One of the best things about our trip to London has been the ability to dive into our ex-English-Major-philia.
Just walking the streets of authors (we're staying in Bloomsbury) is a delight. Following the intense coverage of the Booker Prize (runups to literary awards in the US? Bah!) on television and newspaper...
But our trip to Rodmell Village was probably the best treat thus far. There the National Trust has maintained and opened the country home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf. It's in Sussex, about an hour's trip by rail (and then a bus ride) out of London (while it's fashionable among our friends here to bemoan the state of the British Rail industry, for americans like us, it's made life easier and better. Gift Horses, one supposes).
Lewes itself is a small town on a hill, complete with castle (which we didn't have time to visit). Art galleries, bookstores, cafes, it's a very nice place. Rodmell is about 5 miles or so away through the countryside.
You best arrive by stopping off at the 17th century tavern at the end of the road, and walk down the lane, passing houses both old and new. Then you get to the little cottage known as Monk's House. It's small and cozy, complete with a couple neighborhood cats roaming the grounds and bounding after prey. A silent churchyard next door, a small (and jealousy-inducing to me, productive) orchard and koi ponds complete the picture of contemplative contentment, a place to get some work done.
We spent a couple hours milling about, walking the grounds with various other tourists of differing degrees of understanding "So, does he still live here?".
Recommended without reservation.
Pictures to follow.
Posted by esinclai at September 18, 2003 10:53 AM |