Admiring Exeter’s Cathedral between bouts of rain

Exeter Cathedral, England/ Kimberly Sullivan

This past autumn, I was in Devon, England for the Historical Novel Society Conference. While there, I joined one of the organized trips for us to visit Exeter’s Norman-Gothic cathedral, and to enjoy a wander around the pretty town. The Exeter Cathedral was founded in 1050, but was expanded between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries.…

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Training it along the “English Riviera”

Devon coastline, England/ Kimberly Sullivan

This past autumn, I traveled to Devon, UK for the Historical Novel Society conference. Flying in to Exeter, I took a bus to the train station, and then embarked on a trip down to the Devon coastline – also known as England’s Riviera. I nabbed a coastline window so I could catch views of the…

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An afternoon stroll through silent, artistic Totnes, Devon

Totnes, Devon, England/ Kimberly Sullivan

Back in September, I was at the fabulous Historical Novel Society UK Conference in beautiful Devon. Each day, on our way to the spectacular conference venue, Dartington Hall , the bus taking us from our hotel would pass through picture-perfect Totnes, nestled along the River Dart. I would press my face against thw window and…

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Atmospheric cemeteries … in Durham, England

Durham, England cemetery / Kimberly Sullivan

I’ve already written about the northern English historic town of Durham. I enjoyed visiting this interesting town close to the Scottish border. I’ve already written about the Durham cathedral, climbing its belltower and walking around the historic center. When I was walking back and forth between town and the Historical Novel Society Conference at the Durham…

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Long, lovely walks around Durham, England

Durham, England/ Kimberly Sullivan

I had a fabulous time on my first visit to Durham, England last September for the Historical Novel Society Conference. What a lovely, historical city. It was so much fun to explore, and perfect for lovely walks in that balmy, early September weather. I’ve already written about the spectacular Durham Cathedral  and the (exhausting) climb…

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Visiting Durham Cathedral, UK

Durham Cathedral, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

The spectacular Durham Cathedral is a stunning monument that dominates the Durham cityscape on a rocky prominotory next to the castle high above the Derwent River. I’ve already written about the stunning views afforded by climbing those daunting 325 steps to enjoy tower views over all of Durham and the surrounding countryside. Today, Durham Cathedral…

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Returning to dorm life – at Durham University

Durham University dorms, UK / Kimberly Sullivan

As you can probably imagine, it has been many, many years since I took part in dorm life. In graduate school, I lived in an apartment, but even during my undergraduate years, I only lived in the dorms my freshman year. By second year, I had moved into my sorority, and the final two years…

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Queuing up for the London Eye

As anyone traveling with kids knows, travel plans alter radically once you are lugging along pint-sized companions. On a trip to London with my children, I had plenty of activities to fill our days, but none of them included queuing up for kilometers to go on a giant ferris wheel. Unfortunately, the London Eye is visible…

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Following in Jane Austen’s footsteps in Bath

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that all Jane Austen fans  will eventually find their way to Bath   Yes, embarrassingly enough, I am one of the “Janeites”: a lover of all things Jane Austen who has read and re-read her six novels and watched countless adaptations of her works by the BBC and others.…

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