Again, this is being posted only as a placeholder. We had an amazing late afternoon, evening (yesterday) and morning (today) at Gravetye Manor and headed out around 11:00 this morning (Thursday) to drive to Bruton. We had the experience of running into the first rain of our trip, but the 3-hour travel went well. More details to follow.......but our hotel at Number One Bruton is great and we had a wonderful dinner experience at Da Costa at the Hauser and Wirth Bruton art/food complex. Details will need to wait as it is now almost 11:00 at night and we both need some sleep to prepare for our 'roots' adventures for Andrea's family tomorrow.
We will catch up soon........and the photos are a lot of fun!
So here it goes many days later.......it is now Sunday (6/22) and we are back in Wayland. Hope we can rekindle the day!
Starting with Gravetye, it was another one of those great sunny mornings! We have been so fortunate (although today's forecast was for clouds and rain coming in during our drive west!). Although we saw a lot of the gardens yesterday, there was still more to explore. Here is a map of the grounds.
The sun rose early (no escape) and managed to find a slot in the curtains! and Andrea decided it was time to get up!
Love the wallpaper!
Behind the scenes at the gardens
A Stop along the Highway.........and a couple of rain videos!
STONEHENGE - WHAT A SURPRISE!
WE HAD NO IDEA THAT WE WERE CLOSE.......AND WERE WONDERING WHAT THE TRAFFIC SLOWDOWN WAS ALL ABOUT! THEN OFF ON THE HORIZON IT APPEARED. GUESS IT WAS DRAWING A CROWD TODAY!
HOPEFUL BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS AHEAD!
NUMBER ONE BRUTON........OUR NEXT STEP IN EXPLORING SOMERSET
A GREAT HOTEL AND RESTAUARANT IN A CONVERTED FORGE COMPLEX
We made it to Bruton by about 1:30. We were able to check into the hotel early and also stop by the restaurant downstairs for a late lunch. After lunch we spent some time wandering through the streets of Bruton.......a very quaint, old English village. Before going on to the rest of the day, we have to mention how crazy it was to actually get into the hotel and park our car. There was no space to park on the street in front of the hotel. They had mentioned in our reservation that there was a public car park about a block away behind the hotel. We could not find it, and ended up in a school lot next door......and walked to the front door of the hotel. We ended up getting instructions on how to get to the public lot (only 12 spaces) and managed to squeeze our way up the side street and the hotel sent a bellman to help drag the luggage over the cobblestones! Quite the adventure!
The front of the hotel shown in the photo below!
and the view from the front door of the hotel.
amazing steak tartare and ricotta 'toasts' for lunch
The back door (gate) for the hotel through the old stable yard.......this got us close to where our car was parked.
We finally collapsed in late afternoon for a rest in the room. I also enjoyed the huge bathtub in the room.......and we were refreshed for a night out. We had a reservation at a restaurant about 5 minutes away in a very intriguing food/art complex which had recently been purchased by Hauser and Wirth. We were excited about this as they were the husband and wife art collectors that owned the Fife Arms Hotel which we enjoyed so much last year in Braemar. They are fascinating people......
Hauser & Wirth was founded in 1992 in Zurich by Iwan Wirth, Manuela Wirth and Ursula Hauser, who were joined in 2000 by Partner and President Marc Payot. A family business with a global outlook, Hauser & Wirth represents over 90 artists and estates who have been instrumental in shaping its identity and who are the inspiration for Hauser & Wirth’s diverse range of activities that engage with art, education, conservation and sustainability. Iwan and Manuela Wirth are also the founders of Artfarm, a hospitality arm that includes restaurants and boutique hotels.
There is much more info online if folks are interested. The facility in Bruton was wonderful, set in a renovated, but fully working farm. The art gallery was beautiful and the two restaurants were quite stunning being set in the context of this renovated farm complex. Our reservation was at Da Costa.
The dining experience was amazing.......great food and some interesting drinks including a martini with pink gin and herb infused olive oil! I also had a great conversation with the chef at the open fire grill........who explained to me his technique for grilling whole Dover Sole.
10:15 at night when we finished! Sun just starting to set.....
and back to the Hotel
