Cotswolds - Day 2

29 September

On Saturday, we took the bus to another town called Burton-on-the-Water and rented bikes. We spent a few hours biking around the neighboring towns - Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter - and the surrounding countryside. Most of our time was devoted to admiring the scenery and the sheep. In the Cotswolds, the gates are engineered with the purpose of keeping the animals in, but allowing pedestrians to come and go as they please. So we ventured into many fields of sheep trying to get close to them. It was a perfect day of blue skies, green fields, and lots of frolicking. And sheep.

Mid-afternoon we returned the bikes in Burton, ate lunch, and took the bus back to Stow. 

We then walked from Stow to Lower Swell to eat at a recommended pub, called the Golden Ball. 

And of course, we found some more sheep...

Stow-on-the-Wold in the background

Finished off our great adventures at a cosy pub.

The Cotswolds - Day 1

28 September

The last weekend in September, Jordan, Jimmy, Jacie, Hayley and I set off to see the Cotswolds, which is an area about an hour northwest of London. This region consists of small quintessential English villages surrounded by vast countryside.
All of the villages have intriguing names. We arrived late in the afternoon on Friday in Moreton-in-Marsh, the only town with regular train service. We then took the bus to Stow-in-the-Wold where we stayed in the Cotswold's only hostel. Jimmy came on a later train, so we got some tea and scones in a quaint little tearoom next to the bus stop while we waited for him. That evening we wandered around Stow, then found an open field right outside the town to watch the sunset. Once the sun went down, the weather became much colder, so we ventured indoors to a wonderful pub, where I had a delicious Steak and Kidney pie and Sticky Toffee Pudding.

The town hall and the parish church, St. Edwards. 

Door to St. Edwards (I thought it belonged in Middle Earth) 

Field right outside Stow

We met a puppy! So much joy, since we were constantly dog deprived.

He wanted to chew on the leash... his owner didn't think that was a good idea. 

Paris - Part 2

23 September 

On Sunday after breakfast I went and meandered through the Jardin du Luxembourg. I found that this was prime-time for Parisian families to come try out their boats on the pond (a scene you might recognize from the children's book Madeline. 

eyeing me with suspicion 

I enjoyed strolling through the gardens without the large crowds, which arrived later in the day. 

Upon leaving the gardens, I walked down the Rue Soufflot, behind the Panthéon, to one of my favorite churches (architecturally), St. Etienne du Mont, where I sat in on their morning mass. I then wandered down another of my favorite areas of Paris, the Rue Mouffetard, one of the few medieval structured streets remaining. It has such a wonderfully French atmosphere, with the patisserie next to the charcuterie next to the crémerie. At the end of the street I happened upon a folk dancing/music group that were dancing and singing and playing the accordion with gusto to traditional French tunes. I was in heaven. They passed around song sheets, so I was able to participate on the Edith Piafs I recognized.

 Around one o'clock I met up with some friends at Shakespeare and Co bookstore (another one of my favorite spots) then I walked them to the Ile St. Louis for some Bertillion's ice cream. On the way we passed some fabulous street performers.

Jacie is an ice cream connoisseur. She enjoyed the Bertillion's. 

We then wandered back along the left bank so they could see all the book sellers. 

Finally, we ended up at the Musée Rodin, which was a new experience for me. Unfortunately the clouds started rolling in at that point. A sign that it was time to return to London. 

The beautiful Rodin Gardens and Jacie and I "thinking" with the Thinker. 

Paris stole my heart, again. This was a great weekend full of old memories and new experiences.

"To breathe Paris is to conserve one's soul" - Victor Hugo, Les Misérables