Sunday in Henley

It was a cold, grey day in London... Autumn is truly here. We drove out to Henley on a test run - I'm starting work on Wednesday in Henley-on-Thames, South Oxfordshire. It's a beautiful village right on the river. We walked around the village, admiring the late roses and someone's carefully grown grapes.





There are lots of swans on the river, many of them being fed by visiting children.



Henley is perhaps most famous for hosting the Royal Regatta. There were some rowers out on the water, but mostly it was just people relaxing and enjoying the sunny day. We warmed up in a local pub and had a tasty lunch. I think I'll enjoy working here.

Old Gorhambury House

I am a wonderfully lucky girl to have Dave as my driving instructor. He is very patient and we get to sweeten the deal by going to fun places. I'm learning how to drive in Britain, although I have a full NZ licence (recently swapped for a British one!) the road and traffic conditions are different here, and worth getting to grips with. We had fun driving to St Albans in my new little Yaris. We parked up next to the Roman ruins and walked 2 miles up to the remains of a mansion built in 1563-8 for Nicolas Bacon, Queen Elizabeth's Lord Keeper.



The house is now just a folly, seen from the new Gorhambury house. It was a fun walk, seeing grouse running out from the bushes and getting caught in the rain! Nothing like cosying up under one umbrella and laughing while avoiding the puddles...

Roeburger

This is for Mum... yes, we tracked the roeburger down! I had one in Wirksworth, a Peak District village. We went to see Dave's friend Chris for his 30th birthday celebration and stayed over the weekend. My verdict? Yum, but not for everyone. Yummy fishy goodness for 80p takeaway, £1 restaurant.

Someone else who is fond of fish...

Folly

While we were at Hilltop Farm, we were thinking about doing a local walk when we read in one of the National Trust brochures that walking in the grounds of Wray Castle was one of Beatrix Potter's favourites. Wray Castle is actually a Victorian folly, though very large and impressive.



It looked closed up, but fascinating... what a magnificent holiday home!



We made our way southwards to Wrexham to visit Dave's university friend Owen, who started up his own veterinary practice there. We went the long way around, via Wrynose (Dave's childhood name ='Rhinoes') Pass. Lots of tiny winding roads and isolated tiny villages.

Take Me Home

Last night Dave brought home from work our very own foster-kitty. This little ginger fellow is looking for a permanent home, so if you live nearby and would like a furry companion he could be the one. He is very friendly, mellow and affectionate. Dave thinks he is about a year old, he's toilet-trained but still very kittenish and playful. It's going to be hard not to keep him but we still have a few more moves and more travelling to go.



It's nice having him in the house but it makes it harder to work with his tail sweeping over the keyboard and a persistent request for patting! We've been living in our little flat above the vet surgery for a week now, it's been fun making this our own space.

Rural Idyll

We wandered off the usual tourist trails in the Lake District and explored a tiny valley village just on the county border.



We followed a narrow drive, making sure to make way for the occasional tractor!







A quiet church...



Later, we went to a more well-visited attraction - Beatrix Potter's Hilltop Farm. Perhaps this is one of Peter Rabbit's descendants. I wondered if they were intentionally placed there?



Her vegetable garden, much like Mr McGregor's.



The house was closed for renovations, but we walked through the garden enjoying the atmosphere and sampled some Kendal Mint Cake. Refreshing hiking food I suppose, but much like a big slice of peppermint icing.

Dove Cottage

Driving around the Lake District is scenic, and reminds me a little of New Zealand... though perhaps the land is a bit tamer and there are hedgerows and more houses.



This is Dove Cottage, one of Wordsworth's homes, in the pretty village of Grasmere.

Airy Walk on Walla Crag

The Lake District is known as the prettiest corner of England, with its dramatic mountains and shining lakes. It's the home of the poet Wordsworth, and also of Beatrix Potter. We set out on a walk on Walla Crag although the clouds overhead were grey.



Lots of heather in bloom - the same colour as my top!



This walk was described in a guidebook from the Evans family library, there was a footnote from 1998 'K, K, D, J, and S - lots of ambushes!' (the initials of each family member. Apparently Jon, Dave's brother enjoyed jumping out from hiding places).



Beautiful, airy views, just as described...



A few splashes of rain from the skies....



We walked though Great Wood and ate some wild raspberries along the way. Then we really made a run for it along the lake towards the car - it started raining hard! The walk was worth getting slightly wet for though, spectacular scenery.

Ruins

On our way south to the Lake District, we visited some historical ruins. Here's Penrith Castle...



And some older ruins - Hadrian's Wall, built by the Roman emperor on the northern frontier.
It's about 117km long, and there are quite a few sections still intact. This part of the wall included a Roman fortress, the outlines can be clearly seen walking around the field. Archaeological findings are displayed in the English Heritage museum, including forgotten coins, jewellery, and other artefacts.





We finished off our day of travelling by having fish and chips beside the lake in Keswick.

Glasgow

I always wanted to visit Glasgow to see Charles Rennie Mackintosh's work ever since studying his architecture and design in university. We managed to see a few highlights during our brief visit to Glasgow. The city is a bit of an underdog compared to Edinburgh - it has more contrasts and feels industrial in places.




Clockwise from upper left: Mackintosh House, Hunterian Art Gallery; the Lighthouse, details from Scotland Street School Museum.



The central square - hosting a pipe band competition!



Crossing the bridge across to the central city.



Overlooking the gardens in Glasgow University.



Amazing halls...we wandered through the university grounds to visit the Hunterian Museum.



Scotland Street School Museum. I loved seeing how children were educated a hundred years ago. It's a must-see destination for Charles Rennie Mackintosh fans, too. They run school visits where the children dress up in vintage fashion and attend a Victorian school lesson in the old classrooms.







We finished off our morning visit with breakfast - I decided to go thoroughly Scottish with my haggis baked potato. Yummy.