So instead of sharing about our travels during my monthly Austenesque Agenda posts, I thought it would be best to do a post just about our recent trip (last month we went to England and Ireland!). Especially since on our recent trip we saw some Jane Austen friends, authors, and places!
Some of you may have seen some of these pictures on Facebook and Instagram, but here are some more! Warning: I took so many photos!!
This was our second trip to England. Our first one was in 2014 and it was amazing and we
knew we’d want to come back again as soon as possible. Well, we had 3 specific reasons for traveling to the UK this year:
- Mr. Bingley was invited to check out this super big saxophone store that has 2 locations in England.
- We had friends who live in Dublin inviting us to visit before one of them moves in a few months.
- I was itching to see more Jane Austen places and meet with friends an authors that live in England!
We started our trip in London and while there we went to several attractions we didn’t do the last time we were there.
Westminster Abbey (awesome audio tour inside!)
Buckingham Palace (we did actually see it last time, but we were with a huge crowd for the Changing of the Guards)
~ Tower of London (crown jewels, armory, execution tower – so much to see here!) ~
~ Tower Bridge (Definitely fun to walk across!) ~
~ The Shard ~
~ Churchill War Rooms (another amazing audio tour!) ~
And we had a very special first-time meeting with Leslie Diamond who was so kind to come and have lunch with us! We talked about Jane Austen, writing, swimming, life in England, travels in Europe, and Deadpool!
And then…while Mr. Bingley went to his saxophone store the lovely Joana Starnes and I planned some Jane Austen adventures!
The first one was Lyme Park…a.k.a. Pemberley!
And surprise! It was the beautifulest, most sunniest day we had in England!
What was special about this Pemberley trip was meeting online friends like Glynis and Míra! <3 So happy they were able to join us!
I wonder what Joana is thinking about as she gazes at Pemberley!
Discussing Pride and Prejudice…what else?
When we got to the room where you could dress up in Regency Era costumes, Joana asks if I want to dress up…(I so did, but didn’t wan’t to be the only one!) My reply: “I will if you will!” Love that she was game to dress up with me! 😉
<3 Fun times at Pemberley!
Looking for Mr. Darcy
We trekked through the park to find this very special pond, where we sat and had our lunch!
According to the experts (Joana and Míra) they are standing right near where Colin Firth jumps in the pond. 😉
Such an amazing day!!!
~ Day 2 of our Jane Austen adventures was Bath ~
Upon arrival you must stop at the Pump Room!
We sampled the waters, not bad!
Bath Assembly Rooms
No. 1 Royal Crescent (a preserved Georgian Home Museum (wonderful!!)
The Royal Crescent (with sunshine!!)
The Jane Austen Centre (Didn’t do the tea, but I did enjoy the museum…and of course the shop…and lovely Martin!)
Our perfect day ended with perfect Sally Lunn Bunns!! They were so good!
~~~
Oh boy! This post is already long and I haven’t gotten to Ireland yet! I’ll be brief as possible!
In Dublin we did the main touristy attractions and enjoyed a walking tour – Dublin Castle, Trinity College, Book of Kells, Guinness Storehouse, Temple Bar.
But my favorite days were when we went out west and saw the country!
We drove the Slea Head Loop Drive on Dingle Peninsula.
And it was just too beautiful!
Could you imagine living here?
Dingle itself was adorable!
On our way through Dingle we saw this sign that said: Hold a Baby Lamb ->
We, of course, pulled over to do just that! And we were lucky, we caught them at feeding time!
And then we headed to the CLIFFS OF INSANITY!!!!! (Princess Bride reference) Real name – Cliffs of Moher!
We must’ve had the luck the Irish with us because of how sunny and clear the sky was (our friends said all jokes aside they haven’t seen sun like this in months) and we had barely any wind (which you really don’t want when you are standing on 700ft high cliffs with no barrier!)
We stayed until sunset and it was well worth the wait!
Love him! <3
Our last bit of Irish fun was back in Dublin where I finally got to see some real Traditional Irish music!
And we got to sit 2 feet away from the musicians!
