Let's go to England!

At the end of June, the beautiful clematis was in full bloom

We stayed out in The Cotswolds in a village, now apparently a small town,
called Charlbury where my dad lived as a child.

After a day or two in London, I'm really happy to get out into the country
and to a place where I feel I have some roots
even though I have never actually lived here
I feel great affinity each time I visit, almost every year.

Don't you just love the atmosphere?
The stonework is so lovely and typical of the area
thanks to the beautiful Cotswold stone.

As the stones age, they take on a more greyish hue which hides
their original honey-colour.

I travelled with my son this year and we were not blessed with sunny, dry weather
However, early mornings were always dry and sunny and that is when I went
on my long walks.

Don't you love this very early morning deep blue sky when the birds,
I think they may have been starlings, flew across the sky in noisy excited flocks!

Sometimes they settled on the rooftops and that was my cue to get dressed
and outside to breathe in some country air and go for long walks with my camera.

We stayed at the very lovely Bull Inn.
It's a place I've stayed in many times, but now there is new
ownership of a young, dynamic and friendly team.
There have been many transformations and we stayed in beautiful
new refurbished rooms decorated comfortably and creatively.
I can recommend the very good meals served there as well.

Looking through the bathroom area of my room onto a terrace
where drinks and food are served.

The same window seen from outside

My open bedroom window.
The bed was huge and so comfortable.

The vines growing in front of the window
provided a beautiful spectacle after the rain.

but let's go for a walk

past a red door with matching geraniums

through the churchyard

and beyond

I even passed the house where my dad used to live with his parents and sister.
I love how the poppies grow randomly between the house and the path.

I'm going the long way round to the cemetery
where I can take some flowers to the family grave of
my grandparents and my dad.

Here's the entrance

and the graveyard has such  a peaceful atmosphere
as the first rays of sunlight caress the tombstones on my early morning visit.

If you're not tired yet, we can walk another way back.
The lavender is in full bloom and the bees are waking up.

A row of houses and climbing roses.

A red letter box in a wall of the corner house next to the church

Milk bottles delivered at home.
Now that reminds me of my childhood!

We'll turn back at the crossroads

and admire hollyhocks against blue painted doors

A five-bar gate leading to green pastures

We're nearly there...

Here's the clematis again - looking fresh and vibrant after the rain.

***
I wanted to make a collage which represents the very essence of England as I know it


I hope you enjoyed this very long walk,
I think it's time to stop and have breakfast now.
Don't you?
How about brioche French toast with bacon and maple syrup?
Coffee made in a cafetiere
served by friendly and smiling staff.
That's what I had at the inn
and mighty tasty it was too!

***

Link to The Bull Inn



34 comments

  1. How lovely Sandra, I remember the milk delivered at home also when I was a child but alas not in such a cute container as this one with the hearts. So happy for you and your visit to this place. Hope your summer is treating you well and it looks like it is.

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    1. Isn't it lovely to see the things we used to see when we were children. It's like going back in time! I love going back to this area. It's interesting how we are attracted to our roots, and those of our families, as the years go by!

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  2. It all looks so wonderful.
    I would love to stroll there.
    Yes, I do love the stonework.
    Looks like a lovely place to stay and how wonderful that you and your son shared this trip.

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    1. Yes, it was lovely to spend a few days with my son who lives abroad. Also wonderful to stay in the place which contains the energy of my family's roots.

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  3. What a wonderful trip for you, Sandra.
    All of the flowers are so pretty, and I especially love your photographs of the windows.
    Just beautiful.

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    1. Yes, it really was, Lisa! There was just a little more rain than we would have liked, but we still got some good early morning walking in before the rain came!

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  4. So beautiful - I love the Cotswolds, doesn't everyone, just so quintessentially English - beautiful houses, beautiful countryside, beautiful photographs - I don't know when this visit was, but we haven't had any rain for quite a while now, most unusual for the UK.

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    1. This visit was just three weeks ago, Elaine. It was wet and windy and cold for the season. I saw how hot it became recently which echoes our own temperatures here with a tendency to high humidity and thunderstorms.

      Yes, I agree that the Cotswolds have lots of charm. Thank you for visiting with me here!

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  5. A lovely remembrance of a clearly beautiful place. I walked the entire Cotswold Way a couple of years ago.

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    1. Thank you, George. How wonderful to walk the entire Cotswold Way not too long ago. That must have been simply wonderful! I've often wondered how long that takes.

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    2. The Cotswold Way is about 100 miles in length, as I recall, and you can arrange a walk as fast or as slow as you want. I think I took about eight days. In any event, if you want to see my photographic journal of the walk, you can go to my blog, check the labels in the sidebar, and simply click on "Cotswold Way."

