The distance one will go to try a special latte.....

Well, I wanted to try the gingerbread latte from Starbucks. I have read about these wonders here in the blogiverse, you see, and I am not going to be left out. Oh no. So Glynis had to return some library books to the Abbey where she goes on retreats, and I went along for the drive.

It has been a beautiful day - sunny and clear, and the skyline with leafless trees has been stunning. I look at them and wonder if Oliver Cromwell stopped to rest in the shade of one of them. They are old enough, you know, and the sense of history is sometimes overwhelming. Just beautiful. The Abbey is very old. It is about to undergo a major renovation. The Chapel there is all that remains of the original building, and that dates from 1119. Parts of the house are dated around the mid 1550s. See..... I said old.

And here is Glynis, outside the Abbey.

Anyway, we checked on the internet to find our nearest Starbucks, and I have to say we do not live in the centre of any metropolis. That is clear. The fact that our nearest ones are miles away says it all. And off we toddled. Bearing in mind the circuitous route through middle England to drop off the books, we actually drove for an hour and a half to reach the gingerbread lattes. And they were worth every mile. Wonderful!!

I told you my embroidery machine was whizzing along, and here are a few of the bits I have been making. I bought some cream fleece blankets from Ikea, and then embroidered on the corners, and I am really pleased with the result. And while at Ikea, I bought some seriously cheap white cotton hand towels, and embroidered on them too. So for very little money, I have some lovely gifts.