A FEW NOTES FIRST:
When we were in the planning stages this year it became obvious that using Maggie's home as a 'base camp' was not going to work due to the amount of travel time that would be needed to see all the sites we had in mind. Maggie suggested camping and I immediately loved the idea. We stayed at two very different campgrounds the location of both allowed us to extend our exploration without cutting into the time we wanted to spend at the sites. It was a great decision as a cheap and cheerful alternative to hotels. We had a great tent, which you will see in later posts, which was very easy to put up and take down. It was also a wonderful to return after a long day hiking in the fresh air to come back and sit in a comfy chair, sipping tea, and enjoying the beautiful scenery around us. I realize it is not everyone's idea of fun but it is something to think about. Campsites can get you closer to nature and sometimes closer to the best views! We also stayed in two B&B's up north and I stayed in a Travelodge and accommodation at a University in Hampshire.
As I have already mentioned, I arrived in the evening at Heathrow on June 1st and picked up the shuttle from Terminal 5 to a Travelodge about a 15 minute shuttle ride away. It was very busy but efficient and I was in my room quickly. Travelodge’s are not meant to be luxurious, which was perfect since all I needed was a place to settle, have a hot shower and collapse in bed. I woke early as planned, checked out and grabbed a shuttle to Avis for my car.
The process at Avis was smooth as always. I had reserved online a medium size hatchback, (not too big not too small), and soon had set up the satnav on my mobile and headed down the M25 toward Winchester. I decided to stay there for two reasons; First - I needed to kill a day before I met up with Maggie and wanted somewhere familiar and Second - it gave me an opportunity to meet up with a my friend, Alan Dorey, a local DJ whose show, 'The Musical Box', airs on Forest FM. It is always pleasant to spend time with friends especially when you are traveling alone. Nothing beats a perfect cup of tea and cake after a long journey. We had a lovely long visit and before I knew it time had flown. We said our goodbye’s and I returned to my room. I had arranged a room on the King Alfred campus of Winchester University for one night and was very pleased with my little room. The room was very clean, had a kettle with tea and biscuits waiting and was in a nice quiet building. I had stayed there in 2013 for a conference and was glad I remembered they offered this service. They get 5+ stars in my book for value and convenience. The University has limited accommodation available to the public during the summer break. It is inexpensive and definitely worth keeping in mind when looking for a place to stay.
After a very restful night I was on the road by 7:30a to avoid the traffic of Winchester and to catch as much of the morning light as I could. I was on a mission to get to three churches before I had to make my arrival time at Maggie’s home near Plymouth, in Devon, which was several hours away. The satnav set, map ready, mp3 player plugged in, music on and sunglasses in place - I was off on my adventure:
South again to Knowlton Church in the county of Dorset
When we were in the planning stages this year it became obvious that using Maggie's home as a 'base camp' was not going to work due to the amount of travel time that would be needed to see all the sites we had in mind. Maggie suggested camping and I immediately loved the idea. We stayed at two very different campgrounds the location of both allowed us to extend our exploration without cutting into the time we wanted to spend at the sites. It was a great decision as a cheap and cheerful alternative to hotels. We had a great tent, which you will see in later posts, which was very easy to put up and take down. It was also a wonderful to return after a long day hiking in the fresh air to come back and sit in a comfy chair, sipping tea, and enjoying the beautiful scenery around us. I realize it is not everyone's idea of fun but it is something to think about. Campsites can get you closer to nature and sometimes closer to the best views! We also stayed in two B&B's up north and I stayed in a Travelodge and accommodation at a University in Hampshire.
As I have already mentioned, I arrived in the evening at Heathrow on June 1st and picked up the shuttle from Terminal 5 to a Travelodge about a 15 minute shuttle ride away. It was very busy but efficient and I was in my room quickly. Travelodge’s are not meant to be luxurious, which was perfect since all I needed was a place to settle, have a hot shower and collapse in bed. I woke early as planned, checked out and grabbed a shuttle to Avis for my car.
The process at Avis was smooth as always. I had reserved online a medium size hatchback, (not too big not too small), and soon had set up the satnav on my mobile and headed down the M25 toward Winchester. I decided to stay there for two reasons; First - I needed to kill a day before I met up with Maggie and wanted somewhere familiar and Second - it gave me an opportunity to meet up with a my friend, Alan Dorey, a local DJ whose show, 'The Musical Box', airs on Forest FM. It is always pleasant to spend time with friends especially when you are traveling alone. Nothing beats a perfect cup of tea and cake after a long journey. We had a lovely long visit and before I knew it time had flown. We said our goodbye’s and I returned to my room. I had arranged a room on the King Alfred campus of Winchester University for one night and was very pleased with my little room. The room was very clean, had a kettle with tea and biscuits waiting and was in a nice quiet building. I had stayed there in 2013 for a conference and was glad I remembered they offered this service. They get 5+ stars in my book for value and convenience. The University has limited accommodation available to the public during the summer break. It is inexpensive and definitely worth keeping in mind when looking for a place to stay.
After a very restful night I was on the road by 7:30a to avoid the traffic of Winchester and to catch as much of the morning light as I could. I was on a mission to get to three churches before I had to make my arrival time at Maggie’s home near Plymouth, in Devon, which was several hours away. The satnav set, map ready, mp3 player plugged in, music on and sunglasses in place - I was off on my adventure:
South again to Knowlton Church in the county of Dorset
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