1) My Friend's Lovely Home
2) Sissinghurst Castle Garden...Pretty, pretty, pretty!
Below: Weird chinese lantern lookalike plant...
Below: A garden befitting the 'Count':-P...
3) The Great House 16th Century Pub...Feasting time! They serve amazing fish pie!
Below: Beer at noon time?!?!
4) Bodiam Castle...I feel like I am in a fairy tale
Below: The grand castle gate...
Below: Ducks come out to play around the castle...
Below: Windows in those days...
Below: Where's my white knight?
'Count' Kevin In Action...
Kevin's UK adventures continues as I made my way to my friend, James' lovely home, about a 1.5 hour train ride from London city. As my friend puts it, when you are in the UK, you cannot do have visited UK without having a taste of what the English countryside. The essence of English culture lies in its beautiful mesmerising gardens in the countryside and the historical castles of past kings, queens and knights. I totally agreed and was very excited at the plans he had in store for me.
Upon reaching James' amazing country house (I think I cannot describe how huge this is, considering I hail from a land where having a 3 bedroom apartment 5 storeys high in the air is an extravagant amount of space), we were greeted by Richard, his partner and the ultra cute and docile but poised and elegant greyhounds. Not one but 2! I always had reservations about huge dogs. But these 2 beautiful big dogs welcomes and warms up to me instantly which I feel very honoured:-)
After a sumptuous dinner, and a jetlag ridden day...I woke up the next day ready to explore a different side of UK, namely the English countryside!
First stop, we went to one of the world's most celebrated gardens in Kent, Sissinghurst Castle Garden. This intimate Elizabethan mansion is filled with diverse and varied amounts of flowers and plants that can make any man giggle like a lady:-P Evidence of my 'garden adventure' is attached:-P And no...in the end, I managed to escape being 'sissyfied', although I do feel 'pretty' posing among the flowery landscapes around me.
Next stop, we head off to another part of the countryside just 30 minutes away where our masculinity is less threatened. A place of valor, chivalry and rich history...Britain's most famous and evocative Bodiam Castle! What is so special about this medieval castle is the moat surrounding the fortress that somehow evokes a fairy tale like atmosphere of knights, dragons and damsels in distress. Perhaps it's my imagination running wild, but nevertheless fun to be immersed in the intriguing history of this archaeology rich area. Pictures speak a thousand words. So see for yourself the splendor of a time long passed.
All in all, a successful day of visual pleasure and acquiring new knowledge of another side of UK. I even 'passed off' as a Count of Polish origin, since being a member of the National Trust in UK gets you free entry to these 2 sites and many more. Both my friends were members and I was totally in awe to know one of them was a Count:-P Hehe. How grand!
More adventures to follow...with seaside towns, quaint little towns and historic towns. Time to catch up with 'sleeping beauty'.