The Jen and Bill Experience: Blenheim Palace

I'm interrupting our regularly scheduled post for an update on planking. I'm surprised that our readers are not up to date on all the latest fads. Planking is a yoga move but it was hijacked several years ago for this picture taking trend. Planking is actually so old that there are other similar crazes that have already taken it's place.

Owling - this crouching move can be on it's on or ON someone planking http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2015034/Owling-new-planking-New-crouching-craze-springs-internet.html
Milking - this is more of a video craze where people pour milk over their heads http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2012/nov/26/milking-the-new-internet-craze-video
Baguetting - posing with a loaf of bread (some of these are pretty funny) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255126/Baguette-Me-Nots-Comedians-bizarre-internet-craze-photo-posing-baguettes-unique-situations.html
Breaded Cats - I don't even know what to say about this one... http://www.breadedcats.com

I'm sure there are more of these memes but I'm glad that I could bring everyone up to date on the latest crazes. I expect to see pictures of all of you planking, owling and baguetting on Facebook.

And now - back to the blog!!

Sunday afternoon at Blenheim Palace. This has been on my to do list for a while and while we enjoyed it, we couldn't help but notice that it was quite a money maker. 21 pounds per person to enter, another 6 if you want to see the apartments, bottled water with the Blenheim label, make a winston Churchill coin with your pence, multiple gift shops, and six different eating venues. I'm sure the first Duke of Marlborough never dreamt that his home would become such a mecca of capitalism.

This is the great hall (left) and a family portrait by John Singer Sargent. JSS is everywhere, isn't he?

So in addition to the many money making ventures in the palace, there was also a movie exhibit. Blenheim is whoring itself out to Hollywood, Bollywood - any wood it can get in the door, really. On the left are some actual shirts worn in a movie (I forgot which one because there have been many). I was amused by the little tags that said things like "Messy shirt worn in Gullivers Travels". Are they making sure that we know the stains are deliberate? On the right is a tree that was used in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. This was in a flash back scene when Harry sees his father taunting Severus when they were young.

Of course, the real star of any show is Petey!! She made herself right at home and told us to put an offer down on the palace as she would like to use it as a summer cottage this August. They are drawing up the paperwork as you read this....

Blenheim was the birthplace of our good friend Winston. So the first few rooms were dedicated to an exhibit of his life and career and that leads into the room he was born in. After going through multiple Winston exhibits I am starting to look like him....