I'm sure it's happened to you, too. You start out having the germination of an idea and as time goes on you nurture it and add to it and plan it and then plan it some more - right down to the nth degree.
And you know how oftentimes life will hip check us as if to say, "Slow down there... not so fast. Life is messy and imperfect and you need a healthy dose of reality right now, so lower those expectations." It's happened to all of us, right? That reality quite often doesn't line up with our gauzy and romantic ideas of how we want things to turn out. Well, my friends, that didn't happen to me. Nope, for me, one particular outing that I had invested so much time and hope into not only lived up to my expectations, but exceeded them.
I wanted to tell you all about it right away - to share every moment as it was happening and how I felt like my heart would explode with joy, but at first I couldn't. The reason is simple enough. I don't know that I'll be able to find the words that will convey how wonderful it was. When I write it out you'll probably think, "Hmmm, sounds like a nice day, but I don't really get why she's waxing all poetic about it." And I guess that's okay too, because as long as I have the memory of this day that I can call upon and savor from time to time, that's more than good enough.
But anyway, let me tell you about it. Many years ago I read something online about a place called Hever Castle in Kent, U.K. It was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn which was acquired by the Astor family in 1903 and refurbished. It is located about an hour outside of London by train. The castle is located in a remote village called Hever (original, right?) and can be accessed in two ways. The first is to alight at a station called Edenbridge Town and have a taxi meet you and drive you the three or four miles to the castle. This is the way most people arrive at the castle. The other way is to take the train to the Hever station, the next stop after Edenbridge Town and walk a little over a mile to the castle. That, in a nutshell, is the essence of why I had not made the trip before. The Hever station is unmanned and there are no shops or pubs to pop into to ask directions. You need to look for small metal medallions posted on gate posts and follow those along footpaths, meadows and then along the side of of narrow country roads with hedgerows on both sides that tower above your head. And while you are walking along the side of this country road hoping you are going in the right direction, you have to be mindful of cars that may come careening around corners on the opposite side of the road that you're used to. A daunting plan to be sure.
I wanted to make this trip the last two times I went to England, but I was a bit worried about getting lost out in the country and missing our train or whatever other folly my mind conjured up. The actual trek through the country was intensely appealing to me - in fact one of the things I wanted to do most, but it was also the one thing that kept me from going. A paradox if there ever was one.
But this time - with all of our children and grandchildren along - we were going to go there for sure! Sunday, June 17 arrived and we all got up early and took the tube to London Bridge station to catch the train to Hever. Unfortunately, there was minor chaos at the station as the train we were supposed to take got cancelled and we were told to board a different train and change trains in a place called Hurst Green that would get us to Hever. Tyler had Citymapper on his phone and we realized that we would have a 40 minute layover in Hurst Green, which actually turned out to be a lovely little interlude. Hurst Green is also out in the countryside, so the area surrounding the station was leafy and verdant. We noticed that in the station on the opposite track there was a little coffee stand so we all crossed the bridge over the track and went to the stand for coffee and treats. The woman and her son that were manning the shop were very friendly, assuring us that we would love Hever and that there was much to see and do there. I got a homemade biscuit and everyone else got treats and we headed back to our outbound track. The stop at Hurst Green had already put me in a great mood because it was so pretty and the weather was just right, so I was feeling very positive about the day.
Our walk to the castle was truly everything I had hoped for. We were out in the midst of the bucolic English countryside, walking along a narrow footpath with brambles and wildflowers everywhere. We passed sheep resting lazily under the canopy of old trees, bleating at us as we walked by, but mostly disinterested in us. We passed through wooden gates and stiles and took care to close those gates behind us so the sheep wouldn't escape. It was heavenly. And then, suddenly, we were in a field or meadow with more sheep that seemed oblivious to not only us, but to the incredible view they were privy to. We were all laughing and joking and trying to avoid the sheep droppings that were everywhere, but even that was fun and we all seemed full of the moment and cognizant of how special this experience was.
The gardens at the castle were extensive and included two hedgerow mazes and even a water maze that delighted the children as they hopped from stone to stone, pretending to avoid the water spouting out but secretly trying to get soaked. We had a nice lunch followed by some ice cream made with Kentish cream and headed over to watch a jousting match. At the match, the children were able to walk in a parade around the jousting area before the tournament began. There was even a playground there with a zip line and fort that the little ones loved.
I truly had worried a bit beforehand that the whole day might be uninteresting to not only the children, but the other adults who may not share my fervent love of the English countryside and history, but everyone appeared to be having a great time.
A friendly fellow tourist snapped a picture of all of us in front of the castle. Amy took a bazillion pictures too, so we are lucky to have a pretty complete memorialization of the day. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've already revisited that day through those photographs and videos. Mike and I were talking and we realized that even if we had made the trip there years earlier, it would not have been nearly as wonderful as it was being able to experience everything through the children's eyes.
When we left after a full day, we followed the same footpath through the meadows and past the resting sheep back to the station. I picked up a small stone from the footpath as a sentimental small remembrance, and slipped it into my pocket. A "piece" of Hever and of that perfect day to bring back home with me. As we waited for our train to take us back to London, Sophie turned to me and asked, "Tell us more stories, please, about King Henry VIII and all of his wives." And I knew at that moment that this day had been one that none of us would ever forget and not just a dream fulfilled for me.
