Port Meadow Hikes

I am happy to say I am uploading pictures as I type...however it is NOT on our laptop. We are back in Ben's office on a late night again. The day after I posted that last blog the laptop power supply went kaput all together. We've ordered a new one from Dell and are just waiting, as impatiently as possible, for it to arrive.

So, we have a lot to catch up on eh?

Where to start? Well, I've been spending a lot of time at work it seems lately. And I know I've mentioned the cafe a few times. So I am posting up some pictures of where I work (and play).

Last week it was like Spring just couldn't wait to show off and it was warm (around 60 degrees at times) and sunny. So Ben and I sported our Wellies (Wellington's) and went for a walk in Port Meadow. Since the rains had finally stopped over the past week, most of the flood plains had cleared but it was still very muddy and wet. The pictures I am posting are of three consecutive weeks.

Our first trip back to the Meadow had a few surprises. First, since the water was so high, some of the horses that are usually on the other side of the meadow were stuck on the opposite side, nearer to our footpath. You could walk right up to them while they grazed. There's one big guy that I became very fond of and went back to visit our next time out. Our other surprise was what from far away looked like a kite was really I guy wind surfing in the middle of the newly formed 'pond' in the middle of the meadow! How cool is that...not as cool as the water I suppose...

Our second trip our was a much longer hike. 6 and a half miles total. We started at our usual spot (the South East corner of the Meadow) and walked North along the River Thames. On the way Ben found 2 half penny's from the 1920's and 30's. There were lots of rowers out practising, as the season is about to start. And of course horses, ducks, geese, and various other birds were everywhere.

This time rather than heading West, by Godstow Nunnery, we headed North- right into Wolvercote where we came across a neat old bridge which lead us back to The Trout Inn. After a refreshing drink on the patio overlooking a waterfall, we headed back East through Wolvercote. *In the process of adding the link about Wolvercote, I happened to read that Wolvercote Cemetary is where JRR Tolkien was buried! (Guess we'll be making another trip there.)

On our way back South we came across another wayside pub called The Plough and stopped for lunch.

Now that you're all caught up on the past two weeks, check out the next blog for our latest trip to London and hopefully lots more pictures of our last hike.

In our string of "good luck" with things I have lost the memory card for my camera with all of those pictures on it...once it is found, I'll post them.