Escape to the Cotswolds - by Dale

We slipped out of London with Bonney in the middle of the morning commute. Maybe it was more of a squeeze as everyone seems to pack into the Tube to make their way to work. People seem very much in their own space when in fact they have very little of that. I think the key is that system runs so well and it beats driving or other slower, less reliable ways to get to work. There seems to be unwritten rules that allow people to share tight space, give up much desired seats when someone looks to need one more and they know they were lucky to get one themselves and will be getting off soon anyway.

Bonney & Laurie selecting from the many options in the Cotswolds.

In our case we packed light with just day bags for two days of exploring the famed Cotswolds based at the "Cross Keys" B&B in Stow-on-Wold. I don't really know what either of those names mean but it was a another good choice made by Laurie with a central location. The only drawback has been the strong smell of smoke coming from somewhere below and probably the private quarters of the hosts. We were surprised by this given what we have found at many other B&Bs we've stayed at. It's more sad and annoying than a real problem for us anyway.

A very cozy room waited for us in Stow-in-Wold
 

Even out in this more remote rural area to the west there are trains running at least every hour from other areas and the buses here connect with other small communities on the hour. Another lesson that needs to be learned elsewhere. That said I was surprised to see so many cars filling the small town. We arrived by taxi rather than wait for a bus since we didn't know the schedule. There are also signs of development and renovation here as well as quite a few store fronts that are vacant and signed "To Let". This is not to be mistaken for the less frequent sign usually including an arrow for the "WC" or toilet we are often searching for as we travel.

Are they saying I'm an antique? Hard to argue anyway.

We relaxed when we arrived and then explored Stow on foot finding lots of old stone buildings,twisting small alleys, narrow sidewalks, cobbled ways and lots of places for tourists to spend a few coins or much more during brief stays. Laurie and Bonney are having fun checking out the wares and making a few small strategic purchases that meet their keen eyes or at least catch their fancy. For me, it's always more fun to people watch, figure out how to navigate around while I look for open spaces with a little history and culture mixed in. There is plenty of that here too. 

A very good place to take a walk it is too.

After another good traditional English breakfast today we headed out to find the police station/bus stop and get an all day pass on our way to Moreton-in-Marsh where a market day was happening. It was colder this morning with the feel of rain in the air. We also wanted to see if we could get in one of the famed walks on the many public trails through the region and make use of a bus to make our way back to Stow by evening. We enjoyed the large street market with a wide range of mostly cheap and often tacky wares. I found an old public building set up to serve tea/coffee with homemade goodies to fund local needs. This was well used and had a very homey feel that gave us what we needed before heading out on a public trail I spotted earlier. The trail crossed a tree lined park, a working sheep operation and then took off across a subtle but easy to follow trail system rolling along the edge of mostly agricultural fields. It looked like something off a calendar and would have certainly taken us to one or more other local communities. We opted to circle back and save some wear and tear on aleady sore knees. It was still a special experience for all of us. 

The start of a fall walk in the Cotswolds
 

We had seen a group of older people get off our bus earlier and head for one of these trails set up like they would be out there on a longer walk. I could see spending many days like that too as a way to connect with the historic rural nature of these special hills and lands in between. Hopefully the Cotswolds can remain like this in spite of the many tour buses that come this way and the move towards collecting more tourist dollars for comfortable stays, good meals, and many forms of arts and crafts that seem to have little to do with the original rural nature of this special area.

Trails like this seem to go on forever here.

It's easy to find a good end to a great day in the Cotswolds too.