15 Oct. - Chertsey

 Image: Delightful decorative bricks on the front wall of a Chertsey home

Overnight the constant sound of nearby traffic diminished + the overhead flights to + from Heathrow seemed to cease, leaving only the gentle white noise of Chertsey Weir + salmon ladder.

After a walk into town for coffee, the morning was spent in readying the van + bags for tomorrow, with welcome warmth + patches of sunlight as the clouds slowly danced across the sky.

A simple lunch roll and then we strolled Thames-side through Dumsey Meadow + past the Ryepeck Meadow Moorings to a sun-bathed bench on Dockett Eddy Lane, with swans, ducks + geese gliding downstream with occasional dabbles for food. A motorboat idled to its spot outside an apartment building opposite.

Tonight, as a treat, we dine out at the Bridge Hotel beside the 200 year old Chertsey Bridge - log fires, comfy chairs, fine local ales + a mouth-watering menu!

Notes: We had successfully battled our way through four weeks in the appallingly designed and engineered Volkswagen 'Nomad' campervan. Its sole benefit over other 'camper' options was being still considered a 'car' for road access and parking purposes. We felt a celebratory 'night out' was well deserved!