Upon arrival, we took a taxi to our bed and breakfast as I'd opted for a quiet place a couple of miles from the town center, namely Hawkwell House (http://www.hawkwellhouse.co.uk/home.php). A most welcomed slower-pace after the London-frenzy.
England in the grips of a heat and humidity wave was bad enough, but in an un-air-conditioned room, the discomfort was upped a bit.
After settling in, we, hungry, took a bus into town and had fish and chips at the King's Arms. (Also the first pub I visited when I was in Oxford for the Exeter summer program ten years ago).
One of us had a dark ale. I know; it's a taste preferential. But dark warm beer is so distasteful to me that I feel almost like the kid in "The Emperor's New Clothes": someone needs to say it: "THAT STUFF IS VILE." So vile, to me, that I do not believe for one second that anyone truly LIKES it. I think it's just considered cool and people just drink it because it's supposed to be the real stuff. But I KNOW you don't really LIKE it. I'm so onto this game.Back at Hawkwell, I took some photos of the grounds in the growing dusk. On the front law, a small covered arbor with seats:
The restaurant there, Arrezzo, was wonderful. We had a lavish fabulous breakfast buffet there two mornings, and dinner on Monday night. This shot is outside the bar area:
Backtrack to town scenes: Radcliffe Camera:
The bridge of sighs:
a doorway:
a gargoyle guarding a pub:
a bit of frozen music:
back to Hawkwell House. This gable-chimney parade was across the street, looking over the big stone wall in front:
la vie en rose:
I blame Francis Hodgson Burnett for my lifelong fascination with doors in walls:
Our room was in the back of the property, in Elm House. As you can see, the windows aren't up or down very far because of a stop (understandable, as one doesn't want strangers wandering in through the window). Also, has England never heard of window screens? Bugs galore!
A view out the window and also reflecting the room:
I love how this turned out. The property has a front house, then a larger building behind it with more rooms, then Elm House on up the hill, accessible by a drive, which I photograph here. I took this in darkness, hence the blur. The light is from lanterns along the drive.
The front house at night:
The restaurant there, Arrezzo, was wonderful. We had a lavish fabulous breakfast buffet there two mornings, and dinner on Monday night. This shot is outside the bar area:
Backtrack to town scenes: Radcliffe Camera:
The bridge of sighs:
a doorway:
a gargoyle guarding a pub:
a bit of frozen music:
back to Hawkwell House. This gable-chimney parade was across the street, looking over the big stone wall in front:
la vie en rose:
I blame Francis Hodgson Burnett for my lifelong fascination with doors in walls:
Our room was in the back of the property, in Elm House. As you can see, the windows aren't up or down very far because of a stop (understandable, as one doesn't want strangers wandering in through the window). Also, has England never heard of window screens? Bugs galore!
A view out the window and also reflecting the room:
I love how this turned out. The property has a front house, then a larger building behind it with more rooms, then Elm House on up the hill, accessible by a drive, which I photograph here. I took this in darkness, hence the blur. The light is from lanterns along the drive.
The front house at night:
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