John Linton We moved on today - out of Avon and navigated a meandering route across to the fringes of Worcestershire. Before we left Colerne I was determined to find an antique glass shop located in the middle of nowhere at which in past visits in the long distant past I had bought Annette various items which would be unobtainable in Australia. Getting there was a significant navigation challenge involving driving on some single lane roads covered in tree 'tunnels' that cut off almost all of the little natural light there is in the first place and seems to consist of a series of blind hairpin turns for miles and miles. Sure enough we met a bus that filled not only all of the little available road but touched the hedges on either side of it. So we backed up, and up again and finally managed to squeeze our car in to a 'passing bay' that allowed the bus to get past with out removing our wing mirror or duco.
We eventually found the private house (large and very beautiful) with the attached barn converted in to a showroom and the wife of the dealer let us in and allowed us to browse around. We almost bought two rummers to go with the two late 18th century ones I had bought going on for 20 years ago from this strangely located place but in the end decided they weren't a close enough 'match'. We were also attracted to some other pieces but in the end we decided they were not quite for us so we thanked the helpful lady and set out for the Cotswolds where we intended do do the usual tourist Cotswold 'thing' and village hop that beautiful part of England for a day or so just like the millions of tourists who have visited it over the past two centuries.
We were in no sort of hurry (just as well considering the long delays we encountered for 'road works' on three occasions) and had lunch in one of the beautiful small towns we encountered. Skipping breakfast (as we have done for the past two days) certainly gives you an appetite for lunch which today consisted of a local meat and vegetable pastie consumed on a bench in the market square - it was delicious. We looked over their 14th century, and huge and beautiful, church (it was the size of a small cathedral) and chatted to the lady church warden for a while. We lazily made our way back to the car admiring the largely 13th and 14th century buildings that comprised this large village buying some local strawberries (2 pounds for the equivalent of two Australian 'punnets') along the way. We ate the strawberries on the way to our hotel and, despite the lateness of the season they were very sweet and melted on your palate.
We found our new hotel by using the 'force' as it was located in a place unknown to our sat/nav or our A to Z. However its location could be logically deduced and the final mile or so was signed. Our hotel was excellent, a lovely mid sized English country house dating back the usual many, many hundreds of years and a warm and gracious greeting (although I know it is professionally commercial I still find it charming). We checked in to our room and while Annette did something or other I fell asleep on the four poster bed exhausted by the travails of the day....I did wake up in time for dinner though which was a memorable tasting meal that fresh local produce invariably provides wen prepared by a competent chef.
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