I actually enjoyed this college trip more than my peers seemed to. It was surprisingly less miserable than I expected it to be, given the weather, and the grounds and interior of the house were very beautiful. I am definitely the sort of person who finds older architecture generally more impressive than its contemporary counterparts. I enjoy a place with history, somewhere slightly weathered and made of old stone, whose imperfections give it character and expression. I had a conversation with a man who worked there who was more than happy to talk about the building and he shared little stories about the reasons behind some of the designs inside the house (extra deadbolts on the doors so that privacy could be found by people using a room without worrying about a maid or guests using their spare keys to enter, or entrances designed to mimic famous pieces from other countries etc.). It is a place I wouldn't mind returning to by myself, unhindered by classmates or time frames.
