Long Live Longleat!!

Here I sit, in Matt's front room, with a cup of tea on a rainy Sunday morning!

Sounds lovely, doesn't it?

And it would be if it weren't for the ridiculous stomach ache I have!

I assume it developed after the fish and chips I had for dinner...

Fingers crossed that it is excess and not bad fish that's the problem!

Thankfully, it didn't develop until after our day at Longleat!

What is a Longleat, you ask?? It is fine and fascinating place, I reply.

Longleat is a stately home completed in 1580

(but bought for £53 in 1541 by 25 year old, John Thynne)

and currently resided in by the 7th Marquess of Bath and his Californian wife!

And because the heating of this place must be a real bitch-

they have opened parts of it to the public! They have literally pimped out their home!

And they dolled her up nice...

fishnets, blood red nails, Italian inspired ceilings from the 1800s-

you know, the usual!

The house comes complete with gift shops (that sell snazzy hats for rainy days)

and wax figures in faux kitchens and a serious

"keep your friggin' hands behind the velvet rope" alarm system!

It also has an animal themed Pet Town, an indoor Butterfly Garden, a Maze,

a Train Ride and delicious jacket potatoes at the cafe!

But the real attraction ain't the house (or it's side shows), people...

It is the drive thru safari that is attached to it!

Apparently, some Earl or Duke of Earl or Randolph Duke decided to

bring in the animals that inspired him when he spent time in Africa!

The BBC tagged in and now produces a wildlife show of some sort from there

that I have never seen...

They produced a lovely and informative CD

for you to listen to as you drive though, so that was nice!

The warnings for the Monkey enclosure were so dire that Matt decided to avoid it...

which led to some name calling and frustration!

(Frustration not an issue for the ostriches we saw doing it!

And now I can say I know how well hung an Ostrich is!)

But we did get to feed the Royal Deers (tuppence a bag!) and that was good!

So, despite the never ending rain

and the slightly different approach to a drive thru safari...

("I know it says 'keep windows closed', Matt- but I am trying to get a better picture of that tiger!!")

...here are some shots from our day at Longleat!!

Guess what my favorite part was???

YAHOOOOO!!!