We are not far from Liverpool and the Beatles’ heartland. The Beatles (John Lennon) wrote Rain “about people who are always moaning about the weather all the time.” I like rain. The actual thing. And I also like the Beatles song. Each morning, when we poke our heads out of our B&B, the light mist and puddles that greet us seems perfectly lovely for a ride in the UK.
Hopton Castle in the county of Shropshire, built in the 1300s, is on the border of England and Wales.The castle (and all castles in these parts!) is surrounded by grazing animals completely unfazed by Hopton Castle’s (and presumably all castles’) medieval history and bloody English Civil War.
Castles and pubs. We have seen our fair share of both!
If you peer at this photo, you will see the name: The New Inn. We met this fellow in front of a the New Inn about to embark on a drizzly hike along the Welsh border along King Offa’s Dyke, built to protect the English from “the marauding Welsh” as he called them. I asked why it was called the new inn, since he had just told me it was likely built in the 1400s. He said, well, of course, there are older inns!! It also holds a pub. If it hadn’t been before noon, Jo and I would have liked to buy Kevin a brew and keep listening to his stories. He has centuries of them!
Rain is always followed by sun— even in the UK! Today we hollered the Beatles’ Here comes the Sun!
It was perfect weather for a lunchtime picnic before another climb!And our first farm-fresh ice cream! Even the cows perked up! These cows came right up to me to check out my cheddar cheese sandwich. Maybe it came from a friend of theirs?Now for the signs…It seems to me whatever your age, young or old, or in-between, and whatever you are, human, sheep, cow, horse, duck, or anything else, a simple sign that says DRIVE SLOWLY would say it best. Aargh! When I saw this I nearly ran over Cindy on her trike! Thank goodness, this sign doesn’t specify “elderly duck”. And we are still searching for the right turn!
I know so much more is happening than the narrative suggests, but the commentary and photos give enough to be both entertaining and feed the imagination. Thanks again Anne.
annedoylebiking 
I know so much more is happening than the narrative suggests, but the commentary and photos give enough to be both entertaining and feed the imagination. Thanks again Anne.