Day 6 -- Our Day of Rest

After two days of traveling the English countryside and visiting aforementioned sites of interest, I was somewhat pooped. Perhaps it was that 3-5 mile Stratford walk that did me in. Anyway, we decided we'd take it easy on Monday. I had noticed that whenever HM drove me anywhere, she relied on her trusty SatNav to get us there without getting lost. I was supposed to take off on my own in a car the very next morning. If HM needed a navigation device to guide her through areas she'd lived around for years, who was I to wander the vast countryside with only a small map and not-so-clear road signs to guide me? Nope. Wasn't gonna happen. So she took me to a store where I bought the most simple, inexpensive NavMan I could find. Nothing too fancy, but good enough (hopefully) to keep me from getting lost. Third time I was glad I hadn't shopped at nor bought anything at Harrods.

She also kept telling me about these concrete cow statues that were designed and made by an American sculptor who was really taken with the Milton Keynes area. Funny thing was, HM didn't call them "cows;" she called them "koos." Which I found hilarious. She said that's how the Scottish pronounced the word. So of course the day had to include a visit to the koos, who frolicked in a local park.

 

I was raised on a farm and have attended many a state and county fair over the years, which included the showing of cows. Never have I seen cows like this, with a stripe straight down the middle! The following week when I rode a train up to Sheffield from London, I saw these same cows! Only they were real, and alive. My heartfelt apologies to the sculptor for ever doubting her.

 

Just some of the country beauty adjacent to the koos...

 

Along with a delicious and excellent lunch of tapas at a local restaurant, that completed our day. I knew that I'd be sad to leave Milton Keynes, koos, HM and Sir the next day, but now it'll be my turn to offer that same wonderful hospitality to them in the future. HM and Sir? The welcome mat is always out. Always.