The Quintessential English Countryside

                                                                                                                                                                           

    

     The air was fresh, and the day, cool and overcast.  Olivia and I took an early morning walk down the cobblestone street in front of our inn.  We were amazed as we examined a snail sliding across the sidewalk, leaving a sticky trail behind him.  It felt good to be surrounded by calm after our hectic travel schedule the day before.

      Back at the B&B, David and Pam served us a scrumptious 3 course breakfast in the cozy 19th

century dining room.  We were now charged for

adventure...    

 

    

     We said our thank yous and farewells, packed our bags, and headed out with Caroline on our tour of the unique little towns in the Cotswolds.  Chipping Campden, The Slaughters and Stow-on-the-Wold were three of the delightful places we stopped on our wanderings through the countryside.  

     The Cotswolds were as idyllic as the photos indicated.  Rolling countryside, thatched roof homes and stone cottages were set in rows along country lanes.  So surreal were they, that a group of Japanese tourists were said to have walked up the path and to the door of one of these homes, fully intending to open it and take a look around inside.  It was so perfect that they thought it was a movie set!  In truth, many movie stars and musicians do own getaway cottages here.

     Thatching is an art and a challenge for anyone owning a home similar to the one on the left. They would need to redo the roof every 15-20 years, at a cost of thousands of pounds, using wheat or water reeds, held together by a wire grid.  This was used to discourage birds who love to peck at the material.  Notice the two birds where the roofs meet in the photo above.  The attention to detail and design was amazing!

  
     We had a relaxing "morning tea" with cream scones and strong milky black tea, as we sat behind this mill you see here.  The ducks swam alongside us as we chatted with Caroline.  She was a stay at home Mom who supplemented her income by taking folks on tours, sharing her extensive knowledge of the area.  She was pleasingly amenable to any suggestions we might have had.
    In Snowshill, we stopped to see the lavender fields, and pick up a few souvenirs made with the fragrant blossoms.  In Bourton on the Water, we perused the shops, including a perfumerie where Caroline had taken classes to create her own fragrance.

   While the ladies visited the porcelain shoppe, the boys found a perfect place to wander.  You can find them posing in front of this unique store.                                                          
The doorways also caught my attention, each unique in their own way.  Here are a few that I photographed:

Many Modes and Miles to Go Before We Sleep

I awoke early and began getting ready for our very full day of travel.  Allowing Mario to sleep a bit later, I was surprised to see him still snoozing after he assured me the night before that he had set his alarm.  "Mario" I called in a curt but quiet tone, so as not to awake the rest of the household, "Get up...you're late!"
He bolted upright and said with a serious but sleepy tone, "Okay, I'm on it!"  I chuckled to myself, and later, so did he when I related his morning salutation.
Since we had said farewell to the family the evening before, Jean-Luc helped us pack our bags, and then drove us to la gare (station).  He was off to a conference via the train, as we boarded the bus bound for the  Lyon airport.   EasyJet airlines would take us from there on a short flight back to London.
We said "au revoir" and recounted our wonderful memories with the Tabailloux family during our 1 1/2 trip to Lyon.  This city was the birthplace of Antoine de Saint-Exupery; author of the children's book, "Le Petit Prince,"published in 1943. Commemorating this fact, his statute was built close to the terminal.
After a lovely breakfast of croissants and cappuccino, we had an uneventful flight to Gatwick airport, where we waited for our sequence of trains that would whisk us to the Cotswolds.  The Great Western train line did not go directly to our destination, so, two stations and three trains later, we arrived at Broadway, the northern most town in this chain of quaint villages.

Hailing a cab, we took off for our B&B, "The Olive Branch", a 16th century guest house, which was voted the best in the UK during 2005.  What a lovely reception we received from David and Pam Talboys!  They have delighted guests all over the world during their time as B&B hosts...and they truly have a gift for warm hospitality, and an eye for decorating.   We felt right at home, as they helped us bring our suitcases up the narrow winding stairs to our room overlooking the cobblestone street.  Our reservation at a near by restaurant, "The Broadway Brasserie," was for six o'clock, so we freshened up and headed out.  Did I tell you that today is my birthday?  What a gift to stay in this bucolic spot!  I took the photo below to

remind me of my special day.  Our dinner was quiet, which was
welcomed after a very scheduled pace.  The food was hearty but with a gourmet appeal.  We sat at a wooden table with quite comfortable chairs.  Afterwards, we walked a bit down the street, admiring the varied stone facades fashioned long ago.
Heading to our lodging, I remembered that I had not touched base with Caroline the guide from "Tour Tailors." She would be taking us via van throughout the Cotswolds tomorrow, since it would be difficult to visit each location on our own without a vehicle.  Bus schedules were erratic, and bicycles would take too long.  We needed to be on the train back to London by 5:30pm tomorrow.
So, locating her number when we reached our B&B, Pam helped me navigate the UK phone system, and soon the arrangements were made.  We headed to our room, made a cup of tea from the supplies left for us, and tucked ourselves into bed.  We did not need to count sheep, as our surroundings lulled us to sleep.