This was a great day to take it easy. We met at 9:00 for a ride to Hidcote and Kiftsgate Court Gardens. Both gardens were spectacular; we wandered around each one. First was Hidcote where we wandered about for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then up the road to Kiftsgate Court Gardens. The gate was open so we walked down the road to the entrance to the gardens only to find that the gardens didn’t open for another half an hour. It was worth the wait with so many flowers in bloom.
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Back at the hotel, we got ready for our afternoon Champagne Tea. It took place at the hotel in a special room just for afternoon tea. We were seated on two sofas with a coffee table between us. The first course was Champagne. Then the tea delicacies were brought to the table. Finally, we got to choose the type of tea we wanted. It was two hours of talking, eating, and drinking tea.
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Being very full, we decided it was time to take a walk. Linda C., Victoria, Mary Ellen, and I went to find the bank. Linda H. and Sandy took off on their own. We walked along the street checking out a few of the stores. We turned into an alleyway that led to more stores and found this quaint little candy shop where I found the licorice I had been looking for in every place we visited. We turned down Kennel Lane in search of the hunting dogs Alan had told us about. There were so many dogs in the kennels, that I couldn’t count them all. We ended up in the cutest bookstore. Mary Ellen was in heaven. Linda and VIctoria headed back to the hotel while Mary Ellen and I continued to walk.
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We decided to head back to the hotel and as we walked through the courtyard, I saw the back gate to the property and wondered what was beyond it. It was a large dog park for those staying at the hotel and traveling with their dogs. The area was comprised of three different fields for the dog to run in each about the size of a block. The last area was like a maze made from low-cut hedges and areas for sitting. This was very cool.
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I began to work on the blog and realized I was hungry and needed something to eat. When we had gone through the gate earlier I realized that the grocery store was right out the back of the hotel. I bought a bag of mixed nuts and the best little tomatoes I have ever eaten.