Weekend escapes to the English countryside

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Rambling and rockin’ in the New Forest

I took advantage of the May long weekend and caught the train down to Brockenhurst in Hampshire to meet up with Fiona, my old flattie from the Isa. She and the others got stuck in some mammoth traffic but eventually made it and we headed to our cottage in Lyndhurst.

We had a stroll around the town which was packed to the hilt with cars, tourists and rented bikes. After gorging on way too many nibbles and some champagne we went for a stroll through the countryside before having a few brews in the local pubs. We were all too full for dinner but instead spent the evening drinking, dancing and eating vegemite on toast back at the cottage.

Sunday we had a lazy start as the weather was rainy. By lunchtime though it had cleared up and we had a great afternoon rambling through forest and farmland and even discovered a pond and some tree swings. It was such a nice day after a dreary start and the walk was great. We were all worn out afterwards but managed dinner at a great Italian restaurant in town.

Monday the weather was atrocious but at least the traffic wasn’t as bad on the way back. Poor Tim though got stuck trying to get a train back as the tracks all flooded. For a country where it rains all the time, England seems to struggle with water….

Oxford

The next Friday I only worked half a day so spent the afternoon exploring the Tate Modern Gallery. I wasn’t sure what to expect but there was some really interesting stuff and I was surprised by just how much I liked it. There was of course some bizarre work, including some rows of bricks and video of people making out with bits of meat, but it was all part of the experience.

I spent the rest of the weekend up in Oxford visiting Suzi which was great. It was awesome to see her and Oxford itself is a lovely city. We strolled around the impressive old colleges and buildings and had lunch and wine at a cool pub along the river. As we strolled back into town through the fields we heard someone singing opera from a passing boat. Very civilised I say!

Epsom

The following weekend I tagged along with Kristy and Greg and friends to Epsom races. This is a very classy event… if you go into the enclosure. We on the other hand took the free hill option and took along a picnic and drinks. Well the “hill” was more like a “ditch” and the general vibe can only be described as “chav-tastic”. It was hilarious, with lashings of orange fake tan, gallons of cheap booze and trashy outfits all round. We had a great time anyway and even got a slight glimpse of Queen Lizzie up in the very posh section inside. Luckily she was pretty easy to pick out, in her fetching hot pink suit and white gloves!

On the Sunday I had a lazy start and then met Greg, Matt and Stu from our intrepid tour. Unfortunately Greg had to catch a train back but Matt, Stu and I had a nice afternoon sipping beers in the sun on Camden Lock. London is such a fantastic city when the weather is friendly!

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Photos

Fiona and Amy trying out the two-man bike
It's probably lucky there weren't any for hire as they were struggling!

Epsom
Kristy's theme was a 'little bit of animal' - which explains the inflatable animals

Carnage on the 'hill'
The place was disgusting at the end of the day

The Radcliffe Camera
It's actually a library...very swish