a sunny, green and pleasant land

Just back from 2 glorious weeks in the UK. A truly Best of British experience...

Highlights included storming around Dhyrum Park gardens with Mum and Dad...

... the Kaffe Fassett expo near Bath...

... a walking tour organised by my friend Brian, singing tudor anthems in five Oxfordshire churches; an exceptional treat...

Daylesford Church

picnicking at Adlestrop churchyard

... strolls around Oxford with friends who've known me for over 30 years...

Alison at the Isis pub

Mad and Susie at South Hinksey

... lounging time chez les parents in their beautiful garden...

... seeing family at Buff and Colin's stunning new house...

sorry, Poppy, I did indeed catch you gob full...!

... and some ravishing views across the south of England...

All this, and then 3 days in good company at a shiatsu training weekend.

Meanwhile, back in the sodden Alps it's beginning to feel like a dream. But tomorrow the sun returns and Juan and I will be heading south for a non-walking-lounging-around couple of days at a river-based campsite. Can we do it? Watch this space.

Update We managed one whole, perfect day (swims in campsite pool, picnicking in the comfort of having - for the first time - a table and two comfy chairs) before a cracking storm created such a mud bath that we had to decamp back to Vaulnaveys, even before the end of the day. A bitter-sweet "holiday".