Virtual Vacation: Great Smoky Mountains

Dave and I have elected to spend our Christmas vacation at home again this year, and while I welcome the opportunity to indulge in a bit of a "staycation," I can't help but wish we were sitting around a slightly more festive environment -- like, say, a cozy cabin nestled in the mountains.

Now I'll be the first to admit that I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a girl who likes to "rough it". To pull a few lines from Troop Beverly Hills (a favorite movie of mine as a kid) [In reference to the Troop "camping out" at the Beverly Hills Hotel]:

Velda: "Is this what you call roughing it?"

Phyllis: "One bathroom for nine people? Yes."

And so, while I may be a fan of the Great Outdoors, I've always preferred to spend my nights in slightly more luxurious surroundings -- and I wouldn't normally consider cabins as qualifying. But in the talented hands of Atlanta designer Suzanne Kasler, this cozy English-style cabin (dubbed Toad Hall) nestled in the heart of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee manages to be both rustic and luxe. It also happens to be the kind of place I'd love to escape to for the holidays: the perfect spot to cozy up by a big wood burning fire with the hubby, pup and a good book.

I love the warmth that the tapestry, rug and heavy curtains bring to the exposed wood walls and ceiling. The overall feeling is to reminiscent of an English country house, where the cold wood and stone walls and floors are covered with heavy fabrics and tapestries to insulate against the harsh British weather.

Decorating Tip #476: A beautiful Chinoiserie screen works anywhere, even in a log cabin. Perhaps what I love most about this cabin is that there's nary a moose head or stuffed pheasant in sight. Just goes to show you that there's no reason to slavishly adhere to "hunting lodge style" if you want to create a rustic, cabin mood.

Should you decide to invite a large group over to your winter hideaway, there's plenty of space for entertaining in the dining room. Anchoring the large table with two wingback chairs in a buttery yellow brings in a more modern touch, a nice counterbalance to the traditional dining set, candelabra and curtains. While much of the furniture and the walls are dark, plenty of light streams in from the french doors.

I'm fairly certain I'd be parked in front of this fire for much of the day, watching the snow fall outside the window while enjoying the crackle of the fire. Divine.

I love how the kitchen is both rustic and modern. The cabinetry has the look of fine furniture and the lack of upper cabinets gives the kitchen a more refined look that you might find in a dining room. Indeed, the lower cabinets resemble a buffet that just happens to have a gorgeous oven in the center of it.

Of course the master bedroom has a large stone fireplace -- all the better to snuggle up by on a cold winter's night. I love the height of the room as well, but the canopy bed keeps the feel cozy rather than cavernous. The juxtaposition of the floral fabric and the rustic walls and fireplace makes this room perfectly suited for both men and women.

This beautiful canopied bed has me simply dying to dive in it head first. Nothing like a big, fluffy duvet and a roaring fire for sleeping in over the holidays. My only question: where are the side tables and bedside lamps?! As an avid reader in bed, I'm at something of a loss to explain their absence (especially since there's clearly room around the bed for small tables).

Of course though, like any good cabin worth its salt, it's the view outdoors that's the most compelling, the most awe-inspiring. This time of year you might need a space heater and a few blankets to make this porch comfortable, but I'm sure the views across the lake would be well worth it.

Who doesn't love sitting on a rocker on the front porch chewing the fat late into the night?

The "Writer's Cottage", another guest house, is nestled between the garden and the woods beyond. I'd imagine it's exactly the sort of place a writer might go looking for some inspiration.

One of the guest houses, adorably dubbed "Tadpole Cottage".

Vacation Recap: Scotland, Part 4

{Holyrood Abbey}

[Note: This is a continuation of the recap of my recent trip to the United Kingdom. To view Part 1, click HERE. To view Part 2, click HERE. To view Part 3, click HERE.]

Day 9, cont.: After driving through Glen Coe, Dave and I made one final stop before heading into Edinburgh at Stirling Castle. Strategically situated atop an extinct volcano along the narrowest part of the United Kingdom, Stirling has been an important military fortress for the Scots since the early middle ages (though the castle itself primarily dates from the 16th century, when it became the primary residence for the Stuarts).

What was once the royal residence of the Stuart household (and the childhood home of Mary Queen of Scots) is currently closed for restoration work, but we were able to tour the chapel, banquet hall and the grounds. I was most impressed though with the location: the view is truly spectacular. Unfortunately, with our late afternoon arrival we were only able to spend a few hours there and we were kicked out at 6pm for what appeared to be a student bagpipe competition. (I'm not a fan of bagpipes but I did enjoy seeing all their various highland regalia). But in any case, we were itching to make it on to our final destination of the day: Edinburgh.

