On the move: London - Southampton

A final catch-up with my Allen Hall breakfast companions and a final wi-fi session at the Chelsea Library before figuring that, if I walked down to the Embankment, the taxi route would be direct along and over the river to Waterloo – so I wimped out and got a taxi. Excellent decision as Waterloo itself required 100%+ energy. The size of an airport terminal and streaming with people. Pink jacketed volunteers everywhere proffering icecreams and advice. The most difficult bit – negotiating the pay-30p turnstile at the women’s toilet – couldn’t get my money in the slot, myself through the turnstile and my bag through the bag area all at the same time :-(  A good thing I didn’t disgrace myself on the spot!

A smooth train trip to Southampton Central where Ruth and Tony met me and at home I was introduced to Jake and Oliver, the gorgeous brother cats. After a cuppa we went for a walk down around the Southampton marina (oozing $$) and to the point where the Rivers Test and Itchen converge just before they become The Solent. Tony was able to show me where Auntie Nora was born in Woolston, across the Itchen and where he grew up nearby before the war required evacuation. I didn’t know this – so it was a whole new piece of a jigsaw puzzle for me.

Ruth and Tony by the River Itchen, Southampton

1 August

So much in such a short time! Yesterday, Nora’s and my birthdays. A lovely card and gift from Ruth and Tony, plus card from Jake and Oliver! Then off to the Hillier gardens near Romsey, probably one of the very best arboretum/gardens I have seen anywhere with trees/shrubs, plants from all over the world, including New Zealand. We had a coffee at the Pavillion and then set off, umbrellas up, to wander the gardens. There was an extensive and very fine exhibition of sculpture integrated with the plants. Lunch in the beautiful Jermyn’s House followed by more exercise than we bargained on as we lost ourselves in the maze of paths!

Bird sculptures in the Hillier Gardens

Jermyn House, Hillier Gardens

From the Hillier Gardens to Romsey where we stopped at ‘Miss Moody’s Tearooms’, very typically English, housed in an old Tudor building and surrounded by a lovely period garden. Into the Romsey Abbey, founded in 907 and substantially completed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Here I really got to appreciate the rounded Norman arches, in contrast with the more pointed Romanesque. The Abbey houses the grave of Earl Mountbatten, acknowledged by a very simple, elegant memorial stone. One of the two local organists was practising so we had the benefit of lovely background organ music.

Bunting in Romsey town centre

A wander around the centre of Romsey, all bunting and hanging baskets, before returning home, to head out again shortly after to Brockenhurst in the New Forest (now a National Park) – to the Cloud Hotel, location for a birthday dinner. A beautiful setting enhanced by the New Forest ponies grazing on the green right outside the hotel. I learnt more about the ponies. About 4000 roam free, their owners having historic rights to graze them in the New Forest. Beautiful animals. We had more food than I had eaten in my whole time in London (just about) including (I hate to admit) roast guinea fowl and a dessert with enough alcohol in the sponge to launch a rocket!! Excellent service, an archetypically English environment.

Outside The Cloud Hotel, Brockenhurst, New Forest

[This was written in Southampton early this morning. I am posting it now from Tavistock in Devon.]