¿Un blog políglota?

Can one hold particularly fond memories of a place one has never been to? There’s nothing new about keeping special memories of Venice, Copenhagen, San Sebastian, places where I had such very good times. However, there’s a place I have actually never visited, but travelled to many times in my mind: Castle Howard, Yorkshire, England.

Maybe Castle Howard is not as magnificent as other English country houses and landscape gardens such as Stourhead, Blenheim or Stowe. But what makes Castle Howard so special to me is the fact that “Brideshead revisited”, the celebrated TV series based upon Evelyn Waugh’s famous novel, was filmed on location there. I have watched that video and read that book so many times that I can clearly recall every scene: Charles Ryder, as an Oxford freshman, being initiated in the secret beauty of the house by his soul mate Sebastian Flyte on a glorious summer afternoon; Charles as a renowned painter, trying desperately to comfort his beloved Julia, brutally insulted by her brother Brideshead; and Charles as a military officer, getting back to Brideshead to occupy the state for manoeuvres during the Second World War. On that misty morning, Charles got out of his tent and realised that, after so many years, he had by chance returned to the place where he had spent the happiest days of his life, but the unluckiest, too. He stared sadly at the house, and said to Hooper, his brainless orderly: “I have been here before”. Maybe it was not by chance. Maybe it was his destiny to get back and witness how all that majesty, grace and ancient glory was to be destroyed by the insensitivity and unconsciousness of the Hoopers to come.

Should I actually visit Castle Howard? Should I, like any other tourist, queue for half an hour to buy a ticket, walk around, sit in a quiet place with a breathtaking view (if lucky), have an afternoon tea at the tea room, buy some postcards at the gift shop, and that’s all? Although it’s a long way from Stansted Airport to York, I would enjoy it very much, of course. But, what if things are not the way I imagined? What if that declining splendour has disappeared? I definitely will not. In the cold winter days, I’ll dream of Brideshead as depicted by Waugh. I’ll keep my memories of Charles and Sebastian’s picnic under the oak tree.