After a long day of driving and sight seeing, Dave and I finally made it into Edinburgh in time for dinner. During our long weekend in the "Athens of the North", Dave and I had the good fortune of staying at Hotel Missoni, which is everything I had imagined it to be and more. Situated just a few hundred yards from Edinburgh Castle on the Royal Mile, it's incredibly well located for walking all over Old Town. In short, it was worth every penny and should I ever find myself in Edinburgh again, you can bet I'll be booking a room at the Hotel Missoni. If a room isn't in your budget, you should at least visit their bar, to take in the ambiance and enjoy any number of really wonderful drink options.

Day 10: Of course, almost as soon as Dave and I arrived in Edinburgh, we headed out again, this time northeast to the Kingdom of Fife and the university town of St. Andrews. When I visited Scotland last in 2002 our most memorable day was probably in St. Andrews and this time around it was just as picturesque and idyllic as I had remembered it.

The climb to the top of St. Rule's Tower was long, narrow and a bit claustrophobic, but the spectacular view of the town, surrounding countryside and Firth of Forth more than made up for it. Between the scenery and the perfect weather, I was just about ready to emigrate to St. Andrews. But, alas, after a few peaceful moments taking it all in, it was time to head down and on to our next stop: St. Andrews Castle, which is situated directly next to the Abbey.

St. Andrews Castle, like many of the castles we toured in Scotland, is little more than a ruin (after all, the English couldn't take any chances that those pesky Scots wouldn't up and revolt again!). What makes St. Andrews Castle a bit different though is that it was owned by the church and not by the state. Before the Scottish Reformation, St. Andrews was the epicenter of the Catholic Church in Scotland, and the castle was home both to the bishop and to the church's military forces. During the Scottish Reformation itself, the castle imprisoned many of the protestant reformers and passed violently between Protestant and Catholic hands for decades. Evidence of these bloody times remain and you can walk through the mines (and countermines) dug by the attackers (and the besieged). While Dave crawled through one of these mines that goes from the castle to the outer walls of the town, the tight, narrow dark spaces were just a bit too much for my latent claustrophobia. And so I have to take Dave's word for it when he dubbed it "really cool".

Day 11: After four consecutive days of perfect weather, it was inevitable that the rain would catch up with us. And, on Sunday it finally did. Nevertheless, we were determined to make the most of our one full day in Edinburgh so we braved the cool, drizzly weather and set out to explore Old Town, which is dominated by the Royal Mile, the steep road connecting Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace (the official residence of HRH Elizabeth II when she comes to Scotland). Our first stop was Edinburgh Castle, where we fought the throng of tourists to explore the grounds and buildings. Despite the madness, it's well worth a visit.

After finishing up at the castle, we wandered down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (or Holyrood Palace), which is nestled next to its namesake (and yet another romantic ruin) Holyrood Abbey in a beautiful park surrounding Arthur's Seat (a group of hills overlooking the city). [By the way, Holyrood simply translates to "Holy Cross" in Old English.] Since the palace is still a royal residence, we were only able to tour the public apartments (and not take any photos!), which were initially decorated by the Stuarts but updated by Victoria. Mary Queen of Scots' apartments, however, retain their original Tudor look and it was great fun getting to explore them as well as the Victorian-era cabinets of curiosities collected from the period (including a lock of Mary's hair!).

The palace is built practically on top of the remnants of Holyrood Abbey, which in the rainy Scottish weather and amidst their lush garden surroundings take on a truly romantic/Gothic air. After seeing the many, many ruined abbeys and castles scattered about Scotland, I can see why a belief in ghosts and spirits was so pervasive -- it's all very foreboding!

In stark contrast to the history of Holyroodhouse stands the very modern (and very controversial) Scottish Parliament. Dave and I were trying to decide what precisely the architects were going for. While the lines of the building clearly echo the hills of Arthur's Seat just a few hundred yards away, I'll admit that the rest of the building's unique facade was somewhat lost on me (and certainly Dave, who declared it hideous).

After catching the French Open final (which was remarkably hard to find on the BBC), Dave and I enjoyed a quick dinner before enjoying an evening tour of the Real Mary King's Close (the long-buried but recently discovered 17th-century neighborhood underneath Mary King's Close). To say the tour was creepy would be a serious understatement, but it was also fascinating and a whole lot of fun. I highly recommend.

So that about wraps up our recent trip to the UK. Dave and I had an absolutely fantastic time. Should you find yourself in Scotland or the greater-London area anytime soon, please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to share with you my recommendations on where to stay and dine and what to see.

