A Day In The Cotswolds

We had an early start catching the tube to the train station to the catch the 8am Great Western train to Moreton-on-Marsh station for a day in the Cotswold area.  It was a two hour train ride and we arrived into the station to meet our guide Tim.  I was a bit hesitant after the last boring encyclopaedia guide in Belguim so i told him straight away all the places we wanted to go on the day trip.  He thought it was a bit strange that we wanted to visit the cheese shop - I thought it was strange that he'd think we wouldn't want to!

After about the first ten minutes, I realised we were going to have a fantastic day with Tim.  He would have been in his early 60's and had lived in the area all his life.  Whilst he as careful not to give us too much history - we all found ourselves asking lots of questions as it was just so interesting.  The Cotswolds is the place to be!

After the cheese shop, we drove all around the beautiful towns, starting with Moreton-On-Marsh then Chipping Campden.  I bought a cup, saucer & plate from an antique shop - I've always wanted to do this.

The advantage of having a private guide was he'd take us on backroads that you'd never know were there and tour buses can't get to.  The cottages were just the cutest houses you'd ever see - i loved all of the gardens and roses - peonies too - it was just pretty as a picture.  Kept an eye out for Kate Moss and Kate Winslet as they have houses there.

We climbed Broadway Tower - James said it was the best thing he'd done in his life? - then we visited the Cotswold Hunt Kennels to learn about the Foxhounds.  Tim asked if we would like to see his home so we swung by Snowsill to see where he lived - it was a beautiful $2 million pound 'cottage'.  I asked him if he'd ever heard of house-swapping holidays.

We then had a fantastic pub lunch and the kids tired themselves out playing ping pong in the pub garden.  Then onto Bourton-on-the-Water which is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds.  We all went through the Model Village of the town before Terry headed off to the Automotive Museum.  The kids and I went to the Dragonfly Garden Maze - we love a garden maze!  You had to find clues throughout the maze and work out the puzzle.  We kept running around and around the maze trying to work it out - I just wanted to say 'GIVE UP KIDS' but knew i had to set a good example so I kept my mouth shut!

Then Tim pulled over near a little stream and said we were going to play 'Pooh Sticks'.  We all had our specially marked stick which we put in the water in a race to see who's stick would come first under the second bridge.  Tim was the judge and James was declared the winner.  It was funny seeing the kids get so excited and laughing when Tim told James to 'blow' down the river to make his stick go faster.

The last visit was the Cotswold Falconry where we got to see flying demonstrations of birds of prey.  The guy doing the demonstrations asked if anyone would like to give it a go - the kids were not keen. Terry was first up and an owl flew up on his arm - I was really keen so I got up next.  Then Will decided he just had to do it - and last of all James got the guts.  I suppose they are really big compared to him.

Today has been the highlight of our trip so far - the area was just magical - so so so pretty - i only wish we could have spent another couple of days there.   We genuinely enjoyed Tim's company and as we left James said, 'I will really miss you Tim'.   He put us on the 6pm train back to London and he possibly sighed with relief - he would have been exhausted - that the Marlboroughs were leaving the Cotswolds!

Going off to the Cotswolds

Prettiest place I've ever seen

Small doors on the homes - the women were only 4' 10'' back when some of the houses were built

Broadway Tower

Top of the tower - bit windy!

Father and son talking towers

Gorgeous peony roses

Foxhound - cute but boy did they stink!

Ping pong at the pub

Model Village 

In the garden maze

Broughton-on-the-Water

Pooh Sticks - James wins

Falconry

Believe it or Not!

I am in love with the tube!  It is so easy to get around that even I can do it!  We headed out this morning on the tube to Piccadilly Circus to find Ripley's Believe it or Not.  It was one of those places where you wanted to turn away but you just had to keep looking.  Shrunken heads, creepy animals and statues of people born 'unique'.   I think we all cringed half the way around.  What was cool though was the laser beams and the maze of mirrors.  In the maze of mirrors at one point Terry and I got claustrophobic and wanted out but the lady made us go back in and keep looking for the exit.  Kids loved it!  Then I amused myself by pretending to be Angelina Jolie trying to make my way through laser beams without being detected.  Fail.

Then we checked out Lillywhites (five floors of sports) and Harrods (more food!) again.

When we got back I decided to head over to Speakers Corner in Hyde Park.  In my sheltered naive mind i thought I'd find some long-socked, pinstriped cap wearing Englishman discussing some lighthearted topic - how wrong could i have been!  There were about 8 different people on ladders all trying to be heard and it was all VERY religious and VERY political.  I only stayed about 15 minutes as I was one of the only women there (it kind of freaked me out) and it was just way too heavy.  One guy 'speaking' to the strong Muslim crowd was saying that anyone in London should only speak English or they should go back to their own country - the crowd was really angry with him (why oh why would you get up and say that here - there are Arabs EVERYWHERE)  Goodbye Speakers Corner - I was out of there!!

