Since coming to The Netherlands, I have been fortunate to join a great ladies’ social group, Adventurously Yours. It was started by someone who was an expat here in Wassenaar. It has lived on and grown since she moved back to the U.S., today including a book club, cooking club, day trips, and weekend trips abroad. No kids, no men, just fun with the gals.
I went on my first trip with them the first year we were here, to Poland, for a pottery adventure. In November, I took my second trip with them to an area just outside Manchester, United Kingdom. We were based in Bakewell, a beautiful English village, and everything you think when you hear those words. If you ever go, I highly recommend The H Boutique Hotel. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, but the best feature was David at the front desk, who took us up to our rooms and showed us all the features, making sure we had everything we needed.
On our first day, we headed to the Haddon Hall Christmas Market. It was not a very large market, but the vendors sold many handcrafted items. You think you will see handcrafted items at all the markets, but I have found that more of the items are mass-produced at the larger markets.
This weekend, a vendor at one of the markets told me that it is a mixed blessing as markets grow. You get in front of more customers, but then booth fees rise, and it is harder to produce enough merchandise to keep up with customer demand.
Haddon Hall dates back to the 11th century. It is a castle-like home that has been home to many generations of one single family. Haddon Hall has also been the site of many famous movies, including The Princess Bride, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth, Jane Eyre, and The Other Boleyn Girl.
On the second day, we headed to Chatsworth House, which held a much larger market, beautiful gardens, and a decorated manor house. Chatsworth House dates to the 14th century and is one of England’s finest estate homes.
In the afternoon, we headed to the Edensor Tea Cottage for a festive Christmas tea. Not only was the tea experience a delight, but the village of Edensor was so quanit. They were actually holding a universoty graduation at the church while we were there and they brought all the new grads out to the lawn in front of the church for a group photo and throwing of caps.
Red, White and Tulips 