Vacation Recap: Scotland, Part 3

{Inverness, Scotland}

[Note: This is a continuation of the recap of my recent trip to the United Kingdom. To view Part 1, click HERE. To view Part 2, click HERE.]

Day 7. After a nearly a week in London, we caught a plane to Inverness, the unofficial capital of the Highlands.

That evening, we were able to take full advantage of the long Scottish summer days and walk around the city. Situated on the River Ness and the Moray Firth, Inverness is a picturesque town full of B&Bs and all manner of tourist amenities. It is, for many, a great launching pad for day trips around the Highlands.

Day 8. We decided to spend our first full day in Scotland driving east. [And yes, we rented a car and drove ourselves around on the "wrong" side of the road. Fortunately, Scottish roads are well maintained and well-marked and we found getting around (with the help of my trusty Garmin) pretty painless.] Our first stop was Culloden moor, where the Battle of Culloden was fought between the Jacobites and "the Government" in 1746. Not only did Culloden effectively end Bonnie Prince Charlie's bid for the British crown, but it also brought an end to the Scottish clan system (which was made illegal shortly after the Jacobite's crushing loss) and the beginning of the Scottish diaspora to Canada, the USA and Australia. In short, it's a pivotal moment in Scottish (and really, world) history. The gloomy moor lends itself that kind of reflective, melancholic mood that the conjuring up of tragic parts of history tend to leave me with.

After a morning of walking around a battlefield, we pressed on to Cawdor Castle, the family home of the Thanes of Cawdor, leaders of Clan Calder. The most famous Thane of Cawdor is, of course, Macbeth, though the castle itself was built centuries later in the late 14th-century. What I enjoyed the most about Cawdor Castle, aside from its lovely gardens, was that it truly felt like a home, full of all the knickknacks, pictures and photographs that are in all our homes. (And, in fact, it is a home, as the Dowager Countess Cawdor spends half the year there, when the castle is closed to the public.) The castle is also reflective of layer-upon-layer of renovation, from the medieval basements to the Victorian bedrooms to the very '70s-tastic kitchen.

Our final stop for the day was Elgin Cathedral (or what's left of it, anyway). There are a good many ruined cathedrals, abbeys and monasteries throughout Scotland (and we'll visit more of them at the end of our trip) and these are remnants of the violent Reformation that took place in Scotland in the 16th century. Despite their ruined state, I still love roaming the grounds of these places, admiring the architecture and that gothic romanticism that seems to settle onto ancient, consecrated grounds.

Day 9. The following day, we headed west along the Great Glen, following Loch Ness down from Inverness to Fort Williams and the west coast. The drive is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful drives in the UK. En route, we stopped at Urquhart Castle, which is situated directly on Loch Ness. I kept my eyes peeled for Nessie, but alas, I never did catch a glimpse of her. [And yes, the Scots take Nessie seriously (or at least they pretend to for the many tourists who throng to the loch in hopes of seeing her).]

From Ft. Williams, we drove through Glen Coe, which is another breathtaking drive for the mountain-lover. Much of the drive follows the West Highland Way, a hiking and biking trail that traverses the highlands. My hope is that Dave and I will be able to return to Scotland and hike at least a part of it so we have more time to soak in the beauty than we did in a 45-minute car ride.

Next up: We wrap up our vacation with visits to Stirling, St. Andrews and Edinburgh.

Vacation Recap: England, Part 2

[Note: This post is a continuation of the recap of my recent trip to the United Kingdom. To view part 1, go HERE.]

Day 4. After a rainy, dreary Saturday, we awoke to a beautiful Sunday morning so we decided to head out of London for the second time to enjoy the gorgeous weather at Hampton Court in Richmond. Hampton Court was originally the private home of Cardinal Wolsey in the early 16th century, though Henry VIII took over (and enlarged) the palace for himself when Wolsey fell out of favor in 1529. While the palace remained a royal residence through the reign of Queen Anne, it's most often associated with Henry VIII and his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I.

When we arrived at Hampton Court, the palace was celebrating the wedding of Henry to his sixth (and final) wife, Catherine Parr. As devoted followers of HBO's The Tudors, Dave and I enjoyed the serendipity of this reenactment coinciding with the current plot on one of our favorite shows. We spent the afternoon wandering the palace and its lovely ground and enjoying the (admittedly cheesy) reenactments, which including jousting and falconry. As a tennis player, Dave was disappointed though that the real tennis court was closed for renovation. That aside though, it was a wonderful way to pass an idyllic Sunday afternoon.

