What a great night of sleep. And what a warm, sunny day to wake up to. Perfect for Castle Howard!
Took the 8:30am Stephenson's bus, and got to the estate a little before 10. The estate did not open until 11, so I walked all over the grounds. Amazing! The gardens, fields, fountains, lakes. Everything was so peaceful. There were a handful of people who had arrived at the same time as me, but it felt like I had the entire outdoors to myself. Walked through a trail area in a forest full of plants, and gazed over a never-ending stretch of green pastures with flocks of sheep.
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| Beautiful peacock in entrance area |
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| Across the lake..so peaceful |
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| Castle Howard's main fountain |
I spent around three hours just walking around outside. Touring the estate was last. All the original furniture and paintings were displayed. Unfortunately, I didn't end up learning the significance of the mansion and why the Howard family was important.
After a good half of the day here, I bussed back to York, and my train troubles began. My first train to London was at 3:55, but was delayed until 4:46. I did not act fast enough to take the 3:29, but managed to take the 4:01 instead. Unfortunately, the 4:01 was not an express train, and it ended up being delayed during the route. I missed the 6:55 from London to Kent. Finally caught the 7:28. Ugh!
Uncle Andy picked me up from the train station. It was a very short drive to his home in Wigmore. The area is cute and small. After trying my first fish and chips while in England, I met my cousin Toby for the first time, then visited Aunt Sue and her mother. They have the cutest bearded collie!
Tomorrow we head to Canterbury!
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