It's All About Culture

Beginning in May it is going to be mostly about culture and food - blogging from Gustolab Institute of Food Science in Rome.  In the meantime please visit itsallaboutculture.com for interesting and current cultural information and blogs.  Learn about Global Villages and how the world became political.  Like us on Facebook/itsallaboutculture.

Stay tuned!

It's All About Culture

My new website is live and there is much cultural information there, but the courses are not all available yet - but soon.

itsallaboutculture.com - a place to learn about Global Villages, Culture and Food, Culture and Autobiography, Evolution of Culture, etc.

Join me in the classroom and visit my cultural blog.

Rituals and Culture

Rituals are part of every culture; and like culture they are not static.  Rituals evolve just like everything else and this one, celebrating the end of summer, I really like because it is about family, protection, and love.  It really does GLOW!  Here is the link - you will have to copy and paste it into your browser. Enjoy!

http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/

Moving On

I found this presentation and eBook on Slideshare that really inspires me.  I hope it will inspire you or anyone who is beginning a new adventure, whether it is a new website, new career, or making changes in your life for the better - it seems to apply.  Here is the link:  Thank you, Bruce!

http://kasanoff.com/simplify-your-future/

The Icing on the Cake, or better known as "high tea"

Everywhere we have visited we have judged as the highlight of our trip - until we reach the next spot on our list.  Wendermere, better known as the Lakes District in England is a picturesque place and no better environment for creating the beloved children's stories,  from Beatrix Potter, which have spanned generations.  The old adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words," fails to be just a cliche in this instance.

We first took a pleasant boat ride across Wendermere Lake to visit the Hilltop home of Beatrix Potter.  She was ahead of her time as a nature preserver and environmentalist, and left her home and 4,000 acres to the National Trust in England, which will forever promote her love of the countryside as well as her children's tales.

This little family below was so cute, they just paddled right up to the boat,  begging for a snack!

At Beatrix Potter's Hilltop home, she raised many prized sheep and these are descendants of her stock.

This was such a treat to be with my daughter and granddaughter.  To actually see where Peter Rabbit and his siblings, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, were brought up - and where they played and caused Mr. McGregor such grief!  We actually thought we saw Peter in the distance, so we had Lee take a picture to make sure we weren't just making it up.

This was the home, just across the fields from Hilltop, where Beatriz lived after she was married.  Both homes and properties are maintained as preserved natural habitats, and much as they looked when Beatrix was creating her many children's tales.  Please enjoy the world of Beatix Potter - as we did before ending our perfect day with "high tea."

This was almost as good as Disneyland, in its exhibition.  A place just a few yards down from our hotel, which made it possible for us to spend the last few hours in a very special place.

The likeness here of Ms. Potter is quite realistic, along with one of her famous rabbits.

Again, we asked ourselves, what has been the highlight of our adventures?  Surely, visiting the world of Beatrix Potter will linger in our hearts, as well as our memories, for a very long time.
We had almost as much fun at this tea party as Alice had in Wonderland, I'm sure!

Stella, with her own creative ability, was in the mood to paint Jemima Puddle-Duck to preserve as a memento of our visit to the world of "Ms Potter."

The Treetop Trek

The journey from Haworth to Windermere and the Lakes District was pleasant; and we arrived at the White Lodge Hotel in the early afternoon.  The search for an activity to keep us busy before dinner led us to a treetop trek, which Grandpa Lee and Stella enthusiastically undertook.  Michaelin and I thought the heights of 100 feet or more would not agree with our vertigo personalities.  Taking pictures was our fun activity, as we strained our necks to get glimpses of our heroes in the canopy.

The zip line to the bottom was about 400 yards and if they had not been traveling at such a high speed we could have videoed them holding hands as they descended. They were so brave and sooooo cute!

The Bronte Sisters and More . . .

We left London for Haworth, in Yorkshire, to visit the home town of the Bronte family, and to embark on what was to be one of the highlights of our trip.  We wanted to experience the life and times of the famous 19th century authors of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, Charlotte and Emily Bronte.  What we discovered was a much bigger story about the family than just the two sisters. 

We were met at the train station by Mark, the proprietor and owner of The Manor in Cullingworth.  He and his wife Michelle made us feel like we were visiting friends.  The comfort and luxury of their Bed and Breakfast has been the best on our trip.  If you ever come to Haworth for a visit to the historic Bronte Parsonage you will want to stay at the Cullingworth Manor!  You will also want to eat at "Your Local Village Pub" called "The George." 

 Their service is excellent, but get there early because it was packed both nights we were there!

The Manor Cullingworth is a Bronte-era home of 1838.  Its wonderful accommodations, spectacular view from the bedroom window, and the "hearty Yorkshire breakfast menu," made our visit to Bronte country most enjoyable.

When we reached the Bronte Parsonage, we realized that the parsonage and the home where the Bronte's grew up were one and the same.  The father, Patrick Bronte, and his wife, Maria, and their six children arrived in Haworth in 1820.  Within a few months Maria died of cancer,  leaving the father to raise six children.  During the time Patrick served as parson and curate of Haworth the family experienced tremendous acclaim, only to be overshadowed by ongoing tragic and heart-breaking events. The two oldest daughters, Maria and Elizabeth, died soon after their mother of tuberculosis.

Alana, Stella, and Michaelin are standing on the front steps of the Bronte family home and parsonage. Charlotte occupied the bedroom at the two windows in the upper left-hand side of this photograph.  

The room shown below is where the Bronte children congregated to act out their imaginary plays and stories.  The table in the middle of the room is where Charlotte and Emily penned many of the pages of their most famous novels.  The sofa on the right is where Emily passed away of tuberculosis at the age of 26.  Charlotte's younger sister, Anne, died nine months later, also of tuberculosis.  Charlotte was at her bedside in Scarborough, and had her buried there, sparing her pastor father from conducting another devastating family funeral.

The parsonage is located in the small village of Haworth, situated on a high hillside overlooking the moors, farms, pastures, and lakes in Yorkshire, England.

In a drizzling rain, and high winds that threatened to take our umbrellas, we walked six miles over the very paths through the moorlands and withens that once inspired the minds of Charlotte and Emily, influencing the intricate background and details found in their writings.

To add to the family's grief was the alcoholism of the only Bronte son, Branwell, who was a gifted painter and writer, too.  He had an art studio in the parsonage, where his paintings are now exhibited.  He expressed in a letter, shortly before he died, that he would welcome death because he would be "free of want." (Obviously referring to his addictions.) When Branwell could no longer function on his own, his father took him into his own bedroom to care for him, where he passed away at the age of 31.  

Charlotte lived alone with her father until she finally accepted one of the many proposals for marriage.  She and her husband took up residence in the parsonage and were anxiously awaiting their first child when Charlotte became ill. She died of tuberculosis in her family home with her husband praying at her bedside. 

So it was that Patrick Bronte outlived his wife and his six children. Two years after Charlotte's passing, the Archbishop of Canterbury in his eulogy to Patrick Bronte, praised the 51 years of pastoral service to his community and the great devotion to his family.  Sadly, the Brontes left no descendants - but thankfully their good works live on. :(  Many storefronts, shops, and streets carry the Brontes' names and/or the names of their many artistic legacies.

We were completely surprised by the number of visitors, from all over the world, who acknowledge and come to learn more about, the Brontes and their accomplishments.  The museum curator told us they have upwards of 100,000 visitors every year.  The home and parsonage, which houses original furniture, letters, and works of all the Brontes is a tribute to the family's perseverance and triumphs over personal setbacks and tragedies.  It is sure that none of them had any idea of the historic acclaim their contributions would merit.