A little while back I read somewhere a new theory about Jane Austen’s death. What she can have died of and why and so on. They keep coming up with new theories for this it seams! Anyway, that reminded me of Cassandra’s letter to her niece Fanny, which she wrote just after Jane died. When I went to Chawton Cottage they had that letter there, up on the wall, next to a typed copy (which was a lot easier to read!). I had never read this letter before (even though I am sure it can be found on the internet and other places) and though it was very sad and tragic to read it, it was also nice in a way to hear it through Cassandra’s own words.

Anyway, I took pictures of it and just felt like posting them. I just realized you can see both my hands and my phone nicely reflected in the pictures…

What can I say, it’s just so sad!

Yet another year gone past and here we stand again, at the beginning of a new one, looking ahead, wondering what this year will contain! Personally I hope this year will, for me, include lots of wonderful events to travel to! There are so many wonderful events spread out all over the world, all through the year!

On March 24th there is the annual Regency Exhibition Ball in South Bend, Indiana. I’ve wanted to go to this event ever since the first time I came across information about it, it seems so nice, and people I have talked to who have been there have all said they loved it! Sadly the organizers of this ball have been losing money the last couple of years, and so there is a risk that this years ball will be the last one! Which would be a terrible shame and a loss to the little community where this ball is hosted. But with enough guests attending the ball could be saved! So I hope anyone who is in the search of a good ball to go to will consider this one! I would love to go myself, but unfortunately due to various things in my life right now I don’t think I can go over to Indiana in March. But I do hope this ball can be saved, because one year I want to be there! So spread the word, and if you can go yourself, I hope you do! More information on their website here.

Another event I hope to go to one year is the Jane Austen festival of Australia. Over the years I’ve heard a lot about this, seen lots of pictures and videos from there, and (no surprise to anyone) I would love to go! This year the festival will be 12 – 15 of April and will include all kinds of fun workshops and talks and (of course!) balls! Have a look at their website and see if you are not tempted!

An event that I do plan to go to this year, if everything works out as I have planned, is this years event in the Florence area in Italy. You may remember I was there two years ago, and loved it. Last year I didn’t go, but this year I really hope I can! It’s a Napoleonic Weekend in Lucca, Tuscany and will include visits to various grand houses (in costume), dance workshop and, obviously, a grand ball!

And then there is an event I am dying to go to! Or go on I should say. In July there is to be a Jane Austen Cruise!! That’s right, a trip on a cruise ship with the theme Jane Austen! Leaving from Southampton in England the cruise is 8 days and sails via Holland, Gurnsey, Spain and France, and then back to England again. And on-board there will be a costume promenade, discussion groups, talks, teas, a ‘film festival’ and a Gala Ball!! I like the sound of it, *fingers crossed I can go*! For more details look here.

In Spetember obviously there is the Jane Austen Festival in Bath. After 3 years of going to that there is no way I am missing out on this years! So the 14th to the 22nd of September is already booked in my calendar, those days I will be in Bath! Unless something completely unforseen happens that is.

Those are just a few of the many events happening, and there are so many I wish I could go to! Have you got any Jane Austen or other historic events planned for this year?

However that is, let me just take this opportunity to wish you ALL a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Wherever in the world you are, whatever you are doing, may it be a wonderful one for you!

I told you I was over in England (again!) a couple of weeks ago, visiting some good friends. These good friends live not far from a certain big house, a big grand house that goes by the name Belton House. In these circles however it is known as Rosings Park! Yep, that’s right, it’s the house used as Rosings Park in the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice! As you can probably imagine it is a place I have really wanted to visit, so when Joanna told me that it is less than a 30 minute drive from where they live, I was more than a little excited!

So, on a cold Sunday after first having decorated their house for Christmas and put the Christmas tree up, Scott, Joanna and I set off to go visit Lady Catherine de Bourgh! Or if not her, at least her house!

It was a very exciting moment, as we drove up to the parking lot and I could see the house, that well known house, ahead of us!

“Rosings Park, we must understand, is very grand indeed”

Sadly since it was the wrong time of the year the house itself was not open. So we could not go inside. But we could wander the garden and look at the house from the outside! As I walked up the path to the house I had the pompous Rosings Park theme music ringing in my head, along with Mr Collins’s voice: “Mark the windows. There are sixty-four in all, sixty-four! And I have it on good authority that the glazing alone originally cost in excess of six hundred pounds!” 

“It is a very handsome building, and prettily situated, sir. And by no means lacking in windows”

“Then how could I refuse? But I’ll only come if you guarantee me a glimpse of the famous chimney piece at Rosings Park”

When seeing the house in the film I was never a huge fan of it. I mean, it looks big and grand, but it’s not like Pemberly, one which I really, really liked! But I think that had mostly to do with the fact that this was the house of Lady Catherine and even though she is a highly amusing character (oh how “displeased” she would be to be refered to as amusing! I’m sure she would be “quite put out!”) she is not exactly nice, and because of that Rosings Park wasn’t one of my favourite houses. I like it a lot more now!! It’s a beautiful house, and having been to the place for real, seeing it with my own eyes and walking the grounds, it always makes it that much more special when watching the film again!

