Buddha at the holy well

I'd planned to have a day out with Dave in Cheltenham today, but last night he suddenly suggested that we take the train to (Great) Malvern. So we got on at our respective stations, meeting on the train, and were in Malvern by 10.30. I had no idea it would be so easy by public transport.

Malvern is a spa town, and has many evergreen trees and distinguished buildings. It reminded me more of a spa town in the Czech Republic than, say, Cheltenham. Great Malvern station, which is well preserved with exquisite ironwork around the roof supports, gives on to a road leading ever and ever upwards, towards the town centre, which is laid out in terraces perpendicular to the approach road, because the Malvern hills rise up directly behind the terraces. The weather was misty and overcast, reminding me of my trip to Trentino Alto Adige, (the semi-autonomous region of Italy that is more like Austria, where German and Ladino are spoken as well as Italian) a month ago.

Once in the town, we found a cafe to relax in after our steep walk, then we took a self guided tour of Malvern's Priory, which has some new stained glass windows by Thomas Denny, a modern glass artist whose work I admire. The misericords on the choir stalls were considerably older, being 14th and 15th century, but also of great interest, many depicting grotesque animals.

We then found a park, and I decided to walk up the '99 steps' to a road that leads, eventually, to St Anne's well, a water source in an octagonal building in the foothills of the Malverns. I found it, and admired the (healing) water splashing into an ornate basin, surrounded by flowers and ferns. More Christian than pagan in appearance, I thought, but then I spotted a Buddha by the cafe window, also surrounded by foliage.

I ran back to find Dave in the park, and showed him my photos, whereupon he decided he would like to go up to the well too! Back up the steps, back up the road. We couldn't can't fly over it, we couldn't tunnel under it, we just had to walk UP it ! I thought Dave was going to have a heart attack. He was short of breath and struggling, but I am pleased to report that he reached the destination in one piece, and lived to sample the well water. It's a pity that donkeys do not still carry tourists up the slope, as they did in Victorian times. I would have had to go and work in a leper colony for the rest of my life if I'd been responsible for Dave having a cardiac event on his way to a holy well.

Back down the slope we went, to check out a hotel restaurant I'd spotted earlier, on the edge of the park. Empty, because it was now 2pm, but we enjoyed a three course meal (is it four if coffee is included?) at our leisure.

After a little more exploration of the upper levels of the town, we began wending our way back towards the station. We had to go to yet another cafe in order to use the loos, but Malvern is not short of eating and drinking establishments. Independent shops appear to be flourishing, too, which was a welcome change from Stroud, where the smaller stores keep closing down. Complementary health centres appear to be in demand too, as one might imagine in a spa town.

All in all, I formed a very favourable impression of Malvern, and can imagine going back there to walk in the hills. There's an arts centre, too, and more classical and choral musical events than you could shake a stick at.

The train back to Cheltenham arrived on time, and from there I caught another one back to Stroud. The sun finally broke out, for one minute only, as the train approached Stonehouse station, four miles from Stroud.

I'm sorry not to have posted for days, but I was hung over on Sunday, and Monday and Tuesday were full-on at work, because we were three staff members down, but the special needs children and the mainstream children still need as much care and attention as ever. Exhausting.