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…
We squeezed into Winchcombe’s narrow streets, learning to pull over in a drive or onto a sidewalk, so another car can pass. Then almost suddenly, the buildings fall away. The road opens. Fields stretch toward the horizon. Hedgerows line the lanes. Rolling hills appear in the distance. We have left the village behind. Then we…
Stow on the Wold in the Cotswolds A new world emerges. Fairstow, our Airbnb is across the main street from Stow On The Wold in a private square. Quiet, secluded yet less than a 10 minute walk into Stow. Rolling hills stretch across the landscape, families are walking and playing with their sheepdogs in the…
The Cotswolds Day 6 Lower Slaughter is the home place of so many postcards. I decided to take an Uber this morning. The Cotswold villages can become crowded, and driving and parking can be uncertain at best. It was, in retrospect, the best decision. I could simply sit back and watch the Cotswold villages emerge…
Bourton-on-the-Water A Different Perspective On The Cotswolds Bourton-on-the-Water is a historic village located in the Cotswolds, renowned for its honey-coloured stone architecture and photographic beauty. The river Windrush flows through the center of the village. Rather than the familiar photographic standards, I look for quieter details—the water, textures, architecture, and traces of village life. Bourton…
The Journey Takes on a Different Feel Driving the Wye Valley — A Very Different Landscape from the Cotswolds We began the next leg of our journey with a drive from the Cotswolds to Cardiff, where we would return our rental car and continue our venture into Wales. Founded in 1131, Tintern Abbey was once…
Before departing for Goodwick / Fishguard, Wales for the ferry to Ireland, we have a couple of hours to explore. We stored our luggage near the train station and made our way to Cardiff Castle. In the middle of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, lies an incredibly immense property encompassing the castle itself The grounds…
Getting to Fishguard, however, turned into an adventure of its own. At the station, we were given some unfortunate advice about which train to take and found ourselves having to change our plans. Instead of traveling directly toward Fishguard, we took a later train to Swansea and then transferred to a bus for the final…
A night in Wales After a long travel day — and a rather unexpected change of plans — we finally arrived in Goodwick, where the little harbor town beside Fishguard would be our home for the evening before the ferry to Ireland the following afternoon. We were especially glad to have arrived. By the time…
Today we go to Ireland Leaving Wales & England, The Heart Of Our Journey Begins The Glendower hotel proprietor is a bit testy with a curious grin, as if testing our wit. Almost as if demanded, we replied with a hint of sarcastic humor. His response was rewarding. He called for a taxi and we…