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