And that’s our trip! It was eventful, amazing, jam-packed, and we feel so fortunate that we got to visit with so many friends and meet some new friends in person for the first time! <3
Thank you for reading and looking at our photos, dear friends! It is always so fun to share our adventures with you, I’m sorry if this post was too long! Let me know if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them.
xoxo
– The Bingleys
I absolutely love your pictures, especially of the countryside in Ireland and England. What beautiful scenery! You and Mr. Bingley certainly had a wonderful trip. Thank you for sharing it with us. 🙂
You are such a dear, Brenda! Thank you! 🙂 I’m very happy to share these photos! It felt like I was reliving everything! 🙂
Thank you for sharing. London and Ireland were two of my favorite trips and your post has brought back many memories 🙂
I’m so glad! 🙂 Definitely some special places! I hope to go back again someday!
Meredith! Your trip is beyond words. The pictures are so telling and I feel like I was right there with you. Thanks so much for taking us along. Love it!!! Jen Red
Thank you so much, Jennifer! I’m thrilled you felt that way! 🙂
Fabulous trip and great photos, Meredith! You’ll have to do mainland Europe next!
We definitely want too!! Mr. Bingley says France is one he’d like for us to go to next, I can’t help but notice that Switzerland is pretty close!
I was with you until you said, “We sampled the waters, not bad!” Now I know that you’re just nuts. 😉 That water is nasty!
Awesome pictures. What kind of filter were you using, because the colors are terrific? Very envious of your trip.
LOL! I didn’t say I loved it…just that I was expecting to dislike it a little more! 😉 I’ve had thermal water before, so maybe that’s why I didn’t find it off-putting?
Thanks! I was just using my camera phone and editing them on this app called Quick Shot, I try not to use filters, mostly adjust shadows, highlights, detail, and structure.
Wow! It looks like you had an amazing trip, and perfect weather too! I’m so jealous! 😉 I’m glad you had such a fantastic time. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, my friend! LOL! We had perfect weather on the most important days! But most of the time it was grey and we did have some bouts of rain! 🙂
Beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing with us. Your pictures of Lyme Park/Pemberley and Bath brought back so many good memories. It is such a lovely place. You got some gorgeous shots of the countryside. I enjoyed ‘going along’ with you! I sampled the waters at Bath and didn’t mind them either. Now that I’ve seen some of your pictures, I’m ready to go back. Of course, I’m always ready to go back! lol
Thank you, Janet! I’m so happy to hear they brought back memories for you! I loved the countryside in both places! I feel the same! Halfway through our trip we were already planning everything we wanted to do the next time we come!
Fantastic post and pictures, Meredith! I enjoyed every bit of it right down to the Irish musician’s leg keeping time with the music. Seeing Lyme Park and Bath really made me long to visit again. Maybe, some day… Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you, Jan! I appreciate you checking them out! 🙂 LOL! I loved seeing that! We were all tapping our feet along with them! Hope you get to travel back there again soon!
What gorgeous photos Meredith. I’m so happy you enjoyed your trip and had such lovely weather. You can’t beat Pemberley in the sunshine 🙂
It was such a pleasure to meet you all and I so enjoyed spending time with you.
I must admit that I didn’t sample the waters when I went to Bath (although I did sample the buns at Sally Lunns 🙂 )
Ireland looked wonderful as well and it seems you were fortunate it wasn’t windy on the cliffs of Insanity (I absolutely love that film!)
Thank you, sweet friend! 🙂 I keep using the word “magical” to describe that day, because it was precisely that! Joana and I were so nervous about the weather and the trains, but it all worked out and we were so fortunate for the beautiful weather! It was extra special though to share the experience with such lovely friends that I got to meet for the first time! 😉
Of the two, you picked the better choice! 😉
You have wonderful taste, which doesn’t surprise me since you love Austenesque! 🙂
Looks like a terrific trip! I’ve been to both, but I’d love to go back and see more Jane Austen territory. The clothes look like they were made to fit you and the Irish music was to die for! I am Irish myself, so I wonder if that’s why I feel the way I do! I love that part of the world, and part of why has got to be all the JAFF I’ve read! So glad you had a good time. Feel free to share photos with us anytime!
It definitely was! 🙂 Me too! There is so many Jane Austen places to go see, it is overwhelming!
The clothes were so beautiful, they had quite an assortment! I’m glad they had one that fit, I didn’t know my size in European numbering! LOL!
I adored the Irish music, I love listening to it in general, but it was extra special to see it live! Thanks so much for checking out my post!
What a fabulous trip–thanks for sharing the photos with us!
denise
My pleasure! Thanks for checking them out!
