serendipity /ˌsɛr(ə)nˈdɪpɪti/ noun: serendipity; plural noun: serendipities the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. "a fortunate stroke of serendipity"

Ren Man and I had a fabulous opportunity 

to attend a wedding in India...

where we absorbed and fell in love 
with the significance of family involved in each of the celebrations.

Since RenMan needed to be in another region of India the next week,

we hopped on our fave regional airline...

Indigo...

for a relaxing few days at Vivenda Dos Palhacos in Goa.

We hit the jackpot in our lodging choice...

 where we were welcomed home each return...

by Kitten and Gigolo.

Our daylight hours...

were spent... .

meandering...

along pathways...

through the village...

where locals...

were going about... 

their typical weekend... 

with family...

and friends.

This part of Goa... 

is much less touristy...

than the northern area...

so our sunsets were peaceful.

Back at the hotel...

meals are sometimes enjoyed here...

but fortunately, we relished a dinner

 with eleven strangers until 1:30 a.m. 

and just like that our world expanded.

The brother/sister duo behind Vivenda Dos Pallhacos
 have managed to create an environment 
conducive to privacy when wanted and mingling when preferred.
It's a gift really,
to know this and to allow it to happen seemlessly.

It was around this table when our first serendipitous moment arrived.  
As we discussed our next stop of Calcutta (Kolcata),
Simon mentioned a friend who is an art dealer 
and entertains people in his home for dinner.  
After reaching out, we were making plans to dine with Bomti.

Don't you just love it when this happens.

"First thing I do is rush to the window to get a proper look at the garden, which has a close-shaven lawn mown in stripes and dotted with ancient conifers including, for those of an arboreal turn of mind, a Wellingtonia. Beyond the garden is the road; beyond that, a field and beyond that, a railway on which little trains scuttle past." ~ Paddy Burt, Telegraph

Paddy has the right idea...

and is much more eloquent in his description of the view we beheld from our window 

of the Old Rectory Hotel in Norwich, while visiting the Norfolk area of England.

Our arrival the night before had been under darkness and drizzling rain so when the sun rose above the tree line the next morning we sighed over our cup of coffee as we gazed over the manicured lawn.

After a late flight we were welcomed into the family parlor to unwind before dinner,
 as the stress of travel melted away.
Moving into the intimate dining room it felt more like a visit to a friends manor where a dinner party was in progress, as smiling faces greeted us as we made our way to 'our' table. 
Although, this friendly manor has a talented chef in the kitchen 
offering tasty choices for dinner and breakfast as well.

A lovely place to unpack your suitcase while exploring the Norwich area.

Happy Tuesday.

"The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which tuned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend" ~ Pride and Prejudice

With much anticipation,

'the foodie', her roomie and I took to the rails for a more scenic trip south towards London,

by way of the rolling hills of Derbyshire and

the large estate of Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy.

 On this very estate in the...

our dwelling place for the night involved the country inn...

 Devonshire Arms...

conveniently located a few acres from Chatsworth House.

As quaint as the village itself...

this inn is quite comfortable.  

Although, the fact that I was the only one not needing to duck in order to enter our room

 gives new meaning to the phrase small inn.

Outstanding weather filled the tables outside...

where the bar offers...

and keeps alive the currency of years past.

After our long day...

the sensational food was much appreciated.

They even have gluten-free sticky toffee pudding.

Quite the pleasant surprise in such a small village.

Stop by tomorrow as we retrace the steps of Elizabeth Bennet herself 

on the way to Chatsworth.

Oh...okay...

 I know I am mixing up Hollywood with fictional reality.

Hmmmm...fictional reality...

is that possible?

Happy Tuesday.