Right. So I found this place in the guidebook Mom gave me for my birthday and thought "That sounds like a perfect place for me to go." Now...how to get there. Well, first I had to see if it was open as many things close in the winter. It was open, but only for pre-booked guided tours. Ok. Called, got a tour. No problem. Next, how the hell do I get there? It's on an island. There are many options as it turns out, but the easiest one was to take a train to Southampton, catch the free city bus to the ferry, take the ferry across to East Cowes on the Isle of Wight (and the town where Osborne House is located) and then walk about 15 minutes up the road to the house. So I booked the ferry and the train online (because as I learned from travelling with my Mom, everything is cheaper when you book in advance...plus you know for sure you have a ticket) and was ready to go.
Everything went wonderfully. I only had to stop and ask for directions once when I was in East Cowes in order to double check I was going in the right direction (I was). And I got to Osborne House early and in time to go on an earlier tour, which meant I'd have more time to wander the grounds and the town after the tour.
The tour of the house was excellent. There were only 5 other people besides me on it and our tour guide lady was very enthusiastic. She thought everything from the floors to the ceilings, the paintings to the furniture was "lovely, lovely." And it was. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures in the house, but everything was just as beautiful as things often are in old fanc houses. Except that it only had the appearance of being fancy. When Queen Victoria came to the throne at 18, she inheritited all her uncle's debts. This meant that she was always smart about money, which is weird to think about since she was queen and all. But this meant that everything in
the house looked splendid but was actually cheaper material. The two best examples of this is that the house itself was built of red brick and then painted to look the way it is now. Also, there are many rooms where the walls or columns appear to be marble but are in fact plaster or concrete painted to look like marble. The paint job is so well done that if the guide hadn't told us it was fake, I never would have guessed. The house was actually designed by the builder and Prince Albert. He had been on the Grand Tour and wanted the house to look like an Italian villa which it definitely does, so much that I occasionally forgot I was in England. Until the weather reminded me.
Since it is the winter, most of the house was closed up and all of the gardens were closed. However, there are no private tours in the summer, so I was really glad I went and got some of the backstories. I would like to go back in the summer, so hopefully I'll be around to do so. And beware to anyone who comes and visits me here that this might be somewhere I insist on dragging you to. After the tour, I walked around the grounds outside. The weather kept going back and forth about every half and hour from bright and sunny to dark and cloudy. At times it was quite pleasant, until a sea breeze hit me. I had some afternoon tea and a scone in the cafe that was really good. Then I wandered around the town, stopping in some little shops (although there weren't many), but mostly enjoying the quiet. The noise of the city doesn't bother me so much, but I forget how quiet it can be when there aren't a million people around and buses and cars. There were cars and buses on the island, but not as many as in London.
Today, I went to Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It is actually sunny here in a not a cloud in the sky kind of way. But the dusting of snow on the ground means that it is still cold, so myhands were nearly frozen as I walked along, but it was still nice to be in the sun. I almost bought several things at the market, but wasn't sure enough to buy anything except a chocolate doughtnut with the most sprinkles I have ever seen. I will definitely be going back and perhaps next time I will get something.
the house looked splendid but was actually cheaper material. The two best examples of this is that the house itself was built of red brick and then painted to look the way it is now. Also, there are many rooms where the walls or columns appear to be marble but are in fact plaster or concrete painted to look like marble. The paint job is so well done that if the guide hadn't told us it was fake, I never would have guessed. The house was actually designed by the builder and Prince Albert. He had been on the Grand Tour and wanted the house to look like an Italian villa which it definitely does, so much that I occasionally forgot I was in England. Until the weather reminded me.Since it is the winter, most of the house was closed up and all of the gardens were closed. However, there are no private tours in the summer, so I was really glad I went and got some of the backstories. I would like to go back in the summer, so hopefully I'll be around to do so. And beware to anyone who comes and visits me here that this might be somewhere I insist on dragging you to. After the tour, I walked around the grounds outside. The weather kept going back and forth about every half and hour from bright and sunny to dark and cloudy. At times it was quite pleasant, until a sea breeze hit me. I had some afternoon tea and a scone in the cafe that was really good. Then I wandered around the town, stopping in some little shops (although there weren't many), but mostly enjoying the quiet. The noise of the city doesn't bother me so much, but I forget how quiet it can be when there aren't a million people around and buses and cars. There were cars and buses on the island, but not as many as in London.Today, I went to Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It is actually sunny here in a not a cloud in the sky kind of way. But the dusting of snow on the ground means that it is still cold, so myhands were nearly frozen as I walked along, but it was still nice to be in the sun. I almost bought several things at the market, but wasn't sure enough to buy anything except a chocolate doughtnut with the most sprinkles I have ever seen. I will definitely be going back and perhaps next time I will get something.
So a very busy weekend and more to come. I will be seeking a pub tomorrow morning to watch Britain's Andy Murray take on Federer in the Australian Open. This country will go completely insane if he wins. I will be cheering him on of course because no one would let me do otherwise. :)
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