Wednesday 13/10/2010
This morning we roamed around Edenbridge (village about 7 miles away) Went to visit the Church of St Lawrence (catholic) and spoke to a couple of ladies who had just attended Mass and they invited us in to join them for morning tea. Lovely group and we spent about 1/2-3/4 hour there, met the priest and had a cuppa and cake. Mike was thrilled because there was a homemade bread pudding/cake. Bought some sandwiches from Tesco - very good and cheap (£1.75) with lots of filling a good brown bread. In the afternoon we visited Hever Castle and gardens (only a mile up the road) and spent about 3 hours there. Beautiful interior with lots of carving and marquetry.  The gardens were equally good even though it is autumn.  When we arrived a week ago the place (general countryside) was much greener than we expected. We noticed yesterday that the yellow of autumn is beginning to show. We bought a pizza for dinner and took it back to our room. The chef from the take away realised we were Australian and said he had spent about 3 1/2 years in Sydney and told us of a place to visit at La Spezia in Italy because it is where his mother was married.

Thursday 14/10/2010
Off th Hastings today. We walked along the foreshore to the Old Town and then up and down streets here. Had fish and chips on The Stade (foreshore area). Saw the net sheds where the fishermen hang their nets to dry. Drove to Rye where we walked around there for about 2 hours.  There are so many interesting things to see.  Left there about 16:50 and stopped in at The King Henry VIII Pub at 18:10 for dinner of Roast pumpkin and Stilton Risotto. (the chef is going to email me the recipe), washed down with a couple of Winstable Bay beers.

Friday 15/10/2010
Into Edenbridge to get my £20 back for a phone card I purchased on Wednesday and found I can not use in Europe (useless). We drove around many, many little very narrow roads in the area of Edenbridge and Hever Country Club, back to base for a sandwich (Tescos) and then to East Grinstead for a stroll around. This place has the longest row of timber houses in the country and also has a shop with cork panel front which is the oldest in the country also. This information was provided by the man in the bookshop which we visited (his shop has the cork). Home via Lingfield and to the Henry VIII again for dinner - Mike had Lamb Shank in Red Wine which he said was very good and I had Slow Roasted Pork Belly (to die for). We washed these down with a Grant Burge 2008 Merlot.  The desserts looked soo good we could not resist. We shared a Summer Fruits pudding with custard and a Waffle with Movenvick Walnut and choc chip icecream.

Saturday 16/10/2010
We have had breakfast and are about to finish packing to head into London for the night before we catch the Eurostar tomorrow. We are meeting Lauren (neice for those who don't know) for dinner in London and are looking forward to that as I know she also is.