Beautiful beginning to 2010...

Having persuaded GG that it was a good idea on the first day of the year to walk off some of the chocolate/pudding/trifle/alcohol we had all consumed way too much of and finding it hard to stay indoors when the sun was shining and outside everything was looking like the top of a Christmas cake..... we crossed the little bridge leading to the canal, and were given the most amazing gift....


A single, beautiful perfect white swan swam along the brook to greet us....
After crossing the little swing bridge which leads to the path alongside the canal, we were so surprised to see the canal completely iced over and with a layer of freshly fallen snow covering it...we knew it was cold, but not THAT cold.....

The original plan was to walk briskly to the bridge and back - however, just beyond the bridge is the Barge Inn & a very welcoming sight on a freezing day it is too! Yes, you guessed - the attraction of the blazing fires and a glass of steaming mulled wine proved just too tempting.....after a couple of glasses of the spicy and delicious brew and a plate of something very unhealthy to mop up the alcohol, we all walked back home....in the dark..........s