Hello, Bronte Country

My morning started "room service" of tea and porridge. Shelly and Steve have been incredibly generous. The treatment (on my end, at least) has been somewhere between family and a princes. My room is right next to theirs, so they have invited me to participate in their morning rituals which include tea in bed :) And, yesterday, I had the pleasant surprise of porridge in bed! I use my mornings to write about the preceding day, and they've been so sweet to honor and accommodate that. Gahhhh... I am one blessed human!

My next blessing of the day was Sherry joining me in exploring Haworth. So, our hour drive there was full of deep conversations and excitement (my absolute favorite). Once we arrived at Haworth, my gratitude for Sherry's accompaniment became even more layered. The Bronte Parsonage is settled on top of a steep hill with the shops and pubs at the bottom of the hill. Even with my hiking pole, I'm not sure I could have done that trek without her. So, she was my steady companion in MANY ways!

We started with a little lunch at The Black Bull. It's almost as if every building you enter is a museum in itself. I'm sure each one has undergone multiple renovations and owners, but they're still a portal to another world.

The Bronte's only brother, Branwell, would frequent this pub in their day. (When I say "frequent," that's a euphemism)

Side note: while in Florence, Italy - Haley, Sherry, and I got a Three Graces tattoo. In Greek mythology, The Three Graces represented beauty, charm, and grace. Well, during my research of the The Black Bull, I read that The Three Graces would meet there, and Branwell was the secretary for a stint. Turns out their Three Graces was a masonic, men's only club. So, in our own way, we reclaimed the space for about an hour and put our own feminine stamp on the grounds. How exciting is that?!?!

Also, I had my first fish and chips of the trip here!

Just a few hundred feet up the STEEP (for me) hill sits the parsonage. The path is nestled between the church and post office, and it separates the school house and cemetery, and it could not be more beautiful or moody. Canopied by trees with what seemed like hundreds of birds chatting it up, the walk was as pleasant as it gets for someone with Ataxia. (Again, shout out to Sherry for being my willing and strong walking buddy. She just walks closely, so I can grab hold when needed but maintain my independence. That's not an easy task because I'm pretty all over the place. So, thank you, Sherry!)

In true me fashion, I chose to visit Haworth the only day the parsonage museum was closed. Ha! Tuesdays are not typically closing days in the states, but this was an opportunity to be flexible and laugh at myself, which I did gladly. Just means something better is ahead.

The Bronte Parsonage and moors behind it were captivating. Just standing where I'm SURE the sisters stood and had ideas for their stories (if you know anything about the sisters, their imaginations ran absolutely wild from an incredibly young age) was inspiring.

Back to the Old School Room, built in 1832, this is the only building in Haworth that was built by and taught in by the whole Bronte family. This is where the sisters educated the poor children of Haworth. Makes me love them even more!

The cemetery directly across from the front of the school entrance is part of the church of St. Michael and All Angels. Although the Brontes are not resting here, the faithful friend and servant, Tabitha Aykroyd (Tabby), is laid in rest by the back wall - closest to the parsonage. She served the Brontes for over thirty years. It is said that 40,000 - 42,000 people are buried in this tiny cemetery!

The church is attached to the cemetery and is stunning. Again, the birds were a constant chorus throughout our time in this part of Haworth. The dense trees provide shade for visitors and happy homes for its inhabitants.

The Brontes are buried under the church, and there was no way to visit their graves, but it was stunning, nonetheless.

I had a tiny hiccup and ran out of phone storage just before we entered, and spending time deleting apps and files felt a misuse of time here (plus, it would have been disrespectful to the sacred space AND sacred time here). So, those memories are safely stored in my mind and heart.

Back to the bottom of the hill where the shops, pubs, and tea rooms are nestled! We went into the most gorgeous and wonderous shop! This is only the second shop I've entered on this trip because my willpower to refuse the tourist in me is very weak. So, I've remedied this by abstaining from going into shops. However, the draw to this one was too powerful to resist. Look at how beautiful it is!!!

Sherry made friends with one of women of the shop, and as she walked Sherry out, she shared her favorite story of Haworth! This shop is directly across from the church of St. Michael and All Angels. She said the church used to house monks, AND the shop used to be a brothel. So, the monks built a tunnel and visit the brothel unseen.

After the hill of Brontes, we headed for Sylvia Plath's grave. GPS said it was just a few minutes drive up the hills, so off we went! Once we got to Penistone HIll County Park, it was a little walk through the kissing gate to be transported to a fairy tale (a Grimms' fairy tale, but a gorgeous tale, nonetheless).

Turns out, this was NOT the site of Plath's grave. Ha! But I spent some lovely time under this canopy listening to the bird songs and soaking up the energy of the space.

Plus, the views across the road were breathtaking!

Then it was time to head back to Lady House Lane. Yes, that is the name of my home base in Huddersfield. Gahhh... it's almost too much beauty to stand!

There, I sat on the terrace and wrote. I was even visited by a kitty and the largest slug I've ever seen!

I am so thankful I listened to KT and my gut to apply for this grant. I would not be living my own little fairy tale had I not listened to both besties!

Thank you for allowing me to share these experiences with you.

Cheers!