That was an amazing trip! Thank you so much for sharing!
It definitely was! Thank you!
Feel free to give me a call if you ever visit the real west..Galway and Connemara
Will do!!! Hopefully one day we hit all the scenic spots along the Wild Atlantic Way!! #TravelGoals
Loved all of your photos, Meredith!! You have quite the eye!! And how fun it must have been to meet Leslie and Joanna!!
My favorite was the Irish music at the end! My niece from Arizona lives in Ireland, and I’d love to go over to see her while she’s there (for another year or so).
Thank you for a lovely photographic tour of your trip!! I so enjoyed it!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
P.S. If you ever make it to San Diego in your travels, I’d be happy to play tour guide. My family first settled here in 1901, so I know all the great spots! 🙂
You are so kind, Susanne! Thank you! Photos are my most favorite kind of souvenir, so I’m trying to make sure I take the time to take good ones! It was so great to meet Leslie for the first time, and Joana for the second!! 🙂
What a great excuse to go to Ireland! I do hope you are able to go!
Oooh! Thank you for the lovely offer! I’ll definitely be happy to take you up on it! 🙂
Wow Meredith, fabulous photos. Looks an amazing trip. My daughter works and lives in London and I love to go and visit. Going down to see Ashley on 12 May. Dublin is brilliant, glad you liked it. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to the next instalment of Travels with The Bingleys xx
Thank you, Michelle! 🙂 Your travels looked spectacular as well! I’m so glad you had fun! Hope you have fun visiting with your daughter!
What a delightful post Meredith… Oh-My-Goodness!! Those photos were amazing and you were able to visit friends, and authors… wowo! Simply WOW!! Thank you for sharing this delightful trip. Oh, and hello to Mr. Bingley.
Thanks so much, Jeanne! I’m glad you enjoyed our photos! 🙂 It was great to see our friends and meet new ones!
This post is fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing!
I don’t think I will ever get to go to England or Ireland myself, so I am delighted to get a chance to see part of the adventure you and Mr. Bingley experienced. Your photos are gorgeous. 🙂
Thank you, Rachel! I’m so happy to share them with you! 🙂 I hope they help you feel like you experienced the trip yourself! 🙂
Thank you! I enjoyed the pictures and commentary. It is so much fun to see you with favorite authors and sites.
Yes! It is such a special treat to incorporate meets ups like this!
I am so glad you put together this extra post with several of your pictures and memories. What a lovely time!
Thank you, Sophia! I’m so relieved that people are enjoying this post as it took many more hours than I expected to put it together! 😉
Thank you for sharing this wonderful account of your trip! You are a terrific photographer.
You are sweet to say so, Abigail. I’m trying to take good photos as they are my favorite type of souvenirs. 🙂
Love, love, love this post Meredith! Ok, I’m biased living in the UK lol, but those are some seriously great photos. You’ve seen more of London than I have! And I’ve never been to Ireland at all. Also, I must go to the Georgian house museum in Bath. I’ve been to the one in Bristol which was fascinating. I must go to Lyme Park too sometime. It looks amazing, as does Ireland. Glad you had such a fun time.
Thank you, Elaine! I’m enjoying your lovely photos as well! It looks like you are enjoying some wonderful weather! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your trip!
Thank you for you sharing your trip to England and Ireland. I really, really had a good time. I would love to dress up in those Regency costumes. I would like to walk across the Tower Bridge.
Thanks for checking it all out! To be honest, I wasn’t sure about the Regency clothes, but I’m really glad I did! It was so much fun. 🙂
How beautiful pics! !!! Thanks for sharing! . I love you have put so many photos! !!. I was in Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace (awesome as you say) but I’ve never been to Pemberley! !!!! What a wonderful mansion is! I wish I had been with all of you walking by Pemberley and its amazing surroundings! . I haven’t been to Ireland yet and watching your “Trinity College” pic I’m overwhelmed with such a sight: a place with so many books!!!.
