Day 1 - Arriving

Settling in ok. It's a lovely cottage with a large wooden conservatory attached and good views of the valley and surrounding hillsides. Very quiet.

This is the cottage...


The journey here was long, but totally uneventful and when I pulled into the last bit of track to take me up the hill to the cottage I was relieved not to feel stressed out from driving. Well, that was until my car broke down half way up a very steep stony bit of the track. The little computer on my dashboard told me that it was the alternator and that I should take it to a workshop. EEEEEK! I couldn't have that, so I let the car sit for a bit to calm down and tried again, it started and skidded and cut out again. I rolled backwards down the hill and round the corner to a flat bit and sat, shaking, racking my brains for what to do next. After 15mins of cursing and pacing. I jumped in the car, it started and I just drove up the hill! The car managed to get up even steeper bits of tracks and finally I was at the bottom of the slope that leads to the cottage. Blimey. Could have done without that!

The cottage is somewhere round the back of that mound...


It's taken me about 6 trips up a very steep slope to get to the cottage from the car with all the stuff I've brought (ironic). I'm exhausted, but happy that I've got everything out of the car and up here, as there are storms forecast for tomorrow.

First nights in new places are difficult for me, I'm sure I'm not alone in that. So I've checked out every nook and cranny of the cottage and surrounding gardens! I've organised all of my stuff, and now know where everything is. This, somehow, makes me feel better and I can settle down with a cup of Rooibos and gaze at the view out of the conservatory.

I've just done breathing meditation followed by the Sevenfold puja and then a Just sitting meitation. All in all about an hour or so.

I'm settled in to my bed and feel lovely, apprehensive, happy and confused. Not really sure why I'm here or what I'm hoping to achieve, but I'm glad to be here anyway! Just hope I can get some sleep.

This is the living room inside the cottage...