There are hoarders, and then there are HOARDERS!

My trip to the UK to spend time with cousin snafu and his TBH, along with some cousins second and third removed, would be but a dim memory without photos. And fortunately, snafu -- the great photographer that he is, has posted a great number of photos taken during our 10 days together, along with some terrific narration here (you may have to go back a couple of posts to find the one titled "Kaybee's Visit.') It's well worth reading to get a picture of all we packed into those 10 days...and a great remembrance for me.

The most comfortable home where I was pleasantly hosted for 10 days

Here, I would like to add some of my own perspective and since there was one sight that demanded more photos than any other, I though I would start with it -- Snowshill Manor. near Broadway, in the beautifully picturesque Cotswolds.



Snowshill Manor, by snafu

Charles Wade, who was the owner of Snowshill Manor, was a treasure-seeker who loved buying and restoring beautifully made objects. His family motto was 'Let nothing perish', and he spent his inherited wealth doing just that, amassing a spectacular collection of everyday and extraordinary objects from across the globe. He restored the ancient Cotswold manor house specifically to display these unlikely treasures. Laid out with creative flair, just as Mr Wade intended, the Manor is literally packed to the rafters with thousands of unusual objects – from tiny toys to splendid suits of Samurai armour. The Manor is surrounded by an equally characterful hand-crafted terraced garden.

There are 22,000 items, plus a 2000 piece costume collection. Wade believed that every object was invested with the spirit of the craftsman and the age in which it was created. He raised even everyday functional objects like butter stamps, cow bells and locks to the status traditionally given to paintings and sculpture.

So the visitor to Snowshill can view clocks, bicycles, automatons, children's toys and even 26 suits of Samurai armour. Wade loved colour and, after collecting many examples of early English craftsmanship, he began to look to the Middle and Far East for objects using a bright and imaginative colours.
(gleaned from www.nationaltrust.org.uk/snowshillmanor/)

This describes Charles Wade's journey to collecting:



 Viewing 22,000 items is quite overwhelming!  But the following caught my attention (it helps to click on the image to enlarge it):

A rather uncomfortable-looking baby carriage

A fascinating collection of ancient bicycles



A quaint Noah's Ark, with Mr. and Mrs. Noah at the front door



The art of 'quilling.'  
Every part of the design is created by rolling narrow strips of coloured and metallic paper into various and sundry shapes and sizes. This work of art was apparently created by a nun in her spare time! The photo doesn't do it justice - it is stunning!



One of my favourites -
Wade's pen drawings, done on old playing cards and then cut out.
 Must try that sometime!



A knight in shining armour -- suspiciously looking like snafu?

 And finally, some lovely views in and around the gardens:



Ready to reap a bountiful harvest of fruit






And finally, a  pastoral scene that, for me, typifies the English countryside!

Snafu and TBH -- you couldn't have chosen a more appropriate location to bring me the greatest pleasure.

Thank you! 

 

Sweet Memory!

I'll be posting more of my wonderful visit to the UK and my UK cousins soon.

But just really wanted my sister to enjoy this one:

I do remember an occasion when my sister, at the end of a visit to the UK, rounded up all the ingredients for an English Cream Tea (scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream) and brought them back to the States with her. Not sure how long those ingredients lasted, but I am willing to bet she enjoyed every moment!

Thanks, TBH, for spoiling us that afternoon - lots of fun!

Farewell to Cuba (amended)

Well, getting ready for another trip now, going east rather than south, so I will just post some general photos of Cuban scenery, for a finale. You will note that I am a bit addicted to cloud formations!

Our daily view



Aah, life in Cuba -- not a care in the world!







Storm brewing...

...early next morning a red flag is posted - dangerous waters!

Life's decisions - should we or shouldn't we?  Those waves look very large!

DOTH opted for calmer waters!

Sunset, on our final evening

And sunrise the next morning as we waited for the coach to take us to the airport

And finally, some shots of the beauty to be found on the hotel grounds

So...farewell to Cuba...leaving with some lovely memories!

(cubatravelmaps.com)



Amendment:

This photo is for snafu. It is a photo of the 'hoppa bus' that we took to tour Varadero. You pay one price - I think it was five pesos (about $5), catch it at close proximity to the hotel and then get on and off at will, stopping off to see the sights, souvenir shop, have lunch etc, and then be dropped off back near the hotel:

Fun Times in Cuba

One of the highlights of our stay in Varadero was the Catamaran trip.

Well, first, DOTH, being the accomplished sailor that she is, had her own, personal trip on a catamaran. She wasn't allowed to sail it alone, but the accompanying Cuban 'captain' did allow her to take over, once they were away from shore:

Setting off

Away we go!

Heading for the horizon



And back to shore!



The next day, we set off for a trip on a much larger catamaran.

We were picked up at the hotel door by coach and taken to a small seaport nearby, where there were a number of large catamarans moored, with many coaches full of people!

Heading out into the Atlantic, our first stop was a visit to the dolphins in an 'aquarium' somewhere in the middle of the ocean on the way to Cayo Blanco

This is DOTH heading down into the water - about 10 people at a time were allowed

DOTH gets to pat him as he swims by on his back!



And gets a kiss, in return!



Hey, that deserves a reward!



And the dolphin takes a bow!



I didn't go in, as much as I would have liked to. I would need to keep my glasses on if I wanted to see anything, and we had been warned that a dolphin kiss can knock off glasses (and earrings - ouch!). Not a pleasant prospect to spend the rest of my vacation with my specs at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean! By the way, the participants were standing on a cement ramp - quite deep underneath there!

From the aquarium we headed to another spot mid-Atlantic (!) for a spot of snorkeling. Again, not something I can manage without glasses, but DOTH was eager to try out her underwater camera, so in she went:



We were above a coral reef where there should have been lots to see, but apparently not. DOTH has not had her photos developed yet - we will soon see what she saw!
(sorry, forgot to crop the face in the left corner!)




There were other catamaran tourists in the water also









We then headed for Cayo Blanco, which I am assuming means White Beach, as that's what it was. The sand was the whitest I have ever seen.








We were given a wonderful lunch of our choice of lobster tails or chicken, with fries, and were serenaded with some great Cuban music



We then had a few hours to swim and sunbathe - the sun was scorching and the water again like a warm bath

And then set sail for home -- all-in-all a lovely day!