Bouquet

Thought this bouquet was beautiful, with it's Harry Lauder Walking Stick, rosehips, boxwood, laurel.

Church Door

It's Always Muddy

In front of every door we saw boot scrapers. Well used too.

The Perfect Cotswold Church

Ann and I came across this 11th century church while winding down this small country lane. I wish the day would have been warmer as there were benches behind the church overlooking the green hillside where sheep were grazing. I could imagine soaking up the sun on a warm spring day watching the sheep.

Tumbledown Cottage

This beautiful cottage (in the tiny village of Buckland) was named 'Tumbledown' but it was far from that. It was top-tidy and perfect.

Painswick

Ann an I drove to Painswick, which is more the southern Cotswold region. We didn't have a bed for Saturday night, so I called a place from the Lonely Planet guide book. An elderly woman answered and said she did have a room for the night. I asked how much and she said, "Shopping around then?" We made the reservation after finding out it was affordable. She gave directions. "You come into Painswick, take a left at the church, then another left and I'm the house that's over 400 years old." Well OK, let's go. We get to Painswick and it's dark by now. We make a left at the church down a street that has a sign that warns "Very Narrow Streets. Not Suitable for Large Vehicles." Our car isn't that big so we go for it. Well, it's narrow! We had to back out a couple times after meeting up with an oncoming car. We take the second left and could not find Thorn B&B anywhere. Ann got out to ask a number of people where it was. Most folks hadn't heard of it. But finally someone pointed to this small cul de sac and said that's where it was. It's the small place tucked away to the left above. And ALL the houses are over 400 years old!!!! Don't you just love old people?! We would have never found it, especially in the dark. And as if I can tell if a place is 200, 300, or 400 years old! Our hostess (great grandma) was very gracious and welcomed us in, immediately gave us the key and said she was going to bed.

Barbara Blatchely of Thorn B&B

This is our dear Barbara, our hostess with the mostest. She used to be a guide for heritage places so she was a wealth of information. She's traveled all over the world and said she'd love to 'have second nibbles from the cake' which meant she'd like to visit some of the places she's been.
She's been in the B&B business for over 30 years.