England – Oh, the Places We See . . .

Doors of the Cotswolds: Part Two — Thursday Doors

If you thought all doors in the Cotswolds would be similar, you’d be mistaken. And we stand mistaken. We envisioned most of them as brown, heavy wooden structures, some with hand-forged hardware, some just plain. But really we didn’t think much about Cotswolds doors until we saw them. If there are a thousand doors, then […]

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A Cotswolds Stay: Lords of the Manor Hotel and Restaurant

Sometimes you yearn for a bit of luxury in your life. And if you’re staying in the Cotswolds of England, that bit of luxury — and more — can be found at the award-winning Lords of the Manor Hotel and Restaurant in Gloucestershire known for fine cuisine and lovely English gardens. A former rectory, Lords of […]

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Doors of the Cotswolds: Part One — Thursday Doors

Perhaps there’s one thing to be said for meandering through the Cotswolds in December when nary a bloom is on the vines: “It’s all the better to see the doors, my dear!” We’ve written about the charm of stone cottages in the area, but the doors — ah, the doors — bear a second look. […]

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Take me to the Cotswolds: WPC — Wanderlust

Most of our trips in the States or abroad are one-stop destinations — a major city to explore, a festival celebrating an event, a peaceful state park. But if I could go back to one location, stay for a couple of weeks (a month even), and wander aimlessly around and through an area, it would […]

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Immerse yourself in history (but not the water) at Roman Baths of Bath, England.

One of the main attractions, if not THE main attraction, in Bath, England is the 2,000-year-old site of the Roman Baths. It’s here that you can roam ancient ruins, soak up the culture of Aquae Sulis (named for the goddess Sulis) and photograph one of the best preserved sites in England. The Roman Baths haven’t always been […]

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Three Places to See in Bath, England — besides the Roman Baths!

Bath, England, known by tourists for its (well, of course) Roman Baths, but offers more to whet the appetite and treat the eyes. Nestled in the county of Somerset in southwest England, Bath is a town famous for its creamy stone buildings and the scenic Avon River that runs through it. Although most people flock […]

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The Bard’s Beginnings: Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

Surely no self-respecting English teacher (myself included) would return home from a trip to England without visiting Stratford-upon-Avon. After all, this birthplace and home of William Shakespeare appears in British lit books and “bardly” publications that we share with students and dream of seeing in person . . . someday. Well, my someday came, and […]

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Storybook charm: England’s thatched cottages

Not many household adornments ooze more charm than cozy thatched roof cottages, and there’s no better place to find them than in England. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal called them “chocolate box cottages” because a photo of one them would be adorable to adorn a box of chocolates. Made of straw or […]

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Stonehenge: The mystery remains

Sometimes gray days just add to the atmosphere. At least it did the day we left London to see Stonehenge, one of those places we had read about for years but really didn’t know if we’d see in our lifetime. As you can imagine, we were in awe of this site to see. Stonehenge, located […]

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Parting shots: London

Not many people would spend such a short time in London — only a day and a half for us. And most visitors would want to see all the places marked in bold print in their tour guides. But since we’d checked off the Tower, Buckingham, and Westminster Abbey years ago, we decided just to […]