Weirdly, considering I’m obsessed with the quaint,
olde-worlde English countryside (York and Cornwall, to name some of my favs) I’d
never been to the Cotswolds before – ignoring a very fleeting visit when we
went to visit friends in Oxford, and anything that happened when I was five
that I can’t remember (I can hear my mum saying ‘we’ve been to the Cotswolds
FIVE TIMES!’ but I’m sorry, if you don’t remember it, it doesn’t count!) My
husband got a new job and so, with a little bit of holiday to use up, we decided
a weekend away was in order. Just us, a little cottage in Chipping Campden, a pile
of books and a list of calorific things to eat as long as my arm.
Our cottage was perfectly placed within Chipping Campden, a
tiny little village near Stratford-upon-Avon. We spent our afternoon exploring the village,
drinking tea in a tiny tea room with a malfunctioning chimney that resulted in all
our clothes smelling like a bonfire, and locating a Tesco, where we purchased
dinner supplies.
A night in, reading our books in quiet companionship, with
fajitas and wine. Perfection. Although when I realised we were both reading
books about the financial crisis, I did have to pause and comment on what losers
we both are!
On Saturday, I made a gigantic breakfast. How much do you
want one these in your own house?
After eating, we visited the nearby village of
Bourton-on-the-Water. One of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, it
was relatively busy with tourists and cute dogs and kids. We went on a walk
using a guidebook from 2003, promptly got immediately lost, accidentally adopted
a greyhound, and got suitably covered in mud.
Before retiring gratefully to another tea room, where I continued
my eating with a huge scone, clotted cream, and jam. The question is – which do
you apply first?
I’m a cream first kinda girl. Messier, but it’s who I am.
We had planned to go and visit the model village, but on the
way, we came across a maze. Two hours later, laughing hysterically but freezing
cold, we managed to get out! There wasn’t time for the maze – we picked up some
presents and headed back to our cottage.
Where we showered off the mud and made ourselves slightly more
presentable for dinner at a local pub, the Eight Bells. This is one of those
properly traditional English pubs that you just don’t see around much anymore.
Not a gastro pub, not cheap and horrible either – just good, decently priced
pub food. We enjoyed everything, although especially this sticky toffee pudding,
drowning in caramel sauce.
On Sunday Ian, who is marathon training, went for a long run
along the river. I went for a MUCH shorter run around the block, then had a
long shower and sat out in the sun reading my book – The Big Short, which
incidentally is brilliant and properly explains the credit crunch (although I
have to keep stopping and getting Ian to explain bits to me!) I managed to get
up for long enough to make a decent spread for lunch…
Smoked cheese from the local deli, sausages and eggs and chorizo,
tiger loaf bread, bagels, cream cheese, and crisps. Lunch of kings.
We ate and then went to Stratford-upon-Avon and saw
Shakespeare’s house, which was a bit underwhelming actually, before returning
to visit several pubs, all which were terrible – like the pubs that time forgot
– but we had enough wine, there were open fires and I won a game of Scrabble and ate mozzarella
sticks, so I was pretty contented.
On Monday we woke up to perfect sunshine. Ate one last
breakfast (finishing the bagels in bed) before packing to head home, via the
spa.
We visited the MacDonald
Alverston Spa in Stratford-upon-Avon, and – well – as a day spa I can’t
recommend it. There isn’t a Jacuzzi, the swimming pool reminded me of a local
leisure centre, and the staff, in all honesty, were absolutely hopeless. But my
deep tissue massage was incredible, lunch was lovely, and I was left feeling
extremely relaxed as we headed home!
I fully recommend a little weekend away in the great British
countryside. Have you been to the Cotswolds? What did you think?
It sounds like you had a lovely time, your photos are great! The sticky toffee pudding looks so yummy :)
ReplyDeleteCarolyn x
Carolyn’s Simple Life