48 Hours in the UK...even in February it's fun.

We left Washington late Wednesday night on British Airways with a painless, and relatively short trip to London.   Getting to Dulles Airport though was an enormous endeavor. Friends Rainer and Wallis took us, but the 12 in/30 cm of rain that fell as a summer storm in late February flooded underpasses and low lying sections of many freeways and the 14th Street Bridge approaches, so that instead of 45 minutes it took over an hour and a quarter.   Rainer knew back roads so we managed to avoid most of the major traffic jams.

Easy flight, normally inferior food, but very good services.  We ended up with aisle bulkhead seats and no one in the middle so we had room to stretch.

The Elvetham

Through Customs and Immigration in less than 10 minutes and then out to The Elvetham, a huge Victorian pile of a hotel, beautifully of its 1860s time, for the night before the wedding endeavors.  It's our cousin Maddy's wedding to Martin today (Friday), so last night was meeting up with old friends and family in the bar, and many pints, for John.  The food here can be good, particularly the sandwiches, but the fish cakes are a little heavier on potatoes than John's, and the goujons of plaice were a fancy version of fish-sticks.  Nonetheless, the company made up for it.  We fortunately had dinner with old friend James, who has visited us many times in Washington.

In front of the church

We had a walk around the grounds and decided that UKP70,000 spent in 1860 probably multiplied by 100 equal the cost of replacing this huge home.  It's on the site of the old Seymour home where Henry VIII met Jane Seymour.  Queen Elizabeth I came here to hear Shakespearean poetry, among other things, and Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream was first performed here.  It's even mentioned in the Domesday Book!  Almost 1000 years of history here, and it was a manor before the Normans arrived in 1066.  The place even has its own deconsecrated church.

Porte Clochère

This morning we intend to walk the two miles into the local village, Hartley Wintney, and then the wedding will consume the rest of the day.

Central Hall stained glass