Andrew's house, Chalford, en route for Sri Lanka

I set off for Sri Lanka on a mid-afternoon train from Stroud to Reading.  The light was dull with drizzle in the air.  I was excited to be on the road again, after so many years of not having travelled far.

I always look keenly out of the window when I take a train ride up the Golden Valley as it is so beautiful, no matter when it occurs.  I had brought my new camera rather than my big camera kit, so started to take a few snaps as we left Stroud station, knowing that the next six weeks would be filled with sights and sounds and smells and experiences galore.

I spotted our house high on the hillside above the Horns valley as the train pulled out of Stroud town and crossed the Capel's Mill railway viaduct.  As the train reached Chalford, about four miles from our house I looked out at the perched houses which face south across the valley. Then I spotted Andrew and Lenny's house down by the river and took this shot.  I now notice they have a new conservatory facing the river which  you can see just behind their blue garden shed. They have a wonderful spot to live in. At the bottom of their garden are two separate streams of the River Frome. Closest to the camera is the wider expanse of the Thames and Severn canal, which heads up the valley to disappear into the Sapperton tunnel about three miles away. The railway also goes into a mile long tunnel under the Cotswold hills at about the same point. It was good to see a connection with home as I headed on a  journey which would be all new.

On reaching Reading, I took the Rail-Air coach to Heathrow and after a couple of hours was in the air en route for Dubai in a massive Airbus A380. So different from my last long haul trips on 747s and a vast improvement, I might say.  Yay I am away, and will see Helena again in a few hours.  She left four days ago.