under another sun

Feeling brighter today. Up and looking forward to a large breakfast. A much nicer day, and we decided to take a walk in the trees in the hotel grounds. Lorraine had borrowed a wheelchair, which Maureen used, and the four of us toddled about, getting stuck in mud and so on, but having a good time. Maureen and Pat enjoying being in the woods, and hearing a gronk-ing sound made by a large raven on the top of a very tall tree. Pat mentioning being Patrick Woods as we walked into them. Back into the bar, to share a sandwich.  I went for a longer walk in the forest and the hotel grounds this afternoon. Pretty squelchy underfoot in places but beautiful to be surrounded by trees. You can sense the desire to Spring into new growth all around you. Then a bit of looking at Gordon Road, before a bit of quiet time. We opted to go to the restaurant tonight. I had an absolutely delicious pear tart with white chocolate ice cream and sorrel and stem ginger. Really complex and yummy. Jerry our waite...

Woke up in the Rhinefield House Hotel. Breakfast, with us trundling variously to the other side of the hotel. Incredibly polite and friendly staff. I was feeling a bit out of sorts first thing, with a slight temperature but perked up. After breakfast we went for a toddle around the grounds, letting ourselves in at the back through a side door at the back. Maureen enjoying this despite having to clamber up stairs and so on. Some beautiful rooms here.  We sat in the bar area drinking tea after this, and while the others read a bit or knitted, I managed to do some good work on Gordon Road. After a very light lunch, I went for a short walk into the forest. At one point a shaft of sunlight, it was mostly cloudy, fell on a mossy tree. It was the greenest thing in the forest and blazed out. It was as if I had watched the invention of green. I squelched across to the tree, but of course the light was never the same. Beautiful though.  In the afternoon Lorraine and Maureen attempted to...

Up early and packing then off to Pat and Maureen's to collect them into the car too. Joy next door looking after Brian while we are gone. Lorraine drove us off to the New Forest, with a stop at a service station for a snack. Suddenly felt rather sick in the Leon we ate in, but it passed. There only twenty minutes to the hotel, driving past the odd New Forest Pony in the rain. Absolutely hosing down when we arrived. I nipped out of the car and pulled people's coats out of the boot, and dealt myself a blow to the side of my hooded head from the hatch. Then we scurried across. Beautiful hotel. We sat in the bar and ate there in the afternoon. It overlooks a pond with fountains in it. The staff very polite and helpful. The rooms nice too. Played dominoes with Lorraine and Patrick this evening, and drank rather nice pint or two of Brooklyn Lager. Everyone to bed early.  Here are Pat and Lorraine, at an angle.