Sunday (Around Swaffham)…

Awoke to brilliant sun, a breeze, and a proper Autumn chill. We had a wonderful English breakfast (eggs, country bacon, sausage, fried tomatoes, and mushrooms) at the Strattons, served with a strong dark coffee to fuel our morning. Took a quick morning walk to Swaffam’s beautiful 15th-century Anglican Church, the Parish Church of St. Peter & St. Paul. A muted pipe organ signaled that Sunday morning worship was in full swing so we circled the exterior. A classic limestone gray stone church with a soaring bell tower. An impressively old (and quite full) graveyard surrounded the building on three sides. Jaunty gravestones dipped towards dew-soaked grass.

A short 20 minute drive along narrow winding roads and we passed through the stately gates at Houghton Hall. A straight-as-an-arrow pea gravel road lead toward the car park. White fallow deer grazed like cattle under broad oaks in the parkland. Deer pellets everywhere…along with brilliant green lawns.

Began our visit in the stables, carriage house, and woodshop. Next we ventured into the formal walled gardens for a short visit before our time-slot to enter the mail home. The gardens are subdivided by towering hedges, allowing many different styles and purposes to co-exist within one garden. A beautiful vegetable garden bursting with fall veggies. Tidy groves of apple trees. Lines of espalier pear trees. Beds of English wildflowers. A traditional rose garden with sunken fountain. A classic white greenhouse. Even a tucked-away croquet area. The gardens were utterly peaceful and inspiring.

1:30PM. On to the main event…the entire reason we planned this trip…Houghton Hall and the Houghton Revisited exhibit to be precise. For the first time in 230 years, this impressive original collection of paintings has been re-assembled from various museums–particularly the Russian State Hermitage–and shown in their original placements around the grand rooms. An impressive collection of portraits, religious scenes, and slices of life. Jeff’s favorite of the day, a portrait by Velazquez…simple brushstrokes turning red paint into silk. My favorite…a moving portrait of an elderly woman by Rembrandt.

The house itself is a work of art…inside and out. Built by Sir Robert Walpole, first prime minister to George I, the house was designed to house his impressive art collection…namely paintings by many old masters…Rembrandt, Van Dyke, Lely, Valasquz, Marillo, etc. Upon Walpole’s death, his heirs sold his large collection to agents of Catherine the Great. At the time, it created quite an uproar that this British treasure would leave the country headed to the frozen north. Now 230 yrs later, the collection has returned for a special exhibit. The paintings are hung in their original placements in rooms designed to showcase them.

The house is incredibly well maintained. The dark wood stairwell. A towering two-story main hall with statuary and carvings everywhere…the ceiling alone made us stop and sit and contemplate on four occasions. The dining room was another standout with marble-arched alcoves and a carved marble fireplace. We only saw a dozen or so rooms, but we looped twice to admire tiny details…rich tapestries, thick mahogany doors, leather bound volumes in a drool-worthy library.

It was difficult to leave, but we had more to see outside before closing. The front of the building was now warmly lit in dappled afternoon light. We walked the expansive lawn to get just the right picture spot. As the sun dipped behind looming clouds, we took a brisk walk around the grounds and eventually back into the formal gardens for one last peek. Just when we thought we had seen it all, we happened upon a tucked-away fountain with a small crowd. Just as we thought nothing was going to happen, the fountain stopped and a flame erupted in the center of the pond. Soon, a jet of water returned and carried the flame up about three feet in the air. Hard to describe. Impressive to witness. “Waterflame” by Jeppe Hein. A very fun way to cap off Houghton.

We returned to The Strattons at dusk and headed over to the lobby lounge for a pre-dinner drink of wine. Dinner was once again fantastic. English blue-cheese, pear, and almond salad…followed by pork belly with root vegetables…and delectable desserts with ice cream to finish.

When we described our day to the warm woman who brought us our wine, she summed it all up quite simply: “A fine day out.”

Indeed.