Tinza’s Tiddley-Bits: {European Sojourn}

I'm counting down the days until my European sojourn this summer! This time next week I'll be in Germany. I've spent the past couple of months working hard, writing like crazy & getting some conference papers, book chapters, & articles written...& now I'm ready for a bit of a break (or at least a change of scene), including some work & some play. Last summer I spent in Florence, Naples & London (check out the blogs from June , July & 1 & 2 posts from August 2011 & a couple more posts on London & Naples). This summer I've got some exciting destinations ahead...

I bought a new camera, & am ready to get clicking:

{via brunch at saks}

What's the plan?
First stop: Nuremberg! The home of the early printing press, Dürer, Bavarian beer, & other great things. I will be there presenting at the international Art History conference, CIHA, but I hope to see some of the city as well. It's a week-long conference, but luckily, they've scheduled a day tour on Wednesday (I'm not a big tour person, but with all art historians, it's sure to be pretty fantastic).

{Nuremberg Chronicle, 1492, via wikipedia}

Next: a weekend tour of Prague, also organised by CIHA. Once again, not keen on organised tours, but they're giving us a special tour of the collections in the National Gallery & the castle, so it should be pretty fun!

{Prague, via my life is brilliant}

Then back to London:

{via tumblr}

While visiting my cousins near London, we are planning some great day trips, to fantastic places like Highclere castle (where Downton Abbey is filmed!! You can see a video of them filming in progress here; for more on the architecture and interior details, check out this blog on it). If you check under job vacancies they're apparently looking for an Assistant Butler. seriously! interested?:

{these two photos via downtown abbey pics}

{gorgeous background for gorgeous dresses, cntraveler}

{In the nineteenth century Charles Barry (of London's Houses of Parliament fame) made some adjustments to the mansion: Charles Barry's sketch for a tower for Highclere Castle, 1842}

Mid-way through my time in the UK, I'm taking the train up to Leeds:

{via Terrier & Lobster}

From Leeds, me & my two girlfriends will be taking a mini-break in a lovely cottage in County Durham (blogged about cottage inspiration here). We're going to be doing some yummy cooking, drinking tea & champers, going for country walks & enjoying country life! Thinking about country living instantly brought to mind the Dashwoods in Sense & Sensibility:

{Sense & Sensibility, from design*sponge}

{and I won't object if a handsome man rescues me from the rain, either!! Luckily there's a wonderful clawfoot tub, so we won't have to wash our hair in a basin, like the Miss Dashwoods above! all photos above from design*sponge}