Walking paths, Grafham Water and another pub!

Over here in England, it has been seasonably chilly. We have smiled at the extensive weather forecasts that basically indicate continued periods of sun and rain and "COLD" temperatures of ... -1* Celsius ;) . It has been plenty warm enough to be outside in coat, scarf, and gloves! Charlotte and I have been trying to make a habit of going for a walk through the fields around our holiday cottage after her morning nap. I load her into the Ergo (as backpack... a challenging task by myself when Paul is at work!), pull my new waterproof boots on, and we head out. The fields are frosty in the shadowed areas, with a crust of ice on the puddles in the tractor ruts. There are a wonderful number of "public footpaths" around, which I remember taking advantage of when I studied abroad here as well. They are hiking/walking paths all over the country, which cross private land and occasionally through pastures with grazing animals! I remember feeling very self conscious the first time I walked past sheep and cows in 2003, and realizing that in the US this would be considered trespassing and that one *could* be shot at for doing so. Here, it is perfectly normal (and no one has weapons supposedly). We walked about a mile yesterday and 1.5 miles today. It is great to get fresh air and move my legs! I will try to remember to bring my camera with me tomorrow to capture the experience :)

On Sunday, Paul, Charlotte, and I drove to Grafham Water, a large local lake where there are several playgrounds, a sailing school, and a walking/biking path that encircles the lake (about 10 miles around, according to the website). We grabbed lunch at a small restaurant/cafe right at one of the parking lots, which was quite tasty, then walked in the chilly weather. It was colder than I had expected by the water, and the path will be more appropriate to take our jogging stroller on when it arrives with our household goods. It was a bit bumpy for the umbrella stroller! It was a nice outing though, and we put Charlotte on the swings briefly before heading home.

On Monday night, we went to another local pub with Jerome, Erin, and Erin's mom. This time we went to The Cock In Hemingford Grey. They are known for their Bangers and Mash (bangers are sausages), and I really enjoyed their sausages with horseradish/mustard mashed potatoes with a cider. We shared a Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert -- so good! We will definitely be back, although they typically don't allow children under 5 at dinner. When Erin made the reservation though, they were happy to accommodate Charlotte since they aren't busy on Mondays. They even set her a place with a spoon only, and then brought her a biscotti for dessert. She was well behaved and even said her new word for everyone. It's "chicken." She says mama, dada, baba (bye bye), uh oh, and chicken ("tikkn"). Hilarious! She even laughs after she says it. Love this little girl!