Sunday at the seaside

Breakfast was magnificent! It must be said that the fried eggs weren’t quite up to Norma’s standards – but the sausage was FANTASTIC and the bacon was lovely and it’s all locally sourced. We are coming back in July when we come down for the Vaughan Williams concert. If the breakfast is as good a second time, we may have to switch our loyalties away from Norma and Bridge Farm!!

Time for a pleasant stroll across the Stoford Bridge to Great Wishford and a potter about the village. It is a lovely little village. There’s a thatched cottage with a stunning garden up for rent. Alas – it would be too far for us both to commute.

We collected Gwen and went through the New Forest to Lymington, where we had roast beef in the Ship Inn by the harbour, watching the boats bobbing in the sunshine. Then we went to Milford on Sea so she could sit for a bit in the sunshine, watching the sea and the Isle of Wight across the water. It was a truly beautiful day. It is unfortunate that she can’t walk far these days (she says that she never imagined that an inability to walk would come to her!) but that is no reason not to sit and look at things. We went back through the Forest as well. On both trips there were loads of ponies with foals, and quite a few cows – though not so many calves.

The elusive Peter was about when we got back to Gwen’s. We are, I think, plotting the possibility of re-laying and extending the patio by her back door. Well, Gwen and I are plotting. We are not planning to do any of the re-laying or extending; that's what The Builder and Peter are for! But it would mean she could sit outside on sunny days and the people who wave as they walk along the pavement would be able to talk to her.

We came home along the Fosse Way. It was very pretty, very green, and surprisingly quiet.

I never did get onto the wi-fi network at The Swan, though I do now have the password. I wonder if it was a Mac thing, or if their network was being dodgy. Will try again in July.

And I now have an ice cream maker. We bought it in John Lewis/Waitrose. The bowl is now in the freezer, awaiting its first ice cream adventure.

We had our first fresh peas and broad beans last evening. Not, alas, from the garden, not yet– but they were the first English or Scottish peas and broad beans I’ve seen in the shops this season.

Right. Off to organise my teaching sessions for the Malaysian cohort of students. They need to know how to use the databases. I am not planning to tell them, mind you – I have a series of cunning exercises so they can find out for themselves!! Who me? Cruel? Surely not? :-P

I take it that Joanne and Darius moved in over the weekend. There are curtains up at the windows now, and ornamental things on the window sills