High Tea at High Rocks

Princess Sia

Another exceptional day for the Weald, bright and shiny, enough warmth in the sun, just enough chill in the air for a balanced and agreeable day. The routine of things was beginning, Woo curled up on the floor was awakened by Cat rummaging around in the square meter of a kitchen looking for tea and toast. Cat would brew tea and make cheese on toast . Both would sit, Woo on the floor, Cat on a chair and plan the day ahead. What did they want to visit today?. Woo started, “Marks and Sparks.”

“And Tescos,” said Cat, “Postcards.” The list went on until it was whittled back later by Narna the Wise to Victoria Shopping Centre and High Rocks.

Panda snoozed through the deliberations happy to go with whatever was happening. Once the Princess was awake he was on call anyway, he needed his rest.

Victoria Shopping Centre revealed much about the British way of life. Some of which horrified Panda, to park in the shopping centre cost several pounds. No such thing as a free park. Marks and Spencers was a revelation. It seems that the British like all their food pre-cooked and wrapped in plastic. Amazing food from all over the world could be unwrapped, shoved in an oven and Wha-Lah gourmet meal for dinner.

As the Princess demanded the shopping cruise end the next part of the tour began. The journey to High Rocks.

These rocks were named in the 15th century because they were indeed high. Imagination is a highly prized gift in the UK.

The Inn at the High Rocks served a particularly lovely lunch, in a particularly lovely garden. The English knew gardens that was for sure thought Cat as she spied the expanse of green and the ordered rows of flowers. Except for the curios habit of bringing their dogs.

The Princess freed from her perambulator ran her toes through the grass and headed off to explore the garden with Panda a respectful distance behind.

Meals were ordered in the lower front bar. This proved to be an extraordinarily difficult experience for Cat. It appeared that in the process of travelling from Brisbane to Kent Cat had acquired an accent. The Argentinean waiter had difficulty understanding Cat and Cat’s Spanish was limited to Hey Hose and Ariba Ariba , which did not help with ordering the beer at all. It seemed that yes they had no coronas’ and ended with a sliver of lime placed in all beer, cider and Pepsi. Narna came to the rescue and confused the Argentinean even more. Woo and Cat began to softly sing in the background,

Don’t buy for me Argentina, The truth is we don’t understand you
Have you Coronas, have you cider, not to be rude
Can you decipher.

The lunch and the service made up for it all.

After exploring the rocks and the carvings dating back to the 1700’s. “ Graffiti is not new at all,” mused Panda.

The journey home saw an exhausted Panda and Princess doze off. At home Andy Pants was channelling Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and prepared a delicious Thai Green Curry from first principles. Not a plastic wrapper in sight. All the vegetables were from his garden. The chicken may have come hermetically sealed.

Nonetheless the meal was the perfect end to a perfect day.