Ladygrove Lakes

At the end of March some Covid restrictions were finally eased, meaning it's now possible to visit family and friends, provided that you meet outside.

My parents and I took advantage of the new rules to pay an Easter visit to my sister and her husband, who live in the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire. We had tea and biscuits in their garden, which was really nice (even though it was very cold!). And then afterwards, we walked to a nearby area of nature: Ladygrove Lakes.

The area consists of two lakes: one very small one, and another slightly larger one. The larger one has a path, so you can walk around it and enjoy the sights of geese (including a unique hybrid goose!), ducks, willow trees, and islands in the middle of the water.

The electricity pylon spoils the view slightly, but it's still a very pretty lake. Overall, it was really nice to do our daily exercise in a new place, as my village doesn't have a park like this, and I've got quite bored of walking or running along the same pavements and country roads every day. The day out in Didcot took me back to my days at university in Nottingham, where I used to regularly walk around two beautiful lakes: one in Highfields Park and one in Wollaton Park. I find it really calming and relaxing to walk around lakes, and it's something I've missed during these past few months of being stuck in the same place.

A few days later, my parents and I went on our first proper sightseeing trip since December. We visited a place that had been on my outdoor outings list since March last year, and it definitely didn't disappoint. It's one of those British places that make you feel like you're in another country, so our visit there felt a bit like a short foreign holiday. I'll be writing all about it shortly...