Today we sleep in and then drive to Guildford, the next largest town in the region. On the way we stop at a petrol station, which – apart from a few fast food restaurants – has one of the last Cinnabon branches in England. The American cinnamon buns are really worth every calorie. We can definitely manage the six pieces… they are only small.

In Guildford we shop a bit in the Friary Shopping Centre, but end up buying nothing more than a t-shirt. We are much more successful with our lunch selection though. The fast food street has everything we’d like to eat. We get a Slim Chicken box for Gabi and a Five Guys burger for me. As always, it’s accompagnied by a huge pile of cajun fries. We eat it all by the canal while we watch an unsuccessful fisherman, the swans, and a few teenagers hanging out in the arch under the bridge. As long as the sun is shining, it’s warm enough in a t-shirt. But further back in the sky, thick grey clouds are already visible. So we walk past the “Alice in Wonderland” sculpture and then make our way back to the car.

We drive to the garden centre in Fleet and have not been there long when it starts to pour down with rain. We enjoy the beautifully decorated display of plants and furnishings. There are many more decorative items here than in the other garden centre. There is also a great Halloween selection on offer (yes, we bought the spider hairband) and Christmas items. When the rain eases up a little, we quickly run to the car.

The thunderstorm rages on as we drive back to the hotel. The road is barely recognisable in places and there are big puddles everywhere. Small branches and nuts fall from the trees and onto the car. And the weather won’t get any better. We therefore forego the illuminated Halloween walk in the forest at Chiswick House that we had booked for this evening. Although the organisers want to do it despite the weather warning, so as not to have to refund the tickets. Too bad – we were looking forward to it. Instead, we stay in the hotel and treat ourselves to a fine Indian dinner Deliveroo.