Blenheim #2

The last photo in last Thursday's entry showed the lake from the walkway.  That walk led eventually to a waterfall; for after all, what would a lake be without a waterfall?

And on the bridge people looking in several different directions,

and tourists just posing.

A covey of Chinese ringneck pheasants just happened to stroll by.  Or at least the cock did.

Doesn't this remind you of Monet's bridge at Giverny paintings?  Even though this is not an Oriental-style bridge (the one closer to the waterfall is), the colors and the general composition remind of an Impressionist painting.  Hmmm . . .

Blenheim Palace seen from below.

Waterlily trapped by leaves.

Courting grebes.

A lovely white rose.

Okay, here I go off track again ("Look, there's a chicken!" or in the case of the following four photographs, "Look, there's a window!").  These were taken from inside the Palace looking out.

I love the way the old window panes "warped" the view from the angle at which I took this picture.

Same window and view but a not-as-sideways angle changed the picture quite a bit.

Different room, clean spare view of rose and clouds.

Close-up of said rose.  Everyone else was finishing lunch or sitting chatting while I wandered.

A few pictures of the decorations in one of the state rooms where guests assembled.  Here is part of one wall . . . 

And the painting on the ceiling. 

Here in a tiny chapel is the memorial to the first Duke of Marlborough.

Just in case one wasn't sure what one was seeing, here is the inscription.  

After lunch, we took a walk back to a place we especially liked, the Secret Garden.  It took us a while to find it again as it was well hidden (!).  I wonder if the figure in the above photo was trying to find it, also?

A koi pond (for you ME) in the Secret Garden.

Another photo taken to remind me of color, size, and texture.

And that's the end of the photo journal of our trip to see the "Great Gardens of England".  Now what'll I write about?