One of the nicest things about having guests is that it inspires us to find nice places around Leeds that we would never have taken the time to discover on our own. Today we went out to Lotherton Hall, a beautiful Edwardian estate that now belongs to the city of Leeds. We picnicked, walked around the wooded paths, admired the deer and the birds, visited the outdoor café, and - in my case - spent an hour in the sunny walled garden revising in pure comfort. It was a wonderful day out, and we'll definitely be going back - I can't believe it's taken us five years of living in Leeds to discover it!

I've posted a bunch of photos from today to my Flickr account, and you can also see a couple of them below. History, nature, and an ice cream kiosk - really, what better combination could there be? :)

Patrick and Maya in front of Lotherton Hall itself:



...and me in front of the summerhouse in the first section of formal gardens:


(And yes, that is the first picture of myself I've dared to post that really shows my five-month pregnant tum!)