most famous garden designer of all time, at least in my mind - Gertrude Jekyll - (pr...

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Alice In Wonderland - Oxford

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Hello, lovely readers</div><div style="text-align: center;">How you filled my heart with joy</div><div style="text-align: center;">with your kind comments on my last post</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm still tackling my 'must visit' list</div><div style="text-align: center;">as our final weeks approach</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This one had been at the tippy top for years and did not disappoint -</div><div style="text-align: center;">a tour of Oxford through the lens of</div><div style="text-align: center;">'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland' (1865)<br /><br />I just have to share!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXiJktR_Bi0sVXBgPmuLPAJf3Trl4Z5fLjywHbTwXIW-6fgWStHsztVI4vrMd7vWtXsIvTePxJwe8T-P7MZV0Rs_LMnSkIDVp3tVCWErvXXplOC6CJjqTw-zjOQkBPj5kXLTqS4daZJzU_/s1600/DSC01000-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXiJktR_Bi0sVXBgPmuLPAJf3Trl4Z5fLjywHbTwXIW-6fgWStHsztVI4vrMd7vWtXsIvTePxJwe8T-P7MZV0Rs_LMnSkIDVp3tVCWErvXXplOC6CJjqTw-zjOQkBPj5kXLTqS4daZJzU_/s1600/DSC01000-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church College at Oxford University (where Carroll taught)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oxford University math lecturer, Charles Dodgson, </div><div style="text-align: center;">wrote many literary and mathematical works</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">His pen name was Lewis Carroll</div><div style="text-align: center;">and for many years his colleagues didn't piece together who Lewis Carroll was</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It is speculated that Dodgson/Carroll was somewhat embarrassed </div><div style="text-align: center;">that he was writing children stories although they were successful<br /><br />In fact<br />Queen Victoria requested a copy of his next book,<br />which turned out to be about mathematics<br />(probably not what she had in mind)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrx97i1AQYSBTARpDBtKVaoJiw_1yshB7FlY3_FyYoIRWJs6NSie2VuPE9W5fj11lATQZess5MYBjY0p58J_PWqQYGoVGd-66_zfT4nuWZp7GKz_n1sCblNMKkkpp-76caZUw8k5gPpGh/s1600/DSC01010-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrx97i1AQYSBTARpDBtKVaoJiw_1yshB7FlY3_FyYoIRWJs6NSie2VuPE9W5fj11lATQZess5MYBjY0p58J_PWqQYGoVGd-66_zfT4nuWZp7GKz_n1sCblNMKkkpp-76caZUw8k5gPpGh/s1600/DSC01010-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To set the scene,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oxford in 1864 was an elite university filled with boys and men<br /><br />It must have been a strange place for<br />the Dean of Christ Church's three young girls to grow up</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of his daughters was named Alice Liddell</div><div style="text-align: center;">(pronunciation - rhymes with 'fiddle')<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGoDzZ9A4VAKy8SHD4AQxpApk7h9k5YbI0x0kaH-LK6CSzeiyVjGXKauHbUGKKsea7w2lHAk7W068jKVQNzR_c58NKmiVBQKkRITsCCrFKKKuLqP6D-8x5sFwFRE-u04EH5iVA2O-VX8c/s1600/DSC01016-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGoDzZ9A4VAKy8SHD4AQxpApk7h9k5YbI0x0kaH-LK6CSzeiyVjGXKauHbUGKKsea7w2lHAk7W068jKVQNzR_c58NKmiVBQKkRITsCCrFKKKuLqP6D-8x5sFwFRE-u04EH5iVA2O-VX8c/s1600/DSC01016-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lewis Carroll would take the Dean's three girls on little day trips</div><div style="text-align: center;">in a rowboat up and down the nearby River Thames</div><div style="text-align: center;">and have picnics</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He told stories during their journeys</div><div style="text-align: center;">One day, Alice insisted that he write down his 'Alice' tales</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And so his first manuscript was called </div><div style="text-align: center;">'Alice's Adventures Under Ground' (1864) which