Our journey begins northeast of London in Marks Tey, the town in which our lovely hostess Jo Harris lives.  We met Jo as a guest at the Mission Inn and became fast friends.  Jo is the ultimate hostess, her home is lovely and well appointed.  We were in the lap of luxury...it was hard to think we couldn't stay.  Thanks for a great time Jo! Below is a picture of Jo's home. We were greeted with traditional English tea that revived us for the evening ahead.

For our first full day in Essex which is the area in which Jo lives, we were to visit Lavenham.  This is an Elizabethan era (1500's) town whose half timber Tudor buildings have settled over the years into surreal angles that would give the Leaning Tower of Pisa a run for its money. Then we visit Long Melford and the Duke of Melford's home and estate. We had a nice pub lunch at the Swan...a popular name for pubs in England..along with the Crown, The Lion, The Queen's Head, etc.

Okay, so you see the pink house in the picture.  No I have not been playing on photoshop, and you are not drunk...this house looks like this and people live inside.  Now, we didn't go inside these houses but I bet it gives new meaning to rolling out of bed in the morning. Lavenham is a quaint town with a great inn and pub called the Swan...VERY ENGLISH and not crowded.  Beware this town has no ATM machine...I looked everywhere.  We even shopped for antiques...these were true antiques(over 200 years).

The adjoining picture is "The Crooked House" of Lavenham and is currently used as a gallery.  I went inside and marveled at how the perception of angles was less noticeable than outside.  So maybe these folks don't have issues living in leaning houses. The house reminded me of the nursery rhyme..There was a crooked man who lived in a crooked house... Although everyone here seemed upright and honest.  Ha.

It was so nice of the English to recognize the beauty in the old structures that populate their country.  I hope we as Americans value the history we have and maybe when we are a 1,000 plus years old as a country will be just as charming to our visitors. This house is in the middle of the square which has a Market Cross ( usually a stone pillar designating the center of town) the date on the cross was 1505! Now on to Lavenham Cathedral.