When Mr C got out of bed, he noticed a missed phone call (on our land line) from mum’s mobile timed at 5am. I decided not to worry about it, if there was a problem the care home would have called us.
Although the traffic was running smoothly, the motorway journey was tedious. We stopped for lunch in The Tuning Fork near Rugby. I found it in the Extra Mile book as we were travelling. The service was excellent and the food was delicious.
Suitably refreshed, we continued our journey stopping at Knebworth House which both of us found interesting. The estate has a rich history including Indian connections and it is often used as a film location but it is most famous of all for the Knebworth Music Festival. Inside the house Mr C educated a couple of room guides regarding some of the heraldry that was displayed.
We had just enough time to have a quick tour of the gardens but sadly the Dino Trail will have to wait for another day as will the church.
We drove the short distance to St Alban’s and booked into our hotel, Samuel Ryder, a Tapestry at the Hilton Hotel. We unpacked and chilled out in the hotel before stepping next door for a pre-dinner drink in The White Hart Hotel. The service in the bar wasn’t quite up to scratch, it took three attempts before the correct wine was selected, and when Mr C’s beer arrived, it was cloudy and sour to taste, needing to be replaced.
We dined in Dylan’s at the Kings Head Hotel. I had hoped to dine here on my birthday last year but the restaurant was fully booked. It was well worth the wait; the food quality was superb.
I enjoyed the atmosphere but it was a bit too loud for Mr C’s mood so we returned to the hotel for a nightcap which we took to our room to chill out before retiring for a good nights sleep.
