Week Update...Not As Exciting As You Think!

Well, my dear readers, it has come to this: an update of almost a week crammed into one post. In my defense, I did not spend much time near a computer this week, as my cousin Catherine was sick with potential swine flu and the pros of visiting her house did not outweigh the cons of being quarantined before leaving the UK. :)

Rather than breaking down my week by days, I'll just give an overall synopsis of some of my activities:

Visited Gibside, an estate which was formerly owned by a woman known as the Unfortunate Countess, who was wed to an abusive husband who essentially imprisoned her on the grounds. (She escaped and later divorced him.) The manor is in ruins, and is literally a shell of a building...very sad, considering it's vast size and my romantic notions of how it must have looked. The grounds also include working stables, a walled garden, and a chapel which is still in use (the countess is buried beneath it).

Visited Wallington, an estate with a gorgeous garden, with my aunt and uncle. The rooms in the manor included the usual displays, but also contained an incredible display of doll houses, including a Victorian house with running water and electricity. Between that and the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh, I may have had my fix of doll houses.

I am currently spending time in the Lake District again with my Auntie Brenda and Uncle Tom. I took the train over from Newcastle yesterday, and I will head back sometime tomorrow. Brenda and I spent part of the morning in town shopping before attending the local livestock fair (which felt a bit like my warm-up for the State Fair back home)...most of the time was spent mooching around the craft tent, but I enjoyed seeing the animals. Jersey cows are beautiful. :) We also went to another craft fair near Penrith, which was a bit more extensive but still relatively small. We also went to church in town, which was my first real mass since London.

No promises regarding future posts...it all depends upon my ability to be near a computer. After I return East, I will have another full day in town before heading to London. I am spending most of Tuesday in transit, then hopping over to Cardiff all day Wednesday (which should yield an interesting post, even if it is written upon my return to the States).