Unbelievable Cotswolds!

Well, it has certainly not been as easy to update this blog as I had hoped it would be. Internet access has been very limited, thus this journal of our hike through the Cotswolds has suffered. But we haven't!

The walking trip so far has been..... unbelievable! The weather, the B&B's, the pubs, the views from the top of the hills and even the bottom of the valleys have all been unbelievable! We have been so lucky with the weather -- dry, warm (sometimes too warm), and lots of sunshine. We have got a bit of rain this evening with a forecast of showers possible tomorrow, our last walking day. So, perhaps we will get to try out our new hi-tech rain gear after all.

I have tried getting internet access most evenings but it just hasn't been available. All England's town/village libraries have free internet available, but we're walking while they're open. The B&B's and hotels we've stayed at have all been absolutely wonderful, but most lack internet access. Not a big problem, especially since we're so totally exhausted by the time we reach our overnight accommodation, I'm not sure I'd be able to type much of a blog anyway!

The pictures we've taken during the walk have been very good but, unfortunately, a picture is a very poor representation of the magnificent scenery we've surveyed over the past 11 days. The hilltop views have been breathtaking. Getting to those 'views' has also been breathtaking! Walking on the prairies has certainly not prepared us for hiking up (and down) the steep hills of the Cotswolds! However, we've managed the routes every day with our longest day from Cirencester to Painswick -- 16 miles! Today's hike, on my birthday, was a paltry 9 miles. Much steeper terrain than yesterday, though.

Because the weather has been so good, we've been picking up bread, cheese, fresh vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, cucumber), fresh fruit and something special for dessert from local deli's or bakeshops before leaving in the morning, and having wonderful picnic lunches on the trails. We did stop into one pub for a ploughman's lunch the other day -- our first ploughman's lunch of this trip. Dinner, however, is another matter and the pubs we've been lucky enough to choose have all provided fantastic meals. And then, of course, there's the wonderful breakfasts we've had each morning at the B&B's/hotels! Despite the strenuous exercise each day, we're really worried we'll leave this Island heavier than we arrived!

Anyway, this is a poor substitute for a daily updated blog on our Cotswold Way walking holiday, but it's late and we have one last 10 mile walk into Bath tomorrow. So, it's bedtime and I'll update this as soon as I can, complete with pictures and links.

OMB

Cheltenham Spa Welcomes Us to the Cotswolds!

Well, here we are in the Cotswolds! Finally, after all these months of planning, re-planning, pre-paying, post paying and just plain paying we are finally in England. Specifically in Cheltenham Spa, the beautiful Cotswold Regency city where the shopping, dining and clubbing (pubbing) is second to none (well, maybe second to London, but we're not visiting there!).

The travel with United Airlines via Chicago and London was long and tedious (and bumpy, I hasten to add). Then the trip was topped off via National Express coach from Heathrow on a full bus on a hot day with no (broken) air conditioning with four dead-tired travellers! But we weren't finished "punishing" ourselves yet! No. We decided that the short, ten-minute walk could be done from the Cheltenham bus station to Butlers Hotel dragging a zillion pounds of luggage on foot! Over cobblestone streets! Uphill! Not entirely sure if we were headed in the right direction! By this time, not even entirely sure which way was up! However, we were headed in the right direction and we did make it with no major MI's!

Marj, Blair, Linda and I spent an enjoyable day today shopping in this amazing town. Already we've spent too much money! And it's only day one! However, it's been well worth it as far as we're concerned. (My "friendly banker" never was that friendly anyway.....)

This evening, Oswestry cousin, Phil, who now lives in Gloucester with his beautiful fiancee, Hannah, picked us up at our B&B and drove us the very short distance into Gloucester where the six of us had a tremendous time 10-pin bowling (we 4 Canadians, for the first time ever) and then out for dinner at Frankie & Benny's. Thank you Phil and Hannah for a wonderful evening!

So, it's very late tonight as I post this blog. We start our hike tomorrow so I'd better get to bed. So no pictures yet, but I'll try to add them as soon as I can get another internet connection.