Broughton Manor and Warwick Castle

Hello all!

I'm really excited about this post because I get to share so many amazing photos of Broughton Manor and Warwick Castle with you! Also, you'll get to see my wedding photo! Haha! I'll explain later.

For now, you should just know that visiting these two places made for one of the most amazing days of my life! Our group got a tour of Broughton Manor, which is a large and gorgeous house that has been owned by the same family for the last 600 years. There is a ton of history there, and it's still a private home, owned by Lord and Lady Sayre. Needless to say, I felt like Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice when she tours Pemberley. It was so cool!

Here are some photos of the manor:

This is the steeple of their private chapel, which is still used a few times a year.

More of the chapel and part of the cemetery which is on the grounds. Since the house was built in the Medieval Period, I can only imagine how old some of the graves are. Kinda cool, kinda creepy!

See that water? Can you guess what it is? Yes, it's a moat! Every house needs one!

Broughton Manor!! It's so awesome!

What? Doesn't everyone have a room in their house where they store all of their armor and weaponry from the English Civil War in the 1600s?

Just some stuff from the Middle Ages. No big deal.

This is the corridor in the house. The colors are gorgeous! And it's really long because back in the day, they would walk up and down the corridor for exercise when it rained, prohibiting them from walking outside.

Some of the super-expensive and super-beautiful trinkets in the corridor!

There were many beautiful alcoves off the corridor, like this one.

This is a portrait of Jane Austen's mother's cousin, who was an intimate friend of the owners of the manor. Jane Austen and her mom used to visit the house. Yes, that means that I was standing in some of the same rooms that Jane Austen used to stand in!

Photos of the Queen's Bedroom. This is the bed that Queen Anne slept in when she visited the manor! That's her portrait above the fireplace.

The most magnificent part of every room was definitely the fireplace. And this last room is where they shot some of the latest Jane Eyre film, which will come out soon. Judy Dench was in this room!!

Chairs from the coronation of the current queen and her coronation clothes!

Canonballs that were found in the moat from when the house was under attack. They keep these in The Room that Hath No Ears, named because you can't hear anything going on in that room if all the doors are closed. This house was against the king during the civil war, and this is the room where they discussed what they were going to do concerning the war. This would have been considered high treason!

Really ornate entry into the room, and an antique harp!

Beautiful view of the English countryside from the roof of the manor!
After visiting Broughton Manor, we went to Warwick Castle, which used to be the home of the Earl of Warwick, but is now owned by Madame Tussauds. It's way more touristy than Broughton Manor, and my camera died soon after we got there. So I only have a few photos.

My girlfriends and I had a great time at the castle! We climbed to the top of the towers, where the views were incredible! We even got to see sheep! Then we got a tour of the main hall of the castle by a guy who was dressed up as the last Earl of Warwick. It was really cool! He gave us all the history of the house, even the secret and haunted history!

And now...the photo you've all been waiting for...my wedding photo!!

The man/knight whose arm and hand/sword I am holding is my husband! Can you believe it!! I'm sorry to all of you who wanted to come to my wedding, but how could I pass up being married to a knight in a castle?!?

Ok, here's what happened: We had seen and talked to these three guys while we were wandering around the castle. They were all very nice. The one with the spear even made fun of me a little. Then we saw them all together standing by the exit when we were leaving, and we asked to take a picture with them. Now, whenever you get pictures with the men in costume, they always offer you their arm. It enhances the medieval experience. So when we went to take this last picture, I instinctively took his arm. At the second I took his arm, he said, "Do you want to hold my sword? Oh, my arm!" So then, I put my hand on his sword, but his hand was on the sword too. Then he said, "Oh, my arm and my hand! Now, you're my wife!" His name is Chris, and though this photo doesn't show it, believe me. He's REALLY handsome!!! And without giving you all the particulars of the conversation, I will tell you that we've decided to honeymoon in Spain!

So let's recap: I had a great day visiting an English manor and a castle, and by the end of it, I got myself a husband! And not an ordinary husband, a knight! And we got married in a CASTLE! Haha! But seriously, it was an amazing day! I am so blessed to have all of these experiences!

