Monday in England

Our last day before departure is spent back in England, where we are guests of my Rotarian's wife Daphne Hoyles. I haven't seen her for 10 years, yet she looks as good as she did 20 years ago. Her home in Kent is just south of London and closer to the airport, which will be convenient for us tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. Daphne is an octogenarian but no one could ever guess by her independence and style. She drives us over to Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Churchill. The English houses all have been named, which I find quite charming. And Chartwell does not leave us disappointed. Purchased for £5,000, the estate was refurbished in his early married years and Churchill himself built the brick garden walls. We walked down to his painting studio (more than 70 works there) and we tramped through the rose garden (his family planted 50 golden rose bushes in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary). There is also a butterfly garden, which is rearing butterflies again for the first time in many years (won't Winger be so pleased?). And we found a nice sun-dial (to add to Polar Bear's scientific collection).