Ullenwood to Painswick

The walk from Ullenwood to Painswick was tougher than I thought it would be--about fourteen miles through almost endless mud. Wendy passed on this section; she spent a good part of the day in the Rococo Gardens and then watching Andy Murray lose at Wombeldon--sad for the Brits.

Heading out on the way, were some serious signs:





Forget the people watch around these parts. There is a race track at Cheltenham (close by) and many expensive steeds in the pastures. They are really elegant. Couldn't get close enough for any shots, though.






People wonder, but usually do not ask, "Where do you, uhhh, pee, whilst walking?" Behind that little cluster of shrubbery, is one example, and fast:






Cows are irresistible, because they don't move when you take their picture:






It was another grey day. See what I mean?




And like yesterday, it was a delight to come upon a patch of colour:





Almost all of the walk was through woods, which looked pretty much the same only the names changed. It was either a muddy path in the sun, which did come out a couple of times:




or a muddy path in the rain:





Slogging through all that mud is exhausting. It really is. Maybe that is because it makes your boots heavy, or maybe because you are working so hard to keep your footing, or both. Oh, and there were a couple of getting lost—but not too lost—experiences, which didn't help any.

These little guys aren't going to get very far on The Way, but they are trying to hitch a ride anyway:






Make your way through THAT, my friends:






Relieving that woods is always a golf course:





At the end of the day, I stopped in to see the Rococo Gardens, too. There were several odd sturctures:




Triangular patches of gardens:




this great, old, red house:






wherein was a window with this etched into the glass:






You are thinking, "Who cares?" Why I do! It is from Song of Songs! (Flowers have appeared in our land; the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land—works better in Hebrew, but I was all excited to realize what it was.)

There were lots of surprises in the garden, such as this birds nest fern peeping through that stone opening:






and a maze, which was no attraction for the likes of moi:







Now, who is this!




The garden actually did have some flowers:






But this satyr was the cutest thing there:






Painswick boasts a grand church, in the grounds around which are ninety-nine yew trees, some rather oddly shaped. They are fantastic! Someone told Wendy that they have tried many times to plant the hundredth, but it always dies.






The church (cut off), but it gives some context"





The yews are even better in real life. Most things are!








Posted using BlogPress from my iPad