Have a nice weekend! 😉
I’m so glad you aren’t thinking I put too many photos! 😉 I took over 3000! LOL! It would have been so fun to have you come with us to Pemberley! It definitely was awe-inspiring! The books at Trinity College were amazing! I would love to say that I’d be happy to stay there and read all day, but we were told that most of the books are of the science, philosophy, history genre and I’m a novel reader. 🙂
I so enjoyed your photos, it helped me relive some of my trip to England and Ireland. (We did not see Pemberley, we did go up to Oxford to visit the grave of Tolkien (Beren) and “Luthien,” and the pub at which he met with his writer friends. I want to go back of course, and this time see Derbyshire (where my current book of Kitty’s story is set), and some of the great country houses. Ireland was magical. You certainly look Irish? I too loved the west of Ireland. If you like animals, don’t miss the Hawk Walk at Ashford Castle near Cong, falconry with hawks. You lucked out weather-wize at the Cliffs – it was raining sideways when we were there! Being horse lovers, my daughter and I rode horses in Killarney national park, it was amazing. We loved Bath too, although it was very hot while we were there. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful photos. Perhaps an Austen group tour is in all our futures? 🙂
Ooh! I’m sure that was a great trip! Isn’t it wonderful to visit places your favorite author visited? Such a strange and overwhelming experience! I am with you, I’d love to spend more time in Derbyshire! Joana Starnes often shares such stunning photos of the area and I’m just itching to go on long walks like Elizabeth Bennet would!
Do I? I don’t think I have any Irish in my blood, just English (my grandfather was born in England). I love the idea of riding horses in Ireland! When we go back there someday I definitely want to do that and spend most of the time in the country! An Austen group adventure sounds like a blast!
WOW! You and Mr. Bingley certainly had a wonderful whirlwind trip! The pictures are amazing and to meet and share it with such lovely friends just adds to it! Oh to go to Pemberley and Bath! I think the best part was it wasn’t crowded!! I love the connections that are made through your blog and then you meet all these wonderful friends when you visit! Wasn’t the library gorgeous at Trinity College?! Your pictures brought back some great memories of Dublin, Dingle and the Cliffs of Moher for me when I traveled with my sister along the coast of Ireland in 2016. My sister would have loved holding and feeding the lambs…she has a thing for sheep! I too would have enjoyed it! Having a pint of Guinness and listening to traditional Irish music played in the pub is so much fun! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful trip with us!
Thank you, Carole! It was super busy but great! I’m so glad the pictures brought back great memories for you! 🙂 The lambs were so cute and I’m so happy we stopped to feed them and hold them. 🙂 I love all baby animals! Thanks so much for sharing about your trip and checking out the photos from mine!
Meredith, your pictures are STUNNING! I have never seen (and certainly not taken) a better picture of the Cliffs of Moher – so glad that you had a clear day! Happy, happy happy that you and Mr. B had a wonderful time – am inspired to follow in your footsteps!
Thank you, my friend! 🙂 The Cliffs of Moher were quite an adventure and I’m glad to have photos of it! All our phones were dying that day because everyone was taking a ton of photos and videos! 😉 Thank you so much for your kind words!
Such amazing photos, Meredith! Loved the stunning colours, loved the places we went to (of course 😉 ), and LOVED LOVED LOVED the chance to spend two perfect days with you! Please come back soon!!! <3 xx
Thank you, my dear! 🙂 It WAS so perfect!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you did to make those days possible! 🙂 I hope to see you again soon!
Thank you for the lovely armchair travel! So glad you had a great trip! The photos are spectacular.
Thanks for checking out our photos, Reina! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Dear Meredith
It is like you just had my perfect holiday! I’ve taken some notes from your Irish adventures – we’re planning a huge trip in a couple of years.
And to meet all these amazing writers to spend some wonderful Austen inspired time and to just be with some of the authors I idolise. 🙂 (I feel like I’m gushing, but hey, they deserve it!) Joana and Leslie are right at the top of my ‘buy’ list (gush,gush).
Thanks for the pictures, and your blog of course.
Lynley
Hi Meredith. Just having a bit of a catchup with your travel post. So sorry I couldn’t make the trip over to Lyme to meet up with you, Joana, Mira and Glynis. Better luck next time, I hope! The weather was certainly kind that day. We’d got relatives from Australia staying and the temperatures were generally unseasonably cold for the whole of their visit! Thanks for sharing so many lovely photos with us.
What a wonderful trip, and you sure had good reasons to go back to the UK. I’d like to see the Tower, and being able to wear those costumes is much more fun than just seeing other people wearing them. I don’t think I could walk across the bridge, I’m too spooked, even though it looks very safe! I’d take tons of pictures, too.