Walking in the Cotswolds, UK, easy day trip from London

Even a rainy day in the UK did not prevent me from visiting the Cotswolds  

During many years of taking the short American vacation to London, I have visited the larger towns of Bath and Cheltenham since they are on a train route from London.  


The catalogue from HF Holidays* surprised me with additional towns I could reach without a car so off I went to Bourton-on-the-Water, Cotswolds in November.   


Taking the train from Paddington Station in London, to Oxford for a quick change to
the local train for Moreton in Marsh I had my first look at a Cotswolds village!   The train arrived late so I missed the hourly bus to my destination of Bourton-on-the-Water.   This gave me an hour to see Moreton in Marsh in the pouring rain.   

Rain does not stop the British nor the traveler with only one day to see everything!   A kind woman under the bus shelter suggested I go into town for tea while I waited for the next bus.   A short walk from the train station via narrow streets lined by 'charming stone buildings'  just what I love about Europe, brought met to the high (main) street of Moreton in Marsh.  Since I had not planned a stop in this village, I was not prepared, but I followed the 'T' signs to the local tourist office.  

I arrived just as the Tourist office was closing.   One of the reasons I try NOT to travel to busy tourist areas on a weekend:  open hours are limited and often the trains schedules are shortened. 


Arriving in the Cotswolds:
Taking the train from Paddington Station in London, to Oxford for a quick change to the local train for
Moreton in Marsh.  This was my first look at a Cotswolds village!   The train arrived late so I missed the hourly bus to my destination of Bourton-on-the-Water. 

Perhaps the single verbal 'draw' for this area is the
Cotswold stone you see on all the buildings.                       
A warm golden color that is striking in the sunlight and there was a moment when the sky was cleared to take one photo.

golden limestone walls
 

 


Bourton-on-the-Water on the River Windrush

                                                                           





Even in November the green of the wolds (hills) was striking.   The many villages are crisscrossed  by water and bordered by the River Thames on the south and River Avon on the north.
Bourton on the Water is called the Venice of the Cotswolds. 

Even visiting during November there were many tourists in town but I did not see the ubiquitous   tour buses.  Along the main street there are a number of shops and even more teashops.   hops!  Perfect! Visitors must be a large part of the local economy. 
A chat with one of the locals confirmed that the crowds in the summer were much larger. 

I had a late lunch at one of the restaurants.   Later than a local would have a meal but there were a few other customers there.    Both Morton-in-Marsh and Bourton-on-the-Water offer great facilities for travelers with clean restrooms.  Thank you.

Other villages I wish to see next year:   Broadway, Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Burford, Stroud and Cirencester.

A very helpful clerk at the Paddington station 'future ticket' desk searched for a brochure that outlined a train route through the Cotswolds.  The Cotswolds Discoverer:  A  three day ticket allows you to use the connecting bus service to see many of the other villages in the Cotswolds.  You can also pay for a oneway or round trip bus ticket on the bus.

NOTE:   there are more trains Monday to Friday and the bus service does NOT run late into the evenings so plan ahead.     Of course if you have a car you can go to many

*  A detailed story on my adventure with HF Holidays follows

Harrington House, Bourton-on-the-Cotswolds

 

Eating with Strangers: What some solo travelers hate

I can not think of any restaurant in the USA that I have visited that strangers sit with each other.   Not even the local McDonald's.   NO ONE would think of sitting at a table occupied by someone else!

However on my 7 day adventure through gale force winds, I forced myself to join 7 other solo passengers (actually 2 were a couple, more on them later) with the usual first date jitters.

I always view the world from the outside.  You see a different perspective than most people if you just stand back.     The first night was very stiff with everyone trying to remember the other guests names.     Oscar actually did a list of 'names' and thankfully shared it with me.    I cant remember any names and if I don't have my laptop with me, I probably would not write to anyone.

Since my first adventure (2 yrs ago) at a solo table resulted in no one returning after the first night except a guest who did not choose to speak English, certainly damaged my self esteem.  But that story turned out well, since the replacement guests were far more fun than the originals:  Ralph, Norma, Horst and John.    



We played musical chairs during the week, trying to sit next to different people.   My first night I was shocked that Oscar stood up when I came to the table.   I don't think anyone has EVER done that before.  It was very lovely.  Thank you Oscar.

I did try to spread the 'pain' around and sit next to a different guest each night when possible.      After all I am not very interesting and no one should have to endure that night after night.    I know little history (compared to our British seat mates)   know NO TRIVIA (just ask Phillip who dumped me because I could not participate).         Thank you Robert for the kind complement that I was 'gentle'.......not a term often used to describe me!     And Kelly was truly the delight of the table.   I was doing a good job of  faking a comfort level I did not feel, since Kelly told me had no idea I had any dread or anxiety.   Perhaps she will do a video for this blog on 'How to speak to strangers'.


To keep everyone's privacy I will share some of the events that passed across the table last week as a story of fiction with some facts included.    If you see yourself as one of the guests, it may just be your imagination.

