Buckinghamshire is certainly a beautiful part of England, also a very expensive area with large houses and trendy shops. And lots of upmarket restaurants housed in very old buildings. We were very impressed with the flower displays.
We loved this old market alley opposite an old market building. The shops were tiny, not for three very tall people though.
We decided against eating in the expensive pubs and restaurants, and as the sun was shining we opted for sandwiches. This lovely little garden in Beaconsfield (a short drive from Amersham) was a perfect place for a picnic.
We were fascinated by the huge number of cars parked on the streets in Amersham and Beaconsfield. In fact we had great difficulty finding a park in both places. Except for a few people in restaurants, there was hardly a person about. The trendy shops were certainly empty. Where were all the people? No doubt these are free carparks for all the people who catch trains into London.
We then travelled through country lanes, bordered by newly built mansions on very large sections. I wonder if the parked cars came from these houses? Then on to Chalfont St Giles, an idyllic village. The church was especially interesting as the walls were covered in religious frescos, painted before 1400. This was a common practice then but of course in most churches they were later plastered over and destroyed. Margaret and I sat in the sun for a while, and had a discussion about weddings and gravestones.
We stopped at a pub for some much needed refreshments.
In the village we found Milton's house where he lived for about 18 months during the 1600's. It was a beautifully restored house and contained pictures and old copies of Milton's work. Fascinating! Milton was a man ahead of his time, in his ideas of social justice and equality, and a leader in Cromwell's government. 'Paradise Lost' was written later in his life.
The house is Grade 1 listed, due to its historical value but the garden is Grade 2 listed as the Queen planted a camellia there, which modernised the garden. However it is still a very old garden and so tranquil. The hops on the old roses were the largest I have seen. A feast for the birds.
I could have sat here for the rest of the afternoon.
And we drove back home on the M25, without any traffic problems. This must be a record! A lovely day!
We loved this old market alley opposite an old market building. The shops were tiny, not for three very tall people though.
We decided against eating in the expensive pubs and restaurants, and as the sun was shining we opted for sandwiches. This lovely little garden in Beaconsfield (a short drive from Amersham) was a perfect place for a picnic.
We were fascinated by the huge number of cars parked on the streets in Amersham and Beaconsfield. In fact we had great difficulty finding a park in both places. Except for a few people in restaurants, there was hardly a person about. The trendy shops were certainly empty. Where were all the people? No doubt these are free carparks for all the people who catch trains into London.
We then travelled through country lanes, bordered by newly built mansions on very large sections. I wonder if the parked cars came from these houses? Then on to Chalfont St Giles, an idyllic village. The church was especially interesting as the walls were covered in religious frescos, painted before 1400. This was a common practice then but of course in most churches they were later plastered over and destroyed. Margaret and I sat in the sun for a while, and had a discussion about weddings and gravestones.
We stopped at a pub for some much needed refreshments.
In the village we found Milton's house where he lived for about 18 months during the 1600's. It was a beautifully restored house and contained pictures and old copies of Milton's work. Fascinating! Milton was a man ahead of his time, in his ideas of social justice and equality, and a leader in Cromwell's government. 'Paradise Lost' was written later in his life. 
The house is Grade 1 listed, due to its historical value but the garden is Grade 2 listed as the Queen planted a camellia there, which modernised the garden. However it is still a very old garden and so tranquil. The hops on the old roses were the largest I have seen. A feast for the birds.
I could have sat here for the rest of the afternoon.
And we drove back home on the M25, without any traffic problems. This must be a record! A lovely day!
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