Lucky

Today was a sunny day, warm and relaxing.  And it must be a good day - look what we found!

And by "we", I actually mean Barbara, the Captain's sister.

This is the real deal, there is no photoshop or clever leaf arranging.  It looks a bit flat because it was being pressed to save, and I interrupted that for the photo.  I don't think I've seen a real four leaf clover before, must be one of the perks of being in England.

And on that note, let me tell you about some of the other British delights we've been enjoying. Aside from the hospitality of both the Captain's sisters, we've had proper pub food, roast beef with horse radish, rhubarb and ginger jam, blackberry and apple crumble, plus lovely paté and cheeses.  Enough on the food, I'm making myself hungry again.  (But there have been mushrooms, loads of mushrooms.)

When we're not eating, we have been playing tourist, but only on the sunny days.  We went to Little Moreton Hall, and all learned new things about Tudor England. 

For instance, in timber frame houses with wood floors they gave the second level floors a coating to protect them from going up in flames if sparks flew out of the fireplaces, which happened with some regularity.  So this all sounds logical and normal, but did you know that the coating, which looks a bit like cement, was made up of lime, gravel, ground up pottery shards and egg whites to bind it together? Apparently, it lasts for 500 years!  The guide told us that Tudor recipes often only used egg yolks, but they didn't know whether that was because the construction men got the whites first, or the construction men got the whites because no one wanted to cook with them.  I suspect the first one. 

This room has the egg white floor.

Inside Little Moreton Hall, everything was a bit wobbly - which do you think was level, the timber or the brick? 

We also had a lovely wander down part of the Grand Union Canal, contemplating the possibility of trading in a sailboat for a narrowboat, (not likely this week, but fun to imagine.)

Canal pub - yes, we've visited pubs, but not exactly this one.

There are a whole pile of locks on this canal, we walked past 7 of them in only a couple of miles.  They are all hand operated. I think this boat was coming up the locks.

This family of swans swam towards us, very used to handouts from people.

As you can see, all is well and we are enjoying English country life!

P.S. Erika, I ate a bacon sandwich yesterday and thought of you.