The Cotswolds of England…Going Back in Timep

So while the autumn is making its way to Lucca with evening temperatures falling to  temps in the 60’s at night  and leaves fading to brown grey, we packed up and move onto Blockley.

Blockley here we come!

We make our way from Lucca to Pisa and then on to the airport. The travel to London is pleasant. It’s amazing when you are basically on the same time zone ( one hour difference) and relatively rested, the change in country is a piece of cake … or a crumpet!

We pilot our way to the car rental.

Manual stick, steering wheel on the right, drive on the left, roundabouts reverse of the US. GPS set to British directions …sounds like a breeze. We should be in Blockley in no time( well about 2 hours and just at dusk… but no worries)

The radio is set to a pop station. The DJ is taking calls to wish people happy birthday and find out what they are up to for the weekend. The songs were an eclectic mix of current pop tunes and more classic fair. The stories are a little kinder and gentler than at home. Once we are out of the main hub bub of the airport, and the rush hour traffic eases, we begin to relax a little and enjoy the easy banter on the radio.  (Along with the occasional mantra – keep left)

As we near Blockley, the “highway” reverts to country roads, barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other. The hedgerow and stone walls are beautiful in the right frame of mind. At the moment they are a little imposing…Use your outside voice… talk through, look right, stay left.. a few hairpin turns and we are there!

We are returning to Primrose Cottage. It is the stuff of fairytales-a down  the road to Grandmother’s house we go type of place . The primrose cottage is on the lovely Brook Lane.  The sidewalk narrows and outlines the brook which is the lane ( you cannot drive a car on Brook Lane). The brook then turns and sidles up to our cottage. The tumbling of the waterfall is soothing and at times thundering. The stone cottage is a honey yellow with little windows that swing open. The lane  is adorned with hillside pastures filled with sheep. (The Cotswolds were made by the luxurious wool trade from the Cotswold sheep)

We enjoy settling in and reacquainting ourselves with Blockley. As you motor up the hill past the bowling green towards the Village of Blockley you cannot help but breathe deeply and sigh contentedly. The essence of Blockley is all within reach. The little  co-op store (4 short aisles) has everything you could want, fresh meat, local produce, fresh baked goods, wine and beer, a variety of newspapers and magazines, and toilet paper. The beautiful church and the picturesque churchyard with a graveyard from the 1500-current day which can be seen on the Father Brown PBS series is here. The walk from High St where we wedge the car into a spot tightly along the road and then walk down the little hill to Brook Lane, the skeleton key that locks the Dutch door to the patio, the mournful cooing of the doves are all welcome facets of  life in Blockley. It is the manifestation of a peaceful little English village. Even a forecast of a week of rain will not dampen our spirits.

Tomorrow we will meet our friends Bob and Elaine at the train station and introduce them to the charm of the Cotswolds.

We picked up Bob and Elaine at the train station in Morton in Marsh.

Morton in Marsh… the name alone conjures a picture of a quintessential English  village . It is a Main Street lined with tiny  shops ( or should I say shoppes). The Cotswold cheese shop, the various tea, gifts and specialty shops line the road. We picked up some cherry port jam to go with the cheeses we had previously purchased. We drove over to the railroad station, parked the car and made our way  the track to await their arrival.

We have been on a lot of trains during this trip. We were very impressed with the efficiency of the Italian trains. They were generally on time and comfortable. The English train system was a little different and left us trying to figure out our friends’ arrival. Their train set to arrive at 1:00 was delayed due to train failure…

At 2:20 they arrive in good spirits but a little tired.

 

We are buoyed by their enthusiasm for the lovely are of the Cotswolds.

The forecast for rain has neither been wrong nor been accurate, but we have found our ray of sunshine in each day.

We have found the people here to be warm and welcoming, eager to share a story and a recommendation for places to see. We have continued our quest to immerse ourselves in the community, and although we missed the Blockley movie night ( a public showing of a movie in the community hall- snacks available) we were welcomed to coffee and snacks after church at the Harvest festival on Sunday morning. We were facing a showery day, so we decided to drive to the Upton Manor House in Warwickshire,

a country estate with beautiful gardens, and Lord Bearsted’s amazing art collection. The National Trust is hosting a exhibit in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery to highlight the champions of environmental preservation. Docents as well as visitors shared their knowledge and stories. The gardens are extensive. The asters are in bloom setting rows of purple along the garden hedges. Still summer remnants of dahlias, roses, fuchsia, and morning glories provide a surprise around each corner. Just when we thought we had seen it all, the rows of vegetables appear.  Sheep on the distant hill, ducks in the pond below… the well manicured drive and walk way in turned our short afternoon stay into a wonderful full day of exploring. Not bad for a rainy day ( with lots of sunny moments).