Through the Downs

On Sunday we headed out to pick up Vickie from Heathrow airport. She's at a conference in Oxford and needed a ride out there. Plus, it was a good way for her to catch up with H and John, too.

Our trip up to Heathrow, we took some A routes which are small, paved, two-lane highways. They go through various villages and towns....so, not like interstate highways. The roads we took cut through an area called the Downs and another called New Forrest. The route was BEAUTIFUL. Many of the roads had a canopy of trees that made me think of Iccabod Crane.

One of the funniest things we kept coming across was the names of various communities...Singleton, Cocking. Other signs were "Humps ahead," "Spread Eagle Hotel," "Cocking Church."

Once we picked up Vickie we headed towards Oxford. We stopped along the way to eat at a traditional English pub to welcome Vickie to the country. It was slightly expensive but very much authentic. I chose the two entree option but asked for my dessert (a variety of cheeses) to be my appetizer, instead. I think I was viewed as weird...but seriously, who has cheese for dessert?! :)

We'll head back to Oxford on Friday to pick her back up so we didn't stay around to see much. We headed on to Wincester, where surprisingly, the cathedral was still open. They also allowed us to take pictures for free. I wanted to stop here because Jane Austen is buried here. The quire is said to be the oldest remaining medieval example in England. Very impressive!!

Today we are having a 'lay-in' to catch up on some sleep before heading to Leeds Castle and Greenwich tomorrow. That should be another long day in the car, but well worth it. Wednesday we're thinking of taking the ferry over to France to see Normandy and Omaha beaches.

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Thanks for reading!