The Magical Forest (of Dean)

We decided to make the most of a day off, and headed for Puzzlewood before noon. The rain held off, and there was barely another soul in the wood, making for a magical afternoon. It's easy to see how Tolkien was inspired; the range of vegetation and colour is truly surreal.

Having worked up an appetite, it was time for the second half of our plan: high tea at Aunt Martha's Victorian Tea Rooms in Drybrook. Tea had it on good authority that they offered an authentic Victorian experience -- and were a hoot to boot. Well, they're that and more. Nadine and "Old Ned" were so hospitable and entertaining: four hours simply flew by; we didn't even realise (and they certainly never hinted at) how long passed closing we'd kept them, chatting and touring their gardens.

But, for me, it was the sentiments echoed by a previous celiac customer -- relayed by Nadine, as we sampled tasty scones and "just tea" -- that stick with me now: I felt normal, eating there. Nadine herself has suffered from gluten and lactose intolerance in the past, and decided early on that she wanted to be able to enjoy all the treats on offer in her tea room. Both Mom and Tea raved about these savoury and sweet treats, and eventually I shed my trepidation, then diving in with gusto. It was a bit like a dream, to be honest, such was this sense of coming home, eating food I hadn't had much of, or enjoyed with such carefree abandon, since childhood.

We got chatting to some caravanners there who recommended Symonds Yat Rock and its impressive vistas, and so decided to push our luck with the grey clouds and waning daylight. That view of the River Wye really is amazing, and we spent a good hour gazing about, hoping to catch a glimpse of the peregrines that nest nearby. We did hear a number of birds of prey, and saw what I believe was a buzzard fly very close by; pretty good, considering the peregrine hunting season is finished now.

As the wind picked up, we decided a pub was in order. Tea's CAMRA Good Beer Guide application had a number of suggestions off the drive home. At random, we picked the Red Hart Inn in Blaisdon, and, oh my goodness, what a find! They do have a nice selection on the handpumps, but it's the atmosphere and the food that really set this place apart: the staff are uncommonly friendly, from the owner right down to the folks bussing the tables. Mom has to stick to a fairly strict diet, which they accommodated with ease. Tea and I had the pork belly, which had been slow roasting all afternoon; simply amazing. And they served it with blood pudding -- the first time I'd had it outside breakfast -- which was some of the best I've had, truth be told.

If you're getting the impression that it was a stellar day, my job is done. It really did exceed all expectations, and now sets the bar very high for days out in Gloucestershire.

The Forest of Dean: the Sculpture Trail

We started Sunday in style with chocolates from Black Peter – yup, he managed to find Tea's shoes all the way across the pond – and pancakes made with Aunt Jemima's mix – Thanks, Michelle! Unfortunately we discovered that the washer wasn't working, but when I suggested that we might hit a laundromat, Tea snorted and began bandying about day-trip ideas. Given the nice day over our heads – have I mentioned how much I love our windowed 'conservatory' lately? ;-) – we quickly settled on the Sculpture Trail in the Forest of Dean.

The Forest of Dean is just a short half-hour drive from us, through some truly picturesque countryside. The small town of Cinderford, in particular, just calls you to pull over and explore (which we did on the way back – but I'm getting ahead of myself, as usual). The information centre sells a nice map of the Sculpture Trail with pictures and descriptions for £1, so we picked up one – as three excited dogs competed for our attention (we love this dog culture) – and hit the trail!

The first sculpture is tough to miss – I think they want to get your confidence up: the chair is enormous, with a fantastic view of the surrounding forest. Any worries that I had about the trail being hokey were quickly dispelled by the second sculpture: Dead Wood really spoke to me; while it wasn't cold, the stark stumps and blanket of pale needles reminded me of those horrific scenes from the Battle of the Bulge in Band of Brothers.

It started to rain partway through, but seasoned as we are now to English weather, we simply pulled our raincoats out of the backpack and continued on; with proper gear, you don't even notice it. Some of our favourite sculptures were the House, Raw – this block looked like something out of a horror flick; I was happy that the sunset was still many hours off, even though I had a flashlight – Echo, and Hanging Fire (see my Best of December 2009 album for pictures of them); but we both agreed that the Cathedral was the most impressive by a good margin; particularly the way the light hit it at that hour of the afternoon. It was truly breath-taking!

On the way home, we decided to stop at the White Hart Inn in Cinderford for a pick-me-up. This was a whim – yes, I do leave the house without the Good Beer Guide on occasion! – but as soon as we stepped inside the cozy front room, we knew we had a winner. The bartender got up from the table of folks she'd been chatting with and served me a pint of Butcombe Bitter and Tea... well, some tea. :-) We sat back by the fireplace beside the other full table, and at one point Tea and I shared a look and laughed out loud: I don't know where they were from, but we both felt we could've been in any Mom 'n' Pop shop in Newfoundland. It was great!

Once home, we decided to clean up and walk over to Zizzi's for a bit of a treat; an Italian restaurant inside a converted church, the atmosphere can't be beat – well, maybe by their delicious breads and pastas. A tasty end to the weekend!