From the City to the Peak District!

Now, I shall finally start to get some posts and pictures going here! This post is from the 11th of September.

Such a busy day! We went to Platt Hall and got to handle some of the costumes there. It was amazing to be able to see a hold to gowns, spencers, petticoats and jackets and examine the construction of them. I took so many pictures of the items, but unfortunately, I am not allowed to post them on the internet or show them to anyone who was not there. :( . However, there were other adventures throughout the day that I can happily share!

Suzie, trying to make us understand a lacing technique.

  

Inside Platt Hall was so beautiful!

                     I went to lunch at the Witworth Gallery with a bunch of the lovely ladies

                                       I had a wonderful bruschetta with fresh mozzarella.

 Jeanie and I saw wonderful Sarees in some window displays. Look at all that beading/embroidering!

 

Inside the shop. So many colors!

 

Another shop we found sold the Saree fabric on bolts. Jeanie couldn't resist! The shot on the right shows one of the kinds she got.

 

We all met up again at our hotel and enjoyed some tea while waiting for our bus.

 

Super cool chairs in the lobby. I want them.                                   The doorman outside our hotel.

 

 

 

We packed up and left Manchester that afternoon.Then all twenty-something of us on a huge bus, chatting or reading (or sleeping), made our way out of the city and into the breathtaking peak district!

 

Two Photos of the Peak District

 

 

Jennie and her sweet little baby

 

Left: rainbow in the peak district.                   Right: our room in the Rutland Arms Hotel in Bakewell.

 

The view from our room (my room mate Joy, and my room)

 

I needed a cuppa tea after the drive.

 

We were told to meet in the dining room for dinner, and this is what awaited us!

 

 

I know this post has been filled with more pictures than explanations, and yes, there are a few more coming. If you have no interest in food, feel free to consider this post done. However, if you love to eat and wanna see some good food, keep reading! (well, looking and drooling is more like it.)

 

My starter was a tomato basil soup.

 

My main course was chicken with leeks and mushrooms and a brandy cream sauce.

 

And to finish up, fresh fruit with raspberry sorbet and a brandy snap!

 

Bakewell is famous for its bakewell pudding (which is not at all like American pudding) so this was another popular dish.

Back in the USA

No, I'm not dead. Yes, I did make it back from my globe trotting safely. It doesn't seem possible that a month has passed since the time I sat in the airport writing about my flight troubles! I fully intended to keep my blog going while I was gone, but a day or two into the trip, the hotel I was at didn't have wifi access. So I thought "ok, well I'll just catch up when I can get online again." Yeah, nice thought. I'm discovering I am the type of person who really needs to stay on top of things if I'm ever going to get them done, even if its things I like. Like blogging.
I'm sorting through the hundreds of pictures as I recover from jet-lag, but hopefully it won't be too long before I am able to start posting again.

Off to the Land of Austen and Tea...Eventually!

This is the first time I've have to navigate through all the security, gates, terminals of the airports by myself. Actually, the last time I was on a plane I was 3 or 4 years old, wearing bright red sweatshirts and sweatpants along with my siblings so my parents could keep track of us better in the busy airports.

Yesterday my flight was scheduled to leave around 5:30 pm but there was horrible weather and it was delayed until 6:30 pm, and again until 7 pm. We finally boarded shortly after 7, which meant when we landed in Philadelphia, I'd have to make a mad dash to the right terminal to catch my 8:40 flight.

If my outgoing flight had been in the same terminal, I would've had time to make the flight, it wasn't. Nope, we landed at terminal F and I had to take the shuttle alllll the way around to terminal A...and then run down the entire terminal because of course my flight departed from the very end of the terminal. Though, I don't know if you could classify the way I was moving as running, between my backpack on my back, a bag in one hand and clutching my ticket in the other, I'm pretty sure I resembled and mad woman waddling in a hurried manner through the terminal.

So I missed my flight. Now what?  I called my parents to let them know what happened and then got my ticket replaced. I was given a voucher for a hotel and just as I was starting to feel very small and lost in the airport, my brother called me and helped me figure things out. I ended up figuring out where I needed go, called and booked a hotel, found the shuttle to get me there and finally, around 11:30pm, I flopped onto the hotel bed. And I didn't move until it was absolutely necessary. I slept into a shocking 9:30 the next morning, had some breakfast, called the shuttle and got ready to head out to the airport.

So now here I am, sitting at the airport waiting for my 8:40 flight and wishing so much that I could be with my group in Manchester right now as they are looking at antique garments. *sigh* Oh well, least I was still in  U.S. so I could use my cell to make phone calls, and I'll be on my way in roughly four hours.

For now though, I think I'll search out some tea and finish my book. Cheerio!