The annual holiday loomed for the retired couple.
They were quite used to spending up big on these occasions. It was often a case of living on a cruise ship for a few weeks, visiting exotic places around the world. This year he wanted it to be different. It was just a fly there and fly back kind of thing. He knew she wouldn’t like it. There again, last year he let her have her way with ten days discovering the wonders of the Amazon. It was his turn. The more he thought about it the more excited he got. It was a family run café, just half a mile off the main street in a small village on the edge of a forest, in the middle of the downs, just a dozen miles inland from the south coast. It would bring back memories; such wonderful memories. He had done his research on the internet. It was still there!
He decided it was time to discuss it.
He opened the conversation gently. “I’ve had an idea for our upcoming holiday, my love.”
“Oh! Really? What did you have in mind?”
“Upper Pottingworth on the Wold.”
“Upper what?”
“Pottingworth. It’s on the Wold. A lovely spot; in old Blighty.”
She frowned. “What’s a wold?”
“Ah! Well, it’s a mainly elevated piece of open country with lots of green rolling hills. You’d love it!”
“Oh! Really? What’s there?”
“Um. We could certainly visit the Wold Farmhouse Café while we’re there.”
“You know it then?”
“Yes, from my student days.”
“So, you want to fly all that way to visit this café, is that right?”
He nodded his head vigorously. “Yes. Absolutely!”
“Well, dear, it seems an awfully long way to go just to visit a café.”
“Yes, but they do a simply fantastic cottage pie with whipped potatoes and onion gravy.” He closed his eyes. “Honestly, the gravy, it’s something to die for.”
He opened his eyes. She was still frowning.
Smiling, he said, “I’ll leave it with you.”