Walking A Thousand Miles

Back to Stowe today. We're so lucky having it on our doorstep!
It was the first outing for all the Little Misses' new outdoor stuff and it was much better than their usual inappropriate footwear and skimpy Summer gear!
Miss E is giddy to have proper boots like Mummy. See extras (hers are the shiny ones at the top)
We had lunch when we arrived - mushroom soup, bacon sandwiches, lamb hot pot and jacket potatoes. Delicious!!
Then we went down to the gardens and had a fabulous walk. Rather than walk round the lake and Secret Garden as usual we headed up past the Gothic Temple and right over to the far side where the entrance used to be. It was lovely going up there again. And the Little Misses - despite having been there practically every week for the first four years of their lives - felt like they were discovering a whole new place as they had no recollection of ever seeing any of it! 
As usual it was getting dark by the time we were ready to leave. See extras for a picture of the lake looking gorgeous in the gloom. The gate is already locked at this point and we have to walk up to the arch in the far distance!
One advantage of being the last to leave is that we can let Archie off the lead for the walk back up. He loves it after being on the lead for so long.
He's like the invisible dog!!