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| the area of the Cotswalds we toured |
I just love the Cotswalds and I am so glad that my brothers and I decided on a couple of days in this area to relax and get over our jet lag.
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| The main square of Castle Combe |
After we picked up our car at the airport on Thursday morning, we set the GPS courtesy of Minas, for Stratford-upon-Avon. Unfortunately, Aphrodite, the GPS, whom Robert has now named Jezebel, was still programmed from our bicycle trip to eliminate highways. It took us a while to realize that and then we stopped to buy a real map and ask for directions.
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| The house of the Bard in Stratford-Upon-Avon |
I was the one who wanted to see the birthplace of the bard but it was quite disappointing. Apart from the house itself and the swans on the river running through it, Stratford is mostly a tourist destination full of small gift shops and plenty of bus tours. We did not stay long.
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| the old covered market in Chipping Campden |
We finally made our way to our
delightful and out of the way country inn, The Green Dragon where a
drink in the cosy pub and a good dinner in their restaurant was all we
had in us before we turned in for bed.
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| the Green Dragon Inn near Cowley |
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| the scenery near Cowley |
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| Will and Rob |
Rob and William are lots of fun. They tease me unmercifully, sing and burst into poetry or off colour jokes and comments and we often reminisce about the stories about Mum and Dad from our childhood. I think we are achieving our goal for this trip: of re-connecting as siblings and honouring the memories we have of our parents.
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| Rob finds a hat |
The weather is sunny but cool. Yesterday we walked the Cotswald country-side for 6 hours - must have covered at least 12 km. It was Rob's idea and it seemed like a good way to counteract the jet lag and get us moving again. At first we wandered uphill on narrow tracks gazing at the sheep and taking large numbers of pictures.
In one tree covered lane, my brothers thought a fencing match might be a good idea. I caught it on video and we showed it over and over again that evening finding it funnier with each viewing. Unfortunately I can't seem to upload it to the blog.
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| hiking through a field of horses in the Cotswalds |
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| Catherine in the public stocks in Stow-on-the-Wold |
Back in the car, we found that the traffic was busy so we decided on one more stop in Lower Slaughter and this was a delightful decision. No cars, no tourists, just an adorable little village and perfect light for picture-taking. We rather thought that the inhabitants of this village tried to keep visitors out and there were certainly no shops or cafes to loiter in. However there was a lovely posh hotel with acres of green lawn on the far side of the tiny river at the entrance to the town. Looked like an idyllic place to spend a romantic week-end.
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| Rob takes pictures |
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| the old mill wheel of Lower Slaughter |
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| the houses along the canal at Castle Combe |
On Saturday, we headed toward Bath for a day of wandering about this gracious old city which was highly recommended by William. Unfortunately, when we were nearing the town, the line-up to get off the motorway was exceedingly long and was moving at a snail's pace. After fifteen minutes of this, we opted to get out of the line and spend the day visiting more cute Cotswald villages.
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| Rob and Will and the cottages used by the hotel in Castle Combe |
We first took in Castle Combe which is absolutely charming and perfectly kept partly due to the fact that the fancy manor hotel had bought up a number of the nearby cottages for guest accommodation. We spent some time wandering and more sitting at an outdoor cafe watching the people.
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| stopping at the Catherine Wheel in Bibury |
We then decided to move on, heading for the Rick Steeves recommended Moreton-on-Marsh. It got late and we settled for closer Bibury which was full of tourists and disappointing compared to other Cotswald villages. We did enjoy a stop for a snack and a libation at the old coach inn called The Catherine Wheel - an appropriate name for our rolling escapades.
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| a home owner's translation of No Trespassing |
We did think the signs found in this town, as so many other English towns, to be quite hilarious. The English never use one word when fourteen will do. But we loved to read them aloud to each other, often puzzling over what the heck these people were trying to communicate.
And then it was back to our lovely pub for more good food and a nice bottle of wine.
And did I mention that I love the Cotswalds?
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| the limestone facades gleam in the sunlight |
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| William takes a picture |
And did I mention that my brothers are always taking pictures........
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| not always happy to be disturbed |
and did I mention that they are not always happy to be disturbed at their work.
But we are having a good time and we are now off to the second installment --- Wales!
