the london diaries. downton's church.

I just had to include some photographs of the church yard and interior of St. Michael & All Angels Church, better known to the world as the church on Downton Abbey... This was where we watched Mary walk down the aisle to marry Matthew. This is the church yard where Matthew was buried. The arched door on the backside of the church is where we see the family exit together after church services. It felt very special to me to walk around in a place where people I love have walked.  I know that they are characters in a story, but I do still love them.  And they do seem very real to me indeed.  So there.

 My friend Jennifer said that the stone they designed for Matthew looks similar to this one in the church yard.

 I was enchanted by the needlepoint kneelers.  They each looked so personalized.

 I believe that this is the door that we see the family entering and exiting the church from.

This is a good picture with a view from the church back up the village street (past Mrs. Crowley's house and the hospital.)  I think you can get an idea of what a small little area this really is... but we have sure seem a lot of action here!

the london diaries. downton abbey's village.

Since being in England, I have learned that the village scenes that we know and love from Downton Abbey are filmed in a real English village named Bampton.  When my CM friend Jennifer Keller (with whom I stayed over the weekend) asked if I would like to visit this "Downton" village, I jumped on it.

The Keller home is in the village of Nether Wallop which just happens to be in the same county as Highclere Castle, known to us as Downton Abbey.  I was surprised to realize that the "Downton" village is about 45 miles from "Downton Abbey" or Highclere Castle.  Of course, in our minds, they are just down the road from one another.

Another surprising thing for me is what a tiny section of Bampton they actually use for filming the village scenes in our beloved show.  There is one little street of houses that are on a slight curve. It opens onto the green and there sits the building that is used as the entrance to the hospital. Right next to it is Mrs. Crowley's house. And next to that, the large church. In fact  it is such a small area, with such a compact feel to it, that I could not move back far enough to get the whole scene in one photograph.

Here is the view from the street looking onto the green:

Mrs. Crowley's house - and me next to it:

And the church and church yard:

When we arrived, a brother and sister were playing next to the green and batting tennis balls against a wall opposite our "Downton scenery" with tennis rackets.  I kept wondering if they felt like they were playing on 'hallowed ground' the way that I felt walking around this place.  In all honesty it was hard at first to recognize our Downton scenery because there were so many modern cars lining every street and all around the green.  It was actually kind of frustrating because I wanted everything cleared out for me to savor the place as I knew it. ha. But when I stepped back and squinted my eyes, I could see Anne running down the street toward the Crowleys... and I could see the Dowager and Mrs. Crowley sitting in the car and bantering about traveling together.

Here is a photo looking down the street toward the green & the church. And other under it from the bookstore showing the same street with all the cars and 21st century things cleared away!

This is the diagram that they sold in the little bookstore inside the "hospital" building which was a great guide to help your eyes recognize our favorite scenes!

To be honest, I cannot wait to get home to watch some Downton Abbey episodes and realize that I WAS INTEND THERE on the very scene!

the london diaries. it's a small world after all.

On Saturday morning, my friend Jennifer Keller (more about her and her sweet family coming soon) pointed me in the direction of the street market while she attended to another appointment.  After enjoying a much needed cup of coffee, I ventured toward the town square of Salisbury where the market tents were set up.  I approached the first stand that caught my attention because I wanted to photograph the stack of farm fresh eggs for sale.

Then a bright voice caught my attention and said "Hello! I bet you don't remember me."  After a few seconds he helped me remember by saying "I was sitting across from you on the train into Salisbury last night."   To which I smiled and said "Yes I remember! You were in a khaki suit and you ordered a glass of wine."  (I remembered because I wanted a glass myself, but had to keep all my faculties clear to get where I needed to go!) And when I reviewed the photos on my camera, I even had a photo of him. I was trying to photograph myself in the reflection in the train window, and he was the passenger in view. ha.

He name is John Longley and he used the own the poultry farm that was selling the eggs, chickens and cheese at the market. He helps out the new owner on market days 'for fun'. We smiled at the coincidence  and snapped this photo to remember the sweet providence that made me feel at bit at home in this big market, and more than that, made me aware again (for the kajillionth time) of God's Hand on my trip.

the london diaries. salisbury saturday market.

I have a thing for street markets.  I love absorbing the sights, the sounds and the smells.  I love watching the locals.  I also really, really love photographing stuff in outdoor markets.  There is so much life represented in such a compact space, and I truly enjoy viewing it through the lens of my camera.  Here's a taste of what I saw.

 What a beautiful selection of wild mushrooms!

I could have spent the better part of an hour gazing at (and smelling) this olive stand. 

You can possibly understand why I felt exhilarated and rejuvenated after being at this market on Saturday morning in Salisbury, England. This is a smithering of the photos I took, and it was hard not to post more mushrooms & olives!

the london diaries. perfect timing.

  Rapeseed field in full bloom.

It is not lost on me that I happen to be in England at a very lovely time of year.  At the beginning of a Frommers travel guide you can read some opinions about the best time of year to visit a country.  This trip came upon me so fast that I did not have time to investigate what Frommers had to say about it... but I would say that it is perfect timing.

The daffodils has been at their peak of blooming, and there are a lot of them to enjoy.   In southern England where I ventured over the weekend, it wasn't uncommon to see whole sections of yards & fields covered in them.

Not only were the daffodils in bloom, but the rapeseed fields were in full bloom.  When we made the drive to Bampton, I quickly lost count of the bright yellow fields that covered the countryside.  I was told that in America we were not fond of the word "rapeseed" so we call it canola instead.  The end market product from these glowing fields is CANOLA OIL.

the london diaries. welcome baby rue!

Welcome to the world, Russo "Rue" Elaine Faller!  Little Rue is the daughter of our Kiley & Andy Faller, and she made her appearance on Thursday, April 3rd at 5:37pm.  She arrived at 11:37pm on the English clock to me!  I was thrilled that I was back at my B&B with wifi to follow the action for the six hours leading up to her birth.

I cannot tell you have thankful I am for texting and FaceTime on this adventure.  I even 'got in trouble' for posting something on Instagram & Facebook before the parents. Oops. Nobody gave me the memo.  Who would have thought that Grandma Bunny across the ocean could be getting the news as instantaneously as everyone else.  We live in an amazing age... and we welcome you into it little Rue!

This is grand bunny #7 for Mike and me.

Grand bunny #8 is due on Easter Sunday.  Daughter Emily is already 4 centimeters dilated but is managing to keep the "bun warming in the oven".

the london diaries. so many posts, so little time.

I had a weekend in the English countryside that I will never forget... savoring the sights & sounds of the Saturday street market in Salisbury... walking the streets of Bampton where the village scenes of Downton Abbey are filmed... time with the Keller family in Nether Wallop... attending Sunday morning worship with their family in Salisbury this morning... and taking the train back to Rickmansworth tonight...

I have photos that capture the adventures, and a list of posts I want to do... but I am so tired I can barely hold my eyes open tonight.  I have high hopes for blogging tomorrow!