Five Bells and a Sign

After almost 2 hours of driving, we finally made it to the inn. I hadn’t slept for nearly 24 hours, and it was pretty nice to just pass out and recoup for a couple of hours. The Five Bells Wickham, a 17th century free house, provided the perfect spot to rest before heading further west.

The UK relies heavily upon privately run inns, and almost every single one of them doubles as a pub. If there is one thing the British enjoy more than tea and football, (not the American kind), it’s gathering together in a local pub.

We went down later that evening for dinner, and even in a different country, I can’t escape “Piano Man”. It was the first song playing over the pub’s PA as I sat down.

The English countryside is one of the quietest places on earth, so quiet that I can hear my tinnitus. But it makes for some straight, undisturbed sleep.

Back to it tomorrow, but for now I rest.Read more