 ”Though it is nothing, of course, to the staircases you will see at Rosings. I say staircases because there are several, and each in its way very fine”

These windows, ladies and gentlemen (particularly ladies!) are the windows to Mr Darcy’s bedroom! Yep, it’s in this room we see Mr Darcy write that important letter to Lizzie. Joanna pointed out to me which of the windows it was, and so even though I couldn’t go inside, at least I got a picture of the outside of Mr Darcy’s bedroom!
 The garden was enormous! And so pretty! We were discussing how many gardeners it would take to take care of a garden this size. Upon returning home I discovered the answer to this, Mr Collins of course knew!  “. . . thirty-two gardeners, and other gardeners.” Not bad!

After wandering about for some time, looking, admiring and taking pictures we headed to the gift shop and then on to the tea rooms. We were planning to run down quickly to the little lake that was apparently close by, to have a look at a pretty little boat house there, but when we came out from the tea room the rain was pouring down and seeing as it was quite a walk and we had no umbrellas or anything we decided to call it a day. Next time I go for a visit I will make sure it’s in the summer, so I can actually get inside the house as well!

It was sad to leave. But then, ”Who indeed would not be sad to be deprived of Rosings”!

Those who have been following my blog for some time know that I am a huge fan of Downton Abbey. I LOVE Downton Abbey!! And like so many others I was quite upset when the first season ended. It ended in a most annoying way, and it would be a full year until I would be able to see the rest of the story! At the time it seemed like an eternity and I did not know how I would ever survive! But somehow I did, and that year went past and suddenly, the time had come!

It was when I was in Bath, the Sunday after the promanade and the ball in the Assembly Rooms, that the first episode was going to be shown on TV. I was staying in a house with 13 other ladies (as you may recall) who all were Downton Abbey lovers! As you can imagine the topic for conversation at that mornings breakfast was how we were going to watch that episode, later the same day! We had a moment of despair, when it seemed like the TV in our house wouldn’t work! But after Karen made a few phone calls to the housekeeper, stating how very important it was for us to have ITV later that evening, someone came over and solved the problem for us. Phew!

So that evening we re-arranged the furniture in the living room, squeezed in 17 people, or something (for a few others who were not staying there came over for the big event), and sat down to watch. As the words “Downton Abbey” flashed across the screen and that now so well loved theme music started to play a cheer rose up from the people gathered! And as characters made their entry one by one they were greeted by cheers and applause, or boo-ing and hissing, depending on what we thought of them.

It was quite an experience! Watching together with so many other like minded people! And to be watching a new episode of Downton Abbey, well that in itself was heaven!

But then what happened was I went back to Sweden. Says it all doesn’t it? No, but what I mean is Swedish television had not started showing it yet, and wouldn’t for several more weeks! So I got to have a teaser taste of the new season, but was then left to wait again! It didn’t last for too long though. I think Swedish TV had realized it would be a stupid idea to wait too long with something which had become so very popular! So I could soon (to my great joy!) continue watching! (I will confess that I grew impatient in the end. I mean, one episode a week? Come on! So thanks to a link from a lovely reader I could finish my watching before the others in Sweden did )

Taking place during the turmoil of World War 1 we get to follow the Crawley family, the family of the Earl of Grantham and all the others living and working in that great place; Downton Abbey. The same characters we are already familiar with are back along with plenty of new ones! Some nice, others… not quite so nice… A time of great change leaves no one untouched, as we get to see. I am not going to go in to any detail on anything that happens. I know I hate it myself when anyone gives anything away. I had the misfortune to accidentally come across two MAJOR spoilers for this one before I had the chance to watch it! I can tell you, that annoyed me! So I’m not going to do the same for anyone here!  But I CAN tell you, it was amazing! And if you haven’t yet watched it, DO!! And as for the costumes! Oh my goodness! Those costumes! *distant dreamy expression in her eyes* Sooo beautiful, so elegant, and so stylish! I MUST make myself a new new wardrobe!

So yes. Downton Abbey, you did it again! Another wonderful season! And yet again you’ve left us hanging, waiting for the continuation of the story. For another looong year….! But I guess I shouldn’t complain, since I am so happy there will actually BE another season! I’m not ready to leave Downton yet!

Oh, and I have to show you a book I got when I was over in England last week!

Be very jealous!

Sorry about the horrible lack of posts on here lately! Last week I was more than a little busy, and this week I am in England again (yes I know, again…) and my internet is somewhat limited. However I will just post a few pictures I took yesterday.

I’m over here to visit some friends who live in a city called Lincoln, and yesterday when they were both at work I spent the day exploring some of this city on my own. One thing Lincoln is quite famous for is it’s big cathedral, so naturally I had to go have a look at that! And when I come up there I see some people around, police and people with cameras. Turns out the cathedral was going to get a visit from no other than their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall! Obviously I decided to hang around! This meant that yesterday I had the excitement of seeing both Prince Charles and Camilla, getting lots of pictures of them and even shaking Camilla’s hand! I thought it was all lots of fun!

They were so close!!

 This is how I found out what was going on

Another picture of Prince Charles. And lots of other people:P

Because of the weather (it was sooo windy!) Camilla hid under this umbrella all the time. So didn’t get any good pictures of her…

Oh and I also got interviewed by the local BBC radio station, all in a day’s work.

Just wanted to post that, and tell you that I have not completely disappeared off the face of the earth. I’ve got lots of blogposts planned and shall hopefully get around to posting a few more soon!

Until then!