Bank Holiday in Honor of Jen

Monday was the commemorative day of my birth.  It was also a bank holiday and the sun was out.  We decided after two days in London to stay closer to home.  We've been wanting to go to a pub we went to last year with a big beer garden and this seemed like the perfect day.  They have a huge sandwich menu - - something that you actually don't see that much here.  I had my favorite "Turkey Terrific" - - what most people in the US call a Thanksgiving sandwich (turkey, stuffing, cranberry) but of course in the UK they call it Christmas Dinner.  Anyway, here we are happy on a sunny day in the beer garden.

After lunch we decided to go to Dorney Court - a manor house only about a 10 minute drive from Eton.  This house is only open in May and June since it is still a family home for the Palmers.  One tidbit of info that we learned was that the first Pineapple grown in the UK was grown here...thus the local beer garden was at the Pineapple Pub.  I think someone told me that Elton John lives nearby although I might be making that up.  Don't let that taint the tidbit about the pineapple, that one is true.

Anyway, the house had pieces that date back to tudor times with plenty of additional rooms added over hundreds of years to give it a wonderful maze like quality.  Everything was crooked.  It was really quite stunning.

 Of course we were not allowed to take pictures inside....and of course I did sneak in a few.....

When we got home Bill had to pack and head to the airport for Abu Dhabi for the week but he left behind a present for me to open every day.  Somehow I've managed to restrain myself from tearing into them and Simon and I have savored them over dinner each night.  It's so nice to end the day with my fox, a glass of wine, and a little treat.