Away the Lads

There was no reason to get up too early. It was wet and miserable and the forecast implied little change. We needed to get going but were not in any rush. We had some breakfast and I loaded the car. Then, just before 10:00, we set off towards Christchurch. 

The journey was slow, partly because of the weather, but mainly because of the roadworks along the M27. Nevertheless, we pulled into the car park at the hotel before 11:30. Our room was not ready - but we hadn't really expected it to be. We settled down in the lounge and had some coffee while watching the world spin by and the locals enjoy their morning get-together. There was a break in the rain, so I went to the car to get the luggage. As I walked out of the hotel, Jane and Trevor arrived. We all settled back down for some drinks and then some lunch.

Eventually, the rooms were available and we went up to our suite. We were surprised it has a spare bedroom, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a lounge dining room. It looks out over the River Stour and the Christchurch Marina. I must say, it is a splendid suite (even if the bed looks a bit small compared with ours).

Mid-afternoon the rain had almost stopped again, so we went out for a walk. We headed east along the river, passing an old mill and walking alongside a stream towards the town centre. We then looped back down towards the Priory.

I was surprised by the size of the Priory as we walked around the outside (we'll save the inside for another day). This photo had to be taken using the "panorama" setting on the camera to get the whole view).

When we arrived back at the hotel, the lounge was a bit noisy and busy so we invited Jane and Trevor up to our room for a cup of tea. It was the ideal end to the afternoon as it was quiet and relaxed.

We plan to meet up for a drink before dinner.