More travel and happy Ada Lovelace Day!

[catherineldf]

Speaking of which, when we were at the British Library last Saturday, we got to view Countess Lovelace's original letter to Charles Babbage re: the notion of what would eventually become computer programming. It was a proud geek moment, especially when combined with Jane Austen's desk, some pages of one of her handwritten manuscripts and the first handwritten page of Bronte's Jane Eyre. I squeed alot, very quietly.
Some other high points:

• Friday was lovely dinner at The Fifth View on Piccadilly with the delightful and talented ladyviven. We had a wonderful time hanging out, followed by wandering around Waterstone's.
• The expedition to Jane Austen's house at Chawton on Saturday was more...exciting than I anticipated. We took the train to Alton, from whence we were assured (by the websites I consulted) that one could readily walk to Chawton and the house. Since it was raining, we tried unsuccessfully to get a cab. Then decided to walk. We popped into the Curtis Museum to ask for directions and a loo. No sooner were the words "Jane Austen" out of our mouths when the woman at the front desk literally drooped. We were assured that their museum was worth a look too - and it was. Nice displays, interesting range of items from prehistoric through modern periods. Jana filled out a visitor survey (which made them very happy) and we left with more maps and directions. A quick gander at the lovely teacup exhibit at the Allen Gallery and we were off to Chawton. We walked, it rained, we kept walking. There were few signs after downtown. We asked for more directions. People gave us baffled looks but were obliging. We kept walking. Eventually, I saw a sign in the pouring rain and we followed it, down the side of a field next to a highway. No sidewalk but plenty of mud. Then through an overpass. Then another field. Then a very, very long trudge down a country highway. We did finally get to the house, exhausted, filthy and soaking wet. And it is a wonderful museum, more or less worth the agony. And the nice ladies at the desk helped us call a cab back. As near as I could tell, we had taken the driving route. There was another unmarked one that cut off a mile or two from the 4 miles or so we walked. Yet, Jana is still talking to me. This is the definition of devotion.
• Sunday, it was off to the Victoria and Albert, which I loved (though I found the gift shop disappointing). The tea rooms were marvelous and I enjoyed the jewelry, theater and miniatures exhibits immensely. Jana went off to have her own adventures and we met up at the British Library, for which see above. Then I dragged her off to the Sherlock Holmes Museum, since we were near Baker Street. This proved as chock full of kitsch as one could wish (goofy photo or two to follow).

The rest of the journey was reasonably uneventful and we finally hit home latish on Monday. And as an interesting sidebar, I had none of the customs/border problems this trip that I had when we went to Montreal in 2008. Intriguing, but welcome.
I'm back to long days which are a treat with jet lag. Hoping to catch up tonight.