She Said:
5.7.16 mileage:
6.31 (mostly Heathrow - really! - and around Sonning-on-Thames)
5.8.16 mileage:
7.49 (in and around Sonning-on-Thames, Sonning Eye, and our old friend, The Thames Path out and back from Shiplake)
Today was a full but leisurely day. We both slept like logs (rocks? babies?). We walked around this lovely town. Spring is really busting out all over here, and there's nothing like a too-cute English village with spring flowers in bloom. (As expected, the wisteria out our Inn window has opened.). Grass is green. Birds are chirping away. Ducks and swans and geese either have their babies trailing them or are ready to pop them out.
After our town stroll (hey, George Clooney has a house here - not surprising as it seems a pretty affluent village - BMW seems the standard vehicle and this morning I saw a Maserati and a couple (!) of Bentleys) we bought a packed lunch at the Sonning Lock Tea Rooms, sat on a bench in the shade by the lock and watched the world go by.
A duck couple quacked at our feet during the entire lunch - ever hopeful of crumbs. They didn't know who they were dealing with, though. R and I LOVE packed lunches and eat up every last bit of them. Of course, I say that now, on day 2. Ask me again in a couple of weeks when I'll probably scream if have to look at another egg and cress sandwich or eat another slice of lemon pound cake. Poor me.
After lunch we walked The Thames Path from Sonning-on-Thames to Shiplake and back. A busy day along the river. Sunny and 80! Everyone out enjoying the day. Lots and lots of canal boats. Families on bikes riding up and down the path. Sweethearts picnicking on the banks. Pasty, white Brits sunning themselves and turning bright red.
Beautiful views in all directions of the river, the fields and farms, blue sky, puffy white clouds. Old churches and Tudor buildings. Thatched roofs.
It's why we're here.
Time for some Pub Grub.
He said:
Today was one of those very warm days with plenty of sunshine, and thankfully also a gentile breeze, a day that is a bit unusual in the UK. The natives certainly love this after the freezing weather they claimed to have had just a week ago. Our casual walk along the Thames path reminded me of our first long distance walk 17 years ago along this same path, it's mostly countryside along with a few quaint villages and pleasure boats floating up and down the river. I think we will be seeing more of the same types of views starting tomorrow where we walk in earnest along the Kennet-Avon canal which empties into the river Thames at Reading.
I just loved seeing a Kite or two hunting in the sky today, waiting for its meal on the wing.
The Kite has a long, shaped, and somewhat split tail, it soars patiently along seeing all.
For more photos from May 7 click here
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