10.10.10

I heard on the Today Programme this week that the tenth day of the tenth month of the tenth year is supposed to be pretty special. Numerologists, meteorologists and other such important people that deal in ology were predicting that it would be not only a very lucky day, but the last true day of the English summer.

It is of course also 42 day.

N and I decided to take advantage of what was a truly glorious day with a long lazy walk through the country lanes and fields, in search of the perfect pub lunch and pint.

One of the first things we did after moving into the area was take a trip to a large and well-stocked bookshop in search of two things: firstly, an ordinance survey map of the area, and secondly, a guide to pubs within walking distance. We lucked out as not only did we find several good maps of the area, but also a book dedicated to country walks between pubs. Could an English(w0)man ask for anything better?!

However, today we set off with simply a map and N's memory of a nice village pub about a mile and a half away.

The day was awash with sunshine. Not weak autumnal light, but the still-strong remains of summer sunshine. It made walking with a jumper on too warm, but was measured with a strong breeze to remind us that the cooler wetter weather of just a few days previously was quite soon going to become the norm.

But all of the gloom of the beginning of the week was forgotten as we ambled along shady sun-dappled lanes, until we stumbled upon this:

A pint and fish and chips, enjoyed outside in front of the pub, overlooking a local cricket pitch, that a few weeks ago was probably filled with green-knee-ed eager men in whites. Indeed the scoreboard still held the remains of a previous match.

It couldn't have been more stereotypically English, and we were loving every minute.

We had originally decided to head back home the same way, but the sunshine was too difficult to pass up, and so we strode off, with our full bellies, in an entirely different direction.

I can still hardly believe that all of this is pretty much on my doorstep. Today was definitely a very lucky day indeed.
We arrived home with aching knees (we're a bit out of practice!), five miles of new countryside explored and the feeling that if this is the last day of summer, we spent it well.

Bring on autumn