Tag: UK

An autumnal long weekend in Cotswolds: Lower Slaughter

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I was looking for tiny quaint villages in the the north of Cotswolds, villages that are really small and not big market towns and definitely ones we had never visited until then. That is how I stumbled on Lower and Upper Slaughter, the twin villages about a couple of miles away from the more popular Bourton on the Water. And ofcourse, the fact that registered with me is how the word Slaughter came up – definitely nothing to do with slaughtering, it is derived from the old English word “slothre” that means “muddy place” which I can assure you along with every other article on the internet, it most certainly is not.

What it is though, is ethereal.

My research had told me of how scanty parking space is and all of my searches only threw up one road near the Manor House and said there are only a few spots available. And so we found ourselves there at 8 in the morning, with just one or two joggers who were residents, in sight. Bliss.

We parked by a stream that I later realised is the river Eye that runs through the village and was potentially the source of “muddy” banks. It really looks like a stream though it is a river. Walking along the river is one of the most memorable highlights of our entire trip.

I was in love with those beautiful stone foot bridges! You will find a couple as you walk along.

To watch the reflection in that pristine glass like water as we (read: I) tried to be as quiet as possible because I wanted to break into a song and announce to the world of how much beauty there is to be discovered all around us! I am sure the residents would not take too kindly to it, so I was on my best behaviour.

As you start walking further up along Copse Hill road which according to some of the sources has been voted the prettiest road in Britain, you cannot help falling in love with this beautiful village but also wonder how the residents must feel when it gets all busy with tourists. It is not easy being a resident in picturesque towns, is it?

I was really mesmerised by this style of stone houses – hundreds of homes across Cotswolds built in this distinctive style with Cotswold stone. This must have been so time consuming to build and yet stands tall and strong to this day!
I was trying to read more about how these stones are formed (makes for a fascinating read, especially so when you are procrastinating on something) and I stumbled on these words by J. B. Priestley who wrote of Cotswold stone that – “the truth is that it has no colour that can be described. Even when the sun is obscured and the light is cold, these walls are still faintly warm and luminous, as if they knew the trick of keeping the lost sunlight of centuries glimmering about them.” 

As you walk along, you will reach the unmissable Old Mill with its trade mark red brick tower and the water wheel.

If you just turn around, you will walk into this charming little horse trailer that doubles as the delightful mobile coffee van and sells some delicious coffee and pastries. What warmed my heart was they have doggie treat and smoothies for the infants/toddlers all served with a smile by the thoughtful owner.

We kept walking further up and had the most peaceful town to savour that morning.

We were peckish and decided to turn back and try the beautiful Manorhouse for breakfast but unfortunately it was only open to residents so we just had a quick look around and decided to head to Bourton on the Water for some breakfast and explore the market centre. All of that in my next one!

An autumnal long weekend in Cotswolds I: A photo essay of our home away

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When we decided to go away for a surprise weekend away with the littles in Cotswolds, I knew we wanted to stay in a home. It is my preferred way of holidaying these days, especially after Mili and Ishaan have come into our lives. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good buffet breakfast and a midnight room service and not having to do the dishes. But I more love the prospect of being in a place that someone made a home of, the idea of cooking in a new kitchen and whipping utterly simple meals with local produce, the thought of waking up to someone else’ garden views, the joy of sometimes making friends with a new temporary neighbour and the absolutely divine feeling of having figured how the places come together on your last day of the trip when roads to your home away from home, start to feel familiar. But most importantly, I love how someone else thinks of what a home should be like for a stranger who has chosen to stay at theirs and pour their thoughtfulness into it, in the small corners that bring the living room together, in the fireplace that smells of yours, in the kitchen that overlooks the road where the horses clippety clop away at about 7:30 in the morning as you brew your coffee, in the extremely well positioned baskets with blankets that always seem to be within your arms’ reach and the open spaces that let your crowded mind relax.

We stayed at the beautiful Daylesford cottage in Barton on Heath, very close to Moreton on Marsh, a part of north Cotswolds we had never been to. Here is what greeted us on arrival.

Details: https://www.daylesfordcottage.co.uk/about . We booked via https://www.airbnb.co.uk

Of welcoming and bidding adieu to our first winter in UK

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What excited me us most about moving to UK was winter. We love Europe and had always read and heard of the gorgeous English countryside but our hearts screamed for winter and just the thought of experiencing seasons. Singapore’s tropical weather and rainy-humid climate all through the year meant that we escaped to cold climates during winters. Such was our need for the cold. Naturally, we felt ecstatic. Also, while I love myself flowers and fall (oh, I love fall!), winter really is my aesthetic. I cannot get enough of feeling cold, being wrapped up in layers that leave me feeling perpetually in a state of “hug”, spending a good portion of the day brewing coffee and tea, forever having my kaDai out for that last minute bhajji/bajia, huddling in the warmest corner with a book, stepping out only to be met with a fiercely cold wind hitting and numbing the face leaving you feeling noseless.. I could go on.

So when people told us very politely about how we will now be facing “London weather”, we did not flinch a bit. We are somewhere amidst the last traces of winter now and I already miss it. None of the weather was remotely as “dreadful” as people made it out to be. On the contrary, the winter has been soothing and except for the short daylight, we loved every bit of it. I missed a good chunk of it as I was away in New Zealand for a good time enjoying spring and its blossoms but I was back for Christmas to hop on the winter bandwagon.

As I write this, it is getting to spring now. The super markets are full of petunias, tulips and a diaspora of blooms. The wild flowers in our yard have started to bloom from nowhere! I was not even aware that there were plants with such gorgeous flowers and to watch them appear miraculously on one fine morning, out of nowhere obvious, has been beautifully surprising. The root vegetables are replaced by berries and lots of fresh greens. Those big boots and huge cloaks are replaced by thin cardigans and denims and sandals. The entrances to the super markets are lined with the essentials for barbecue.

And all this has been utterly beautiful to witness. I really miss the winter but I love myself a spring and the joy it brings to so many people. There is nothing quite like watching people being happy for the weather. I cannot believe I am saying this, because a year ago, I used to wonder what it is that makes people talk of weather all the time. But I know and appreciate it better now. To be observant and perceptive of the changes around you is indeed appreciable. And in a way, that has made me very thankful for the weather and for all the privilege I have to experience the seasons comfortably.

A few days ago, we walked along the Ockham and Wisley Commons with gay abandon. After more than a week of warm sun, that day was quite chilly. We being us, headed out to enjoy that chill. We got our large coffees from the local bakery at the entrance and walked endlessly. Some days make you happy for no reason at all and this is definitely one of them.