One weekend early in our stay in London, we decided to do something outside the city. I researched places that were not too far away and came across Epping Forrest. It is a 6,118 acre ancient forrest situated between greater London and Essex. We planned to go for a hike, but when we arrived, we happened upon a small festival, complete with live music and a dog show. It was a completely random day that turned out to be one of our most memorable adventures.

The World Cup permeated the culture there all the way to the children. One of these boys said to the other, “I’ll be England, you be France” as they kicked the ball around the field.

The dog show was adorable. It was truly a glimpse into local life in the UK. Children and adults participated and the dogs competed in categories ranging from best costume to best trick. The proud pet owners marched their dogs around in a circle as the crowd gathered to watch from haystacks.

This old house was very interesting to tour. The structure was apparently studied by the architect who reconstructed the Globe Theatre.

The houses that people actually live in near Epping Forrest also had interesting architecture.

After exploring the festival and surrounding area, we grabbed a bite to eat and had the best burger we had during our entire stay in the UK, not to mention the delicious ginger beer.

Bellies full, we set out for a hike in the forrest and let ourselves get a bit lost.

It was a beautiful day and a wonderful glimpse into country life just outside the city.