Fantastical Cotswolds

Dream House

Broadway Tower

As one last 'hurrah' (although I am sure we said the same about Paris) we drove to the Cotswolds and spent two nights in Chipping Campden. We stayed in a great B&B on the high street which really made the trip. Most of the buildings in Chipping Campden- as well as other nearby villages- are made from old Cotswold stone, giving them a weathered and golden look. I loved the architecture of the town, in particular the tall, simple, abundantly windowed buildings made even better with ivy growing across them.

On our first day we visited our great-grandmother in Devizes for lunch at The Bear. It was great to see her but sad to say goodbye after being in such close proximity this year. On the way to Chipping Campden we stopped in the village of Calne, where Dad grew up, to see his old house and where he went to primary school etc. which was really fun. Once in Chipping Campden we explored the town and church a bit before going out to dinner (Greek food). We kept remarking that it was like fairytale land- most of the doors are very short and you have to duck to enter them and all of the buildings and streets are so neatly manicured and well kept and yet still have the original stone and thatched roofs. Mixed with the melancholy feeling of leaving England in just a few days and the incomparable scenery, the whole trip was somewhat bittersweet.

After a huge English breakfast on Day #2, we set off on a loop walk from the high street. It was a beautiful countryside walk, through fields of lambs and horses and roads of thatched roof houses, but was made more amusing by taking the B&B's two dogs Inky and Pip on the walk with us. Franny has decided that she is going to get a dog of her own one day; I am fine with cats.

On our way home to London we stopped to see the village of Broadway and its tower. It was a great getaway and the perfect distraction from the inevitable packing up and goodbyes currently happening over here.