Chester...

Yesterday it was a bright and sunny day and unfortunately it was also washing day. We had no clothes left so washing had to be done. The morning in the launderette seemed to drag and I was itching to get outside into the country air. Once the washing was done we drove to horseshoe pass where we walked for a while. Normally when we have been there it is always very windy, however yesterday it was very calm. After our walk we went to Oswestry to get Matilda some cat herbs which is enjoyed at the cattery. Sadly they have had no impact on her and our boat is smelling rather odd.

This morning was a morning where you don’t really want to get up, cold, wet and windy, however Matilda had other ideas and was up very early. She obviously does not know that the clocks went back.

We took this opportunity to visit Chester and I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was. The journey was only 30 minutes by car and we found what must have been the most expensive carpark in the whole of Chester. The Micra was in good company surrounded by BMW and other such cars.

Chester is well worth a visit. We wandered around the shops, saw the cathedral (but did not go in as it was £5) took a walk to the city walls and found the canal which looked slightly unloved and very grey. The City has a multitude of shops and restaurants. It is very lively, busy and pleasant . I would highly recommend a day trip. We left the city just as the rain started and got a tad lost around the ring road, luckily the Satnav came to our rescue before we went around it for the third time.

So, Autumn is truly upon us and the trees are so colourful, fantastic shades of browns, reds and yellows. The weather forecast is miserable for the next week so I think some autumn cleaning of the boat and a good sort out is in order, however as I write this, the fire is on, Matilda is snuggled next to me, it is getting dark so we may just watch a movie and clean tomorrow.

As it is November and we have been away for about 5 months I feel that some refection is in order. We are both enjoying our time away, are both very relaxed and are always grateful for the opportunity of taking a year away from work. The constant knot in the back of my neck has vanished and I have learnt to appreciate my surroundings. I don’t feel the need or have to multi task everything I do and fit everything in the shortest time possible. I have especially enjoyed cooking from scratch and taking my time. The lie-ins have been fantastic and the alarm clock is rarely used. I have enjoyed spending time with Scott and Matilda and we have not really got on each other nerves (yet!). We have however, tried to do something everyday and I probably can only count a couple of times where we have not left the boat; whether this is because I still have the need to be busy or because I want to ensure that no day of my year is wasted I am not sure. The difference being of course is we do things that we want to do rather than because we have to.