Hampton Court Palace

Another trip to Hampton Court Palace. This time was to take Joshua's American girlfriend, Kenya, as it's her first trip to England. And of course I don't mind the trip, there's something about the place. I don't get it, because I tend to be very in tune with emotions, and it does have a bit of a bloody history so you would think it would make me feel unpleasant. But I can only assume that there has been a lot of good memories there to dampen the horrors.

We didn't attempt it all, but we walked through the main gardens; Henry VIII's kitchens; William III's apartments; and saw the display on Henry VIII's early years, before Anne Boleyn, when he seemed to actually be happy and in love with Catherine of Aragon.

All the times we've been and I'd never walked down to the Thames and Bushy Park. We saw ducks, swans and a herd of deers :)

Every time we go I have to go down to Henry VIII's kitchens because they have a huge open fireplace and I have a thing for the smell of burning, right up there with lemons as fave smells!

William III's apartments were also a first, the guard chamber had an amazing display of weaponry, not just quantity but in the way they were displayed.

And what about the lead trough - what are the chances! It is exactly the same as the one I saw at Saville Gardens, only 1754 not 1752.

Loving the photo of Josh and Kenya where they're checking their hair before a photo - honestly, a complete coincidence that their hands ended up in exactly the same spot :)