included his own illustrations</div><div style="text-align: center;">- later renamed 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' -<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjuoBZzwnjXucSsTTJITAlzEW7KrVhhSXLjLsQFDHEcJF11o2guqXUQ5AZqn_Ilb0UvI36OBrZmUuko3ULOIfABdCmcHopgfZMHLhXS8NFIPZaEQuvff6SY3t4foGjLrdB5FbiPAgGpY8/s1600/DSC01026-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjuoBZzwnjXucSsTTJITAlzEW7KrVhhSXLjLsQFDHEcJF11o2guqXUQ5AZqn_Ilb0UvI36OBrZmUuko3ULOIfABdCmcHopgfZMHLhXS8NFIPZaEQuvff6SY3t4foGjLrdB5FbiPAgGpY8/s1600/DSC01026-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where Carroll would have launched a rowboat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And so this week,</div><div style="text-align: center;">we had the ultimate book club adventure<br /><br />With Mark Davies, an Oxford local historian and author,<br />we followed Carroll's and the girls' footsteps on a walking and boat tour<br />(even afternoon tea on the launch)<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-y0MBz_Vv6f0C-QJlPX1YQep6MUCrfjbZAFt5_TrAkXKF0zZjmqWEoMD8StYn8z4Mslk_QvNCbz9DFjdvKejHaWUJ_K3INJ4oDHXzNWV_065kQewseokaNLQN6CLhx4iKSQxdN8v3TNlQ/s1600/DSC01039-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-y0MBz_Vv6f0C-QJlPX1YQep6MUCrfjbZAFt5_TrAkXKF0zZjmqWEoMD8StYn8z4Mslk_QvNCbz9DFjdvKejHaWUJ_K3INJ4oDHXzNWV_065kQewseokaNLQN6CLhx4iKSQxdN8v3TNlQ/s1600/DSC01039-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Carroll's river route where he wove his tales for the Liddell girls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Carroll's journals confirm the Alice books include local trivia and events<br />and inside jokes the girls would have understood</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Surprisingly, the characters in the Alice books</div><div style="text-align: center;">personify real people in Carroll's and the Liddell's life<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> It's probable The Queen Of Hearts was one of Alice's governesses, for example</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Cheshire Cat is Carroll,</div><div style="text-align: center;">as 'Cheshire Cat' was a common term from someone from Cheshire</div><div style="text-align: center;">(where Carroll was born)</div><div style="text-align: center;">and the Liddell girls had quite a few cats<br />so the elusive character would have appealed to them</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">About the hookah used by the caterpillar - </div><div style="text-align: center;">opium was in general use at the time</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When you read the book, it seems so odd and dreamlike,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but with Mark's explanation, it all makes more sense</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fascinating and delightful!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QLB1t2MheXGsnaR7QK4hmHoTLqzx01NGP5iAKwqwbYBP-IMAXnkDUOecMS6o4FPQxchg4ppNAStlv1DGe_tBe-ddAfF6gMNV_LlPphk4dsYEY223lD5rwFfweO3Tn9bWb6iHjy90_KlR/s1600/DSC01034-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QLB1t2MheXGsnaR7QK4hmHoTLqzx01NGP5iAKwqwbYBP-IMAXnkDUOecMS6o4FPQxchg4ppNAStlv1DGe_tBe-ddAfF6gMNV_LlPphk4dsYEY223lD5rwFfweO3Tn9bWb6iHjy90_KlR/s1600/DSC01034-003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Of course the partly sunny day </div><div style="text-align: center;">and delicious afternoon tea was the perfect</div><div style="text-align: center;">bookend to an already perfect day :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>-Lewis Carroll</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">:: all photos my own ::</span><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Links: <a href="http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/mark-davies-oxford-water-walks-3311481234">Mark Davies</a>, <a href="http://www.oxfordrivercruises.com/">Oxford River Cruise</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(An unsponsored post)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Alice In Wonderland - Oxford

