Blenheim and the Cotswolds

 hello, all, I'm writing this from the Hilton Hotel in Bath,  England. It's been quite a wonderful adventure. There's still so much to see!  yesterday morning we went to Blenheim, the ancestoral home of the Spencer's and Churchill's.  The owner of the estate was Winston Churchhill's cousin. Winson was very close to him. Winston was actually born 2 months prematurely at Blenheim which he always felt was a huge honor. One of the wings has a great Winston Churchhill exhibit.  I've seen many palaces that I love, but I truly loved Blenheim. We did an additional tour that took you through the guest suites of the palace. We are now trying to figure out how we could be guests of the Duke and duchess for at least one night.  The pictures of the exterior don't do it justice.  it is massive from the outside and in the inside.  I highly recommend this as a visit to anyone.  fantastic architecture, gardens and history. The former Duke of Marlbrough made the comment while John Churchhill defeated King Louis the 14th at Blenheim (hence the name) and received a great reward to build the estate, they re-fight the battle every day to preserve it.  they had just had an Elton John concert the night before our visit so they're always thinking. we also ate lunch in the extremely elegant orangery. One can always pretend . . . . Their gift shop was the best I've ever been to.

As we were driving through the Cotswalds on our way to Bath,  we decided we would actually get off the main highway and visit some of the villages. After doing some research, I was thrilled to discover  one of my favorite authors, Nancy Mitford, Love in a Cold Climate and  In Pursuit of Love, grew up at Asthall Manor and Swinbrook.   The countryside reminds you a lot of Virginia, except that the roads are all one lane and I truly understand about the villages being so close to one another now.   it was just as beautiful and peaceful as I'm always heard it was. It was such a gift to do this today. There are walking paths all over the place. Cham and I are already talking about coming back and just doing a Cottswald walking trip because it  is so absolutely gorgeous. Well Nancy grew up asked Hall manner, it wasn't a happy childhood there. Her father sold the house and while they were waiting for a new one to be built,  she lived most of her life in Swansboro and was very happy there. It was very surprising to see asked Hall, the ancestral home, is truly right next to the church where all of her ancestors have been buried but she chose to be buried with her mother and father three of her sisters  in this much smaller venue. Church at Swansborough was so interesting because they have very casually reclining effigies of landed people who were buried there.  I guess they did that for space. Also, A German bomb fell right outside of the church and blasted out the stain glass window. The vicar gathered what glass he could and put it back together . It's now in a small window at the side of the church. Consequently, there's clear leaded glass that looks out into the beautiful countryside over the altar. I found it incredibly soothing and very spiritual. We then found a fabulous place for lunch, another surprise because when you're driving through the countryside you feel like you're the only one there, but this restaurant was  perfect; it was a beautiful day, truly, no rain, so we sat outside with a number of other people. The manager told us that lunch time was totally booked. Once again, a gift we stumbled upon. Then we got on the road to go Bath. It was a very tense drive because the roads are so narrow and there are so many roundabouts. After driving about 40 minutes, we saw a sign that was heading  us back to Oxford. Fortunately, we had a paper map and we realized the GPS screwed up. So, we stopped and asked for directions, Got headed in the right direction, and now find ourselves in beautiful Bath. I'll  write about our experiences in the baths in the next couple of days.

 Cham and I are having a fabulous time on this trip .we've seen so many great sites and sights and have met wonderful people. However, we would be remiss if we didn't put a plug in for group travel.  it's always so much fun to share these experiences with others, but more importantly, until you do the logistics I.e. driving, places to stay, etc it's a challenge to plan the schedule and the transportation. So, we are very, very happy having this huge adventure, but it has had its moments.  I would never rent a car in England. Cham met a gentleman at the bar last night from Edinburgh who was watching the soccer game as well. Our hotel was a little bit on the outskirts of Oxford, but was an easy walk  to a park and ride into the city center so that's we chose it. Cham asked the gentleman why he was staying at the hotel and he just snorted said "are you kidding? The drivers are crazy here and the roundabouts will drive you nuts." So, there you have it a quote from a U.K. driver. Public  transportation is great over here. Package tours are also great. I've been very fortunate to be able to experience both. Cheers!  Edie and Cham

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