Travels with a Blind Brown Bear 12th to 15th Jan Pt 1

This week starting on Monday the 12th January 2015, was the first time ever ever that I had trvelled with my peeps.

I was placed on the back seat of the car quite comfortably on a soft warm woolly hat and absolutely thrilled at feeling the motion of the car as we progressed from Ringwood in Hampshire to Ross-On-Wye in Herefordshire.

The peeps kept up a running commentary of the places we passed through.  Place names such as Fordingbridge which came very early.  Then Salisbury, Marlborough and Swindon.  We did not really pass through Swindon which was because of the fast road that goes around it and also I heard the peeps say that there really wasn't much there worth stopping for anyway.  Onwards around the outskirts of Gloucester and then finally Ross-On-Wye.

The three of us checked in.  I say 'three' but it was actually only the two peeps that checked in.  I was smuggled into the room positioned between a new diary devoted to notes on my travels and a washbag.  Not a very dignified way to get into a hotel but at least I was in.

After having lunch in the bar the peeps came back to the room and talked about the view across the Wye Valley and the meandering horseshoe bend the river has made in the valley below.  From the room we were in they described the view across to the Gazebo Tower across the street which was built in 1833 as a viewing point for the town's visitors.  Then beyond that across the town disappearing down a hill and the reappearing going up another hill.

This was my first hotel experience with my peeps and jolly good it was too.  I was kept warm and snug for the whole two nights we stayed there. The peeps when they were back in the room with me always commmented that although the hotel looked a bit tired, only ever so slightly, that was more than compensated for by the homely atmosphere, the welcoming and friendly staff and the the food which was excellent vaalue for money.  Even if the peep with the softer voice did get some tomato sauce from a dish of tagliatelli on a white top.  Lesson learnt; try to avoid eating pasta in red sauce when wearing a white top.

If they were asked if they would stay there again, they would answer with an emphatic 'Yes' and I would like to stay there again as well.

My log book of miles for the journey shows 117 miles.  It could have been 107 miles if it wasn't for the peep doing the driving taking what was thought to be a shortcut in Salisbury to avoid a traffic jam.