Paul:
Breakfast is at a communal table: 10 adults. Amanda and I are a novelty coming from London. The Americans main topics of chat are: the Cotswolds, Dover Castle, burning priests and 9/11. The 9/11 chat was sparked off by the recent Boston marathon bombing but the breakfast folk all knew where they were on 9/11 and what they were doing.
Today is the wine tour with Dan Wood from Terrific Wine tours. Just four of us: Don and Mary Ann from Seattle making up the party. I drink wine all day, about 40 different sorts in total, mostly in the sunshine rather than in the shade.
Dan the driver has a ZZ Top beard and is really into army stuff, military toys and his four acre farm of chickens. He also loves the local wines and we visit four vineyards; each is different in its own way. The wackiest is Kaz who grows organic vines using boiled vinegar to kill bugs and hawks to kill birds. He'd like a predator to kill raccoons. He lived in Guildford for 6 months arranging photo shots for British Leyland cars and now he's here. The skeleton hanging from the ceiling is his old dad. The most generous vineyard is Naked Wine. Suzanne, originally from Norwich, takes us on a short tour before releasing 30 wines, red and white, to us. She joins in after the 12th glass. Their outfit provides investment to young growers who don't have the means or land to make wine themselves. For £20.00 a month a can join the club and get cheap wines. We'll think about it.
We've drank: Zins, Cabs, Pinots, Sauv Blancs, Rausannes, Chards and Port wines: fantastic...
The conversation veers between where to get good BBQ pulled pork and Boeing's approach to military research during the 1960's to the present day. Don has worked for Boeing for 33 years and he and Mary Ann spent most of their lives on airbases. Dan was in the military posted to Cobra helicopters. It turns out that Dan's wife, Bridget, works in a pulled pork restaurant and we'll go tomorrow. We're to surprise her without mentioning we know Dan. Tonight we go to the Mexican restaurant at Kaz's recommendation. We should eat, 'Carnetus', he says.
Back from the Mexican. It was a disappointment mostly because the waitress spoke so little English that drinks arrived that weren't ordered and our starters just didn't arrive. The grateful smile never left her face whether she brought the right things or not. Amanda and I eventually made bets as to what would arrive at our table.
Amanda:
Considering that I really don't like to drink during the day, I seem to have done quite well today. The number of wines was literally and figuratively dizzying. It was an interesting day with beautiful scenery in the sunshine. The other couple on the trip were from Seattle and the man sounded just like George Clooney; he didn't look like him though. And he didn't stop talking! Incessant chatter - we had to wait for him to finish his lunch which he was prevented from doing by never shutting up! The boys had a detailed conversation about helicopters and Mrs Clooney and I rolled our eyes at one another. We come away from the day with 4 bottles of wine and a half bottle of rose port, all of which we need to consume before our return to blighty.
We go to a recommended Mexican for dinner: I think the kindest thing to say about it was that it was indifferent. They forgot our starter and brought me the wrong drink (twice). The food was lack-lustre and we are in and out within 45 minutes. We walk around the square but the temperature drops dramatically in the evening and it's not wandering weather; we try not to laugh as three 13 year old girls go past with one saying to the other "You shouldn't say 'whoah' too often: it's offensive". Tomorrow we move on to Lake Tahoe - a step closer to being reunited with my straighteners and big brush.
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