Since I woke up this morning, I've been dreaming about coming home this evening and finishing up some craft projects I'm in the middle of. However, after 10 hours - dark to dark - the only thing I could do when I got home was curl up on the sofa, where it was warm and cozy.
Unfortunately, the craft projects were a bust, but it's ok because I did have about 30 pages in a fabulous book to finish so I dove right in. Let me tell you, this book might just need to go in the top 10. It's just so wonderful!
Susan Branch is a watercolorist and primarily a cookbook writer. I actually have tons of her stickers for scrapbooking. But I never realized she wrote other books as well. Apparently, this is the 3rd in a series of her journals. She and her husband live in Martha's Vineyard, but they travelled on the Queen Mary 2 to England for a 2 month adventure in the English Countryside. I'm not I can express just how much I wish I could have gone on their trip! What a chance!
What's really neat about the book, is that it's not just her observations about the places she visited. Like I said, she's a watercolorist, so all throughout the book there are little paintings and doodles and drawings. She's also included photos of the places they visited, quotes she loves, and recipes as well. And, the whole thing is in her handwriting. How fun! It's not only a great tale of a trip of a lifetime, but it's also crafty and creative as well. It's a total package for me which I think is why I loved it so much.
The other reason is that she just gets it. She has the same sensibility about England that I have. She loves the people for being who they are. She loves the accents and the turns of phrase. She loves the simple food and the very best tea. She loves the beauty of the countryside as well as the fun of the big cities. And she loves the history and historical figures that have contributed so much to the world, that made their home there. It's sometimes hard for me to explain just what it is about Great Britain that I love. Reading this book, I realized it's everything I just said. It's all of these things together that make it such a happy place for me. And now, I'm just itching to return more so than I usually am - good thing there's a trip coming up soon!
Because of the EU referendum, England has been in my mind a lot today. I have no idea how it happened but England will be leaving the EU, and it seems most people are quite unhappy about it. I feel terrible for those people and have been silently wishing them good thoughts all day. They're going to need the good vibes over the coming months and years. The vote however doesn't make me love the UK any less. It's still one of my most favorite places in the world. And because of that, here are my favorites from my last few trips...
1. Of course The Globe is on the list! I mention the Globe specifically because I'm a Shakespeare nerd, however the other theatres I visited were also equally cared for. The Barbican in London and the Swan in Stratford are 2 of the best theatre experiences I've ever had. I'm in awe of how the arts are treated in the UK. It's a major focus which is amazing to see.
2. Next up are the gorgeous homes in the Cotswolds - not forgetting the gorgeous people of the Cotswolds. I've never felt so welcome and so taken care of than I did in the smaller villages. People are just genuinely kind.
3. York Minster Abbey is just as impressive is everyone says it's going to be. It's quite the feat of architecture. And the best part is, there are tons of other beautiful, historic and important buildings & churches scattered everywhere you look in the UK. I'm always in shock of the age of the places I'm looking at. To see them still standing and still thriving is just a testament to the dedication the monarchy and the government has for honoring the past.
4. Life - most specifically in some of the bigger cities like London and Edinburgh, but everyone is just so full of life. It's chaotic and crazy and noisy and maddening, but it's also exciting and a jolt to the system. Everyone is headed somewhere to do something. You feel like you're a part of something when you're right in the thick of it all. There are different accents and colors and races, and yet everyone is just sort of living and existing as one.
5. The green space. Even in a major city like London, there are little parks and spaces to go to catch your breath when city life gets a little too hectic. And the green spaces are actually green, with flowers and plants and trees everywhere. In the US, where most cities are pretty much just cities, it's neat to see a dedication to calm and tranquility as well as to the environment. I'm more of a city girl at heart, but wandering around a bustling village like Stratford surrounded by trees, a river and fresh flowers, I started to day-dream about a little cottage in the hills with a back garden of my own.
I'm slowly making my way through my photos from my trip. There are a lot of them and there are a lot that are terrible. Of course, there are a few really good ones, so now that Costco is back up and running (Woohoo!), I may actually get going on editing and printing. Of course, there are like 30 other craft projects in my head right now too, so it's been a little difficult to train my brain to think of only one at a time. Anyway, here's what I've discovered in my photos of the Cotswolds and what I loved, adored and mostly just was mildly perturbed by...
Loved
~ The scenery - How can anyone not love rolling hills covered in green and cottages as far as the eye can see? I'm a city girl by heart, but honestly, I could really get used to seeing that from my bedroom window each morning.
~ The Cotswold Cottage we stayed in - It was beautiful and old and still had plenty of space for both of us to finally spread out after a week of being stuffed into cramped hotel rooms. It was spotless and the village of Northleach it was situated in, was perfectly quaint - pretty much like everything else in the Cotswolds. I would gladly stay there again (though the novelty of the spiral stair case wore off pretty quick!)
Adored
~ The houses - I know they cost a fortune to maintain and they're probably terribly chilly in the winter, but I'd give my right arm to live in one of those quaint thatched-roof cottages that look like they've just materialised out of a fairy tale. You see them all over post cards and in children's books, so they don't actually seem real when you're looking at them in person. They're gorgeous! Of course, if I were going to live in one, I'd want enough money to hire a gardener, landscaper and some extra heat for the winter.
~ The People - Everyone was so friendly and kind. Good Morning really isn't a thing you see here in the states or even in the cities of Europe. No one really makes eye contact. They keep their heads down so they can get from Point A to Point B. But in the villages, they actually speak to you and say good morning or good evening. They smile when they make eye contact. And they're more than willing to help if you're a bit lost. Also, I have no issues walking through a quiet village in the dark. I wasn't worried or afraid. Like I said, I'm a city girl, but that's something I'd love to have (also, being able to walk instead of drive everywhere would be lovely!)
Mildly Perturbed By:
~ I'm not a night owl by any means. It's currently 9:31 and I'm hoping to be finished this post quick so I can jet off to bed. But the villages give even me a run for my money. Pretty much the only thing that's still open after 6 is the Pub, which is great if you're looking for dinner. However, the Pubs don't actually start serving food until 6:30. So there's a bit of a
"what do we do now?" kind of feeling. At one point, we were seated in the Pub for dinner, for 40 minutes before we were allowed to order food. And we were under strict instructions that we needed to be out by 8 so they could make room for a reservation they had coming in. No issues there, but if they really wanted the table, they could have just served us at 5:50 when we came in : )
