Sun-Kissed Sion

Sion is in a valley of vineyards and fruit orchards. It is recognizable from a distance by the two castles on hills overlooking the old town.
The old town is fun to walk around. The 17th Century town Czytaj więcej
Champoussin, Switzerland

We are staying in at a ski resort in the Swiss Alps for a week. It is absolutely gorgeous! The first two pictures are views of our resort area.
The drive from the valley town of Monthey up to where Czytaj więcej
Epinal American Cemetery

This WWII cemetery is in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains in Eastern France. Although 61 percent were sent back to the US, there are over 5,250 graves in this cemetery. Also commemorated are 424 Czytaj więcej
"In Flanders Field the Poppies Blow"

This cemetery commemorates the 411 American servicemen who died in Belgium during WWI. The US did not enter the war until 1917, one year before the Armistice. We watched a movie explaining how the Czytaj więcej
Church of Our Lady

This tower is even taller than the Belfry in the Markt.
We saw a flyer about a free "Harps of the World" concert that was supposed to be in the church, but we found it in a nearby museum. We were Czytaj więcej
Bruges Architecture

This is Burg Square, which has a varied mix of buildings. The Gothic town hall was built in the 1300s. The building to the left of it is the former court house, and to the right of the town hall is Czytaj więcej
What Dean Learned About Beer

Dean went to the Beer Museum and learned a lot. In Medieval times, everyone drank beer, because there was no safe water and well technology hadn't developed. Back in the 1200s, local monks perfected Czytaj więcej
Beautiful Bruges: Markt and Belfry

The Markt -- the Market Square -- has been used as such since the mid-900s. In the center of the Markt is a statue of two Flemish heroes who resisted French oppression in the 1300s, backed by all the Czytaj więcej
If it's Thursday, this Must be Belgium!

We are in Belgium for just two nights, so we explored Bruges today. It is a very picturesque city with canals, medieval buildings, and churches with tall spires. Much of the city is a UNESCO World Czytaj więcej
Dunkerque: A Sobering Scene

This morning we ferried across the English Channel from Dover to Dunkirk. There is a bunker near the beach which has been turned into a museum, 1940 Operation Dynamo, in which over 300,000 Allied Czytaj więcej
Battle of Britain Memorial

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." (Winston Churchill)
The memorial is very poignant: the pilot sits at the center of the propeller---looking out to sea and Czytaj więcej
White Cliffs of Dover

We are leaving the United Kingdom after almost 3 months. It was a great experience seeing all the history and the country houses, and visiting Jacob between house-sits. Today we are in Dover on a Czytaj więcej
Ickworth's Gardens

The gardens are beautiful. Parts are designed to look Italian. Then there are views of the grounds beyond the house, and a wooded area with a stumpery (old stumps upended and allowed to become covered Czytaj więcej
Ickworth's St. Mary's Church

This is the oldest building on the estate, with the oldest part being from the 13th century. The Hervey family pew was added in the 1830s. The church is no longer used, but is the final resting place Czytaj więcej
State Bedroom and Wings

The State Bedroom is where the most important guests slept. This one has a beautiful chandelier, steps to get into bed, and a tray beside the bed for hot chocolate.
The gown is Lady Theodora's Czytaj więcej
The Rotunda Rooms

The Library walls are lined with a huge book collection, and show the curves of the rotunda. Lady Theodora, the 4th Marchioness, loved her husband's family and became its historian. She was Czytaj więcej
Ickworth: An Italianate Country House

This manor was built with a rotunda for entertaining, and the east wing for the family to live in. The west wing was just added for symmetry (and storage). The rotunda is embellished with Roman Czytaj więcej
Grange Barn

In the same town as Paycocke's House is a 1200s Grange Barn that belonged to a Cistercian Abbey to process and store the grain they raised on their grange (large farm). The local people were supposed Czytaj więcej
Tudor Merchant's House

Thomas Paycocke was a wealthy woolen cloth merchant, who had this house built in 1509 to serve as his home and his business. The building is richly carved, even including his and his wife's initials Czytaj więcej
Angelsey Abbey Garden Statuary

There are over 130 statues in the gardens. Temple Garden (the first one) was done in honor of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, June 2, 1953.
Angelsey Abbey Gardens

Lord Fairhaven had a strong interest in designing gardens, and they are beautiful. In addition to the flowers, he planted trees in honor of special occasions such as Coronation Avenue.
Lord Fairhaven: A Dapper Gentleman

This is his coronation robe, worn for the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and also for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Lord Fairhaven was always well-dressed and wore a carnation boutonniere most Czytaj więcej
Dinner with Lord Fairhaven

Lord Fairhaven didn't like to eat alone, so he often invited friends. He usually only had three guests at a time so everyone had a chance to be part of the conversation. At 9 p.m. the butler would Czytaj więcej
Lord Fairhaven's Collections

His library is full of books, many of which are about English country houses and gardens. He and his guests would gather in the library for before-dinner drinks. On one of the windows, Lord Fairhaven Czytaj więcej
Angelsey Abbey

Angelsey Abbey was built in the early 1100s, was owned and modified several times, and finally bought by brothers Huttelston and Henry Broughton in 1926, because they wanted to be close to the Czytaj więcej