Day 5. Monday was a Bank Holiday in the United Kingdom, so we were disappointed to find that the vast majority of sites and businesses were closed. As a result, we spent much of the day relaxing and taking in the streets of London. We spent a few fascinating hours at Fortnum & Mason, browsing its four floors of enticing foods and gifts. After freshening up at the hotel, we headed over to Rules near Charing Cross in the West End for an incredible dinner of sea bass (me) and duck fois gras (Dave). We finished up with a sticky toffee pudding, a traditional English dessert that had me wanting to lick the plate clean. Both Dave and I agree that this restaurant is not just one of the best restaurants we've been to in London, but perhaps one of the best restaurants we've been to anywhere. It's definitely going to be on our list of places to return to on our next trip.

Day 6. Our last day in London proved to be jam-packed as we scurried to take in all the sites we had hoped to spread out over our last two days. Our first stop was to the tiny borough of Holburn, also known as "Legal London". The bar in England is (unsurprisingly) full of all sorts of fascinating -- and archaic -- traditions, not the least of which are the four Inns of Court. All barristers (or what we would think of as trial lawyers) must belong to one of these four inns, which provide many of the same services as our state bars (e.g., discipline and enforcement matters, legal education). We strolled along the grounds of the largest (and oldest) of the four inns, the Lincoln Inn, which is located across from the Royal Courts of Justice.

The Temple Church is actually located inside the grounds of two of the Inns of Court (the aptly named Inner and Middle Temple). The church was originally built by the Knights of Templar in the 12th century, making it one of the oldest buildings in London and one of the few surviving examples of Norman architecture remaining. Unfortunately, the Temple was badly damaged during the Blitz, but it has been lovingly restored. The archway I'm standing under in the photo above is one of the few remaining original features of the 12th-century church and is beautiful in its design and detail.

Generally speaking, we tried to take in different sites than we did on our trip to London last summer, but we couldn't resist a second (well, fourth or fifth for me) trip to Westminster Abbey a place so rich in history and tradition that the air feels positively heavy with it. Each time I tour the Abbey, I see something different and this time was no exception.

After leaving Westminster, we headed west to Kensington to take in Kensington Palace (the childhood home of Queen Victoria as well as the home of Princess Diana post-divorce) and enjoy a proper English tea before our evening out at the theater. Unfortunately, the weather failed to hold and by the time we walked from the Tube station to the palace, we were thoroughly soaked through. After enjoying some very restorative tea (which really does hit the spot on chilly, wet English afternoons), scones and sandwiches at The Orangerie, we trudged in our wet clothes through the park and gardens of Kensington, which are lovely even on the nastiest of days. While we didn't make it inside the palace on this trip, I have been in before and it's a beautiful, stately home full of wonderful Victorian antiques and furniture as well as an impressive collection of Victoria's clothing.

We wrapped up our time in London at the Apollo Victoria Theater, where we saw Wicked. I've been wanting to see the show for a long time, but unfortunately missed it when the Broadway tour came through Houston, and I wasn't disappointed. The show was fabulous. London, like New York, is a major theater town and there are literally dozens of shows on offer in London's West End. Like NYC, you can often score a great deal on last-minute seats at one of the many ticket booths near Leicester Square.

Next Up: Dave and I head north to the Highlands, where we take in the lovely town of Inverness, walk the fields of Culloden and keep our eyes peeled for Nessie.

Vacation Recap: England, Part 1

I've finally managed to sort through the hundreds of photos I took of our recent trip and I thought I'd share some of my favorites here on the blog. I recognize that sharing the web-equivalent of a lengthy slide show of family vacation photos isn't exactly exciting stuff -- or really what this blog is about. But bear with me and I'll try and keep things lively and, in the interest of not boring you to tears, I'll be splitting the trip up into 3 separate posts, interspersed throughout next week with posts on my usual design blather.

Day One. Dave and I arrived to London Heathrow very early Thursday morning without incident. We staggered around the city until our hotel room was ready, whereupon we promptly fell asleep for 5 hours straight, awaking only for a brief dinner and it was back to bed.

Day Two. Friday morning we got up bright and early for our day trip out to Kent, a county in southeastern England just a short distance from London. My grandfather's family hailed from county Kent and, like many of their Puritan brethren (Kent was a hot bed for so-called Round Heads), emigrated to New England in the mid-17th century to escape religious persecution. As far as I know, I'm the first member of the family to step foot in the motherland since.

