Daily Details: July 29

Once again, we headed deep into the English countryside this morning to visit Burghley House, which is heralded as, “the largest and grandest house of the Elizabethan Age”. They weren’t kidding. You’d think I could stop using the expression “blown away” when I’ve seen so many grand palaces, estates, etc…already, but I can’t stop using it. Each has its own unique flavor, and this one was absolutely exquisite. In fact, in the Kiera Knightly Pride and Prejudice, Burghley House serves as the home of Lady Katherine. We were fortunate enough to be let into the house before it is open to the rest of the public, so we virtually had it all to ourselves for most of the time there. Before being let in, we wandered the grounds in front of the home where over 400 deer live. They love people and you can just go up to them and pet them. They were all so beautiful!

Inside the home, we were given a fascinating tour by a lovely English lady. She had so much enthusiasm for the home and knew her stuff incredibly well. When I write about these homes, I feel I can never do them justice. I guess part of that is because photos are seldom allowed so it’s hard to remember all of the incredible things you see in there. Among two of the things I was able to see that particularly interested me were the carvings done by the renowned carver, Grinling Gibbons, and all of the furniture that had boulle work on them. Both things were spectacular, but the wood carvings in particular were absolutely breathtaking. I walked away from the home with some great design insights.

Before leaving at the estate, our professor told us we must try the scones with clotted cream at the Orangery, the little restaurant on the estate. I got a raisin scone (the scones here are much more like biscuits than scones) with clotted cream (something much like butter) and raspberry jam. It was divine, and so filling that I could not finish the whole thing. It was nice to sit and relax in that beautiful café as we looked out into the gardens.

After leaving Burghley House, we headed into Stamford, a quaint town we had passed through on our way to Burghley. This town was where the city shots for Pride and Prejudice were filmed and it is easy to see why. Everything was so delightful there! I guess one of the things that makes it so charming is how the streets just wind gently up and down little hills and churches dot the entire town, here and there. Having worked up quite the appetite, a few friends and I stopped into a little coffee house/café called Gooch’s. It was completely adorable and the prices there were some of the most affordable that I’ve yet seen in England. We all ordered the soup of the day—cauliflower cheese—and were amazed when a gigantic bowl of soup and a large baguette with butter came to each of us. We ate every bit of it and were completely satisfied. What could be more perfect than eating a delicious, homemade soup at a delightful little café on a rainy day in England? Honestly, I don’t know. The day ended shortly thereafter, once again with a train ride back to London and a night at our flat.