Just to be sure, we stopped at the Lion, a Newbury pub, hoping for a bit of dirt. We certainly didn’t find it here, not literally and not figuratively. The Lion, like the rest of Newbury, has a Main Street U.S.A. quality about it. Among the shops, flower baskets, trailing bits of greenery, hang from the walls. The traffic along the main drag is controlled by bollards, posts that can be raised or lowered, and on that day, nary a car buzzed by. It was all very quiet, very pretty and a tad unnerving. … [Read more...] about Under the spell of Highclere Castle and ‘Downton Abbey’
Baxter in downton abbey
‘Joker’ tops box office again beats ‘Addams Family’
“Gemini Man” stumbled out of the gates. The Ang Lee film about an assassin on the run from a younger version of himself opened in third place with $20.5 million. The film cost a reported $140 million to make. … [Read more...] about ‘Joker’ tops box office again beats ‘Addams Family’
Lots to see and do in beautiful Barbados
As mentioned, Barbados is the birthplace of rum, which Bajans are quite proud of. There are more rum tours and tastings then you can shake a stick at so you will have to choose your tour(s) wisely. We really enjoyed our time at St. Nicholas Abbey, which is one of the smaller options in terms of distilleries, but the extraordinary house, gardens and museum aspect more then made up for that. Located in St. Peter parish, it gives visitors more then just rum. If it were not enough to be a plantation house, museum and rum distillery in one, St. Nicholas Abbey is architecturally unique as well, as it is one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the entire Western Hemisphere. Built in 1658, it has never had anything to do with the church despite its heavenly name, and was always a sugarcane plantation (until 1947). It’s absolutely lovely — and yes, you can indeed visit the distillery and taste the rum. … [Read more...] about Lots to see and do in beautiful Barbados
10 Timeless Cities Where the Past Comes to Life
In south-central Bulgaria, near the border of both Greece and Turkey, is the beautiful “City of Seven Hills,” originally a Thracian city before it changed hands under the rule of the Greeks, Romans, and Russians. Today, you can still see the influences those cultures left behind in Plovdiv’s cobblestone streets, fortress walls, Roman amphitheater and aqueduct, and Ottoman baths. High on the naturally fortified northern hill of the three-hill massif Nebet Tepe is the site of the original prehistoric settlement. … [Read more...] about 10 Timeless Cities Where the Past Comes to Life
20 Fall Hikes You Can Do Right Now
Trail of Ten Falls, Silver Falls State Park, OR When Oregon’s high country turns icy and the beaches are scoured by 10-foot swells, turn to the forest for your nature fix. On the Trail of Ten Falls you’ll find more than just the namesake cascades—the canyon itself is beautiful, draped in moss and old-growth hemlocks and Douglas firs. The 10 magnificent waterfalls are just icing on the cake. Start from the South Falls Lodge trailhead and follow the Rim Trail to the spur for the North Falls viewpoint. Get your first good look down the canyon here, where falls slip over vertical walls of ancient lava. Return to the main trail and take the second right on the Canyon Trail. Wind beneath the viewpoint and behind 136-foot North Falls, spray drifting to cling to your rainjacket. Continue another mile to Twin Falls, split into two by a midstream rock. Winter Falls doesn’t always flow this time of year, but you can still check the spur trail to investigate. Cross … [Read more...] about 20 Fall Hikes You Can Do Right Now
