On Saturday, Claire, Barb and Darcey went into Henley while Bill stayed home and mowed the grass. This was Claire's first time driving the car without Bill being with her (YES!). They went to the Rowing Museum which is also the Wind in the Willows Museum (Kenneth Grahame lived near here and loved the riverbanks and wild creatures of the Thames Valley, which provided much of the inspiration for the book). We enjoyed revisiting a beloved childhood story and seeing exhibits about the history of rowing and boating on the Thames. Henley is gearing up for the annual Royal Regatta, which will take place next week.
Our next door neighbors, Rob and Margaret, invited us all to a barbecue at their house. We went there at six, and had such a good time it was almost 10:30 when we broke up. Rob is a South African transplant and they shared photos and stories about their travels in the African wilderness. Shortly after they were married (about ten years ago) they and Rob's two grown sons drove and camped from Cape Town up through Botswana and Namibia--completely on their own, without a guide. Margaret is an outstanding photographer and her pictures of the African landscape and wildlife were breathtaking. This was the first time we actually had the chance to socialize with the locals, and it made us feel very much at home in the neighborhood.
On Sunday, we drove to Turville for lunch at The Bull & Butcher (see our post for May 13). After eating, we did a hike with a steep climb to a windmill; fantastic views of the village and countryside. The town and church are the setting for one of Darcey's favorite TV shows (The Vicar of Dibley), so she was thrilled to see it "in person." We then drove home through the picturesque countryside and had dinner at home for the first time since out guests arrived.
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