Food in Brugge

This right here is a beautiful thing. A warm chocolate waffle with chocolate sauce,cream and cherries.

Historic Warwick in the Rain

It was raining but I was determined to do something interesting while my girlfriend and I both had a day to spare. Warwick isn’t far away and I had never been there so we set off and hoped the weather wouldn’t turn too bad.

Dominating Warwick is the impressive castle. It was a busy day with lots of tourists. It made things a little difficult in getting around but the atmosphere helped to keep my mind off the rain. Today, there were lots of events running and the castle grounds were filled with tents and people dressed in medieval armour. I caught one group of soldiers taking about Chelsea, which broke the spell somewhat.

The first event we went to see was a man flying some eagles. Despite the rain there was a large crowd and we all watched as Archie the eagle flew around high in the sky. He truly was a remarkable creature. After a protracted game bout of hunting for hotdogs we headed off to the river to watch a re-enactment of the storming of the castle. What this equates to is a bunch of ageing men hitting each other with sticks.

Bored of watching people fight we headed down the side of the river towards the castle’s waterwheel. Even in the poor weather the waterway is very pretty and provided a calm moment away from the mass crowds. The crowds were becoming a bit much to cope with so we headed out into the town. Among the ugly new buildings are quite a few older structures that still hold the character and feel of old world Britain.

Warwick is also home to a rather imposing church which can be seen from just about everywhere in the town. Today it was closed for services so we decided to walk down the road to the old shop area. Away from the new high street are quite a few antique and art shops taking residence in the old buildings. It’s worth a look but we soon decided to return to the castle to attempt to climb the ramparts.

The rain was still coming down but we marched up the very steep and windy stone staircase to the top of the Warwick castle tower. The view from the top is impressive and the dark skies made it even more dramatic.

After a day spent walking in rain we were beginning to get a little tired. It began to get late and we snuck out to return home before the mass of crowds decided to exit. It was an interesting trip to one of Britain’s most historic towns and worth a visit. I would wait for better weather before I go back again though.

A Short Trip to Hambledon Lock

Hidden away in the small village of Aston in Berkshire is Hambledon Lock. One of many locks along the Thames, it is open to the public free of charge and even has a free car park situated a couple of minutes walk away.

My girlfriend and I went to the lock after a few days of heavy rain and the water levels were uncharacteristically high. The higher water level made the cascades even more dramatic than usual. Hambledon Lock is a good place just to stand for a while and watch the water flow. On sunny days there are often artists and writers perched along it taking in the scenery and listening to the sounds of the water.

It doesn’t take long to walk across the interconnected bridges of the lock and cross over the river. Once at the other side you can head off in whichever direction you wish along the calmer stretch of the Thames. Hambledon’s surroundings are a little less dramatic than the cascades of water and consist of pretty fields and small areas of woodland. On a sunny day it’s perfect for a leisurely stroll along the river.

Today was a little wet to go traipsing across the farmland and due to the high water level much of it was flooded anyway. However, it did allow for a dramatic sky filled with clouds and rich colours.

The short stop over, we wended our way back along the metal bridges and out of the lock. Hambledon Lock may not seem the obvious choice for a visit but it is free and is the perfect place to start walks along the Thames from. If you are in the Berkshire area it’s well worth a look.