Escape again
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 02 November 2006 20:06:06
Did I mention we were going abroad last weekend? I think it may have slipped my memory. We went abroad last weekend. Well, overseas anyway. We decided another few days away together were in order so we packed our passports, checked we had the right currency, and hopped aboard a boat to England. Romsey, to be precise, on the edge of the New Forest. (Ferijen, I am SO sorry we didn't meet up - I went and forgot to take your mobile number with me. Idiot!)
I'll bore you with more photos in a moment. The holiday - Thursday morning to Sunday lunchtime - was a total delight from beginning to end. We meandered through the New Forest to start with. It was great fun to give the boys total control of which turnings the car should take (or almost - I intervened when it was apparent that we were going in circles!) and simply see where we ended up. We definitely found some new places and wonderful they were. And so many ponies - I'd swear we've never seen quite so many before. We squelched around and walked along various trails, indulging in a picnic at a random carpark which turned out to have the same name as our village! Then on to Salisbury for the afternoon, though we decided against a visit to the cathedral on the grounds that the boys had been before, we didn't have a lot of time to spare, and I seriously resent being asked for a voluntary donation at an entry desk and being told precisely how much it should be (and it was a lot!). We settled for a coffee in the cafe and a couple of postcards from the shop and said our prayers outside where God just happened to be as well.
Our B and B was wonderful and we're quite disappointed to know it's up for sale. Highlight was the talking parrot called Bones. She caught me out on several occasions, especially the first night when I was sitting alone in the lounge, the phone rang and the parrot answered it! Needless to say, the boys were enthralled and spent for ever listening to her. Poor parrot!
Friday's weather was gorgeous and we took our hostess's advice and visited Moor Valley Country Park. This is now one of our favouritest places ever. We went on several walks through the forest, rode a tiny steam train, and even hired bikes and went on ... wait for it... yes... the most incredibly enjoyable bike ride together. I didn't even suffer afterwards! We bought a disposable camera and collected photographs of all the fungus we could find, trying not to get any duplicates. What do you reckon - it would seem that we found about thirty different types. Now to get them developed (cheaply!) and buy a mushroom and toadstool book. We also drove each other mad by repeatedly telling our toadstool jokes.........
Saturday was great fun as we went to The Rapids, a fun swimming centre with great long water slide and a bit where water jets create a current that carries you along. There was a huge barrel suspended over part of the pool too, and this gradually filled with water from a massive tap at the top until suddenly a warning bell rang and the barrel tipped, cascading freezing cold water over the assembled bathers below! It was such fun. We played in the water for about three hours. I forced myself to overcome my dislike of not being in control and went on the water slide five times, each time relaxing more and finding it more and more exhilerating. It just took great presence of mind to convince myself that it didn't matter that I couldn't stop because I wasn't actually in any danger and it was actually fun. Now to foster that sense of adventure in other areas of my life!!! Hmm... no, maybe not! ;)
The afternoon was spent in Romsey, with tea at Deep Blue (Thanks Ferijen - fantastic recommendation) and wonderful tour of the Abbey. It was amazing to be in a place of worship that had been there (in one form or another) for over a thousand years!!! There was no pressure to make a donation, voluntary or otherwise! (So we did, of course, with pleasure) It was wonderful to see how interested the boys were, especially Smudgelet who was engrossed in following the Young Person's Guide and is now full of fascinating facts.
Sunday saw us packing up our few belongings, making our way slowly to the car, and returning home with the prospect of school for the boys and... oh no... more swimming and aquafit for me.