Sun + Sleep = Nerve

Monday, June 18th, 2012

Sun + Sleep = Nerve

Yesterday I finally went for a drive.  Being rested and with Mother Nature blessing me with a sunny day I left the hotel with guide books in hand and went first to a small town that I have been to before, Stoney Stratford.  

This town is believed to have been around since the Roman occupation and was at a major river crossing along one of the two routes north out of Londinium. They have found Roman coins along the bank of the river leading to speculation that their may have been a fort at this juncture. Later say in the 14 to 1600's this route was called the London Road which ran between London and Cheshire.  Stoney was about a days ride out of London and being situated at the bank of the first major river crossing, travelers stopped and stayed the night. They also often had to wait for the muck and mire to firm up before they could continue their travels.  During this time Stoney boasted about 30 Coach Inns; two of which were the Cock and the Bull.  While waiting to continue on their journey, these travelers would sit and pass the time in the Inn’s pub swapping travelers stories; stories that often stretched the truth and were labeled as typical “Cock and Bull" stories.  Ah, my kind of history.  For Shakespeareans, the town is where Young King Edward was nabbed by “Richard the III” and carted off to the tower of London.    

After Stoney I took a big gulp and opted to try my luck on traveling the local roads.  I picked a place (as close as I could find) recommended by one of my guidebooks called Stowe Gardens.  This isn't a flowery kind of garden but 400 acres of Landscape Gardens.  It consists of some bits of architecture nestled into gentle rolling hills, then throw in a few ponds, gurgling cascades, a grotto and some tree groves.  Toss in a big dose of quirkiness and that describes Stowe.  if there was a theme to the structures, I couldn’t figure it out but it made for a very pleasant afternoon in the sun.  

      
The Grotto The Queens Temple, I think

Each structure has a stone tablet set into the ground in front of it with its name.  They have names like “Temple of British Worthies” and "Palladian Bridge”.  The following, though, is my favorite

:              
Yep, I believe that is what it is.  

So to top off my day, I then drove all the way back to the hotel and didn’t miss a turn until I got to the HUGE roundabout by my hotel.  There I messed up and entered the limited access highway instead of the road to the hotel.  I believe the fates were reminding me to not get cocky.  

Later