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  6. I love when tiny flowers break through stone!

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    1. Me too, Sandi. The force of nature knows no limits!

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  7. What a lovely walk in the Cotswolds with you! Thank you.

    Right . . . you've made me hungry now . . . I'm off for a fry up - not having friendly staff to serve me brioche etc!!!!!

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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    1. Glad you came on that long walk with me! I love long walks before breakfast in the summer months. I'm going to try out that brioche French toast recipe here. It was so scrumptious!

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  8. I am so grateful that you took me for a long walk in Cotswold! You definitely captured the essence of this wonderful area. So many of the things that catch your eye would also be things I would be drawn to. The lovely windows (love the blue one at the inn), doors, gates, rock walls, cemeteries, and pathways they are among my favorites things to photograph! I wish one day we could walk side by side and enjoy the peacefulness of this beautiful country!

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    1. The Cotswolds in England is really a lovely area, Cathy and I just love to visit and visit old haunts from when I lived in England. I feel you would really like it there!

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  9. Oh, I love the English countryside and miss it so much. Your photos are just gorgeous.

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    1. I miss it too, despite the beauty of this country! I go back and visit most years and enjoy it every single time!

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  10. Loved all the sights you shared and what a fabulous inn to stay at. I would stay there if we were visiting.

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    1. Thanks Sarah. This is such a lovely part of the world to visit and very close to my heart as it's part of my childhood and formative years!

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  11. Such rich heritage and beauty your images reveal. All so lovely! P.S. I'm not sure why my blog photos do not appear right on your computer. I'm not much of a 'technical' person!

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    1. Thank you for your kind visit, Karen!
      I haven't yet understood why some blogs appear too big for the frame from which I look at them on my computer. There is some sort of incompatibility going on. I will let you know if I find the solution-

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  12. What a beautiful and very charming area and how nice to travel with your son! Everything looks so lush and green there...we could use some rain here in Massachusetts, it's been terribly dry. Thank you for this lovely walk, I'm definitely ready for that breakfast now!

    Trying to catch up on my blog reading, been so busy with projects, I haven't had much time. Please forgive me :)

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    1. So nice to have you visit, Susan! Yes, everything is really very green in England - especially since the rain was so generous during our stay.
      It sounds as if you have some exciting projects on the go!

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  13. The English countryside is so charming! We were in the Cotswolds about 15 years ago-- it really is like stepping back into another era. I enjoyed seeing some of your lovely images on Flickr, but it's more enjoyable to see them all here with your narration. Such beautiful gates, doors, and windows. My favorite is the simple stone wall with the flowers in front. Thanks for taking us along!

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    1. How lovely that you visited The Cotswolds some years ago, Gina. I do love those stone walls too, especially when flowers grown in-between the spaces! Thank you for visiting.

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  14. Hi, I love your blog and photography. I came over from 'What Karen Sees'. I will be back. I have a niece , who lives in the Cotswolds and my husband comes from Switzerland. I came over to tell you that to make Karen's blog fit the screen I click on the Zoom in Zoom out icon that I have on my navigation bar. it looks like 'Aa" but I have an Apple computer.

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    1. Hi Diane, How nice to get your visit through Karen's blog. Thank you for your friendling comment! What a coincidence that you have a niece who lives in The Cotswolds and your husband is Swiss!
      I shall try and look at Karen's blog and see if I can zoom in and out as you suggest. I don't have an Apple computer.

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  15. I loved every photo on this post. I'm Asian and I only see old English architecture, well in movies set in the old times. I have a penchant for lovely English villages as well as the great stonework, the pastel-colored windows, the chimneys, that inn, the milk bottles in these photos. I wish they still make houses like these. And I was hoping, while reading this that you got to keep your dad's old house. It must be nice to have a place back to your hometown where you can stay for vacations like this one.

    You have a pretty picturesque hometown and I'm glad I found you on the August Break link-up. I had to show this post to my significant other as now, I think I want to have an old English inspired house more than I want a Santorini style house. Thank you for sharing your trip with all of us Sandra. This post gives me the warm fuzzies inside. :)

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    1. So glad you liked the style of the English houses in this blog entry. Thank you for visiting and for leaving a comment! I shall see you in the August Break link-up which will soon be starting.

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  16. I enjoyed the long walk very much. I live in England and you have introduced me to a place I have not visited. Yet...

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    1. Well now you have an excuse to visit that part of England! It's where my dad's family comes from. I like to go back and visit when I can.

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  17. What a gorgeous walk! I love the places I get to "visit" through your lovely posts!!
    Kate :}

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