The Cotswolds
Just the thought of writing this blog post has filled me with excitement! After my recent trip to the Cotswolds, I’ve been filled with new inspiration for my writing and my blog. There are so many photos that I decided to bombard Sunny and Sweet with lots of content to revamp the blog after a somewhat long stretch of time without posting.
My boyfriend Alex and I left for England last week, on Sunday. He was flying back with me before a new term at Oxford, and before my return to campus we planned a little vacation for ourselves in the English countryside. After a long commute from the airport, to Paddington, to the Kingham train station, and then finally to our air BNB, we finally arrived at our cottage in Churchill, otherwise known as The Mousehole.
The place was a complete dream. Every day felt like we were waking up in the Holiday (Think we could be Jude Law and Cameron Diaz? hehe). Though it was tiny, the space had all the charm of a chic retreat, along with the cozy feel of the Cotswolds. There could’ve been no better name for the little place than The Mousehole. The cottage was equipped with a kitchenette where we made breakfast each morning, a small living space with a TV, a bathroom, and a loft that served as the bedroom, where we crashed quickly, absolutely exhausted from our travels.
The next morning, we took our time waking up. We drank coffee, appreciating our little cottage, and whipping up a couple omelets for breakfast. After our breakfast, we were finally ready to venture out. We were staying in a little village called Churchill. Though it was tiny, without much of a village center aside from a single pub, there was added charm to the quietness. About two miles from Churchill was a larger town called Chipping-Norton, but we ended up preferring the simplicity of our little village.
Two of our mornings, we enjoyed long walks around the area, exploring the countryside. Every street we passed was packed with tiny yellow stone cottages and misty gardens that tumbled over rock walls. Each turn would bring us to another perfect view, and we would each hurry to snap one more photo, even though we’d already taken practically the exact same one. All of the tiny buildings remained only a story or two high, and among all of the deep green gardens and ancient stone walls, they seemed like a hobbit village.
One morning, we followed a footpath through someone’s garden, along a damp and mossy rock wall. We ended up in a huge meadow that sloped down into even more farmland and fields. The patchwork grass under the soft, grey mist made us stop to appreciate the view. The sky was the kind of hazy English weather that you imagine, with limp clouds that don’t quite stay in the sky. Hairy tufts of grass rose up on either side of the path, covered in dew. Through a gate and across a muddy pasture, the footpath led into a forest that was deep green and wild. Though we wanted to follow it, we hadn’t brought Wellingtons and were forced to turn back around.
We headed back onto the street and veered further from our cottage, stumbling upon a little cemetery, marked by a low rock wall. Beside the wall, a couple horses blinked at us through the misty rain. I decided to befriend them and went to say hello. Our walk through the graveyard was equally as scenic as the earlier footpath, but the wind was beginning to whip us around and the rain was becoming heavier.
Thoroughly chilled and a bit exhausted, we headed to our favorite spot to relax: the village pub, Chequers. There were always embers snapping in the fireplace, and they served hot chocolate out of soup bowls. Everything about Chequers reminded me of the English countryside. There were Wellington boots and umbrellas by the door to dry, old leather stools around the bar, and often someone’s dog waiting around patiently. Together, Alex and I would sit for hours, writing and ordering drinks until we were ready to meander back to The Mousehole, just a two-minute walk away.
The other wonderful part about staying in the Mousehole was that the kitchenet had a hotplate, and we were able to make our own dinner one night. Instead of going out to spend money, we love to figure out our own meals.
Cooking is one of our favorite things to do together. After a quick pitstop at the store in Chipping-Norton the day before, we had all the supplies to whip up a delicious pasta primavera. I will include a separate recipe for this dish later. It’s a really quick and delicious meal! We enjoyed a cozy night in, sipping wine and listening to music while we cooked.
It was the perfect sendoff before our departure to Oxford the next day!
