New Old Friends

More than 50 years ago my mom enrolled herself into a boarding school in England. Not a small feat when you consider that today's technology (internet, email, etc) wasn't available for her to find the school, let alone set up the enrollment. (If anyone ever wonders why I have a love for experiencing things around the world, all they have to do is look to my parents and family.)

Fast forward to today and my mom still keeps in touch with her closest friend from that experience. And lucky for me, her friend Nicky, was willing to host me for a few nights on my way north from Cornwall. Now, the last time I met Nicky and her family I think I was all of about 6 or 7, so it's been a few years. But Nicky and her family have crossed paths with my mom and our family so many times, it still feels like I've known her a lot longer. So when I arrived in Matlock for the long weekend, it felt like a little taste of home.

I had a comfortable bed to sleep in (the most comfortable since I left Chicago), home-cooked meals including pizza in a pizza kiln of their own making, both of her sons and their partners were there too providing a nice chatter where I could just blend right in. It was comfortable and it was just what I needed after the first two months on my own. I just wish I had taken more photos!

Chatsworth House

After a lovely day of rest on Sunday, I joined Nicky's two sons and their partners for a tour of Chatsworth House on Monday. Chatsworth is an estate in Derbyshire that is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and have been in the Cavendish family for 16 generations (that means since the 1500s!). It's a huge estate with more than 25 rooms in the house and 105 acres in the garden, it was an all-day affair to explore the space. (Pride and Prejudice fans may recognize it from the house that was used for the movie that featured Kiera Knightly). 

The Cavendish family still resides in the house so only part of it is accessible for the tour. But for the part we were able to see, it was incredible to think about what it would be like to call the lavish estate home.

More pictures of Chatsworth and the Peak District are on the photos page of the blog here.