Before heading south we nipped back into York for a final wander around the Wall, on another glorious autumn day. We also scored something quite unexpected. Courtesy of the need for me to find a toilet, limited parking time and a shortcut that turned into a longcut I found myself running through the wrong part of a lawned garden. There was an impressive number of squirrels here, totally unconcerned about people, and as I was glancing at them I noticed a squirrel that looked a bit different. As I glanced again I realised that not only was it a different squirrel it wasn't even a squirrel at all. It was a hedgehog! There followed a mad dash back to the car, dropping my jacket along the way (a nice lady retrieved it for me), a quick coercion of Kate because we were overdue on the parking, and we both ran back to check it out. It was still there. So cool. So damn cool.
Then on to Ilmington, in the Cotswolds, where we'd booked a B&B. Suffice to say, the B&B totally lived up to expectations - great room, including spa, great breakfasts, totally charming. We spent two nights there and used it as a base to explore the Cotswolds.
On the way we'd dropped into Stratford-Upon-Avon for the afternoon - the weather still sunny and warm. We had a great time wandering the streets and checking out some of the old houses Shakespeare was associated with. That night we had a delicious meal at the local pub/restaurant.
The next day we devoted to visiting the small villages around the Cotswolds. It would take far too long to describe them in detail - take it as read that they were everything we could have hoped for, and still the weather was kind. The shopping list of villages we visited was: Chipping Campden , Broadway, the Slaughters (yep, they've named two towns Upper and Lower Slaughter - thus the Slaughters - gotta love the British - Lower Slaughter was just about the perfect village), Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Norton (which was the only one we didn't think much of) and Morton-in-Marsh. In Morton we bought some great antipasto, which we ate on returning that night.
And, so to today - our last day. But because our flight was leaving so late, we still managed to pack plenty into it. In the morning we visited three more charming villages, Bourton-on-the-Water (situated on this really charming stream, thus the name), Northleach and Burford. Then, because enough is never enough, we spent the afternoon in Oxford, which really is a freakin' awesome place. So many amazing buildings that half the time you don't even know what you're looking at.
We got one final surprise when our eldest son Tim, turned up at the airport to farewell us. One of the great, great things of this holiday is how much time we did get to spend with Tim and Michael. We really appreciated the time they gave us.
Now, here I am at Heathrow typing this last entry. We saw so much, it's hard to believe. We also learned plenty too. Like, don't worry about road signs in Ireland, just go with the flow. And no road is so narrow that you can't fit a bl00dy great tractor down it. And if you find yourself moving freely down an English road don't get worried, the truck will be there in front of you around the next corner. Oh, and always have loose change on you in England - chances are you'll need it for parking, for bus fares or to take a pee (and you'll need a good range of coins because you never know what they'll charge). That sometimes you just get surprised by things (like finding yourself near Hadrian's Wall, completed with rude roman carvings - or the unexpected appearance of hedgehogs). That a Peter and Janice (and family) were great and kind company. That beer over here really is much better than Australian beer. That everybody is nice, generous and courteous. That you can have just too many full English breakfasts (the body simply isn't designed to confront that much bacon). That people over here have heard of Tony Abbott, and it's pretty clear that they all reckon he's a knob.
But most of all, that travel is brilliant (especially when seeing family and friends) - and coming home isn't too bad either.
Then on to Ilmington, in the Cotswolds, where we'd booked a B&B. Suffice to say, the B&B totally lived up to expectations - great room, including spa, great breakfasts, totally charming. We spent two nights there and used it as a base to explore the Cotswolds.
On the way we'd dropped into Stratford-Upon-Avon for the afternoon - the weather still sunny and warm. We had a great time wandering the streets and checking out some of the old houses Shakespeare was associated with. That night we had a delicious meal at the local pub/restaurant.
The next day we devoted to visiting the small villages around the Cotswolds. It would take far too long to describe them in detail - take it as read that they were everything we could have hoped for, and still the weather was kind. The shopping list of villages we visited was: Chipping Campden , Broadway, the Slaughters (yep, they've named two towns Upper and Lower Slaughter - thus the Slaughters - gotta love the British - Lower Slaughter was just about the perfect village), Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Norton (which was the only one we didn't think much of) and Morton-in-Marsh. In Morton we bought some great antipasto, which we ate on returning that night.
And, so to today - our last day. But because our flight was leaving so late, we still managed to pack plenty into it. In the morning we visited three more charming villages, Bourton-on-the-Water (situated on this really charming stream, thus the name), Northleach and Burford. Then, because enough is never enough, we spent the afternoon in Oxford, which really is a freakin' awesome place. So many amazing buildings that half the time you don't even know what you're looking at.
We got one final surprise when our eldest son Tim, turned up at the airport to farewell us. One of the great, great things of this holiday is how much time we did get to spend with Tim and Michael. We really appreciated the time they gave us.
Now, here I am at Heathrow typing this last entry. We saw so much, it's hard to believe. We also learned plenty too. Like, don't worry about road signs in Ireland, just go with the flow. And no road is so narrow that you can't fit a bl00dy great tractor down it. And if you find yourself moving freely down an English road don't get worried, the truck will be there in front of you around the next corner. Oh, and always have loose change on you in England - chances are you'll need it for parking, for bus fares or to take a pee (and you'll need a good range of coins because you never know what they'll charge). That sometimes you just get surprised by things (like finding yourself near Hadrian's Wall, completed with rude roman carvings - or the unexpected appearance of hedgehogs). That a Peter and Janice (and family) were great and kind company. That beer over here really is much better than Australian beer. That everybody is nice, generous and courteous. That you can have just too many full English breakfasts (the body simply isn't designed to confront that much bacon). That people over here have heard of Tony Abbott, and it's pretty clear that they all reckon he's a knob.
But most of all, that travel is brilliant (especially when seeing family and friends) - and coming home isn't too bad either.