On the way to Evensong...

Winchester Cathedral

Rattled my way by train down through Wiltshire and Hampshire to the historic city of Winchester. After checking in to my hotel, a former Bishop's residence dating back to Tudor times, went for a wander around the monthly farmers market, the largest in the UK, where I bought watercress burgers, which I then hung out of my bedroom window overnight to keep cool! The timing of the market was a lucky coincidence, as was the running of the Winchester Half Marathon, though I was happy just to watch and cheer on the spectators!

Next stop was the City Mill, an 18th century flour mill restored by the National Trust, where the waterwheel was in action and flour was being milled. Tempting as it was to stop for an ice cream in the park on a warm sunny afternoon, there wasn't time as I really wanted to attend Evensong in the cathedral, and I was lucky enough to get a seat right behind the cathedral choir in the exquisite early 14th-century oak choir stalls, where the priory monks once sang their daily offices. The service was lovely, the choir's singing enchanting and all in such wonderful, historic surroundings.

After all that activity, it was back to the hotel for a rest before heading out for pizza in a 16th century building, there's history everywhere you look here!

(A backblip for yesterday as was too zonked last night, now catching up on things on my way home again on the train. Hope to catch up with your journals very soon...)