Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 19 degrees, warm, sunny and slightly overcast.
It is a bank holiday in England, Labour Day. It was last Wednesday in Brazil, but any bank holiday in the middle of the week in England is moved to the following Monday.
So, for me, it is a little complicated to juggle the same bank holiday on different days. Common sense and ethics say that I should forget the English bank holiday and recognise the Brazilian one, as that is where my public and clients are.
Fortunately, on a Monday, I only really have classes late in the afternoon, and because of that, I can have a relatively normal, unhurried day.
I had to post my bowel cancer screening test, and my mother had a letter that needed posting to her solicitors. I did some exercise, changed my clothes, and prepared to go out. I walked to the square where the café and the shopping precinct are, and I posted the two envelopes in one of the old English red letterboxes.
The day was nice, it was slightly cloudy but nothing to spoil it, and the temperature was perfect for England. I just wanted to walk and listen to music at the same time. Julie had classes at the gym, but I wanted to walk, so I did. I walked to Kingswinford, about two miles from my mother’s, and it was so good!
The little bit of sun was very pleasant, the traffic was almost non-existent because of the bank holiday, and as I was entering Kingswinford, Julie called me. She enjoyed the surprise, and we arranged to meet at the church near her parents’ house.
I said I would be there in 10 minutes. When I arrived, she was waiting for me with Austin already out of the car, and she had a coffee and a brownie in her hands from Costa Coffee. I thought the gesture was so nice; Austin was so happy to see me, and I thanked her and appreciated the coffee and the brownie.
We wandered around the church grounds; the church and its surroundings are stunning, and Austin loves them — it’s literally his huge extended back garden. England is full of old churches, both well-maintained and abandoned, but all are beautiful in their own way.
The church grounds back onto a public park with a pond. The park amazes me—it is pretty large yet completely unnoticed from the main road. It is hidden, which makes it even more special. Again, Austin is in his element with all this —the church’s grounds, the park; it is Austin’s back garden and his world.
We met a group of people walking two greyhounds. I had to ask many questions about the dogs, which confirmed my thoughts and cleared up some doubts.
Julie is always amazed by my ability to talk to people; I believe it comes from living in Brazil for so long. Brazilians, at their core, are highly communicative people, and despite all the problems—the corrupt government, issues with violence—people are happy, and the atmosphere in Brazil is always cheerful and positive.
I also think that some of their happiness is connected to poverty; when you have little, anything additional that comes or is provided is just a bonus. So, what you already have must be valued first, and any extra is simply profit.
What I’m saying in a roundabout way is that having just a little money to buy a beer and sit on the beach or at a simple bar in Copacabana while watching the world go by is heaven.
If you go to a samba party or a samba event where the bar has samba in front of it, and you only have enough money for a simple beer, it’s all good. The music, drinking a beer, the good weather, the beautiful people — what more could you want?
Brazil and its people are truly special; the only thing that messes it up is the corrupt and selfish government.
Back at the car, we didn’t know what to do. I needed to be back home by 4:00 in the afternoon to give my first class, so we couldn’t go far. I wanted to buy a plant for my mother and Julie’s mother. We had seen online that there was a nursery, a large plant and flower complex, and garden stuff about 5 minutes by car near Himley, on the way to Womborne.
Once more, we are on our way to Wombourne. When we arrived, there were numerous signs stating that dogs were not allowed. Julie wanted to simply get out of the car with Austin and ignore the signs, but I said that was impossible.
It’s not as if we could hide or disguise Austin as a human child or anything; he’s a dog, and dogs are not permitted; it’s not rocket science!
As we were leaving the nursery, we passed some interesting large gates and a driveway that led into a woodland full of dense vegetation, paths, and, eventually, a small, discreet car park. There were already quite a few cars parked there, and we could see various paths branching off in different directions among the dense, beautiful trees and foliage.
Austin was once again in his element. I believe he feels it more than we do, as if a new place is an adventure. And it’s not just an adventure for him, but for all of us. This is a new, interesting, beautiful location that we have never visited before.
We followed a path that opened onto what was not exactly a field, but a clearing in the dense forest, covered by a blanket of beautiful bluebells. It was reminiscent of something from a fantasy film; it felt truly surreal. I have visited some wonderful places in my life, but since my stay in England, this is probably the most beautiful.
I’m always amazed at how we keep discovering special places. Again, we didn’t know this place when we got up this morning, but now we do — cherish it, enjoy it, and undoubtedly we’ll return many times. While wandering around this special spot, it was hard to find our way and recall exactly where we had left the car.
We had walked along the same path last Saturday in Wombourne, and now we’re walking a different part of it; the entire route connects Wombourne with Kingswinford. If we wanted, we could walk home from here.
How amazing is that!
I was somewhat aware of the time; we finally had to leave. I didn’t want to go because it was so enjoyable. The class was scheduled for 4:00 p.m. but was rescheduled to five, giving us a little more time to stay together and enjoy. I love the feeling of discovering new places, especially rural areas surrounded by nature.
Having lived in Rio for so long, a metropolis of over 6 million people, I have noticed that, despite its urban environment and with its abundance of nature for which it is famous, it stands out as a contrast from other great cities in the world.
However, after some time in England, Rio doesn’t compare to the small, hidden rural pockets and microenvironments here, which are truly mesmerising and enchanting.
I really enjoy discovering new, interesting, and beautiful places with diverse and fascinating people!
Julie dropped me off, we kissed, and I think we both felt happy after our hurried day out. I gave classes, watered my mother’s lovely back garden, and relaxed. My last class was at 11:00 p.m.
In bed by midnight.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
