My honey did all the planning (which I love), I picked up a healthy picnic lunch from Marks & Spencer that included mini thai wraps and low-fat hummus with carrots. (Trying to balance out our meals between cheese, bread and wine)
We packed our backpacks with a picnic, some cider, our cameras and iPhones, threw some chairs in the boot (yes, I said "boot") and headed for the The New Forest with Harold our bulldog mix in the backseat. The New Forest is just 10 miles or so from our house, so we figured we'd be there in no time! Little did we know...
Our first stop was Lyndhurst to the official visitor's center. Apparently, this is a popular little town because it took us at least an hour to get to the visitors center. We were so frustrated, that we almost gave up. But we eventually made it there and Harold and I waited in the car while Alex went in. He and I decided to share some carrot sticks and hummus. Harold likes hummus!
We then headed to Lepe Country Park. We were able to make it there in about 20 minutes. Lesson learned...next time skip Lyndhurst! It's probably a great little town, but we really wanted to explore the countryside instead.
On the way to Lepe, we were amazed to see horses and ponies roaming freely amongst the countryside. We had to stop once to allow for a pony in the road.
We pulled over along the way to take some pictures and let Harold check the horses out. He didn't like them very much. This is a picture of Harold and I hiding from the horses. Neither of us looks very happy, do we? I'm upset because I broke my favorite sunglasses on a business trip the week before and had to wear my old Chanels...they are just not "me" anymore. Harold is totally freaked by the giant horse that decided he wanted to stand in the exact spot Harold and I were standing. (ok...I was a little freaked about that too)
By the time we got to the beach we were all ready for some fresh air and a picnic. The beach had little to no sand on it and it was cold, but it really hit the spot.
Harold and I searching for sea glass...
Harold looking cute...
Harold asking for just one Thai chicken wrap.
Pretty greenery next to the beach.
Alex washing her hands in the sea after lunch.
Our view during lunch...lovely.
Horses in a field just behind the beach.
More horses in the field.
All told, it was an incredible day. The salt air is so healing for me and I felt content on the car ride home and looked forward to a meal that I had been planning on cooking all week. I forgot to mention that I started marinating some chicken to be prepared when we got home.
Links to dinner recipes:
Chicken thighs with miso and ginger - YUMMY! (PS, you can get away with marinating the chicken for less than 24 hours)
Asian Cucumber Salad - Delicious! (We cut the sugar by about half and added extra cucumbers and sesame oil)
I'm looking forward to many more days like this one while we're here in England!
