Come Along with Me to Hogwarts

 

Probably the most elegant site where I will ever eat lunch, the courtyard of Alnwick Castle

The magnificent Alnwick Castle -- the site of Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter movies -- was not one of the places I expected to visit during my England stop this month. I was focused on seeing Lindisfarne/Holy Island -- a future post -- but the day trip I chose from Edinburgh included a visit to the castle. I expected it would be interesting, but as with so many of the extraordinary events in life, it came on quite unexpected, and far exceeded my expectations.  

Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

The castle was begun in 1096, very quickly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was purchased by the Percy family in the fourteenth century and it is still the family home. The family are now (and for several centuries) the Dukes of Northumberland and the family of the twelfth Duke is responsible for the castle and the grounds. For centuries the castle was primarily a military fortress and it fell into disrepair. That is now history and it has been beautifully restored. 

Next to the castle is The Alnwick Garden, created by the Duchess of Northumberland in 2001. It is a modern garden with a wonderful display of sculpture, fountains and lots of places to sit and enjoy the sights. There is also an area for tea, but alas, I didn't have time for both tea and to explore the castle and garden. I opted to explore as much as I was able to. 

Yes, the go-carts are provided and there were definitely used. 

One of my favorite fountains of the garden. Fortunately I was there before the heat wave. 

There were several other features of the castle and garden I didn't have time for, besides tea. There is a "poison garden," with poisonous plants, and broomstick lessons to pay homage to the filming of Harry Potter. The Quidditch and flying scenes were filmed in the Outer Bailey, a grassy open courtyard.

Ready for a Quidditch match?

History, magic, film and more history. My visit to Alnwick was an opportunity to go back in time, but with modern plumbing and good coffee. I'm a devotee of time travel books -- Outlander! -- and I'm intrigued by the idea of time travel. I like the idea of visiting past times, but don't like the thought of leaving modern conveniences (and hygiene) behind. 

Any other time travel fans in Buttercupland?

Jet lag seems mostly gone and I'm scheduling ahead for the Fourth of July weekend. I'm going to try and avoid the big crowds -- no fireworks for me -- but still have some interesting things planned. What is on the schedule, friends?

As ever, thanks for visiting and keep cool!

 

(Some of) The Sights I Saw

The best view in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle

I've been home from one of the best trips ever to England, Ireland and Scotland for four days. I'm finally able to stay awake beyond 8:00 PM (actually 1 am in Edinburgh. Jet lag has been rough coming home from this trip, but the days away were well worth it.  

Incredible  Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland, England

Friends have asked what were the high points of the trip. So many! Two especial adventures were meeting friends that I'd been in touch with via Instagram, enjoying York and Edinburgh, seeing the beauty of Connemara on Ireland's Atlantic Coast and Holy Island, a beautiful tidal island in England. 

Loved the thatched cottages that I saw in Ireland...

...And the scones that I enjoyed.  

I enjoyed this delicious scone during my visit to Connemara. 

These are just a few of the high points. I'm hoping/planning to do posts on a few of the places I've written about. I'm getting back on track with all the home errands and feel reasonably caught up. I realized that the jet lag would be difficult and I kept this week very lightly scheduled.  

Keep cool, friends in Europe, and prayers for our friends in Venezuela, dealing with a devastating earthquake.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

 

The Journey of 904 Miles

 

One of my favorite places to walk is in my neighborhood

Welcome to June, the month where we go from spring to summer and it's time for the joys of long evenings. I'll be spending most of June in England/Ireland and Scotland and I will experience, not quite white nights, but a lot more light. I looked up the Isle of Mull in Scotland, one of the ports that I'll be visiting and sunset tonight is a blissful 10:03 PM and sunrise is at 4:39 am. 

Before I start walking in places new to me, it's time for an update on this year's walking journey. My goal for 2026 is (a somewhat odd) 904 miles, which is the number that will add up to 10,000 miles in ten years. Happily, despite the cold and snowy winter and my ankle issue, I'm right on track. My total for 2026 is 406 miles in five months. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the remaining 498 miles is doable. 

I'm not packed -- I wait until the day I'm leaving to actually put things in the suitcase -- but I feel organized. I know the last minute I will think of a dozen things that need to get done, but for now it seems under control. I've scheduled very little and that's helped a lot. In the next two days I'll go over my lists and make sure that I'm getting all my pre-trip errands done. Today was laundry day and download books day, two travel essentials.  

Before I sign off here are a few more pictures from my trip to Salem.

The view from the House of the Seven Gables

One evening visited with friends in Marblehead, MA and this was our view.

There will be lots of views of sea and sky in June and I will be sharing them with you while I am away. There will also be cities, villages and scones, lots of scones and jam. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.  

Matinee Day

 

My most recent theater afternoon, Fallen Angels, with Kelli O'Hara and Rose Byrne

My love of the theater started early. We didn't go often. We lived in Connecticut and tickets were pricy, when it was possible my mother and I would go to local plays. I remember seeing Oklahoma in a local "summer stock" production when I was nine or ten and from then on, my dream was to see a show on Broadway. That didn't happen for years, but our family vacation was a week in New York City in 1965. 

Once I was in college I was making my way on the New Haven Railroad to see theater. Tickets were three and four dollars -- approximately a few hours of my wages at my college job -- and I saw as much as possible. Getting tickets ahead of time was cumbersome. There was no internet with seating charts and credit cards. I had to mail a check and hope for good seats. Two plays from that era stand out. One was a revival of Our Town with Henry Fonda and the other a revival of Harvey with Helen Hayes and Jimmy Stewart. They were both so worth the effort and still stand out as some of the best theater I've seen.   

