Even if I get it back though, today was a terrible day to not have a camera. The Cotswolds are so picturesque. Everything here is so old and impossible to recreate. With that said, I'm mad I can't show you what I saw. I got a few postcards, but the photographers who put them together suck. I'll try and post pictures that other people have taken to give you an idea- but just believe me when I say that as good as it might look in these pictures, it was way better.
Usually I blog to keep track of everything that's running through my head, or just to relax. The thing about the Cotswolds though, is it's so damn relaxing I don't feel compelled to write at all- but there's a lot to say. I could literally just sit and do nothing here. Which- coming from me, is saying something.
First off- what are the Cotswolds? I came here with the idea that it's a village of really old, rustic-looking cottages with thatched roofs. That's half-true. In reality, the Cotswolds are more of a region in southwestern England, consisting of many little towns and villages such as Stratford-upon-Avon (where Shakespeare lived with Anne Hathaway), Gloucester, Stow-on-the-Wold, and The Slaughters.
My hotel is in Kingham, a very small village situated close to Stow-On-The-Wold and The Slaughters. It is also a 25 minute walk from Kingham train station, not 10 minutes like google maps said. So when I was pushing my weight in luggage down a 2 lane street with no sidewalk, I was thrilled when someone stopped to offer me a ride. We got to talking and when she dropped me off she also offered to pick me up again the next day and show me some nearby towns. I was a little taken aback. It was incredibly nice for her to pick me up in the first place, but to play tour guide to me the next day just to be nice? I couldn't believe my luck. I didn't want to take advantage of anyone, and I certainly don't like feeling indebted to somebody- but I couldn't pass this up. After all, I generally don't like doing touristy stuff. I'd much rather learn about what the natives find interesting.
So today I gave her a ring and she picked me up. First, she showed me her house, which was absolutely gorgeous! They have wild doves on their property, and get this- not just a bird house, but a "dove house". It's much taller and larger. I'm not sure how many acres her and her husband have, but they rent out to some farmers nearby. We went to a small church down the street, I'm not sure how old it was, but it was super old. It was unlocked surprisingly, and I got a peek inside. Let me tell you, yesterday was a terrible day to have left my camera on the train.
Then we drove to Stow-on-the-Wold (locals call it "Stow") which is a quaint little town with lots of cute shops. I hear that Kate Winslet also has a house there.
When we got back, Ursula introduced me to her friend Penny, who lives on her parents' mill down the road. Next thing I know, I'm going over to Penny's place. She rides in horse shows doing dressage, jumping, and cross country so the first thing we did was see her 3 horses! One was due to have a foal in 2 months. They were so pretty, I really miss riding and being around horses. Then we checked out the mill- which isn't still working. They took the slats out of the wheel so it's not constantly turning, but the river is still rigged so it could dam the river it they want it to. Then she showed me inside and I met her Dad, who was adorably "English." Dad- these doors they have here, holy crap. You'd be standing in the doorway for hours. Soooo cool. The ancient front door to their house is the kind that has a latch you lift up to open.
Their fireplace is probably 5ft wide and 4 ft tall- you could floo powder a whole family out of that thing! I believe they'd call it a "hearth." These old houses are insane. It's these tiny details that blew my mind. You just don't see that stuff anywhere.
Today was a bit of a hands-on course in The Cotswolds, here's what I learned:
Holy shit it's expensive here. I mean, REALLY expensive. At first glance, everything looks a bit run down, but that's only because it's all hundreds (if not thousands...) of years old! On the contrary, everything is incredibly well maintained. People take great pride in what they have here, and they have a lot.
Before I came here I was told that the Codswolds are "posh" and I suppose they are. A lot of wealthy people retire out here, and some of the rich and famous own homes here as well. However, this has been an area of wealth for some time. The rolling hills are filled with grazing sheep, and the sheep are initially what got the area going. The wool manufactured here made its residents quite wealthy hundreds of years ago.
The Cotswolds are famous for their drystone walls, which were initially built to keep the sheep in. These walls, which are built without cement, have lasted for hundreds of years and are now built just for show (like Ursula added around her garden). However, they are VERY expensive, because each stone has to fit just right in order to stay in place. It takes a lot of time and patience to build these walls which line the homes and grounds of each Cotswold town.
Hmmm, what else did I learn? I can't think of anything right now. I'm so happy to have had the first full night's sleep in almost a week. I'm starting to not look like a zombie anymore, so that's good. I skyped the parents the night before I ran off to the Cotswolds and they were laughing at how bad I looked, which is kind of embarrassing. Ursula asked me what year I was at uni (University) but before I could answer she guessed freshman. -I don't think I've found the fountain of youth while I'm here, and I'm certainly not so well rested that I'm starting to experience age defying miracles. It's time to face the facts. I look young for my age. (Which I don't like.) But for the sake of being pragmatic, if I'm gonna look like a freshman I might as well not look like a freshman zombie. So here's to health.
Speaking of health. My 90% veggie diet has switched to a 90% bread diet. I eat bread ALL THE TIME! Croissants, rustic bread, scones, dinner rolls... omg it's everywhere! And I'm lovin it. The stomach pouch is back though. Oh well, what do I care. I stopped wearing tight clothes like a year ago, right? I'd better stop it soon though or it's going to get really bad. Oh, and tea, that's another problem. I just had 5 cups while writing this blog. That probably means too much blogging AND too much tea.
Whatever, I'll return to a life of moderation after the Cotswolds. The bathroom in my hotel room has a tub with a window next to it overlooking the countryside and I'm due for at least 2 more soaks before I leave.
P.S. As I finished writing this the sun was setting and it was raining a little bit, and a huge rainbow popped up over the nearby countryside. Gorgeous. God I wish I had my camera.
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