A Bit of Alice

 SONG - Ode to Joy by Beethoven performed by Flash Mob

Day 14 - Mon. May 13

Zipping up the M6 to the Lake District only stopping for supplies in Preston and a garden at Leven’s Hall.  Oh no you say, NOT another garden…..well this one was different! 

Come along with me while I take you to the oldest topiary garden in the world!

Doesn’t it feel a little like Alice in Wonderland with everything a little off & wobbly?

And the topiaries are only a portion of the garden  

They have under plantings of annuals, an orchard, bee boxes, vegetable gardens, rose garden, fountains, greenhouses and a croquet field.  And they have the first ha-ha. Look that one up if you like! And no that’s not Mr. B!

Oh yes they also have an Elizabethan Manor house that I couldn’t take photos in as the family still lives there.  The Peel tower was built in the 1200’s.  You can see interior photos here - LEVENS HALL

Had lunch in their outside dining area.  They also have a bakery and a gift shop named The Potting Shed  

We are now tucked into our hotel on Lake Windermere in the pouring rain for the next 5 days.  Time to get creative on things to do while we are here.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing” 

 — Alfred Wainwright 

Mad as a Hatter

Song - French Cafe Accordion Music

Last Friday Mr. B and I headed to the city to visit the Legion of Honor and to see the Degas, Impressionism and the Millinery Trade exhibit.

Degas - The Millinery Shop 1879-86

Unfortunately I brought the wrong lens for my camera so I couldn't get shots of the entire painting and I couldn't back up because it was very crowded as it was the final weekend of the exhibit.

I loved that they matched a number of old hats from the time period with the paintings.  However they were protected in large plastic showcases so the photos do not do them justice.

Berthe Morisot - Eugene Manet on the Isle of Wight 1875

They had an area dedicated to men's hats and above you can see the straw boating hat.

They discussed the use of arsenic and mercury in preserving the feathers and felting the hat. That is where the term "mad hatter" comes from as it is linked these toxic substances that gave the workers shakes, speech problems, hallucinations and emotional instability.

Georges Jeanniot - At the Milliner's 1900

James Tissot - The Shop Girl 1883-85

The Mad Hatter: "Have I gone mad?" 

Alice: "I'm afraid so.  You're entirely bonkers. 

But I'll tell you a secret.  All the best people are." 

--Lewis Carroll