Last night we carefully perused the weather forecast for several locations and decided on going through with our original plan. Today is dicey for weather, tomorrow rain is solidly predicted and we wanted to see the Rococo Gardens in Painswick while we were here. Gardens are unavoidably an outdoor activity, so today was our best bet. And I'd say the weather was as stormy as it could be without rain. At some points in the morning we had a bit of blowing mist (it was insubstantial enough I'm not sure it should be classified as rain), and it was raining for our drive out, but while we were there it was mostly just threats and whipping wind.
The gardens themselves are quite nice. The buildings are perhaps the most notable part, strewn as they are about the property, very often providing a place to sit out of the rain. They're a bit ostentatious and ornate for the purpose, kind of joyfully frivolous. And doesn't that just characterize Rococo for you? The ponds were also particularly nice, and I sat by one for a good long time sketching and trying to keep my fingers from going numb in the cold. It had lily pads and I was immediately reminded of Monet's paintings I've so recently seen. Monet doesn't sharply define his lily pads and it's no wonder - from most angles they really just look like some strange distortion on the water, catching light and shadow and making you want to grab a boat and paddle out for closer inspection. We also managed a maze, which was loads of fun.
Our set plans ended there, but we decided to find a place to park to see if we could find any public footpaths to wander. We'd past plenty with all the driving, it was just a matter of spotting one with parking nearby, or spotting parking with a footpath nearby. The roads get pretty crazy here - "single track roads" (which is one lane for 2 way traffic) abound. And you can bet they don't go through open fields where you can see whats coming. Rather, they are windy with sharp corners and banked with high hedges, trees or stone walls. When the road is wider, it's pretty fun. It took us a while but we ended up walking along canal and then up a hill for a view in a narrow hilly valley. It was pretty, but I could have done without the stinging nettle.
Tomorrow is our last day with the car and we're not sure what we'll do yet. More walking? It seems likely.
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