Birthday Break

I mentioned in the last post that Tracy arranged a night away at Limewood at Lyndhurst in the New Forest. Well that is where I am while writing this. It is probably the best hotel we have ever stayed in. Jamie Cullum got married here apparently and the car park had predominantly Aston Martins, Porsches and Range Rovers in. My Mercedes SLK AMG 55

 would have been right at home. Unfortunately the VW Caravelle van I traded it in for,

 looked rather more conspicuous. I am surprised that the doorman who offered to park it didn't stick it in the staff car park.

The hotel is stunning. An old manor house set in the moorlands of the New Forest in Lyndhurst. The first hotel I have been to where the rooms look like the brochure photos. There are numerous cosy lounges and a central indoor terrace. There is also a spa within the grounds. We have had a relaxed afternoon. We managed a walk around the grounds and out on to heathlands. We didn't get very far before the combination of rough ground and an icy arctic breeze persuaded us to return. We had thought earlier about visiting the nearby beaulieu motor museum but it was getting a bit late and having paid to be in a swanky hotel we thought we should get our money's worth.

So we spent the rest of the afternoon doing very little helped by the free wireless internet access!

I can't pretend it isn't incredibly frustrating having to be fed through a tube when there is such fantastic food available. Tracy was happy to keep eating fairly low key in one of the lounges which helped and I managed a few mouthfuls of risotto.

If you are looking for somewhere a bit special, Limewood is worth a look.