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A passage to the famous setting of Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle.
This might be the most recognized castle in England, thanks to the Masterpiece series, Downton Abbey.
Among the WLIW staff on the tour, led by Transcendent Travel, are Vice President Diane Masciale, journalist Jim Paymar, host of Long Island Business Report; Alexandra Blair, Director of Leadership Giving and Individual Giving, and Kate Legg, Senior Specialist, External Relations.
Follow Diane on the To the Manor Born tour via her Twitter handle @DianeMasciale and the hashtag #WLIWTravel on Twitter and Instagram.
The interior of the castle is stunning. The height of this Gothic-style saloon is not conveyed as clearly as the drama in Downton Abbey episodes.
WLIW’s Alexandra Blair, seated on couch at right, enjoys the saloon with tour participants, under the watch of oil paintings of ancestral Earls of Carnarvon.
Not only did Transcendent Travel schedule WLIW to visit the castle on a day it was closed to the public, but it also arranged for a private luncheon.
(left to right): Kate Legg, Senior Specialist, External Relations; Vice President Diane Masciale; Alexandra Blair, Director of Leadership Giving and Individual Giving.
Baker Richard Bertinet and his staff taught us his fine baking recipes and techniques.
The baking class took place in the evening, so the tour shared some wine as well as bread!
Day 2 of the To the Manor Born tour with WLIW was a busy one! After breakfast at The Castle Hotel in Windsor, the coach rolled off for a one-hour journey to Highclere Castle near Newbury. Yes, that castle, the one famous for serving as the setting for six seasons of Downton Abbey on Masterpiece! The visit was extra special because the castle was closed to the public except for our tour group, who also enjoyed a private luncheon in the dining room.
As if that weren’t enough excitement, the tour continued to the city of Bath, a little over an hour’s journey further westward. Hungry for more adventure, the group was treated to baking lessons by chef Richard Bertinet. He trained as a baker in his native Brittany in France and operates Bertinet Kitchen in Bath. It was a relaxed, fun experience, with none of the pressure of The Great British Baking Show (WLIW21 Passport members can stream the whole new fifth season starting June 22!). See more photos from our time in Bath.
British TV maven Deborah Gilbert is blogging about the trip.
WLIW Vice President Diane Masciale is tracking the trip on Twitter with @dianemasciale.
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