this is my darling little sister kate. she is journeying over to eurpoe for the next three months to study abroad and had me snap a few photos of her yesterday for a blog she will be starting to document her travels. let it be officially noted … i’m just a little bit jealous … also, i think we should all take a lesson from kate on the proper way to wear rings … all in all i think the photos turned out marvelously and i can’t wait to see the images she captures on her upcoming adventure. have an enchanting time kate … love you! 

as this is the last and final post of our trip to england, i felt it only fitting to share with you just a few things that we wish could have returned home with us as well as a few of the things that we will miss most: first off … the word cheers. we love that everyone ends their conversations or even will say just in passing, “cheers”.  we will also miss: the hospitality, the architecture, the history, the weather, the tea rooms – oh, the tea rooms – the miles and miles of green in every direction, the many fields filled with bright neon yellow, all the little cars, and of course the breathtaking gardens. also, i wanted to thank my dad for letting us tag along … we had the best of times!

p.s. these photos are from our final day in york at castle howard.

we got into york late into the evening, maybe around nine at night and found an italian restaurant, either just off of, or perhaps on shambles, bustling with people but nevertheless still found room for us to eat because, like they said, “we couldn’t very well send you home hungry now could we?” (if only i could have taken the sweet hospitality of the u.k. home with me … if only). after dinner walking up and down the streets and along the river, when what had to be at least half past ten, there was still just enough day light to guide us around the city of york. i’m not sure what time it actually got dark but all i know is that it was long after we had gone to bed.

oh york, how everything just seems better in york. the people, the flowers, the tea, the streets the, architecture, even the urban outfitters … yes, even that is better in york. speaking of tea … the largest and biggest thank you to all who recommend betty’s. nothing will ever compare and that’s all i have to say about that … except for that when we were through eating and sipping, we got a box of the most decadent macaroons to snack on later and by later i mean they were gone by the end of the night. other things we did included: seeing the minster, a bit of shopping and lots and lots of wandering. hats off to you york …. thank you for showing us a good time.

it took us two day’s to drive up to york since we stopped to see family along the way. the first day we spent time touring burton constable, probably my favorite house of all. the grounds had a “secret garden” feel equipped with its own giant chess board and everything (because who doesn’t need one of those?) and the house had furniture i wanted to take for my own (because we could fit more furniture in this already full and tiny apartment).

and on the second day, before going into the city of york itself, we stopped at the harewood house, fed the penguins and the ducks, and saw the flamingos, which, may i add, is my next order of business, to put flamingos in our back yard i mean. the house had it’s own “quaint” chapel around back, or front (because it gets hard to tell) and had a giant playground, which, let’s admit, isn’t saying much considering that’s the hit thing with these houses these days ….