The baths in Bath

The eyes of Minerva, goddess of the hot springs, followed along as I explored in awe the well-preserved and well-explained remains of this ancient spa.

Stonehenge

Yes, it's really there - right out in the middle of a large expanse of fields - right there to see and marvel upon. Right there.

Charmed by the Cotswolds

What a delightful peek at the English countryside! I loved my visit to the Cotswolds yesterday, traveling not too far from Bath over rolling hills filled with canola plants in brilliant yellow bloom and into gentle valleys with drippingly picturesque, tranquil little villages. These towns have grown prettier through the centuries by using their own local honey-colored limestone to build humble cottages as well as large churches and manor homes. They’re also characterized by their limestone slate roofs – not thatched as I had thought.

True to their name, this area was replete with “cots” (sheep) and “wolds” (rolling hills), yet the sheep are no longer used as the basis for a robust wool industry – another misconception on my part. In fact, I learned that not much wool is made in the Cotswolds these days. And frankly I don’t even want to mention what the baby sheep are now primarily used for.



Castle Combe, once voted “the prettiest little village in England,” (and where Dr. Dolittle was filmed with Rex Harrison), was just one of our many stops and drive-throughs. Enjoyed Badminton (yes, it was invented there at the manor house), Malmesbury (Dyson vacuum cleaners invented here!), Cirencester, and Bibury (with its frequently photographed – I didn’t disappoint! - Arlington Row houses), nestled along the River Coln.

We “carried on” (words of our English driver) through Winson, Northleach, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Bourton, and Tetbury where I peeked into a little shop called High Grove, owned by Prince Charles. The High Grove estate itself was just down the road, with over 300 acres of organic farming.

 
 

Made it to Bath

Well, here I am! The plane trip was smooth, Heathrow was more manageable than anticipated, and the bus through the English countryside to get to Bath was uneventful even though I didn't have a good sense of where I was going. Once I arrived in this surprisingly bustling town, I had to figure out where my B&B was in relation to the bus station, which eneded up being another adventure.

But now I'm settled into these very lovely accommodations in someone's home, with two rooms of my own, looking out over The Assembly Rooms , a famous site in Bath. Crisp fresh inviting linens, a closet and bathroom with heated towel rails, sweet English amenities - and she just brought me a tray of tea!

I'm trying to shake the fatigue so I can go out exploring tonight.

One More Day . . .

Today I'm rather leisurely attacking my final "To Do" list, most of it somehow making use of technology of one sort or another.

Let's see: Access maps and information for sites in England, arrange flights and check in with airline, make a train reservation, figure out bus schedules, pay bills, send vacation hold for mail and newspapers, finish creating this blog (all online); send itinerary to family, make arrangements for seeing nieces and friends (e-mail and Facebook); recharge batteries for cell phone, camera, and laptop . . .

How did they do all of this twenty or thirty years ago? I guess people got information and arranged plans over the phone and with travel books (both of which I also used), they didn't have little gadgets that needed charged batteries, and they sent postcards instead of writing a blog or sending e-mails. Well, there may be a few postcards, but I hope you like the blog!

Notice I said "they." A trip like this wasn't even close to being on my radar twenty or thirty years ago during my happy, fulfilling days of mothering little ones! Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Packing

Getting ready to travel across the ocean again - back to enchanting England, another dream of a trip. This Sunday I'll leave late at night from Chicago and wake up on Monday in London! I do love the way that works!

I want to pack lightly and simply but so far, well, wanna guess how that's working? I unpack when it won't all fit and rethink the number and nature of my clothes. Will it rain every day again? Will it be cool? Will it be warm? The only thing I do know is that when the plane leaves, my packed bag and I will be on it!