Overheard at . . . Chawton House Library

"Jane could have sat just exactly where you are sitting...."

Does reliving the footsteps of your favorite author or book character make your skin tingle with excitement? Well, then you will understand what we are living through. I had expected a bit more of a sense of connection by travelling in Jane Austen's footsteps. And while there have been moments, for the most part I have struggled to find her essence in the overcrowded museums and beautiful, yet generic, footpaths.

Sadly, the Leavesden Harry Potter tour did more to spark that sense of intimacy with the Characters than almost anything on the trip related to dear Jane.

Except.... yesterday, while taking a tour of the Chawton House library (so that would be the house that her brother, Edward owned) we sat at the very table and in the very dining room, where Jane would have sat. And today......

imagine sound of angels singing here......

I sit typing this in the very room of her house at Bath that she might have written her many letters. I promise to post all of my photos from these two experiences soon, but for now.... here are two to help you daydream of your own Jane Austen revival.