A very British Sunday

I could tell yesterday was going to be a good day, even before I got out of bed.  There was a bright glint creeping in behind the closed curtains and the birds outside were chirping their happy little songs.

The morning was cool and clear and beams of sunlight were falling in just the right places, giving the landscape outside of the windows that magical warm weather feel. Adam and I had decided a few days earlier we’d go for a lovely long walk on Sunday, and it was like Mother Nature was rewarding us for our decision.

We left the house just after 10am.  We hadn’t decided where we’d go, our only goal was to make it into Great Malvern itself by 1pm to meet some friends for lunch at our favourite local pub.

One of my favourite things about Malvern is the fact the hills are so close to town. Within about five minutes of walking, we found ourselves climbing higher up the slope and getting deeper into woodland.  It’s like a little oasis on the hills – the traffic noise disappears, you can smell leaves, and catch glimpses of the Severn Valley.

We hit the Wyche Cutting and decided that instead of following the popular walking route right along the top of the hills, we’d stick to one of the dozens of paths that traverse the eastern side of the slope.  It meant we were able to trundle along in solitude for the most part and also get a glimpse of Hidden Lake – which is a pretty little pond in an old disused quarry.

At one point we stopped on a rocky outcrop and just sat in the sun for a good 10 minutes taking in the view and feeling pretty chuffed that this special place is where we call home. I even managed to discard my extra layers of clothing and was quite happy sitting in a thin cotton shirt.  Adam’s phone told us the temperature was 11 degrees – looks like I’ve finally acclimatised to the Northern Hemisphere!

Our second pitstop on the journey was the always charming St Ann’s Well Cafe, which we last visited in the Autumn. This time around we sat in the sun, with steaming mugs of tea, watching  walkers make their way up or down the hills.

We were slightly early to the pub but ravenous after our walk so started our lunch a little early in the beer garden with a pint (or half pint for me!) and a bag of pork scratchings.

Once everyone arrived we tucked into roast meat rolls, which came with a couple of roast potatoes and a ramekin of the most delicious gravy.  It must of taken a bit of trial of error, but the ramekins are filled with just the perfect amount of gravy for dunking. A few more drinks were consumed, silly stories were shared and plans were made for summer ahead.

We left the pub a little heavier, but definitely happy. We walked home – this time along the much flatter road route – and promptly fell into bed for a late afternoon nap.

It was one of those perfect Sundays.  The right amount of vigour and relaxation rolled into one.  To me, it also felt like a very British Sunday.  A rambling walk, followed by a big pub lunch. It’s a routine I think I could easily repeat regularly and a lovely way to start the week.  Happy Monday!