The Cotswolds

 As we prepared for our walk in the early afternoon, SK asked, "Where shall we walk today?"  I noted that we could walk in any direction and find beauty.  He then said, "Let's get in the car and drive...then we'll walk wherever we stop!"  It sounded like a good plan.

He actually checked a map and decided we ought to go to Burford.  GPS said 20 miles and 30 minutes away.  We set out west.  We traveled over some lovely countryside to a beautiful little village known as the Gateway to the Cotswolds.  The Cotswolds are described in Wikipedia as:

"an area in south central and south west England comprising the Cotswold Hills, a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment, known as the Cotswold Edge, above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Jurassic limestone that creates a type of grassland habitat rare in the UK and that is quarried for the golden-coloured Cotswold stone.^[2] It contains unique features derived from the use of this mineral; the predominantly rural landscape contains stone-built villages, historical towns and stately homes and gardens."

We parked the car several blocks from the main street.  Here they are called High Street.  Every town has at least one High Street where all kinds of things happen, not the least of which is shopping.  Burford is built on gently-rolling hills and its High Street runs right up one of those lovely hills.  The little road is lined with businesses and homes.  Every home we saw in this little village had a name.  It is charming.

Every house has a name, each is unique and enchanting.  This little street leading down to the shopping area was one cottage after another, all connected, each one different than the rest and each with its own lovely door and name.

This is where we found the display of wooden ducks in Wellies - see lower right.  Can you read the sign under the name of the store?  " I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.

As we were motoring home, one of our young friends called.  He is a newlywed and we think he and his wife are awesome.  He had bicycled 5 miles to a neighboring suburb of Oxford to buy a crockpot.  He got there and  made the purchase, but could not get it on the bike!  It was in a large box.  He took it out to see if just carrying the crockpot would work....and as you can imagine....it didn't.  He thought about walking it on the bicycle home the five miles.  Finally, he decided to see if the Madsens might be able to rescue him.  

We reset the GPS and went in search of him and his crockpot.  We picked it up and then made the 5-mile trip back to our flat and one-half mile beyond to his apartment.  They were so grateful. We were happy they thought of us.

The evening ended with a zoom mission call. 

It was a great day, except for the drive.  We are coming up on our 2-month mark of arriving back in England, and I have been amazed and happy at how well SK is doing at driving, but today was the first day since being back that we were on unfamiliar roads with a GPS that doesn't give quite enough information. We were on 2-way narrow country lanes with a 60 MPH speed limit, semis lumbering along in both directions.  

I sit on the left side of the car with my phone - google maps open.  I am glancing at the car's GPS, the writing painted on the road itself, the road signs and I am counting exits on every roundabout.  We still managed to miss the proper exit on several roundabouts.  .

"This is no fun," I mumble.  

Truthfully, my stomach is tied in knots and I have a headache.  I think, "If I don't look at the oncoming traffic and if I don't look at the left side of the road with parked cars or trees so very close, I won't flinch. And there is no telling what SK is thinking behind the wheel....it IS stressful to drive here.

This is the common lot of nearly every senior couple I know here in England.  There has to be a way to maintain a calm and happy atmosphere when we are trying to go somewhere.

I know what that is....take the train.