A fine and frosty start to the year - 3 January 2009

On a sunny frosty day it is a delight to go walking in the countryside. We left London for the Chilterns, and enjoyed a circular walk through three villages, each with a different and distinctive steeple/tower. The air was crisp and clear; the kestrels were soaring overhead; the puddles were frozen, as was the mud churned up by cattle some time before the cold arrived.

Half way round was a warm and cosy pub, Ye Olde Leathern Bottel, a great place for a brief stop in the warmth. This is winter at its best.