Distant hills constantly viewable in the distance. The far ridge here is the Black Mountains in Wales.
Halloumi fry-up before heading out for a ramble on a gorgeous day - plenty of warm sunny intervals. Parking at Bredwardine church, we noticed the sign for Sunday teas. A 4-mile loop up to the impressive Neolithic burial chamber Arthur's Stone and back down to the village. Beautiful scenery and two incredibly steep hills - one up, one down. Larks, a buzzard, pretty lambkins and plenty of spring flowers - bluebells, celandine, anemones, stitchwort, violets, primroses and wild garlic.
As we neared the village, we started fantasising about the promised Sunday teas, and on my part, of a huge homemade Victoria sponge. We entered the church to find steaming pots of tea ready and not just the hoped-for Victoria sponge, but lemon polenta cake, chocolate and orange and more. All for whatever you wanted to donate. We took our tea and cake to sit outside in the breezy sunshine.
Bought a postcard and a couple of plants also, before driving off in L and P's car in search of Kilpeck church. Alas, we were stymied by an accident that closed the road to it. Followed the diversion and after a couple of hairy moments with huge lorries sent down the almost single track roads, decided to call it a day and returned home.
L started preparing the fish for later and I had an enormous row with Dave about the aromatic olive oil mash so spent the next 45 mins sulking. Cheered up by P's margarita, we enjoyed some nibbles before the main course of sea bass, aromatic mash (Ottolenghi's - amazing!) and cavolo nero. Followed by some rather bad tempered games of Trivial Pursuit and Bananagrams. I won all 3 Bananagrams games.
3 good things
1. A Herefordshire dawn chorus.
2. A walking pole to help me up and down hills - knees still really complaining now through.
3. In news of much relief, Macron beat Le Pen. Whatever one thinks of Macron, thank goodness it's not time yet for the death of liberal democracy.
Church tea
https://365project.org/boxplayer/extras/2022-04-24
24 April 2022
Near Bredwardine, Herefordshire
