Day 5.039: Olana

In some ways, the places we haven't been in the last five years tell a story of their own. Today, two of those places - notable by our neglect - were suggested.  We decided on the nearer of the two and visited Olana - the extraordinary 19th century home of the painter Frederic Edwin Church. Hyde Park will wait for another day.

It's fair to say the fact that we no longer have really young children has an impact on what we think we can do successfully.

The house, and its location are stunning - even on a rather grey and flat day in the middle of winter.

And the views it has down the Hudson and over it to the Catskills are amazing.

But we spent most of our time walking (and skipping) a two mile circuit in the grounds - mostly very sheltered and not feeling much like February at all.  We saw a stand-off between a red-bellied and a downy woodpecker and allowed ourselves a peer in through the window of the house having decided that we weren't quite ready to inflict our not-really-young children on a guided tour of the inside.

It was altogether a very successful outing.  The photos are here.