Mr Gochugaru and I have been invited to Paris next weekend, to celebrate Mme Couple Français‘s 60th birthday. Mr and Mrs French Couple have been our friends for 30 years. We have three children each, who are of the same age. When the children were very young we went on family holidays to Switzerland (skiing), weekends to Northern France (Carrefour and the seaside town of Le Touquet) and on day trips to Waddesdon Manor.
In Waddesdon Manor we brought along home-made picnics and saved our lunch money to purchase (at the time very affordable) Chateau D’Armailhac and Chateau Rieussec, both from the Rothschild Wine stable. What could be more English than a picnic, and more French than a good bottle of wine? This was the perfect day out for both our families.
Of all the National Trust properties I have visited, Waddesdon remains my favourite. It can be summed up by an admirable philosophy of embracing everything fine that life has to offer.
Here are a few photos of Waddesdon’s exterior and garden from our recent April visit. The grounds are extensive and what is shown here does not take in the aviary, woods, stable block and rose garden. Pictures of the interior is in the next post.
Views of Waddesdon Manor, which is more of a château than a manor
The garden in Spring
Water features
Daffodils, which always remind me of my dad
