We found our English cottage, it's near Oxford, but in the south end of the Cotswolds. It's a little beauty! We confirmed it all today. This is a beautiful area and I can't wait to do some painting and drawing there. Near here is a place called Cogge's Farm that we really like. It is an 18th century farm that is run by a trust and gives you an idea of what life was like on a farm at that time. We went to a steam fair there one year where they were using the old steam farm vehicles. They're always cooking in the kitchen and the livestock wander about the place.
Another place we like to visit in this area is Minster Lovell a beautiful little hamlet with a great restaurant and a ruined castle I love to paint. We sat in the sun and watched a cricket game there one Sunday, though we still have no clue as to how this game is played or scored!
Lechlade is also near here, with good
pubs, a lovely church, a great junk store/antique mall, and a walk along the Thames to Father Thames who is supposed to be the source of the Thames, and best of all lunch at The Trout.
We don't go for several months, but Mac has already dug out walk books and I'm starting to count days.
You need my husband with you when you next watch a cricket match, now that he's retired he spends his summers watching cricket all over England. I love watching it too and understand enough to follow the game easily. The fielding positions still confuse me though even after a lifetime! Slips, gully and short leg I know but after that I'm lost:) You're going to be staying in a lovely part of England. Have you visited Kelmscott Manor? It was the country home of William Morris and is absolutely wonderful, it's also quite near Lechlade. Having said that it's in the back of beyond and down miles of narrow country lane - so far down that you become convinced that you've missed it! It's also only open on certain days so you need to find a leaflet or check the website http://www.kelmscottmanor.org.uk/
ReplyDeleteWe were in Kelmscott about 8 or 9 years ago and the Manor wasn't open, but we hope to go back. I'm a big fan of William Morris textiles.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem with cricket is that it is vaguely similar to baseball and we try to understand it based on that, but that's a false analogy because they're really nothing alike.