Jane Austen Country


Yesterday was one of my favorite days in England. We visited Stourhead Gardens, Winchester Cathedral, and Portchester Castle. You heard me, a real castle! Sadly the dragons were vacationing in Transylvania and the Knights were all at the Round table for a meeting, but it was still fun.
First, we had a two hour ride (nap time!) to Stourhead Gardens. I highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone! In case you wanted to know, the scene in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice when Mr.Darcy confesses his love and offers his hand to Elizabeth (in the rain) is shot here. We all watched it that night and screamed "We stood there!" when that scene came on. I was pretty exciting.
Stourhead Garden is officially my favorite place on earth. It was foggy that day and a light mist was sprinkling down as we trekked across luscious green grass around the lake to the Pantheon, Gazebo type building and breath taking scenery.
It was heaven on earth and I was sad when we had to leave.

Next we traveled to Winchester Cathedral. It's kind of sad that the first thing I thought of when hearing this is "the Winchester boys from Supernatural!" ha ha. I'm addicted to that TV show. It was a really nice place. I love cathedrals so it was another great one to add to my list. It is the longest cathedral. They have a little corner where they had a large candle holder and there were a couple candles there. There was a note next to it saying you could light a candle and it would be your prayer. It sounded like a nice idea so I lit one. There was a cute poem to go along with it:
I lit a candle today
I didn't know how to pray
I didn't know what to say
I didn't have much time
The LIGHT which I offered was
a little of what I have
a little of my time
a little of myself
I left it before the Lord
before the Blessed Virgin
and the whole company of heaven
The FLAME stood for my prayer
which is always with me.
I thought it was a nice idea and kind of cute. Cathedrals always have happy stuff like this that makes me smile. No matter what religion, these ideas are still related to God and still warming to your heart: A prayer to God. Also, Jane Austen is buried there. I LOVE what was written on her grave, but i don't have the patience to type it all. But the last line was (referring to those who knew her), "But in their deepest affliction they are consoled by a firm though humble hope that her charity, devotion, faith and purity have rendered her soul acceptable in the sight of her redeemer." Isn't that beautiful? I think so.
Last, we went to the great hall which I wasn't interested in tat much. By then my shoes and socks (and therefore feet) were thoroughly soaked and I wanted to climb back on the bus and SLEEP! until...(drum roll please) we went to Portchester Castle!!! I was very happy when I saw the tall stone building, excited when I saw the moat and ecstatic when I saw THE OCEAN!! It was actually a channel but it leads to the ocean so it's good enough for me. I have seen the ocean 2 times in my life (once was also a channel) and I was so happy to walk by the shore outside a castle. It felt like I was in one of my childhood dreams of being a princess.
There were seagulls (which I haven't seen since I left Provo) and seashells and a sub species of seaweed(I don't know what else to call it; it was mucky,by the sea and resembled a weed) and fog and boats and happiness! The castle was amazing too. We got to go to the top of the tallest tower and look out over the water and surrounding town. It was so beautiful. I loved everything about that place, except the time when I almost slipped into the moat. It was really muddy and I stepped on a supposedly less slippery spot, both feet slipped a couple inches into the moat but I caught myself with my hands. It wouldn't have hurt because the moat was filled with about one foot of water and three feet of mud, but it would have possibly ruined my day. Well, that was my Wednesday. Oh, then we went out for Thai food which was REALLY good.

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