Our trip out to the Cotswolds started with a train to Oxford 

early in the morning.  Just getting to the Victoria train station

and finding the right platform is an adventure!  Right when we

were able to take the time to go, the rail system out to the 

Cotswolds was shut down for improvements.  That meant we

would have to take an hour long bus ride from Oxford to the 

Cotwolds.  From there we would meet our guide.  Fortunately 

tho, he suggested picking us up in Oxford and touring from 

there, wonderful idea! We drove around Oxford and looked 

at all the important sights and colleges, not much of which 

I remember!! The house w/the blue VW parked in front is 

where Lawrence of Arabia lived tho! Michael Neilan was an 

incredible guide! He and his wife and daughter moved from 

Chelsea in London out to the Cotswolds 20 yrs ago, so their 

daughter could ride horses. He knows the Cotswolds well 

and took us places the gigantic tour buses just can't get to.  

Everything there is ancient, built in the 12th century, and 

hasn't changed much. The medieval rock walls are still 

standing and run all thru the countryside. Some of the out 

of the way abbeys have tombstones and memorials inside 

from medieval times! 

We visited the Stanway House, where Terry and Marisa are

standing outside the heavy wooden door, a Jacobean manor

house with one of the largest fountains in the world. The 

pics of the wall in the backyard is interesting, when the

wall was built, rather than destroying some of the artifacts

that had been found on the property, like caskets, they

incorporated them into the wall.

One of quaintest little towns was Bibury, were the wool that

made the Cotswolds wealthy, was spun and woven.  The

rows of tiny little cottages that the weavers and spinners

lived in are now rentals, but still get daily visitors.

We visited quite a few other quaint little towns built

with the trademark yellow Cotswold stone. And before

heading on to Chipping Campden, we visited Michael's

home for some lemonade w/barley ("what they drink

at Wimbleton") and meet his sweet wife and cute little

Jack Russell Terrior. They run a B&B out of their home 

that caters to visitors either walking the trails from 

town to town or riding horseback.  They'll stable your 

horse for the night if you ask them to!

They live in a beautiful little town, w/a minature

version of stonehenge, surrounded by some of the

prettiest countryside we saw.  It was so worth having

a guide to drive us and give us all the history of the

area.  We've finally learned from our experiences

in Italy, and now Scotland, not to rent a car in Europe!

Sorry honey!