comparison

            Most people have a favorite place to escape. We need somewhere we can go to relax and regroup our thoughts. Maybe it is somewhere special from our childhood, and it is no longer possible to go there in the physical realm. This being the case, we can always go back mentally. The memories are so vivid and we imagine ourselves there. Whenever visiting home in England, the trip always includes a revisit to a very special place. By using the five senses to describe the setting, it is possible to experience this journey together. Let us escape to tranquillity in the small town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.
             Olney is the small town where our family grew up; it has been a community for almost 2000 years now. We start our journey by walking up the old high street. The aged bluish black brick paths are so familiar; we avoid stepping on the few loose bricks that send cold rainwater shooting up one's legs. The street lined with a vast blend of Elizabethan, Victorian, and Georgian houses all attached, several of them now house small shops. An irresistible aroma of warm fresh bread wafts across the street from Revitt's bakery. The High Street remains the center of all the hustle and bustle of traffic passing through, and voices of local people in deep conversation. The smell from the fish and chip shop overwhelms the air. We now arrive at the market square, framed by even larger houses, including that of the great poet and hymn writer William Cowper. Now the spire of the parish church is in view. The church clock strikes on the hour with the Westminster chimes. After we pass the church, we approach the old mill. The huge wrought iron gate swings open and we walk through. While walking across the field we avoid the cow muck. There are faint sounds of cows mooing and chewing grass. The water gushes out of the mill and into the river. We cross over the river by a small bridge and walk part way up the old Roman path.