As the week progressed and the wine flowed, the stories became more personal and expanded.  I am not sure what was accurate and what was fiction but it made for great story telling.   Some of my favorites:

Cathy:   As you engaged in a conversation she was very attentive but always wanted to be sure you knew she had done the trip better, had a better apartment, a better camera etc.  It became very amusing to see what she could top next.  Had I been more caustic I would have made up a great adventure just to see how it could have been done better.   My favorite was when Dan described a trip to S. Africa (on business) and was immediately asked if he had taken the side trip to see the gorillas.

The BEST day was when she was asked how she could afford to travel non-stop on such exotic adventures.   She bristled and refused to answer.   Well, we can all make up the answer:  inherited a fortune, divorced money, owned oil wells, was famous but no one recognized her.           Another guest mentioned she was often dancing with a mature traveler...........you go girl.

Chris:  may have been the most creative person at the table.  I could learn a lot from Chris who had traveled extensively , been wealthy, been happy and was very knowledgeable.   We all enjoyed his tales of adventure and travel to exotic places.    Next trip I need to bring an atlas.  

Stories became more interesting as the week progressed.  Perhaps because you will never see these strangers again you can share information that you might never bring up with others.
Oscar had a good point, you tell a story so many times that you forget if it happened to you or if it is even correct!   Divorce, former lives, quite people who really 'love to talk', and sharing that you attended the friends of Dorthy meeting may have been the background for some of the guests.    Who are these strangers?   What do they really think?  What are their dreams, disappointments or goals?
NO ONE ever asks and perhaps there is no answer.    


Kelly and Oscar:  if they had not been at the table, I may have eaten in my room the entire trip.   Such engaging people and although a couple they fit in perfectly with solo travelers.   Solo is not necessarily single.  K and O felt it was far more interesting not to travel with other passengers from their own country.   They enjoyed exchanging ideas with travelers from other places.  Cathy would have had a hard time topping Oscars travel stories, but she may have tried.  

And two of my 'new friends' agreed to do mini interviews for my mature solo travel site, so stay tuned for more fun from the high seas.

And Kelly, please let us know if customs in NYC interrogated you AGAIN.



* more photos as others share

A view point of 3 cities from a younger traveler

Meet Roseann from Ireland

although Roseann may not be in my demographic, you may find this a great review of some cities to visit in Europe..............perhaps you visited the first time on your 'see Europe in 3 weeks" and now you are ready to return and slow travel.....

3 Most Memorable Cities in Europe

roseann243 / 2 days ago

After visiting almost every capital city in Europe you kind of find that they all start to blend together in a big mix of churches, buildings and concrete in general so to be memorable the city must have something really different to stand out, usually this isn’t there most famous landmark like the Eiffel Tower or the Coliseum because you are expecting these things already and really it is the only thing making the city different to any other in the first place, so I have came up with my 3 most memorable cities that have something I think stands out compared to other cities. These cities all have that something extra that I think just makes them that little better.
3. Kraków, Poland
Kraków is the second largest city in Poland and has a population of 755000 but I love it here is because it feels like a small village. Growing up in the countryside I like Krakow because it feels so much like home. Everything is so close together and the people are very friendly. With the medieval city centre this city feels like a step back in time, instead of the usual blocks of concrete you see work of art that have been hand crafted with detail so delicate they must have taken years to perfect. Local marketers taking stalls in the main square and horse and cart rides around just add to the atmosphere in Kraków. This is one of the first cities where I felt the history of the place was alive instead of just seeing it in museums and books I was able to see the streets and through the people.
2. Madrid, Spain
Number 2 in my list is Madrid, I have always loved Madrid and have been several times in the past there is just so much to love about this city. For starters the entertainment on offer is some of the best I have seen in any city. There are so many street dancers and performers that even a trip to the local shop will keep you amused. For me these street performers breathe life into the city, they give the city music and colour that alot of big cities just don’t have. This helps you to understand the local people and culture on a different level. The other thing I love about Madrid is the secret gardens that have just been dotted all over the city, you could walk down the wrong street and be greeted by some of the most beautiful gardens in places you just wouldn’t expect. Finally, as a girl, of course I love the shopping in Madrid. It some of the best shopping in Europe with everything you could ever want on offer.
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1. Amsterdam, Holland
So my most memorable city in all of Europe is Amsterdam, like Madrid I just love Amsterdam and have been a few times in the last couple of years, each time I go back I find something new to love about the place. Amsterdam is probably the most alternative city in Europe because it doesn’t feel at all like a city. The gardens and canals make you feel like you are walking around giant park as opposed to the tall buildings you expect in a city. This park image is reinforced by the lack of cars with everyone opting for trams or bikes instead (did you know there are more bikes than people in Amsterdam!). This has also made the city is virtually pollution free.
The people of Amsterdam are also different, they are not your usual city folk rushing around in a hurry for work but instead take a much more relaxed attitude to life, they always have time to stop and have a chat. There liberal laws attract all different types of people from all over the world to live here so they have developed a very accepting and welcoming culture, something which is greatly appreciated as a tourist.
I hope you find this guide useful if you are having trouble deciding where to visit in Europe and of course if you have any suggestions as to other cities and there memorable features just leave me a comment below.
Roseann




Connnct with Roseann on her blog:  http://roseannsjourney.com/about/