Another good sleep until around 05.00 followed by coffee, blog and e-mails etc. And then I fell asleep again and when I woke up, it was daylight. And time to get going for our walk.
There was white outside – quite pretty but far from warm. By 09.30 ish, we were dressed and on our way out for a chilly walk before driving to Southrop near Lechlade. In the Cotswolds.
H chose the walk route, once again, at Cholsey, and, despite the cold, she still paddled. The generator was chuntering away, giving off an unpleasant whiff of diesel. It was buried under some branded tarpaulin whose name was a bit of a give away as to its purpose. Not a very successful purpose, (and not the coded surname index) one that involves sound barrier systems.
The drive was about an hour, along dry roads, past pretty stone villages surrounded by flooded fields.
Southrop is near Lechlade – a very attractive part of the country and the Swan at Southrop is quite a find. Nicely modernised, helpful staff, good food. The only drawback is they have no parking. Plenty along the road, but none of their own.
There is something called the Thyme Estate down the road, which has some connection with the pub. The Thyme Estate has a posh hotel with a spa where you can stay for about £300 per night.
Anne and I had a good catch up, retreating elsewhere with our coffee when the pub needed to reclaim our table. We chatted and then parted company in order to get home before dark.
The return (and outward ) drive was straightforward, and H’s behaviour was impeccable. Apart from uttering two woofs when another dog had the temerity to arrive.
Despite flooded areas, on a sunny day, (which today was not) the countryside comes into sharp relief. The richness of the greens are almost out of a paintbox; sloe and other blossoms are appearing on trees and some buds are beginning to fatten and colour up. Daffy are out in my back garden. And the snowdrops are still around. Spring won’t be long…
I relaxed upon my return home and watched the Great Pottery Throw Down before drifting off. And that was more or less that. Except for being displeased with the direction in which Throw Down is heading.
Thought for the Day
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