We actually did venture out away from their incredible Cottage, though a bit reluctantly, I might add! And all of it was just a hop, skip and a jump away.
First, we did something I've never done in my entire life...something that actually brought a tear to my eye because of how soulful it was:
We could have walked to where we went but we drove past the neighbor man,
who clearly adores Norma...
...to the Crumps Barn Studio, where Jeremy and Lorna live and work.
They bind books! Yes, they're bookbinders and publishers.
Lorna is also an author and Jeremy is a joiner-carpenter.
Lorna is also an author and Jeremy is a joiner-carpenter.
They had already bound the book that Chad wrote on his own personal history,
after which Chad had the brainiac idea of them teaching us how to make our own notebooks.
The thing is, this was so totally up the alley for both Astrid and me. Totally!
I chose the polka dots; Astrid chose the floral pattern.
At one point I thought about how much my dad would have loved doing this...
which was when I gulped down a big, soulful tear.
I'll never forget it!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Following the bookbinding, we stopped at the neighborhood parish church of St. Mary the Virgin
in Syde, one of the oldest and smallest in England, from the 12th century.
It just oozes with charm.
Once again I had a tear in my eye, thinking of my dad in that pulpit...
...and my mom at that organ!
(Are you noticing how much I love church cushions and stacks of hymnals?)
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Later that evening we went out to eat fish-n-chips!
This is The Highwayman Inn in Cirencester, in the heart of the Cotswolds.
More English you cannot get...especially with the peas!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The next day, our last with them, we went for a walk from The Cottage, the other direction.
In fact, right across the lane from The cottage you start with the sheep...
the brethren (as sister Ruth calls them).
the brethren (as sister Ruth calls them).
I could have stopped right there and not continued...so very soulful....
...but on we walked and walked....
...in and out of the most heavenly of woods,
past the lumberjacks and picnickers and horse-riding obstacles,
to the lovely pond where dogs get their own training.
And don't forget the wildflowers, of course, all along the way.
This is all private property, maintained by the owner, but you are permitted to walk through it,
as long as you close the gates behind you.
And to top off all that wondrousness, Chad and Norma's first dates go back to these very woods,
back in their teen years, eons ago. No wonder they got married, right?!
Next up: nearby Cirencester and the Parish Church of St. John.
