Day 8 - Blenheim Palace & Oxford

Our first this morning was to Blenheim Palace. The Palace is the residence of the Dukes of Marlborough. The first Duke of Marlborough was John Churchill. Although not a Duke, Winston Churchill a member of that family line.

The tour guide and the house were wonderful. We got an early entrance and thus were able to beat the crowds. After the tour we were free to explore the grounds and the other exhibits. My favorite was the exhibit called Destiny. This exhibit gave an overview of John Churchill's tactics in battle and explained how the victories of the 1st Duke inspired Winston Churchill during his time as a political leader. Winston Churchill often said that it was his destiny to follow the path he did.

After the exhibit and walking around a portion of the vast gardens, we had lunch outside at the on-site cafe. The bees nearby were drawn to our sodas. As a bit of entertainment (for me) or a challenge (for John), John spent his time after eating capturing bees in each of our 3 cans of soda (one bee per can).

That night in Oxford dinner was on our own. We selected the White Horse Pub featured in some of the Inspector Morse shows. The food was okay, but nothing to rave about. I think we prefer what are now referred to as "gastro pubs". After dinner we walked around Oxford for a while and I got a scoop of caramel ice cream.

Once we got back to the hotel it was time to pack up to be ready to leave for Bath in the morning.Read more