I saw our trip to Kent (my first despite a half dozen or more trips to the United Kingdom) as something of a homecoming. And I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely the county is, which is marked by gently rolling hills and lush gardens. Historically the breadbasket of England, Kent's chief cash crop is now lavender -- and I think that fact accurately sums up my impression of the area: simply lovely.

Our first stop in Kent was Leeds Castle, a picturesque castle sitting astride two small islands in a lake. The original palace dates from the 12th-century, but was modernized and expanded by Henry VIII for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. When Henry divorced Catherine after twenty-some odd years of marriage, it was here that Catherine spent the remainder of her life, virtually a prisoner.

While a few rooms in the castle retain much of the look and feel of the Tudor period, most of the castle bears the hallmark of the last private owner, Lady Baillie -- and her decorator, Stephane Boudin. Boudin was the decorator of choice for another famous lady, Jackie O. and he, together with Sister Parish, redecorated and refurbished the White House for the Kennedys. Interestingly enough, many of the carpets at Leeds are the same ones as those Boudin used in the White House and, while they have long since been removed from the White House, remain in pristine condition at Leeds.

Perhaps most magnificent though are the gardens and grounds at Leeds, which include a number of gardens, ponds, a maze, a grotto and even a golf course. We were very lucky to arrive in late spring as the gardens were in full bloom with roses, wisteria, tulips and all manner of gorgeous flowers. I could have spent a lovely afternoon reading (and dozing) quietly on the grass, but it was quickly time to get back on the bus to continue our tour of Kent.

From Leeds we drove down to Dover to take a look at the white cliffs, where the RAF would take off for France and Germany during the Battle of Britain. The only evidence of which are the many bunkers and tunnels hidden along the cliffs, the first line of defense to protect London (and the rest of Britain) during the Blitz. We then headed to Canterbury, to see the great cathedral. While Canterbury has great historical and ecclesiastical importance for the Church of England, I'll admit that I was a bit underwhelmed by the architecture. Indeed, there are far grander churches in England. Nevertheless, the town was lovely and we had a great meal of cider and meat pies at a local pub before heading to Greenwich and then back to London via a boat on the Thames.

Day Three. On Saturday I was determined to make it out to Notting Hill to see the market on Portobello Road. Unfortunately, the weather was awful. Despite that, we spent a lovely morning strolling the markets where there were all manner of interesting curiosities and collectibles. Vintage cameras? Check. Antique bugles? Check. Old wooden tennis rackets? Check. I'd say the real strength of the market though is china and silver (unsurprising given that it's England), neither of which I have tremendous interest in. Ultimately nothing really struck my fancy and so we left empty-handed, though we still really enjoyed the search.

Tip: If you find yourself on Portobello Road (or anywhere near it) run, don't walk, to The Hummingbird Bakery. I'd heard about the cupcake mecca through my sister, who has their cookbook (which is excellent -- the Nutella cupcakes are heaven) and when I saw it I immediately insisted we go in and try a few. Incredible.

After leaving Portobello Market in early afternoon (the weather was getting worse and worse), we headed indoors to the Imperial War Museum (which is -- fun fact -- housed in the old Bedlam Hospital). In addition to housing some incredible examples of WWI and WWII aircraft, tanks and guns, the museum also has some incredibly moving exhibits on the two world wars. (By the way, Dave is standing next to a chunk of the Berlin wall.) What strikes me as mind boggling is how recently these events occurred. Not too get too heavy here, but as a member of generation Y I find it hard to fathom how events like the Holocaust happened less than 70 years ago -- less than a lifetime. I also find it hard to believe how much England has changed in the interim. From the strict rationing of the post-war era to today, where the English are perhaps rivaled only by Americans in their disposable income and consumerism.

We wrapped up day 3 with a wonderful meal at St. John, a restaurant in up-and-coming Smithfield that prides itself on its "nose to tail" cooking. Not for the squeamish diner, St. John is nevertheless a fantastic restaurant, distinctly English and not to be missed. If you're not going to be in London anytime soon, check out their cookbook, which is available on Amazon.

Next up: Our tour of London wraps up with a day trip to Hampton Court, a tour of the Inns at Court and some Wicked fun.

30-second recap

Parliament Square, London

I'm still playing catch up at work (and sleep), so I haven't managed to sift through all the photos yet...or have some developed. [Annoyingly enough, my camera battery died on the second to last day and I had to resort to a disposable camera (and yes, they still make those).] Until I can get around to a full-fledged, proper post, here's a sneak peak:

Leeds Castle, County Kent

Inverness, Scotland

Elgin Cathedral, Scotland

Glen Coe, Scotland

Suffice it to say that we had an amazing time.