Stowe Gardens

Yesterday was my first free weekday since reducing my working hours. M and I have decided that whenever possible we are going to make Thursday a day for getting outside, walking and exploring. I suggested we join the National Trust so that we could take advantage of some of their beautiful properties both locally and when we are on holiday, so yesterday we headed off to Stowe near Buckingham. The house itself if a very expensive public (US translation: private) boarding school so not open to the public, but the spectacular 18th century gardens designed by Capability Brown for Lord Cobham, complete with a variety of classically inspired follies, are.

The weather forecast said that it would rain in the morning then clear by midday and be sunny in the afternoon. At midday when we arrived at Stowe it was still like this. 

We waited for a lull in the rain and made a run for the cafe. Our rather shaky faith in the weather forecast was rewarded, and by the time we had eaten lunch (pumpkin and tomato risotto for me, beef stew for M) the rain had stopped and there were patches of blue sky. There was also a lot of very chilly wind! We battled our way down the long entrance avenue, and by the time we arrived at the gardens the sun was out, the wind was lessening and it looked like this:

And from then on it was beautiful.

Muddy, but beautiful.