barefootcontessa

you need to get your picture in front of the acropolis now, don’t you? and i think it is important to get a perspective and feeling on a non-Roman ancient European culture. A lot of tourists but it has to be done.

I spent a wonderful August bank holiday camping weekend here a couple of years ago with one of my best friends… wandering around the bookstores on a search for Mary Stewart (and other) books, meandering through the little print galleries, eating fabulously healthy food, dining at the bottom of the garden of one of the town’s lovely restaurants, kayaking down the Wye River (and falling in!), and walking walking walking through the gorgeous fields. Well worth the visit, whether or not the festival is on. There are a tonne of things to do if you love books, nature and good food!

I’m sure plenty of people have… It was the wonderful 1980s TV mini series which was shown at my Aussie primary school during rainy lunches which led me down this path… I remember the boys squirming with boredom, itching to be outside running around like the little terrors they were, or swinging a cricket bat, whilst the girls sat quietly, enthralled with the turn of the century period clothing, rather large round hair and the rather lurvely Gilbert Blyth (Jonathan Crombie was the actor I believe). The mini series led me to discover the wonderful stories of LM Montgomery – so much more satisfying that the Sweet Valley High stories also in vogue in the 80s (although I have to confess I did enjoy chatting over the wheres and whyfores of the Wakefield twins with friends!)