Glamping for the Weekend

I usually write my travel blog posts on the flight or drive back from the destination. All the memories and moments are raw in my mind and I take the time to truly embrace each second and savor the experiences so I can properly share it with you. This particular trip, however, was almost a month ago and life got really busy. It got so busy that I almost forgot to even write about this weekend. You see, I initially booked this cute hut through Glamping Hub just to find an escape as I knew I would need a holiday after a hectic beginning of summer and soon a very busy beginning of autumn. I took my camera to teach myself new tricks and didn’t focus on what I was wearing or cared if I brushed my hair. It was a weekend lost in my own thoughts and with a good book in hand.

There’s obviously not much to report about this trip. These posts usually are full of tips, tricks and outfit ideas and potential itineraries. Luckily we weren’t bored out of our minds, but truly enjoyed the time off away from cellular data!

Friday

We drove from London to Hampshire. It had been a while since I’ve been on an English highway before, so I actually found it exhilarating. I’m used to taking the trains and we usually pass by rolling hills and lots of greens. The views felt very industrial at first on our drive, but as we continued the drive the greens got thick and we soon were on single streets sharing dirt roads with cattle and sheep.

Once we got to Meon Springs, getting out of the car I laughed and said “you can totally smell nature.” The smell of the cow manure felt pungent at first, but fortunately we got used to it. The only sound were the crickets and the rustling of the leaves. We ended up reserving the Shepherd’s Hut at Meon Springs. It has a fully functioning bathroom and a pull down bed and dining table. The fully fitted kitchen makes it handy if your barbecue plans don’t go to plan, but we were lucky enough to not have to deal with that.

Since the drive took a bit longer than expected, we got there just before dinner time. We quickly settled in and I unpacked a few of the ingredients I picked up from when I was in Italy just the week before. You can see where I recommend you pick up Italian ingredients from in my Best of Milan and A Day Trip to Bellagio posts. We ate as the sun exchanged places with the moon after gracing us with a pink sky and then talked, read and laughed our way to sleep.

Saturday

I don’t think I ever sleep in when I’m in London. I live in a fairly residential area with lots of young families and find myself wide awake at 8am as children play in the park close to my flat. There’s always people tending the neighborhood garden and there’s sweet music and people chatting. I really don’t mind, but it makes it hard to get the rest you need. Meon Springs is quite secluded and since my phone doesn’t even go off due to notifications, I found it easy to get a restful sleep. Slept until 10am, got dressed and washed as I sipped a big mug of coffee and then made a berry compote for some banana bread that we grilled. Along with a bit of yoghurt, it was such an indulgent breakfast.

Once the afternoon hit, we decided to go for a long country walk. Meon Springs is nestled right between East and West Meon and they both are charming villages with lovely pubs and cafes. Since time was limited, we decided to flip a coin and ended up heading towards West Meon. There are walking routes between dense woods and we came across some beautiful old and new houses. Once in West Meon, we found most of the people headed to their local pub…

The Thomas Lord, as it turns out, was mentioned by many media outlets as one of England’s top pubs. So we gave it a go. Grabbed an ale and a cider plus a few of the bar snacks {go for the Korean fried cauliflower and parmesan truffle fries} and sat in the garden people watching. There were locals, out of town visitors, hikers and more. After a bit, it was time to walk back.

We had a light dinner and some wine during the sunset and then it was back to a nice long slumber to ease off all the walking from the day.

Sunday

Meon Springs offers a range of activities around their grounds from fly fishing to archery and bikes to rent for the time you’re there. We decided on renting the bikes. The information in the hut gave us multiple routes for casual rides and even for serious bikers. So for the last morning and into the afternoon, we decided to go on a very long bike ride. At the end, we packed our things and went home. It felt a bit anticlimactic, but actually was quite nice to get away and not do a city break for once. I got time to read, try out different photography things, tested out a few recipes and explored the English countryside.