Size Doesn't Matter

There's a dreamy stream meandering through dreamy fields in a dreamy ancient town.

River Ver--the second Ver is not a typo caused by coffee-jittered fingers-- is a reminder that nestled under a  bustling modern town rests pre-Roman remains and ruins. The original town, Verlamion, was renamed Verulamium by the Romans who used the 20km stretch of water to move goods. Britan's first martyer, St. Albans, forded the river on his execution march. The town now bears his name.

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks from Wikimedia Commons

Along Ver's path is Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, the oldest pub in England. The pub's new building dates to the mid-1500s. I'm dreaming about a very cold, foggy day when I went inside the pub, walked down heavily worn stairs, bumped  my head on a ceiling designed for much shorter clientèle, sat next to an over-sized fire and drank with my dear friend Peter.


I know it's not a new dream. With a 500-year history there have been many dreams about other cold days and warm fires and dear friends drinking and chatting. And before that dreams of Romans stepping off boats to walk across a cold, foggy field to meet friends in a tiled sauna to drink and chat. History repeats.

 It's always been a dreamy town, with a dreamy history and a dreamy river.

Here is a pinhole of River Ver on a spring day in 2005. Don't be fooled by the proportions. Most Americans would call this a stream but we all know size doesn't matter:

River Ver, St. Albans, England