A Little Bit Country
It’s amazing how a quick change of scenery can recharge your batteries. La Mujer and I went to a housewarming party for friends of ours in the village of Westerham this weekend. Westerham is a really nice area and the party was a lot of fun. Our hosts went all out and had the party catered by a local Indian restaurant so we spent the evening in the garden socializing over curries, samosas and Cobra beer. Fortunately they also had erected some shelters so the sporadic rain didn’t ruin the event.
The party went quite late of course and eventually moved inside. It was there that I got to first experience the musical stylings of Chas and Dave, until someone took pity and changed the playlist. I learned that ‘rabbit’ is cockney slang for talk and spent all of Sunday with ‘rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit’ going through my head.
We ended up spending the night and were treated to a full English breakfast in the morning where I got my first taste of Bovril on toast. It’s okay, but I probably won’t repeat it. After that we walked through the village and into the countryside. It was a beautiful stroll, but I definitely wished I had brought boots.
For an American there is something fascinating about having a party in a house that is as old as my country. Other houses that we walked by were much older still and were interesting to look at as their isn’t a right angle left among them. I particularly liked the fact that our friends, and their neighbours as well, don’t have real addresses. I was curious why their house had a name and discovered that the name was their actual address.
It was a great experience to escape London and do a bit of unwinding. It’s pleasant to walk down quiet avenues where houses are cottages and all named rather than numbered. The countryside really is as beautiful as people insist, even in the sodden and wet weather we have been having. I particularly like this line from the wikipedia entry for Westerham.
For no altogether clear reason, Westerham has a range of restaurants and cafes out of all proportion to its size.
I don’t know if the village life is for us, but it’s nice to have friends there to visit.
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August 23rd, 2007 at 3:10 pm
sounds like a great party. i love architecture, especially old Victorian houses.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:18 am
Did you visit the obligatory, quaint, country pub?
August 25th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
El Yanqui, Do you truly know how fortunate you are - to have the opportunity to be where you are, visit Europe without having to take out a loan, have friends, a great wife, etc. You’re blessed.
Frogs ribbit and people rabbit. Hmm. Is Bovril like vegemite?
August 27th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Ah, it’s a real nice experience to escape the known surroundings and experience different stuff. I havent done something similar for a long time now. I thing I should…
Keep it up! Nice post.
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:59 pm
You said there wasn’t a right angle among the houses you saw, why was that? is that old british architecture? i spent time in brazil where the addresses are all out of order on streets, so I was just wondering how they handle the name system, must be confusing… i guess unless there arent that many houses.
September 6th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Sounds as a nice experience.
September 13th, 2007 at 10:00 am
I travelled to London last month for the very first time. Most of all, I was fascinated by the architecture, the monuments, and the old buildings that lined the roads. Because I am from India, I do have some familiarity with Victorian architecture (there are quite a few of those in Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay), but the ones in England have been so well maintained.
Re: addresses of old houses, we have a similar system in India; the medieval system still works in some countries.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Wow - you nailed some of my favorites things! Indian food, beer, friends and being outside enjoying it all!
July 14th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Sounds like you had a great time. It is kinda the same for me I live in LA California. It is a pretty pack and busy city. Every once in a while i visit my parents who like on a farm. It is nice to remember we still have nice,quiet, and peaceful places out there to just relax. You had Cobra Beer huh? Sounds kinda cool, how was it? Anyways I hope you had a great visit man!