The Cotswolds {British Adventure}

I was really looking forward to this part of the trip... I had visited the Cotswolds years ago, when we lived in London, and I was beyond excited to come back and see more...!! It is, truly, the epitome of English country and a place I could see myself moving to without skipping a beat!! We found ourselves first in Stow-on-the-Wold, a charming medieval market village with delightfully rustic stone buildings...

  

I looked at my checkbook, but, alas, couldn't afford this little beauty...!!

There were lots of antique stores to browse through, but the prices were too high for us thrifty girls!!

I think I have found my next dream vacation spot... You can rent this little beauty weekly, I couldn't resist looking online, it looks absolutely dreamy inside (here's the link)!!

But this sweet cottage was, by far my favorite... Straight out of a storybook...!!!

The entryways... Oh, the entryways!!!

The Royalist Hotel is the oldest hotel in England, it dates from 947 AD!!

Just a few minutes drive from Stow is Broadway, a charming village often referred to as "the jewel of the Cotswolds". The name comes from their "broad way" (called High Street), lined by red chestnut trees and gorgeous ancient honey-colored limestone buildings.

A local man told us about this church just a few minutes up the hill... He said they had filmed parts of  "Four Weddings and a Funeral" there. That's how we ended up in Snowshill, a tiny village with a beautiful church and breathtaking curb appeal... 

I think on my next visit I will follow this "Cotswolds Romantic Road" route, it sounds absolutely wonderful!!

Finally, we made our way to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare (and one of the most important tourist destinations in England)

The gorgeous Avon river

Shakespeare's birth home

I know, this was a really long post (and I left much more out!)... It was all soooo pretty, I just couldn't help myself!!! I feel like the neighbor who invites you over for dinner then sits you down for an hour-long slide show of their latest travels...!!

My last post will include snapshots of our weekend stay in London (with a quick previous stop in Buxton and the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester - to pick up my daughter...). I hope you will visit me again soon!