Meanwhile, in Winchester

What a great choice this turned out to be. Winchester is such a beautiful and historic town.

Much of Saturday night and Sunday morning is taken up with digesting the decisions by the Australian and UK governments, which mean we have to self-isolate whether we go or stay. Plan B of catching trains around Scotland now looks risky and everyone is starting to urge us to get home while we can. Once we decide to do that there is an hour-long battle with the Qantas website (which could win prizes for user-hostility). In fact it feels longer than that by the time we manage to book a flight. We then head out for a much overdue breakfast. The weather is cold with regular showers, but after a post-prandial rest we go to the Cathedral for Evensong - lovely music and a very sensible sermon for troubled times. After a walk up to WestGate and around that end of the city, we return to the hotel and collapse - after the stress of decision-making and replanning in the morning, we are too tired to even head out for a meal.

Monday is a lovely sunny day and we make the most of it with a visit to the City Mill, and a walk along the Itchen river to the Hockley Viaduct. On the way back I climb St Catherine's hill for the view, Peter waits for me at the foot. By the time we get back to town we feel we've earned a couple of beers at the Wykeham Arms, opposite 600+ year old Winchester College. We are now back in the hotel gathering strength to go out to dinner.

High density housing for crows

The Itchen

Hockley Viaduct