Chartwell was the home of Winston Churchill (adult life, not birthplace). The night before we went, Professor Holland showed the movie The Gathering Storm to anyone who was interested. The movie followed the time just before the start of the WWII, when Churchill knew what was coming but no one believed him. I learned a lot about Churchill, especially because before watching the movie, I hardly knew anything about him except that he was the Prime Minister during the War, what he looked like, and that I hear his quotes on occasion. A few things I learned from the movie and also from our tour at Chartwell: #1- he had an American mother, #2- he loved to paint, and his house is filled with his paintings, #- he was quite a bit older when he came to office than I thought (66?)
The house and grounds were beautiful. They were not ornate, a little more modest, but beautiful just the same (it actually seemed more realistically livable than some of the other places we've been). Some pictures (there are tons because I'm having fun playing with my camera):
View from one of the landings
I don't know if you can tell, but these leaves are GIANT!
Our next stop was Hever Castle, the home of the Boleyns (as in Anne Boleyn who got beheaded by Henry VIII, the Boleyns from the movie The Other Boleyn Girl, etc). We toured through the castle, when through the hedge-maze, walked around the grounds, and even fed ducks.
Standing on the bridge over the moat
These bushes are supposed to be shaped like the chess pieces used during the time of Henry VIII, and the thing in front of it is supposed to be some kind of astronomical-measuring-thing.
Katie "communing with nature"
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