hey y'all, so big apologies for the total LACK of a 'Super Sunday' post yesterday...
to be fair i'd been travelling since 6:30am and i had stayed awake solidly through the night drawing and packing, so by the time i made it to the hotel yesterday afternoon i was beyond shattered and therefore un-able to summon up the brainpower for a blog post
i'm sorry
i had a good one lined up as well!
however, this will now appear NEXT Sunday instead
so...
during this trip to Coventry i'm staying at a hotel i haven't been to since my childhood
it's one of my favourite hotels and as the posts leading up to my trip may have suggested... i was very stoked and excited to be staying here again!
so i decided to go against my usual rule about taking photos at hotels (i.e. i don't really do it) and went ahead and got a few snaps on my phone, so bear in mind that the photos in this post are a mix of my own + lots of lovely shots off the hotels official website and trust me... it won't be hard to tell whose is whose!
so why the excitement, it's just a hotel right?!
well, no...
because Coombe Abbey is no ordinary hotel!
this is due to the fact that it was...
'Originally a 12th Century Cistercian Abbey nestling in England's historic heartland in Warwickshire, Coombe Abbey Hotel has been restored to its former glory, set within 500 acres of breathtaking parkland'
ah it's SO good to be back here though! i loved staying here when i was little and i love it even more now!
i can't even begin to tell you how amazing it is here! seriously, the building, the decor, the grounds...
you know i'm a MAJOR Architecture and Art History nerd so... yeah, this is pretty much my ideal hotel!
i know what you're thinking... you're thinking that i should shut up and get on with the photos! well you know i'd hate to disappoint you all...
yeah... that's a website shot! but isn't it lovely!!!
here's the view you have as you come down the drive towards the hotel
that's the drive
and THAT'S the hotel...
aaaahhh it is SO lovely! i love love love it! ok here's a few shots i took during my arrival...
the reception desk...
the chandelier as you go up the stairs...
here's a shot of my room (poor quality pic, sorry... blame the camera)
and my bathroom...
i know i'm a pain with all the photos but come on... this is a rare occasion for me so i'm enjoying it a LOT
you should see some of the other rooms though! for a start this is the bath in my parents room...
the picture doesn't really do it justice, it's a massive bath in the corner on a raised platform that you step up to. the weird thing is...
there's a picture of me as a kid in this exact same bath!
what are the odds they'd get the same room again?!
but some of the other rooms are fabulous, i got these gorgeous pictures off the Coombe Abbey website
i love this pale blue one, it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland...
they're all so beautiful, and completely unique as well!
because according to the website...
'Antiques, fabrics and furniture were sourced from across the globe to create interiors that are both luxurious and dramatic. There are now 119 bedrooms at Coombe Abbey, each one individually decorated with period details concealing modern fittings.'
well i'm sold! i've always thought it was gorgeous here no matter what!
the best part is... the hotel has original paintings, etchings and wood prints hanging all over the place as well as a sort of mini sculpture gallery filled with marble busts
there's even a classical library downstairs... it's amazing!
although to be fair, the place looks just as good from the outside...
and just look at the gardens! so soooo heavenly...
i adore the gardens especially, i remember walking around them when i was a little girl, there's a park nearby in the grounds and my parents and my godparents would always take me to it to have a play on the swings
even the restaurant is beautiful, it has this incredible sort of Georgian Conservatory vibe to it
all this loveliness aside however... the hotel also happens to be one of the most Haunted places in the West Midlands = scary times
although i've never spotted any of the Coombe Abbey ghosts... yet!
ok on that spooky note and with this weird and incredibly bright photo taken just after i got here... i shall stop going on about how awesome it is here!
* * *
in other news...
i visited my big sister Simone and my brother-in-law Darren today + my nephew Josh and my two little nieces Madison and Daisy
i haven't seen them all since the Summer so it was nice to catch up and hang out for a bit
Daisy cracked out her pens and crayons when she got in from school and drew me a couple of pictures...
and one of her with an elephant in a polka dot dress...
and Maddie (Madison) did this funky little robot as well
after they'd handed over the pictures they sat flicking through the 'illustration play' book i got out of the library at college before i left last Friday.
it's a smashing book full of fun, colourful and exciting examples of contemporary illustration, they both enjoyed looking through it anyway
glad to see the love of illustration runs in the family, these are pretty super duper pictures girls! thank you both xX
(once again i apologize for the bad quality photos but i don't have my scanner with me... obviously)
* * *
so what else?!
well today i also popped into Coventry City centre for a bit of a mooch around the shops, i saw plenty (and i mean PLENTY) of things i wanted to buy but i behaved myself and curbed my spending because tomorrow i'm off to Birmingham and i'll need as much money as possible for that trip!
however i did buy an adorable little pack of playing cards from Paperchase, they have this cute little Owl design on them and... well i just couldn't resist them!
and that's it i guess!
i skipped dinner tonight so i could stay in my room instead, i've had a delicious feat of crunchy fresh bread and yummy malteasers all washed down with some pink lemonade... a veritable feast i'm sure you'll agree!
so i'll bid you all adieu and hope that tomorrow's post is as packed with lovely new Birmingham buys as i plan it to be!
that's all folks...
◕‿◕ ★ ★ ★ xX
Obrigado e adeus
(that's thank you and goodbye in Portuguese on behalf of Brazil. gostaria de visitar Brasil um dia, a gente se vê mais tarde!)