I hope all of you are enjoying my photos and their explanations/stories!
Love and miss you all!

Quick Update

Hello all!

I know it's been awhile since I updated the blog, mainly because I don't have any new photos for you yet. But tomorrow, that will change. The program that I'm a part of is sponsoring a trip to Broughton Manor and Warwick Castle. I'm so excited! Apparently, Broughton is quintessentially medieval, and Warwick Castle is, well, a CASTLE, complete with torture chambers!

As for what I've been doing lately, that would be studying. I spent most of Wednesday and Thursday in various libraries throughout Oxford. And though that might seem boring, it has actually quite a nice experience. At times, it even seems like a mystical experience. I know it sounds crazy, but let me explain myself. Yesterday, I was reading Northanger Abbey in the Christ Church Library, and I came to the part in the novel where Austen mentions Christ Church (She mentions Oxford numerous times throughout the work.). Though it was a remark of very little consequence, I had to stop and reflect on how blessed I am to be here, and how crazy it is to be reading a novel, which was written over 200 years ago, in the exact place the author mentions!

In short, I'm still loving it here! The workload is getting a little intense, but that's ok. I'm reading things that I find interesting, and it's almost all on my own terms. And it's only 6 weeks, out of an 8-week term, which means I'll have some time to travel throughout England! London, Stonehenge and the Cliffs of Dover are high on my list; so expect photos. Speaking of photos, I know this post is conspicuously lacking in them; so, here you go:

Not the most interesting image, but I figured I would share my new-found school spirit. Go Oxford Blues!

Love and miss you all!
 

Christ Church

Hello all!

Today was the first day I spent "in college," which just means that today is the first day I hung around Christ Church for most of the day. It's so funny how things that aren't very glamorous, like reading and studying, can be transformed into the most awesome things in the world when you're doing them in a beautiful and historical setting. I was reading/studying in the Christ Church Library today, and at times, I had to stop and marvel at the architecture and artwork around me. I am so incredibly blessed to be in such a beautiful place, studying alongside some of history's greatest minds!

Here are some photos of my college:

This is Tom Quad. The grass is perfect because no one is allowed to walk on it!

This is when I realized that I GO TO SCHOOL IN A CASTLE!!!!!

This is Merton in the middle of the fountain. The first time I came to Christ Church, he was wearing a santa hat!

Ok, all you Harry Potter fans, here it is. The Christ Church dining hall. Apparently, the filmmakers modeled some scenes from the movies after this place, where I get to eat dinner every night! It's also where King Charles I and his royal court ate when he moved the capital from London to Oxford during the British Civil War. So it's kind of like dining with royalty. It's difficult to get a good picture of it because of the lighting, but it's very beautiful, and very Harry Potter. Definitely fit for a king! There are portraits of VIP graduates everywhere, and the dining experience is really cool. They serve us a three-course meal!

That's all for now.
Love and miss you all!

Week 1 in a Nutshell

Hello friends!

My first week here has been amazing! I had a great 21st birthday with my friends from CUA and some of the other people in the program. It's been great getting to know everyone! It has also been sunny for a remarkable amount of time, and I explored the city and took some cool photos. Here are the highlights:

These are some pictures of my college, Christ Church. It's so beautiful! These photos don't really do it justice, but I hope to take better ones soon.

These are some of the things I get to see when I walk around the city centre!! It's so incredible! The architecture is simply gorgeous. Why don't our post offices look like that?!?

More impressive architecture!

Yesterday, our group was officially admitted into the Bodleian Library as temporary members. It was really serious. We had to hear about the history of the library and swear an oath in order to be admitted. It, like everything else here, is really beautiful! I read there for the first time today, and I just had to stop for a moment, look up, and marvel at what an incredible blessing it is to study here.

This is a the top half of the Divinity School in the Bodleian.

Walking around the grounds of the Bodleian

This is the Radcliffe Camera. No photos or visitors allowed inside. This is where I studied today!!

Also, I met with both of my tutors today. They're both extremely nice, and now I know a bit more about what I'll be doing here, which is helpful. I've also received two reading lists, but they seem pretty managable (I hope!).

That's all for now.
Love and miss you all!