In February, mum, dad and I made a long journey to Gloucestershire to meet my new little sister-to-be, Paisley. I was a bit scared of her at first (she was very nippy!) but I couldn’t imagine life without her now! As you can imagine, she’s been through a lot of firsts in the last few months so she wants to share her experience of her first trip away with you all...
Hi everyone, it’s lovely to feel so welcomed by you all! I’m loving life as Little Miss WildPaws, Wilbur’s sister and the baby of the family. As Wilbur said, I’m here to talk to you about my first ever holiday which we went on a few weeks back (just before I turned four months old). Mum and dad wanted a relaxed break away and didn’t want to overwhelm me so they took us somewhere they were familiar with…The Royal at Ross-on-Wye. I’ve heard it has been the subject of a couple of Wilbur’s blogs too and I was super excited for Wilbur to show me around…
We left early in the afternoon on Sunday and drove along some of the same roads we went on on the very first day I came home! Before going to the hotel, we stopped at a nearby cider and perry orchard called Broome Farm and stretched our legs. It was a lovely walk that went on for miles. Dad said he imagined it would look even prettier in the summer when the apples and pears had bloomed.
The family who own the orchard also make their own cider and perry and own the pub next door called The Yew Tree Inn. Of course, we had to go in and try it! I couldn’t get through the door for getting so much fuss…it was a lovely pub, a very local feel to it and mum and dad said the cider was amazing!
After a couple of drinks, loads of fuss and tons of treats, we made our way to the hotel. Wilbur knew exactly where he was going and I just followed! We had some dinner and a walk around the hotel gardens before settling down for the evening. After all, mum and dad had a long day planned for us tomorrow…
The next morning we got up for breakfast and mum and dad praised me for being so well-behaved, after all I was only 3 months old! Sadly, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry and, in true English fashion, it was pouring it down. None of us particularly wanted to spend a day out in the rain so we decided to do a short walk and kept our paws crossed for nice weather for the last day of the holiday.
However, we did have some WildPaws orders to post so we were going to have to head out in the rain to go to the post office. Knowing what English weather can be like, mum had packed Wilbur’s coats for us. Unfortunately, they were a bit big for me!
On our way to the post office, we spotted a Dog’s Trust shop. We went in and Mum bought us a new collapsible bowl which she says is perfect for out and about as it’s so small that it fits in her handbag. The nice man at the shop gave me and Wilbur a treat. I was told off as I snatched it out of his hand. Wilbur’s now teaching me the saying ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you’ as apparently you get more treats if you take them gently!
After dropping the orders off, we stopped at Caffe Eleganza for a coffee and a treat and then walked back to the hotel. On the way back, we took a leisurely (if a bit wet!) stroll by the river. Despite the rain, it was a lovely walk…I met some ducks who weren’t too keen on saying hello to me!
We arrived back at the hotel and had some dinner before bed time! Hopefully it was going to be a sunnier day tomorrow…
We woke up and the sun was shining – it was the perfect day for adventures! We had breakfast and said our goodbyes before heading off to Goodrich Castle, a nearby medieval site.
We made our way up the path to the castle and met some sheep and fellow lambs on the way. They didn’t want to say hello either! We walked all around the castle, learning about its history and gazing at the amazing views. There was so much to see and do and it was great that us pups were allowed. Although, I did refuse to walk up the steep steps and there was no way I was going in that scary dungeon! Wilbur did though…he’s much braver than me.
We then went to the tea rooms and had a little drink and a break before heading off home. I got to try my first taste of a cream tea…and it was delicious!
It's safe to say that I had a great first holiday and I hope there's many more to come!
I slept like a baby all the way home…well I am one, after all!
Thanks for reading all about our weekend away. We have another very exciting trip planned so keep your eyes peeled for an update on our next travels…
Until then…
Love, nose licks & waggy tails,
Wilbur & Paisley x