Losing weight whilst on holiday is of course not an option, so we start the day with a full English breakfast, something of a first from home. Some might argue that without black pudding it’s not quite full enough, but there was an ample sufficiency anyway.
On that theme I’m conscious that I have half a pack of puff pastry after last night’s Bambi so I de-skin some sausages, chop and blanch some broccoli and mix like crazy before re-forming into fat sausages then using crab-apple jelly as glue turn it all into sausage rolls.
We point the car in the direction of Manchester and the Woodhead pass, but stop at the former site of the Flouch Inn, these days a small housing development on the old roundabout, just 100 yards from the new one. We then walk back through freezing fog to Halzlehead station, where we’d been just a couple of days ago, to walk further west on the Trans Pennine Trail this time.
Before long we’re at Dunford Bridge, a reasonably regular parking place for us if we’re wandering in Last of the Summer Wine mode. Today however it’s our turnaround point, so we head up through the village and round to the reservoir car park. It’s just the right time for lunch so we park up and break out the just-about still-warm sausage rolls, which are excellent.
Then we head back, across the moors towards the Woodhead. In the freezing fog there is some enjoyment in the total peace and quiet it brings, somehow these days there’s little opportunity to experience such tranquility.
Nearing the road it’s less calm, and for a half mile we’re just a yard from the road, which is slightly scary especially in the thick fog. Most alarming is the amount of debris we see all around, plastic bottles, car parts including bumpers, old socks, trainers, rubber gloves, food containers and coffee cups ... the list is endless. The only natural thing we saw was a sheep’s skull. We then head away from the road thank goodness and tranquility resumes.
Our final leg is again across country until we rejoin the old Flouch road back towards the car.
Back home in time for afternoon tea we enjoy another movie - Escape from Pretoria - not incredible but Daniel is quite lovely.
Soon it’s time to prep for dinner, which starts by opening a a bottle of Chardonnay of course. Sweating a couple of chopped shallots then adding vegetable stock, wine and cream, reducing and then adding Dijon, lemon juice and chopped parsley to make a Thermidor sauce. Meanwhile I’m dressing a lobster having chopped it accordingly.
Finally Parmesan, sauce, champagne and frîtes combine to make a fabulous dinner.
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