Saturday

Good morning, everyone.  Yes, Suzanne has wi-fi so I can get online.  She's a later waker than I so I have some time to spend blogging as usual.  It's one of those feel-good moments - coffee to the side, windows thrown open, sunny and the promise of a very warm day. 

I can't say I totally enjoyed all of the journey.  It was a toss up between going north around the M25 or south and I chose south because I know that way a bit more; either way is about the same distance and both have their disadvantages.
As soon as I hit the M25, there were lorries.  Huge, lumbering lorries, far too many of them, so one feels somewhat like ants on the pavement, likely to be trodden on at any moment, but things were moving OK until we hit the Thames crossing where it did slow down considerably.  After that, gradually, most of the heavy stuff peeled off and the driving was easier, although pretty slow.  Off the M12, it was a lot easier; the A3 isn't a bad road at all and from there it's a short distance to Suzanne's home.

She has a lovely home - a bungalow built on a slope.  I could be highly jealous of her front and back gardens which are terraced, pretty low maintenance and most attractive.  I took a few photos and have permission to post them.

The patio closest to the back of the house, where we had our lunch and dinner.

Steps down one side of the sloped bed.

The lower patio.  A real sun trap!

A hidden water feature.  You hear it well before you see it.

And the stairs up the other side.























The slope from top to bottom is packed with bushes of different foliage and shape and is pretty much trouble free apart from pruning.

I'll take some photos of the front today.

When I got there, we had a pretty late lunch and then set out, first to have a look around Greyshott's Pottery for a look (Suzanne rather specialised in pottery at college) and then on the the Devil's Punch Bowl, a nearby National Trust site, where we strolled around happily for an hour or so, chatting nineteen to the dozen, before returning home and sitting at the bottom of the garden with a restorative cuppa.  I, of course, forgot to take my camera!  Doh!

Today we hope to visit Petworth House and Park which is not too far away.  We're both NT members so it should be a busy (it is a sunny Saturday, after all) but pleasant time with lots of opportunity for exercise (SW would be pleased!).  I will remember my camera!

We've had a good old chat about France in August and I now have a much clearer idea of what to take and what we will do.  There's a few things I need to get sorted - travel insurance, a bigger but very lightweight suitcase (luckily there are loads around nowadays) and some money, plus, maybe a few pairs of cropped trousers.  Must ask about the insects though!!

Well, it is now seven o'clock so I have another hour to enjoy before things are likely to get going.  It's still so peaceful and quiet and I can feel any anxieties drifting away (albeit temporarily).  I'm looking forward to today.
I hope you are too.  xx