PALACES AND CASTLES

As for palaces, Hampton Court Palace is the best. I must admit that I have not seen many but Hampton took my breath away at its commanding beauty and preservation. Loved the Tudor kitchens and Henry VIII's astronomical clock hangs on the second tower archway. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear the carriages and the hoof beats of horses as they come through the huge archway on cobblestone streets. When it comes to castles, I simply fell  in love with the fairy tale castle of Ann Boleyn's childhood home, Hever Castle. It was, later in time, the home of William Waldorf Astor. He added beautiful Italian gardens and water mazes. Saw some black tulips for the first time. There is a small lake. If you like gardens, don't miss this one. Talking about all this makes me want to go back so badly.