Hi all! Yesterday we went to Jane Austen's house in Chawton. It isn't where she grew up, but rather where she spent her later years. Most of her writing was done here (revisions of Sense and Sense as well as Pride and Prejudice, and all of Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion). I wasn't expecting much. I had visited her house in Bath and it was a shrine to Colin Firth--I expected this to be the same. But I was wrong--it was one of the best museums of it's type that I have ever seen, and it was a fantastic day. They letters that she had sent and received, her only surving manuscript, her writing table, and other things that she owned. Neither Jane Austen nor her sister Cassandra ever married, so they always lived together and were very close. Austen got very sick with what people think may have been Hodgkins disease or breast cancer and died at age 41. The most moving thing about the house was a letter that her sister wrote to their neice about JAusten's death. JA died in Cassandra's arms, and Cassandra expressed how much she would miss JA and how glad she was to have been able to be with her until the end. It was actually quite emotional--it almost made me cry. I was pretty fantastic to see parts of the life of such a genius. Elisabeth and I on the grounds of the Cottage:
We also visited Bath. JA spent part of her life there, and hated it. Here are the roman baths (natural hot springs dating from the Roman times) where the people of Austen's time would go for their health. It was kind of the late 18 early 19C pleasure grounds in England. Melissa from the trip is posing for us:
And here is the Royal Crescent, which was the posh place to live during JA's time. Bath is special for it's incredible Georgian archetecture, and everything in Bath is built out of this particular lime stone, so everything is this creamy color. Although JA disliked Bath, I always enjoy it. It's a great little town--very fun to visit. I also ate my first cornish pasty of the trip this day. Elisabeth, Amiee, and Bonnie are in the picture:
And here is the Royal Crescent, which was the posh place to live during JA's time. Bath is special for it's incredible Georgian archetecture, and everything in Bath is built out of this particular lime stone, so everything is this creamy color. Although JA disliked Bath, I always enjoy it. It's a great little town--very fun to visit. I also ate my first cornish pasty of the trip this day. Elisabeth, Amiee, and Bonnie are in the picture:
3 comments:
Love the posts....keep them coming. What an amazing experience you are having. You will be the family expert on England and Wales, Anna. Maybe, someday, you will be the professor on one of the semester study abroad programs! MOM
Fun, fun, fun. I would love to go to Jane Austen's stomping grounds. I hope you are having a great time with everyone there. Tell Elizabeth hi from us. Miss you!
Amy
Very cool Anna! Thanks for posting the great stories and pictures. You're doing great filling some big shoes from Dad Bennion when he left the emerald isle.
Don
Post a Comment