Rellies meeting

 I went with Pirate's great niece to meet a cousin..both on the Possee half of his family and we had a grand afternoon out wandering around Canterbury....Starting with coffee (or tea) and cake and ending with hot chocolate four hours later!!

We couldn't find the Green Man on the wooden doors to the Cathedral close...I must look through old photos from visits.

We didn't go in...at £18 each unless you were a National Trust member !! About ten years or so ago we went in without payment, and there was noone gatekeeping...

I did make one purchase...a small solid stainless steel saucepan with a lid, and a pouring lip both sides from a very posh cook shop..£25 well spent. 

You try finding one....without non-stick coating....with a lid...and without having to buy a set of pans.....

It was great having a good catch up, plus all of us getting to know each other better. Sadly another  cousin has just died, which is a great pity as we were all beginning to get on really well.

of course..pictures in reverse order....

cleaning job...before, during and after

The house from which the assassins of Thomas à Beckett left to do the deed

Kings College

Georgian houses with wheel thrown not moulded chimneypots we

A French chocolatière...

the crooked bookshop

felix....

 kept on walking....around the village lanes this time....where we saw a row of large oak trees

a commercial apple orchard

and our shadows!!

Blue sky, sunshine and fluffy little white clouds!!

Chilling out...and apples!

 Relaxing, reading, doin' nuffin special...

and going for a walk to an old established apple orchard....No Man's Orchard

The trees all around are sweet chestnuts, and there are hazels..or mire likely cobnuts as this is Kent.

last leg

 This was last night...

Just breezy today...and a fairly clear run down to near Canterbury...the last three hours of a total of exactly 500 miles..

I'd thought to bring my patchwork to finish one side...but I've miscalculated....so I'll have to re-cut the pieces when I get back...

but at least I have the plan....

Wet and windy!

 But it started well

There was, at least, a veggie breakfast...I don't usually have a "cooked breakfast" that isn't porridge....

First stop, the mart at Penrith..Potfest in the Pens to collect my glaze material...and I treated myself to four sponges on sticks!!

A longer drive than usual after that..all the way to Stafford Services, where I treated myself to a Pret hot chocolate and vegan salad platter...quality...and over £2 cheaper for the meal!

Conditions worsened steadily after that, 50mph was wise...and 40 mph at times, foglights fore and aft were necessary.

And still crazies were batting along at at least 70mph in the outside lane...some even without lights...

Now I'm relaxing at the Cherwell Travelodge near Bicester....and there is a bath!!!

Dumfries

 I decided to go early to Dumfries...there are a couple of places on the A76 where we have seen flooding when there has been heavy rain...and there were quite a few places with water over half the carriageway.

This meant that I had time to visit the galleries at Gracefields arts centre...and one of the exhibitions was a travelling exhibition from tbe Hayward on London's South Bank.

Plus upstairs from this was an exhibition of some of their permanent collection.

Then a fibre art exhibition in the newer building plus a local art group's paintings in the café. 

Lunch with friends was good, homemade soup with bread salad and cheese....and cake...and good strong coffee!

Two hours of interesting chatting...and a gift to me of the OU French course material and books in French to read.

I'm now ensconced in the travel hotel at Gretna Services...part one done...

First stop tomorrow, Potfest in the Pens at the mart outside Penrith to pick up some supplies...and maybe see some friends...then on to Oxfordshire.