Join me on my trips

Watching the children playing tennis (I was collecting  Ophelia) reminded me of how useless I was yet I still brought my racquet all the way from SA in 1965. What was I thinking? Here is a line of trees on the way to the club. If you eat at Roots and Seeds it seems you can reserve a greenhouse though as the service in the cafe is slow not sure how long you would wait up here. Majestic old dead tree preserved. Having a bit of trouble with the hens which now sneak into the house. I had to have a stout border built around my yellow roses but the other beds are a complete mess. It has also rained at last.

Diana and I left about 9.30 and, after finding the A40 closed had a long and, at times, arduous journey, got to glorious countryside north of Shap. We found this little village Newbiggin with huge topiary, a pretty but seemingly abandoned house on our way to Greystoke. Can't identify this growing in the huge topiary. Our accommodation in Greystoke, the Boot and Shoe. Weirdly weathered rock. The centre of Greystoke. A vintage car rally at the castle. T he sign says not to park there, which is odd seeing it is in the middle of weeds with no hard standing. T om Nash has transformed this ancient castle into a thriving event venue. It belongs to the Howards and the oldest part is 1069. The family sold up the contents about 5 years ago. Burroughs made this the fictional home of Tarzan and in the pub are many Tarzan s...

Today there was nothing I had to do so imagined that I had become a retiree. Which of course I am but never relate to it. So I got up around 7.30. Got the washing on. Had Greek yogurt and blueberries with a sprinkle of linseed for breakfast.  Did a quick hoover of the downstairs.  Spent half an hour doing part of a jigsaw. Sent a couple of emails and read the bbc news. 10.30 I walked up to the shop where I had a flapjack (if you have this away from home of course it doesn't count from a calorie point of view) and iced coffee and bought the I for its puzzles and because it is only £1 and is stapled so easy to fold. Came back around 12, watered some hydrangeas, a bit more of the jigsaw and lunch of tinned mackerel and left over cauliflower cheese. Did the crossword,  well most of it, more jigsaw, watered a  few more hydrangeas. We have a hosepipe ban and we also have a leaking tap so catch the drips in a bucket. Packed a bag for going to Penrith tomorrow, listened to t...

Back to training and down at the lake saw and ate first blackberries. Have swopped the old wooden bench for the stone one I had made in 1977. The whole garden is now finished and I think works well. We will see through the winter and next year. Otis watering on the last before the hosepipe ban. Found a hornet mimic hoverfly on the Eryngium. Painting with Janet on Ernest Cook farm above Quenington. The flowers are chicory planted as part of a herb field. Everything very dry despite some rain. Harvest should be easy but maybe not very plentiful.

Left home at 4.30 to pick up Chris then easy drive to Cophall Parking from where we were taken by bus to the terminal. Left a bit late on Wizz Air but the  pilot made up the time. I sat next to the bass guitarist of the Ben Poole band. We had booked to go to the wrong airport so the taxi was E114.  The lift shift and staircase in our accommodation. A nice courtyard we walked past.  It is 33 degrees. We walked to the Gallerie Arte Moderne only to find the modern art section closed.  A green wall. We had drinks across the road but look what came with them. Next door was a lovely restaurant full of people talking Italian. We had struck lucky as again we were treated with surprises. Now with the air con on will fall asleep soon. Donna sent this from the bookclub night saying how perfect it all was. The new furniture helped a lot. Big walking day, to the Leonardo museum with replic...