Hello, lovely readers How you filled my heart with joy with your kind comments on my last post Thank you :) I'm still tackling my 'm...

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Behind The Door

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMneaGEYfYWh0al_49xjslygHJvVhDKXVEw39V7fYvMPB_5c4O4b7bYPd8G0uypEjquakK1cpm33sQRswDlvFUxg9dQTs43UGgk8Rkh4CIo0yOS_99hHNIAnuEyJpdQWXlE9O2kDxyYJ6/s1600/DSC06618-024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMneaGEYfYWh0al_49xjslygHJvVhDKXVEw39V7fYvMPB_5c4O4b7bYPd8G0uypEjquakK1cpm33sQRswDlvFUxg9dQTs43UGgk8Rkh4CIo0yOS_99hHNIAnuEyJpdQWXlE9O2kDxyYJ6/s1600/DSC06618-024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Since we moved here,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have felt that life is filled with mystery doors</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not until the time is right</div><div style="text-align: center;">do you get to see what's on the other side of the door</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER9My6fSCMtYsiJjqEi2WbK-qlBOoq6wMc0J-RctoLCcNnBaJ6aamj0ZrC9xf3jLm0XgN6y_tBU-Z6RNV0NGoxmEpUslb5F1zJSJ78-FopEDMOmgTrGkABbzOnT6RawVhCl2wk0cu44a0/s1600/DSC06624-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER9My6fSCMtYsiJjqEi2WbK-qlBOoq6wMc0J-RctoLCcNnBaJ6aamj0ZrC9xf3jLm0XgN6y_tBU-Z6RNV0NGoxmEpUslb5F1zJSJ78-FopEDMOmgTrGkABbzOnT6RawVhCl2wk0cu44a0/s1600/DSC06624-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For a few months now,</div><div style="text-align: center;">we have be able to look through the keyhole of the door in front of us</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It reveals a move back to the US</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We always knew that door was there,</div><div style="text-align: center;">we just didn't know what was behind it</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOTYGpsiEQ9dKm-mbuqYnhATd6jQrw3-j1MX547aitrON62erZn_x999qCS7yQ-fp1oGNVlA_o0KJIDvV9VOTKOh6Hkazrl7efBtyaIgqV6KR0EbRGTqyo8t8DSdaDZ9C6VX3qAmInV9y/s1600/DSC06714-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOTYGpsiEQ9dKm-mbuqYnhATd6jQrw3-j1MX547aitrON62erZn_x999qCS7yQ-fp1oGNVlA_o0KJIDvV9VOTKOh6Hkazrl7efBtyaIgqV6KR0EbRGTqyo8t8DSdaDZ9C6VX3qAmInV9y/s1600/DSC06714-003.JPG" width="572" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is the time of year when expat friends tell you what's behind their doors too</div><div style="text-align: center;">- a move to Singapore, Norway, and Kazakhstan -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Like seeds in the wind,</div><div style="text-align: center;">the expat community here will disperse to faraway lands in a few months</div><div style="text-align: center;">never to be exactly the same again</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Uj9nr5V76qQItACcc2N0rASnZQicJ6eb6FnPF2PelHGP1_YfPCfNv_smKfSuZlhPmsU1Z22msUFkmnKZfQAgbPrQ6ejF1cofzR4Glw7IYgPzWJfEE9qiM7hAQDcMlXOd4Q4Q6xC6xXNO/s1600/photo+1-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Uj9nr5V76qQItACcc2N0rASnZQicJ6eb6FnPF2PelHGP1_YfPCfNv_smKfSuZlhPmsU1Z22msUFkmnKZfQAgbPrQ6ejF1cofzR4Glw7IYgPzWJfEE9qiM7hAQDcMlXOd4Q4Q6xC6xXNO/s1600/photo+1-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you ever meet lifetime expat families,</div><div style="text-align: center;">you will never meet a more interesting group of people</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They have stories that are stranger than fiction</div><div style="text-align: center;">and have lived in countries you wouldn't dare to even visit</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They move their families internationally to countries that don't speak English</div><div style="text-align: center;">with only three week's notice</div><div style="text-align: center;">(that challenge sounds insurmountable to me)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtOPQorIwOyplgfDX8QaATEfxQ53bLDd9HBXITAo4X58GgoMrVc-aZz9rh-B0GE7EP8pO26kqgMl6E-jtRZm0ZPUm3DBPeN3fRmEbC9U3MbNnSocb7b3cWKyzRoPm7oKYekhh_giFpAsJ/s1600/photo+5-005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtOPQorIwOyplgfDX8QaATEfxQ53bLDd9HBXITAo4X58GgoMrVc-aZz9rh-B0GE7EP8pO26kqgMl6E-jtRZm0ZPUm3DBPeN3fRmEbC9U3MbNnSocb7b3cWKyzRoPm7oKYekhh_giFpAsJ/s1600/photo+5-005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lifetime expats are courageous, resourceful,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and have learned to go with the flow</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">These have been fantastic traits to observe and try to