Day 24 – 30th August – Beaconsfield (pronounced- Beckonsfield)
This morning after a shower and breakfast I had my first taste of a coffee with vanilla syrup. Mmmmmmm it was very good. I was treated to a visit around their lovely garden then a while later, Hilary had found quite a lot of the older photos that had been originally in her parents home.
I started scanning them with the Photomyne app (which I couldn’t recommend more highly) when suddenly I see a picture of myself! Then another, then another. It is quite trippy not having ever met Hilary and John before (because I bollocksed up my communications) to find that they have several pictures of me and my family. I’ve been able now to scan all her photos of my dads side of the family and share with her sister Andrea who actually arrived around 11. Hilary was busy from one till three, teaching English to some people from the Ukraine, so after a bite to eat, John, Andrea and I took an 8km hike through the fields and woods close by.
After a coffee with Graeme—Andrea’s husband, who was resting up after hand surgery (Dupuytren’s syndrome, poor thing) and watching the Women’s Rugby World Cup—we all wound down for the evening. It had been one of those quietly special days: scanning old photos, spotting deer, walking through fields, and chatting with cousins who somehow had pictures of me from decades ago.
It’s funny how the trip keeps offering up these little surprises. I came for a visit and ended up finding pieces of my past tucked into someone else’s photo albums.
Returning to the house, we shared a nightcap and chatted. John kindly gave me maps for Porto and Lisbon after hearing about our next leg—such a thoughtful gesture. Graham and Andrea headed home via the M25, as we said our farewells. 12,905 steps. A day to remember!
Lady Boomer 