Day 21

Today is Highclere Castle Day!!! Our friends are taking good care of us and are taking us out of town to Highclere Castle today. They booked the tickets last March when they knew we were coming and wanted to go there. Like typical locals, they had not been out there yet, even though they are Downton Abbey fans.I would say it took 1.5 hours travel time to get there but I am not really sure as I didn't look at the time closely. It was a nice drive, especially the last part, in the English countryside. A nice drive but we would never do it ourselves! There is a large field in front of the castle where one parks, you proceed to the ticket check, and not the antique French vehicle turned into a snack bar next to the ticket booth.

The visits are well organized. We had a 1p entry time. We arrived a little early, just enough time for a G&T plus a snack and we were ready to enter. They stagger the entry times so it won't seem so crowded. Sadly, Carson, Mrs. Hughes and not even one of the staff was there to greet us. Hahahahaha. But enter we did!

The Doorway

They have laminated printouts in each room to explain what you are looking at. Most rooms you have a large photograph of a scene or two from the Downton Abbey series so you can place the actors in the room and see how it was accomplished. The library has books from the 1500's, truly  an amazing room. Another room has tapestry, another with a beautifully painted ceiling, and the list goes on. At the end of the tour of the castle you have the option to see the Egyptian Exhibit. There is some confusion as to the origin of the artifacts, at the entrance we were told everything was a replica in the exhibit. Yet at the actual exhibit we were told the first room had actual artifacts but the other rooms had replicas. So, I'm not sure. Either way we looked and passed through this area, which was quite warm and so we all went quickly at the end at different times. John and Tawny found a table and tried to locate George, meanwhile I made a quick visit to the gift shop. Then we had a quick drink and snack and headed out.

We made a quick stop in Tawny's old neighborhood and visited St. Peter's park where there is a bench in memory of her daughter who was killed in an automobile accident many years ago. Such a touching moment. 

We at a a curry restaurant called Haweli. We had a great feast and a great visit. Our friends dropped us off at our hotel - happy, stuffed, and grateful! 

Such a FEAST!