Markeaton Park

My first trip out was to Markeaton Walled garden, with the help of my rollator.

The garden was pretty in the summer sun.

And across the driveway into Markeaton was the sensory garden, designed to appeal to other senses such as smell or touch, with lavender and roses.

It seemed like a long walk at th time.

 

Recovery

 My second stroke was worse than the first.. I couldn't use my left side properly; my foot and hand dragged. I came home after a few days, having progressed to a zimmer frame, with two of them and two perching stools for the toilet. A physiotherapist turned up a few days later with better improved ones (I wasn't convinced and soon sent them back),a cushion for my chair, and a stool for my feet. Another came soon afterwards with a bath bar - to help me get in and out easily- and arranged for a second banister to help up the stairs.

I soon started to get around the house - the physiotherapist stopped me venturing into the garden - but then I fell in the bath! Another ambulance ride and a long day in the hospital but allowed home at midnight with no broken bones.

This impeded my recovery. Everything ached and my right leg was useless.

Gradually things improved. Moving round the house became easier. I started taking short walks round the block with a zimmer frame, then with my walking stick, then without. Now I just need to work on distance.

I was left for long periods while husband was at the allotment, with nothing to do. I tried to read - Very slow. I did Sudokas. My daughter had bought me an Indian colouring-in book and I started with that, then another she bought, a book of Penguin covers. It proved very slow at first but I gradually improved.

One thing I wanted to do was my knitting.I was quite worried about this. My fingers didn't respond properly at first, and I was worried I might not be able to knit; able to remember how to do it, but not has the dexterity or remember how. It was another thing which was slow at first but which got quicker with practice and I eventually finished my cardigan and started another.

 

I know of people who are a lot worse than me, but things are looking up and progressing in the right direction. Now I just need to persuade my husband to take a holiday ...

Chatsworth

My next trip out - to Chatsworth   - proved a little too over-tiring, It was a warm day and the exercise was too much.

Along to the Emperor Fountain and up the avenue beneath the trees was okay.

But, once we reached the Strid and headed on to the higher pond things started to get harder going.

From here we headed through Arcadia and back to the top of the Cascade. This involves some short but steep climbs and it was very hot by now.

 I felt okay when we'd done but I think it added to my second stroke.

Out to Calke

After my first stroke, I was still sit enough to get out and about. After a week or two of walking at home, I decided to head for Calke as I though the wisteria would be n flower - and it was!

We went though the walled garden out to the orangery with its tropical flowers.

Then back to the area where the wisteria was flowering with tulips and forget-me-not beneath.

It wasn't fully out, but near enough.

Then for a quiet minute beneath the apple trees before heading home. 

 

Wye Valley

This is where we went for our brief break in March - if I'd known it would be so long before we got away again I might have made it a longer trip. It's the Hop Cabin, a Canopy and Stars property , situated at Kingstone Brewery just north of Tintern. We been to the area before when we stayed higher up the hill at Lichen Cabin and enjoyed it so much we though we'd go back.

On the way down we stopped off at Baddesley Clinton and. as there were intermittent hail showers, went round the house instead of the garden.

We were only away for two nights.so the next morning we headed off down the track to the main road and across by the old railway station to pick up the Wye Valley path where it wanders gently by the river and amongst flower meadows as far as Tintern Parva - and the Wye Valley hotel where we stopped for lunch..

Afterwards, we meandered back more or less by the route we'd come - past Tintern church and along the railway  - to the cabin.

In the afternoon, we went down to Chepstow to see round the castle.It's a while since we've visited and I didn't really remember it.

Then we went down to the old bridge over the Wye, and back up the hill to the car park.

Next day was time to go home, calling at Goodrich Castle and Hanbury Hall.