emulate</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gV3uach5t9rplhv-cJMQKyQLdq_QVf4XGM84BEWXXKlGG2x7nuIHk0XZXF6Uuk95NGATx2GjfPvjqjawVNTu99KLfnc3ujdRurOFtYE0jQK53AOhlUxR3wvJ4gtmRssDYSSfYxYPJ-X2/s1600/photo+3+%25284%2529-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gV3uach5t9rplhv-cJMQKyQLdq_QVf4XGM84BEWXXKlGG2x7nuIHk0XZXF6Uuk95NGATx2GjfPvjqjawVNTu99KLfnc3ujdRurOFtYE0jQK53AOhlUxR3wvJ4gtmRssDYSSfYxYPJ-X2/s1600/photo+3+%25284%2529-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not just international headlines a world away,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I now have friends who have personally been touched by</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ted Bundy kidnappings at her school</div><div style="text-align: center;">9/11 in New York</div><div style="text-align: center;">7/7 bombings in London</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mumbai bombings</div><div style="text-align: center;">tsunami in Japan</div><div style="text-align: center;">recent Newtown tragedy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On the brighter side,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have a friend who was in a James Bond film</div><div style="text-align: center;">and another friend whose dad was the voice for </div><div style="text-align: center;">characters on The Flintstones</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I list these as a reminder to myself of the incredible stories I have heard</div><div style="text-align: center;">and amazing people I have met along my journey here</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It makes the world feel smaller and more tangible</div><div style="text-align: center;">Fewer than 7 degrees of separation</div><div style="text-align: center;">with such a diverse group of people here</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fApFmDZyC9geCfDjYpAIUr3Ec4j-oXeSvhrRysCZV0wdooJJLoDY1b2VUWTkgV8ast_lxKqBY5gDeDDWSECemzBBm1cK3oNcz5jQ-GnhR_28pznC6vp0JVXFmHBl6gXG16PxHX9Tp8iw/s1600/DSC00241-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fApFmDZyC9geCfDjYpAIUr3Ec4j-oXeSvhrRysCZV0wdooJJLoDY1b2VUWTkgV8ast_lxKqBY5gDeDDWSECemzBBm1cK3oNcz5jQ-GnhR_28pznC6vp0JVXFmHBl6gXG16PxHX9Tp8iw/s1600/DSC00241-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I feel like I was on my trajectory in the US,</div><div style="text-align: center;">bounced into people and experiences here to grow exponentially,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and now flinging back to the US as a modified person</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Along the way I have collected new lifelong best friends,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and we have raised our children in an incredible country</div><div style="text-align: center;">- safe, beautiful, culturally dense -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHrmoSoMwSnP_yEjcYG2KNcDp8d_Au0iNw5gwIlqoQswxwOhumdLlJdD4TAaE_63IIqgevD6ZxLurr-C12FjvOwJ_EduHndvOF7cK_6aZZs6-vWwMDleGobustaWrMIYyM-isWPep43GT/s1600/Photo+4-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHrmoSoMwSnP_yEjcYG2KNcDp8d_Au0iNw5gwIlqoQswxwOhumdLlJdD4TAaE_63IIqgevD6ZxLurr-C12FjvOwJ_EduHndvOF7cK_6aZZs6-vWwMDleGobustaWrMIYyM-isWPep43GT/s1600/Photo+4-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With a new cat and puppy in tow,</div><div style="text-align: center;">our family has expanded since we left the US</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Returning without car seats</div><div style="text-align: center;">signals our family has aged</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shipping less home</div><div style="text-align: center;">(fewer toys/kids stuff)</div><div style="text-align: center;">we return a bit lighter</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvic6cqah4qo33TatHDNgOLHoHtq4rR9XpivWc2xUUOBLZs9_PTvm7AmcsABinklvU7GwZml8c46UWmb1EmvEXU0Z5xTWy7J7Ek2N7edPIEivkuVNdkCccQTMH5kDwps_rZt9-3i1sYzXq/s1600/photo+3+%25286%2529-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvic6cqah4qo33TatHDNgOLHoHtq4rR9XpivWc2xUUOBLZs9_PTvm7AmcsABinklvU7GwZml8c46UWmb1EmvEXU0Z5xTWy7J7Ek2N7edPIEivkuVNdkCccQTMH5kDwps_rZt9-3i1sYzXq/s1600/photo+3+%25286%2529-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We are sad to leave,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but happy to go</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We have a lot to look forward to</div><div style="text-align: center;">behind the door that stands before us</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">- all photos by me -</span></i></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Behind The Door

Since we moved here, I have felt that life is filled with mystery doors Not until the time is right do you get to see what's on the othe...

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