A day out

A quiet start to the day. Gorse Fox took the Silver Vixen along to the Three Counties Showground near Malvern. She wasn't on show, just attending a Quilt Show. Arranging a pick-up time he headed onwards.

He started at the Car Park at Tank Quarry - where he found no spaces to park (and he hadn't got sufficient change for the Pay & Display anyway). He carried on round the hills, but again could not find a car park with sufficient space - this was not a major disappointment as the rain was thrashing down and GF didn't fancy getting soaked.

Where next?

He headed back towards Malvern and stopped at some shops to await a break in the rain. There was little to catch the eye - and GF was having trouble getting his magic keyboard to connect with his phone. In frustration he gave up and stuffed the gadget in the glove box and headed down towards Tewkesbury. He's been there many times, but never had the chance to look around the Abbey.

He waited in the car park for the rain to clear again and then made his way to the entrance (he dutifully got a photographic license) and started to roam back and forth as different marvels caught his eye - stained glass, statuary, carvings, the scale of the building, the thickness of the pillars... and so forth. It was a charming Abbey - quite intimate in its size and set well in its landscape. From there he spent some time strolling around the town and down by the river before heading back to the hotel for a while.

The Gorse Fox went back to collect the Silver Vixen and bring her back to Tewkesbury... and head out to dinner.

Dinner was trip down memory lane for GF. He had booked a table at "Aubergine" where he used to eat frequently a couple of years ago. It was everything he remembered. The menu, though not extensive, is well balanced and gives a good choice. The surroundings are quaint, and the staff are just superb. Well informed, cheerful, polite, and very amusing. The food was excellent. A starter of Portobello mushrooms with stilton was followed by a tagine of lamb with couscous and all this washed down with a fine wine. A blackcurrant sorbet finally cleared the palette. GF has eaten at many restaurants over the years but few are as much pleasure as Aubergine. (If you are ever in Tewkesbury or nearby, do drop in and enjoy a great meal).