Friday, August 07, 2009

Trip report: Cirencester

After we landed at Heathrow and got organized (which took a while because part of our group came by another flight and showed up late, and another person's suitcase went missing) we boarded buses and drove straight to Cirencester, which is just charming.

Cirencester
This could be a painting by Constable, but is actually a cell phone photograph taken from a bus window, can you believe it?

The money around here has traditionally come from the sheep business. "Cotswolds" means "sheep pen in a crappy location where the weather sucks and the soil is so poor that all you can do is raise sheep."

Naturally, they revere sheep. They even put up statues of them.

Cirencester

Don't you love that the sculptor's last name is Tweed?

Cirencester
"It's almost like a Tom Swifty," she mused slowly, while taking pictures of her shadow.

After some pub grub (I had steak and kidney pie! Without the kidneys. And a Pimm's Cup!

Cirencester

Which came with a Pimm's swizzle stick! That I forgot to keep, God damn it) we went window-shopping to admire many things that wouldn't fit in our suitcases

The cutest broom and dustpan I've ever seen
Including the cutest broom and dustpan I've ever seen

Cirencester
Where you revere sheep, you have wool shops. So you can knit a poppy purse. And tea cozies!

Cirencester
Sorry, tea cozies are not for sale.

And everywhere I went, I saw Miss Marple.

Cirencester

Cirencester

Cirencester

I even saw where Miss Marple would buy new clothes. If Miss Marple did buy new clothes. Except, of course, she doesn't.

Cirencester
No, not vintage. It's new.

Reason number 53,295 I love my son: he'll pose next to anything. He'll let me prove that in Cirencester, the guitar store that drew him like a fly to honey is next to one of those fancy toy stores where all the toys are wooden and from Italy--or based on an English children's book.

Cirencester
The metal fan and the giant wooden clown

And of course, we had to go to a bookstore. Because why would I buy The Cleaning Bible or Stockwin's Maritime Miscellany or the second Twilight series novel for my daughter from Amazon when I could buy them in England???

Maybe I should have bought something a little harder to find in America, like Beautiful Pigs or Ripping Things to Do

Cirencester

Or these:

Cirencester

Then, a visit to the wonderfully-named Cake House for tea, Bakewell Tart, and Millionaire's Shortbread.

Cirencester
And a peek at our iPhone

By the end of the afternoon, we were feeling as worn as the local parish church

Cirencester
Seriously, I feel like a gargoyle, only crumblier.

Right now, I'm drinking a draft Long Bow. Which is hard cider.

14 comments:

  1. I cannot tell you how much I adore the Cotswolds. So much so that I could happily ditch my brand new dream house and move across the Atlantic.

    If you get a chance, I highly recommend Chipping Campden.

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  2. The british really piss me off - everything they do seems so quaint. It's really not fair. And they always seem so much more classy than us. It's the accent -- and maybe that they are so much more polite. Maybe.

    Great pics. Looks like you're having a great time.

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  3. Oooh, it's lovely. I miss England.

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  4. Cirencester is only around the corner from me. Oxford is a bit manic this time of year. My top, most tourists don't see spot is the Shelley Memorial at Univ.

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  5. How do you pronounce Cirencester?

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  6. Thats a gang hand signal

    http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/
    handsigns/menu_006.htm

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  7. I'm here for the meeting of "those Poppy left behind." Where should I sit???

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  8. Vodka Mom, you can sit next to me. Here, put on your "I Heart Poppy" fan club hat.

    *sniffle*

    I have to admit, I snorted at the "Ms. Marple" pics.

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  9. I'm beyond jealous. I've been in love with England since watching my favorite childhood movie for the first time, Mary Poppins, and reading my favorite childhood book, Peter Pan. Everything about their culture. I wish I could be that cool. Hope you all are having a great time!!

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  10. And to the "Anonymous" poster about the gang sign... The "sign" her son was putting up is the rock symbol. That site also has that a gang symbol is the univeral sign language sign for I Love You. Please.

    I personally loved the picture. It was cute.

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  11. The Brits know that if you dress up, you'll look like respectable Ms Marple instead of tacky Ms-I'm-wearing-hose-with-short-shorts!

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  12. Oh how I miss the UK. Need to start planning a return trip soon.

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Gentle Readers:

For the time being, I have turned off comment moderation. Please don't spam; it's not nice.

xxx, Poppy.