Dinner last night was fabulous. The Manor has a wonderful restaurant. I was disheartened however, to find that the breakfast did not include a delicious serving of baked beans. However, I was delighted to enjoy a pain au chocolat. I must confess to sleeping in this morning as it was cold and rainy.
I awoke around 11:00 AM to find the sun coming out, and we were off to see the Broadway Tower, a peculiar folly completed in 1799 as part of the Springhill Estate for the 6th Earl of Coventry. The tower juts from the rolling hillside of the British country. Deer and sheep were everywhere. In fact, suddenly, without warning, all of the hundreds of sheep began bleating and running off to lunch. I had never heard such a sound.
The view from the tower was nothing short of spectacular unless one said it was windy. Several pictures are included above.
From the tower we went to the town of Broadway, quaint and small. I was caught in an unexpected cold rain shower and saw a field of rabbits. Next I headed off to the larger and fantastic town of Stow-on-the-Wold, full of shops, restaurants, churches, and pubs. The day ended with a trip to Bourton-on-the-Water, which is simply beautiful–idyllic.
Mom, that’s an actual Thomas Kinkade gallery replete with thatched roof.
The ceaseless rolling hills of the British countryside are the greenest green I think I have ever seen. I was lucky enough to have seen them juxtaposed with vivid crystal clear-blue skies and “brilliant” clouds that seemed to simply glow white. The countryside was utterly breathtaking–or maybe that was just the profoundly brisk wind. Finally, I saw 2 gorgeously coloured pheasants milling along the side of the road. They refused to allow me to take their pictures, dodging into the brush every time I got close enough.
Dinner tonight was equally as fabulous as last night’s dinner, but perhaps that was because I ordered the same thing. :o) During dinner the church bells began ringing for about an hour. Perhaps the bell ringer had been too long at the pub. I also have come to realize that the beams in the stairway are very low. Additionally, I have noticed throughout the countryside that many of the doors are extremely small. People were just considerably shorter 400 years ago!
What a wonderful day that ended with another cold rain this evening as we snuggle in to our warm room at the Manor. Tomorrow I’m off to Stonehenge!