The Cotswolds,

Where England Turns Golden

The Mini and the Cotswold Roads

At Cheltenham Spa, we collect our Mini Countryman from Enterprise and begin our first real adventure, driving in England.

For Americans accustomed to driving on the right, everything is reversed. Fortunately the brake & gas pedals are not reversed. We were advised to rent small cars with automatic transmissions, excellent advise. The steering wheel is on the other side, roundabouts appear everywhere, and the roads are surprisingly narrow.

We never hit a moving vehicle, with white knuckles & my nose 14” from the windshield. We did, however, kiss a few curbs on the left, as I was repeatedly reminded.

We’ll call that “part of the “experience”.

Our destination is Stow-on-the-Wold, but we took a wrong turn, directly into Winchcombe, where the Cotswolds suddenly come alive.

The streets narrow. Stone walls rise beside us. Honey-colored cottages appear around every corner. Cars pull onto the sidewalk so another can pass.

We immediately find a small parking lot beside a charming restaurant and stop for lunch.

The food is more like country cooking but excellent. A refreshing break from the refined restaurants of London. The service outstanding, yet more personal in a relaxed way.

Still fish & Chips.

We feel like we have escaped the bustle of the city.

And for an hour, we forgot about driving.