I ended up walking through Hyde Park and checked out Peter Pan and the gardens - there is a Marlborough gate which i nearly made it to but decided to turn back and so I can take the kids there another day.

Tomorrow Terry, the kids and I are off to the Cotswolds with a private guide - we have a 2 hour train ride in the morning and he will meet us at the station and take us around.  I am going to give the guide the heads up from the start that we just aren't into history - we've tried and we just aren't.  So uncultured but we don't care!  I've made a list of all the places I want him to take us - will be interesting to see how the day goes!  Look out Cotswolds - I hope you have a good nights sleep Tim Harrison - the Marlboroughs are coming!

Ripley's Believe it or Not - talking head - love Jimbo's face!

Of course - the tallest man 

The Black Hole

Lost in the Maze of Mirrors

Kids trying not to get detected by the lasers

Cruising Piccadilly

Playing photographer in Hyde Park

Peter Pan

One of the 'speakers' in Speakers Corner

A bit more Brussels then back to London

I stayed up late last night and finally saw the dark - about 11pm.  I am actually missing the dark.  We go to bed in the light and wake up in the light - it is just unusual.  Anyway, I looked out of my window at the 'Amigo Hotel' and saw the most magnificent sight I've ever seen - the town hall in the Grand Place was all lit up and was changing colours.  Simply breathtaking!

This morning we had breakfast - yes more cheese, salami and the best waffles and coffee I have ever tasted.  In Brussels it is quite acceptable to have sugar bread and cake for breakfast - this is the place for me!  We then set off to find the Antique Markets and the Royal Palace.  All the footpaths and roads are cobblestones and you kind of forget and find yourself drifting onto the road - not good!

We then went back to the shops around the Grand Place and bought some lace and Terry and I bought a couple of hats and caps.   We then had a few more chocies before heading to Midi Station to go on the Eurostar back to London.  I found it a bit hard with the language - just uncomfortable in the beginning as you kind of feel a bit rude for not being able to speak the language which was French - or Dutch once you leave Brussels and go into Ghent & Bruges - but you kind of get used to it.  The kids mastered 'merci' and 'merci beacoo' and it an experience they will never forget.  Now that we are back in London it kind of feels easy again.

Tonight we had dinner again at the Grazing Goat - our new local.  We booked a table for tomorrow night as it is Sunday Roast Day where you get a whole roast to share with yorkshire pudding and roast vegetables.  Even though we have eaten there twice they are famous for Sunday Roast Day.  I booked the table and the guy asked for our name for the reservation.  'Marlborough, as in the Duke of Marlborough' I said.  'Really?', he asked,  I said 'Yes, related to the Duke of Marlborough but one of our relatives stole a horse and ended up in Australia'.

All buggered - early night.

The view out of my hotel window

Looking for the markets

Royal Palace

One last beer

Lace shop

 Back to London on the Eurostar.

Belgium, yes it really is all beer and chocolate!

We are all full - so full of chocolate! (Will, James and I) and beer! (Terry)  Belgium has to be the most amazing country we have been to so far!

We left London on the Eurostar (travelling at 300km/hour) and in less than two hours we arrived into Midi Station in Brussels.  The weather forecast was rain for two days so I was really hoping we wouldn't get completely drenched.  We arrived at the hotel, unpacked and headed straight to the 'Grand Place' which is about 50m from our hotel.  Right on cue, the rain dried up, the clouds parted and the sun came out.  Brilliant.

Then it was on - James & Mum wanting chocolate, Will wanting strawberries, I wanted a waffle, Terry & Phil searching for a beer!  We spent the rest of the afternoon in a crazed frenzy trying as much food - and drinks - as we could - it was a lot of fun playing tourists.

Woke this morning for breakfast - cheese and salami woo hoo - then the private guide we had booked picked us up to take us to Ghent and Bruges for the day.  Sarah was like a walking encyclopaedia - Terry was certain she was the reason why we didn't have them anymore!  She could out talk me - yes really - and told us about this and that and that and this and this century and that century, who walked where, sold this, caught what - it was just a little too much for us (can you imagine the kids?) although Mum loved it.  We have worked out that too much history isn't for us!

We were certain when Sarah put us on a boat tour in the early afternoon and waved us goodbye that she wasn't going to come back for us - but she did.  Mum and I were in hysterics imaging what Sarah thought of our family. The kids had been pretty good but even Terry and I had lost interest and just wanted to look in the shops and eat.  By the end of the day I think poor Sarah wished we would have learnt more - but we had certainly learned as much as we could take!

I've added so many photos but it was such a special place I couldn't choose which ones!

Waiting for the train

Eurostar!

Yuck - a birds been hit!

Tin Tin James

Grand Place!

Beer shop!

 The beers kicked in!

So tired after a day of sightseeing - eating pizza asleep!

Another Gelato!

Our guide Sarah trying to educate everyone!

Bruges!

In hysterics - will the guide leave us?

When in Belgium, eat cheese & salami for breakfast!