Monday, September 29, 2008

Sigh.

My day with Kathryn was delightful. We went to an internet cafe, where I booked seats for Robin and me on today's flight and printed our boarding passes. Then we went to Kathryn's flat for lunch, a good talk, and a browse through family photos.

Kathryn had an errand to run, so we combined business with pleasure by going first to - oh, dear - Stowe-on-Wold (sp?) to pick up a piece of furniture, then off to the Slaughters, about which I had just been listening to a radio show. The Slaughters were very pretty, and I enjoyed rummaging in the Saxon-Norman church in Upper Slaughter. We left there and drove through the beautiful Cotswolds. Kathryn was telling me a story when we drove through Upper and Lower Swell. I commented that Swell was, in fact, swell, and she offered to turn around to get a better look. I decided, though, to save Swell for next year. We passed Blenheim and considered a detour to Churchill's burial site, but time was speeding by, so we headed back to Oxford, where we had a cup of coffee and went to the railway station. I was a little nervous about missing my train. It was going to be dark when I got to Reading, and I was none to confident about being able to find my way from the station to the boat in the dark. So Anyway, we made a quick pit stop at W.H. Smith in the station, and then we said good-bye. I am just so pleased that I finally got to meet Kathryn.
On my arrival in Reading, I visited its much larger W.H. Smith, bought a John Irving novel for my flight home, then found the queue for taxis and made some poor driver take me the four blocks or so to where our boat was moored.

This morning, we caught the bus to Heathrow. Robin is gazing out at planes landing and taking off, while I wander around the airport. We are scheduled to fly out at 1:05 this afternoon - not too long, now.

After we get home, I'll have to read through Robin's log, to reconnect with some of the places we visited. It all becomes a blur after a while.

8 comments:

NAVAL LANGA said...

I have come here from Mr. Barry's blog.

I have read some of your posts and would like to revisit.

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Sandra Leigh said...

Thank you for visiting. I just apologized to another gentleman for not responding to his comment, and now I'm apologizing again. I tend not to check this blog between trips to England, but I guess I'll have to change that. Please, visit again - and come see me at Amazing Voyages of the Turtle, where I spend most of my blogging time.

I shall definitely come to see you at one of your blogs -

Mad Aunt Bernard said...

Hello! If you'd like to stop by my blog, I have an award waiting for you! congrats - Aunt B.

Sandra Leigh said...

I wondered if that was for me. I didn't even realize you read my blog, Aunt B.! I am honoured.

Ronda Laveen said...

I love rummaging through old churches. Well, old buildings in general I guess.

lettuce said...

hello! thanks for your comment - sorry its taken me so long to return the visit. Life is a bit.... at the moment.

Hope you've enjoyed your UK trip! I hope to make it to Canada one day

Barry said...

Exciting trip Sandra, with lots of memories and Robins log for a refresher. Linda keeps a log of all our vacations and I love going back and rereading them.

Scary how much you forget over time.

Elizabeth said...

Have just been catching up on your English adventures!
Our son and daughter in law just arrived in England to visit family.
I grew up in England and so many o the places you mentioned are very familiar.
Oxford, the Cotswolds etc.
I wish we could get together to chat about it all.