Winchester

What is Love

I have always said love should be instant and effortless. When you find that person there is no struggle, no drama, you get to be you and your love story but I think I was wrong about the instant part. Over the years I see that true love is about continuing to lift each other up, it is about inspiring each other to be better than you thought you could be. The kind of love where you would risk everything to see that person achieve their dreams because that is how much you believe in them, the kind of love that makes you feel whole. I like the part when taking risks is easier when you have someone by your side, who pushes you to be better than you thought you could be.

I had a conversation with myself, I tend to do that often of late, broccoli in the microwave for 6 minutes or 7. I would like to say we settled for 6 and a half but went for 8, crazy. Talking of crazy, I saw this the other day in one of those Netflix marketing emails. Graham Dong-Wilcock - Financial Controller for a movie called Love Again. The feathered variety did not initially come to mind, is it just my dirty mind?

Winchester 

Susan and I decided to visit Winchester, only an hour away and we had never been there. We have just comeback from a trip to Bruges, 8 hours away and one tends to forget there are beautiful places to visit on your doorstep. So Winchester it was. Winchester is famous for its grand cathedral, but not many of us know that Winchester is England’s ancient capital and former seat of King Alfred the Great. 

The Winchester City Mill, then King Alfred the Great and finally a statue of an Australian Man

First stop, tourist information. There we were greeted by Jane, that is what her name tag said pinned to her left breast. What a welcome, back to reality, Susan was able to get a map and a suggestion on a walk that would take us through the highlights of Winchester. I was dragged away to be forced to walk a route that seemed like a million miles to accomplish. 

Everyone, take note, always stop at a tourist information centre before bumbling away on your own, these people do this for a living and know what they are doing. Pity I did not have time to chat about all the off-the-beaten-path places to visit. 

Winchester City Mill

Our first stop after getting the map from the tourist information office was Winchester City Mill, which allows dogs on the ground floor and has an excellent video, showing the mill and all its workings over the years. I went up to the gallery floor (No dogs allowed) and was not that impressed, just some old paintings and old collections of tools and parts used in the by gone days. 

Just a few facts:

The mill has stood at the heart of the historic city of Winchester, since the Saxon times. With a history of over 1000 years, Winchester City Mill is one of the oldest watermills in the UK. Worth a visit and it is free, surprisingly as it is run by the National Trust.

From there we walked along the River Itchen and around the medieval city walls which once enclosed the Bishops Castle and Wolvesey Castle.

Wolvesey Castle

Next was an inviting narrow pathway to the ruins of Wolvesey Castle. Just ruins but very old, but is a good place to take a few more photos. 

Just a few facts relating to a certain Matilda that we have all grown to know, I was going to say love, but maybe a step too far for our shy lady from Oz. I think she is still a little upset with King Stephen. I have added a summary of what happened to the castle and why it is now a ruin.

During the civil war of King Stephen’s reign, when both Stephen and Empress Matilda claimed the English throne, Bishop Henry was naturally at the heart of events.

In 1141, King Stephen was captured by Matilda’s forces. Henry deserted his brother, welcoming the empress to Winchester and preparing to consecrate her as queen. He was soon alienated by her attitude, however, and returned to his brother’s cause.

With the help of Stephen’s other supporters, Henry laid siege to Winchester, with Matilda trapped inside. Accounts of the siege are confusing, but Wolvesey certainly played its part. At the height of the fighting, Bishop Henry’s defenders rained down fire on the town, destroying part of the city. The empress was defeated and Stephen was restored to the throne.

Possibly because of his insecure position in the years following the siege, Bishop Henry fortified his palace, erecting two large towers. This may have been an attempt to restore his reputation as a leading figure of authority, giving his palace the appearance of a strong castle.

We can only express our sympathy to Matilda, after all, she was an Empress wanting to be Queen of England, that Henry Wolvesey was a cad. I think we must note her official title in all correspondence, Empress Matilda of Winchester.

Jane Austen

Jane Austen Tomb

Susan was studying the history of the Cathedral and noted that Jane Austen was buried there. In 1817, Jane Austen moved to Winchester, she was quite ill and wanted to be near her doctor, Giles Lyford, a surgeon at the County Hospital. Jane and Cassandra moved into No. 8 College Street but died just seven weeks later at the age of 41. She was laid to rest in Winchester Cathedral. Not sure if that is a ringing endorsement of his skills as a doctor. 

Winchester Cathedral

Finally, we arrived at the Cathedral, stunning architecture and the detail was far beyond what is built now. We wandered around the grounds, we did not have much time as we had parked in short-stay parking and they only allowed you to park for an hour. Just a warning, finding parking in Winchester is a challenge, next time we go I think we will use the park-and-ride option. 

We were also in need of a snack and a coffee, at this stage we had walked over 6 km without a rest. We did pass many a busy coffee shop but as we were well over the hour allowed for our parking, we hastily returned to the car. 

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winchester Cathedral, is the cathedral of the city of Winchester, England, and is among the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Winchester and is the mother church for the ancient Diocese of Winchester. It is run by a dean and chapter, under the Dean of Winchester. 

I must admit the city is a good place to spend some time. A vibrant high street full of coffee shops, and retail establishments. It has an old and a new feel without the new being too glitzy. Russell, my brother from Tanzania would enjoy a stroll around the town and something to eat along the way, that is if he can get out of Tanzania!

Must get Robert to take Lauren there, she enjoys art and will love the quaint shops and the hassle and bustle of the high street. 

Ringwood

Due to the difficulty of finding alternative parking we decided to leave the friendly city of Winchester and head for the market town of Ringwood. Parking in Ringwood was a dream and without much trouble, we were seated at the Luna Cafe in the high street of Ringwood. Susan went for a cheese and tomato toasted sandwich with a decaf, oat milk and cappuccino. Throwing caution to the wind, I ordered a double expresso and a cheese and ham croissant, with coleslaw. Excellent choice for both of us and Jenson was able to get in a little rest.

Susan did manage to get a little retail therapy in and we walked around the Furlough Center after our coffees. Well-known brands there, Crew, The White Company, Sweaty Betty, Whistles, Joules, Phase Eight, Fat Face, Cafe Nero and Boston Tea Party to name just a few. As can be seen from the photo, Jenson was being really good or maybe he was just too weary to bother going in.

Sunset Hours - see image

I do enjoy the sun rising and setting at reasonable hours, not looking forward to the summer. This image below does make me a little sad, Sunset 10 pm in June?