Longwick

Best night's sleep last night since we can't remember when. This morning we were awoken by the early leavers, but we didn't mind we were keen to breakfast so we could walk down to the river Thames before we left. Quite soon the site became busy with activity as many other people began to pack up to leave. But readers can you answer this question for us. why would you drive 150 metres to the facilities block to collect your bowl of washing up? There's nowt so strange as folk. These particular folks also had a pair of pink and yellow rubber gloves attached to either side of the front of their caravan, anyone know why?

Walking down to the river through fields of wild flowers and grasses thirsty with the heat and bees feasting on the abundance of pollen, we were reminded of our childhood when summer always seemed to be dry and hot, and many enjoyable hours were spent outside playing with our friends, climbing trees and building dens. When you knew what time to return home for lunch without having a watch to check the time. Oh, how we wish we could return to the halcyon days of our youth when life was simple. 

We have stayed at the Oxford campsite a few times but never walked to the Thames.

On the river two boats of eights (octuple sculls) sliced through the green water sending ducks and geese paddling to safer waters. Walkers and bicycles competed for space on the towpath. John always one to check if the height of someone's bicycle saddle is correct spotted a man whose knees almost hit his chin as he pedalled, what he failed to miss was his shorts were too low as well. Come on man, sort yourself it's Sunday morning for goodness' sake. Bike racks, let's not go there!

At Iffley lock where we left the river, we could hear the birds fretting in the bushes, protective of their young, the swallows from the nests under the nearby road bridge played tag overhead. 

Home now, the sun casting shadows across our newly mown lawn, we are ready to begin a new week. Just nineteen days to moving day. Panic! 

 Oxford

Today is our 22nd wedding anniversary. We know three's a crowd but we're going to let Marge celebrate with us. At the end of this month, we will be moving to Dorset. Since coming back from our trip to Cornwall we have spent many hours sorting, packing and scratching our heads over how much we can take with us as we are downsizing. Weary and confused, we decided before we left the area to visit a few of the places we frequent regularly. So, on this special day we decided a night at the Oxford campsite in Marge would recharge us.

This time two years ago we were in Italy, eating antipasti and octopus whilst enjoying a spectacular view from a cliff top restaurant on the Adriatic. But we're not complaining. 

Arriving at lunchtime, Marge decided to play up, immobilising herself. Don't start throwing a sicky Marge, enough is enough. But after a while she fired up and we sited her under the trees at the rear of the site. The facilities are open, but Angela desperate, nipped into Marge's bathroom only to find herself caught in a state of undress as John opened the rear doors of the van. Hi everyone, the Hamptons have arrived!

The weather warm with a sky so blue it hurt our eyes we donned padded shorts and set off along a cycle route towards the city centre and the dreaming spires. It is the end of the schools May half term holiday and those families who weren't caught in traffic frustrated bored and overheating had all decided to descend on Oxford, we'd never seen it so busy. At Magdalen bridge in the shadow of the Magdalen Tower we lent over the stone structure built in 1790 to observe the antics of the punters.

The men full of bravado and armed with a quant pole coupled with women fuelled by prosecco provided us with a comical spectacle. Seeking somewhere cool to escape the heat of the afternoon we cycled through the university parks to a wooded area by the boat rollers at Mesopotamia where the upper and lower levels of the river Cherwell meet. We have canoed here a few times and recalled those happy days. Soon we would be creating new memories in a new home, both exciting and a little scary. 

This evening not being able to source octopus in the local Tesco we celebrated with antipasti, olives, rib eye steaks strawberries and mint chocolates. And as a milky light crept across the evening sky, we looked forward to the journeys and adventures that lay before us.