Once I moved to New York theater has been one of my favorite activities. Some plays have been as memorable as Harvey and some much less so. Ticket prices have gone from a treat or a splurge to at times, astronomical. I've become a very smart ticket buyer, using discount websites and when there's no discount, choosing carefully. I've learned that I'd rather see one thing I really want than several things I don't particularly care about. 

My latest theater event was seeing a revival of Noel Cowards, Fallen Angels. The play was described as not one of Coward's best -- which I agree with -- but I wanted to see Kelli O'Hara, one of my favorite actors. The play itself was okay, but Kelli O'Hara and Rose Byrne were delights. I remember seeing Rose Byrne in Bridesmaids and she was fabulously funny on stage with terrific comic timing. These two performances are now part of my theater memories.  

Is anyone else in Buttercupland a theater fan? What are some of your favorite plays?

It's a beautiful day in New York City, sunny and no humidity. I've got a synagogue volunteer event tonight and a haircut scheduled for tomorrow. And on Sunday I'm going to a very off-Broadway theater event with friends.  

As ever, thanks for visitng and have a great weekend. 

Time Will Not Dim the Glory of Their Deeds

In May, 2023 I had the privilege of visiting the Cambridge (UK) American Cemetery and Memorial in Cambridge, England. I came home soon after and did a post very similar to this one. Now three years have passed and it's once again Memorial Day and the memory of visiting the American Cemetery is at the center of my thoughts today. 

It's a beautiful place, calm and serene, a dignified resting place for 3800 members of the military, most of whom died in the Battle of the Atlantic or the air bombardments of Northwest Europe in World War II. It is beautifully maintained and it honors those who are buried here.    

There is also a Wall of the Missing, above. There are rosettes for some of the 5100 names here, whose bodies were recovered after the wall was constructed.  

On this day it's easy to think about  American service members who died in the far (and not so far) reaches of the world. This is the day to remember, but I want to ensure that my gratitude extends to the other 364 days of the year, when there are no commemorations.  

In grateful remembrance, today and every day, may their memories be for a blessing. 

What a Difference a Day Makes

 

Yesterday at Richard Tucker Park, near Lincoln Center

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day. It was a little breezy, but warm enough to sit outside and enjoy people watching, iced coffee and conversation. It was the perfect start to the Memorial Day weekend. I had plans for visiting an outdoor photography exhibit this afternoon and a barbecue with friends on Monday. 

 

One of the end frames of The Sheep Detectives 

Yesterday was  bright and sunny and today has been the exact opposite. This afternoon the temperature was in the low fifties and as the day progressed the rain got heavier. It was the perfect afternoon for a movie. I saw The Sheep Detectives and it was a wonderful rainy day movie. It was sweet, a little sad and, one of my favorite things, a good detective story, the end of which I didn't guess. It was a very old-fashioned way to spend a rainy afternoon, but still as satisfying as rainy day matinees were sixty years ago.

 

It was quite a movie weekend. Yesterday I was also at the movie theater for the opening day of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. I'm a fan of The Mandalorian series and an enormous fan of Grogu/Baby Yoda. Grogu was adorable, Mando (the Mandolorian) was fearless and the special effects were great. 

More rain is expected for tomorrow and I hope to work through a long list of at home to-dos. I'm going to go over my list for my England/Ireland/Scotland trip, and after booking the trip almost a year ago, I will be in Newcastle, England two weeks from tonight. 

Whether it's sunny or not where you are, I hope you're enjoying the weekend. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great weekend.  
   

Back to an Earlier Time

 

One of the beautiful historic homes in Salem, MA 

I had trouble choosing a title for this post. Though I was only in Salem for a very quick three days, it felt that I'd gone back to the Seventeenth and Nineteenth centuries. And as quickly as I'd gone back in time I was catapulted back to the present the moment I stepped off the train in New York City. 

I spent my time in the past via my college class mini-reunion. I attended two colleges and both have mini-reunions -- small off-campus get-togethers between the standard five year reunions. I've traveled to a half dozen different places, made new friends and caught up with friends from college days. It's been an extraordinary privilege and Salem was one of the best. 

The House of the Seven Gables

Before my visit Salem brought two ideas to mind. One was the Witch Trials of 1692 and the other was this beautiful Seventeenth Century house in the picture above that inspired a novel. I gained so much knowledge of both from tours, lectures and museum visits. I was delighted to find that that Salem was a treasure trove of beautiful colonial and Nineteenth Century architecture. I was also delighted that lilacs were everywhere in Salem and it was the perfect week for them to bloom. 

Lilacs on beautiful Chestnut Street, one of the loveliest streets in Salem

  

It wasn't all seminars and lectures, there was time to chat during our walks and leisurely meals. I especially enjoyed lunches with friends at Red's Sandwich Shop, which had the friendliest staff, great coffee and delicious omelets. I liked it so well that I went there for both lunches during my visit. 

 

Samantha, from Bewitched

Our group chose to visit Salem in the spring, before the crowds arrive in the fall for Halloween festivities. The streets and restaurants weren't crowded and the weather was beautiful. It's highly unlikely that I could have taken this photograph without dozens of people in the picture in October, when over a million visitors -- including 90,000+ on Halloween -- come to Salem.  

I returned home and back to this century with great memories, new friends, photographs and a miserable cold. My nose has been running and I've had a cough that sounded like a barking seal. I've taken it easy for few days -- 95 degrees and lots of pollen -- and I am barking a lot less. I'm still tired, but feeling better and am beginning to get organized for my trip to England in just a few weeks.  

As ever, thanks for visiting, and as our tour guide in Salem wished us, have a magical day.