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.
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.
Don't you love that the sculptor's last name is Tweed?
"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!
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
Including the cutest broom and dustpan I've ever seen
Where you revere sheep, you have wool shops. So you can knit a poppy purse. And tea cozies!
Sorry, tea cozies are not for sale.
And everywhere I went, I saw Miss Marple.
I even saw where Miss Marple would buy new clothes. If Miss Marple did buy new clothes. Except, of course, she doesn't.
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.
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
Or these:
Then, a visit to the wonderfully-named Cake House for tea, Bakewell Tart, and Millionaire's Shortbread.
And a peek at our iPhone
By the end of the afternoon, we were feeling as worn as the local parish church
Seriously, I feel like a gargoyle, only crumblier.
Right now, I'm drinking a draft Long Bow. Which is hard cider.
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.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance, I highly recommend Chipping Campden.
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.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics. Looks like you're having a great time.
Oooh, it's lovely. I miss England.
ReplyDeleteOh that Master Buxom!
ReplyDeleteCirencester 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.
ReplyDeleteHow do you pronounce Cirencester?
ReplyDeleteam jealous.
ReplyDeleteThats a gang hand signal
ReplyDeletehttp://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resources/
handsigns/menu_006.htm
I'm here for the meeting of "those Poppy left behind." Where should I sit???
ReplyDeleteVodka Mom, you can sit next to me. Here, put on your "I Heart Poppy" fan club hat.
ReplyDelete*sniffle*
I have to admit, I snorted at the "Ms. Marple" pics.
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!!
ReplyDeleteAnd 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.
ReplyDeleteI personally loved the picture. It was cute.
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!
ReplyDeleteOh how I miss the UK. Need to start planning a return trip soon.
ReplyDelete