An Afternoon at Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace is a short bus ride away from Oxford.  It's home to the Dukes of Marlborough and has some of the most stunning gardens I've ever seen.

The admission price for non-student adults under 65 is steep at £20, but you can convert your one-day ticket into a year-long membership.  If I lived nearby, it would be worth it just to walk around the gardens once a season.  (We saw at least one jogger running through.  I would enjoy jogging more with this as my scenery.)  Eric and I both got memberships just in case.  Fingers crossed for another trip to England before October 16, 2013.

Monsoon Season

I have been caught in the rain in the United States before, arriving home with waterlogged shoes and clothes that drip-dry in the tub for hours.  In Thailand, I have found a whole different level of storm.  Walking along the street, the feeling of a few raindrops on my face will send me sprinting for an overhang.  The storms don't ease you into things — there are no light drizzles that gradually turn into rain over the next twenty minutes.  Nope, it's dry to soaked within a minute.

A thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, as seen from outside my room

 

The wet season in southern Thailand starts at the beginning of May and goes through November.  Depending on where you are, it will creep in, growing more and more intense as the months progress.  So far some days have been gray and cloudy while others have been bright with the occasional fifteen minute downpour.  I'm not sure what to expect as the season progresses.