Last year (2018) we had the privilege and pleasure of spending 6 months–from April to October–in the UK for my husband’s work. Being South Africans we were a little apprehensive about the rain and cold weather but, lo and behold, 2018 was the joint hottest summer on record for the UK as a whole, and the hottest ever for England, so acclimatising was easy enough.
We stayed in a wonderful 2 bedroom flat in the middle of Windsor very near the Long Walk which we enjoyed almost every day. We also managed to see all the preparations for the Royal wedding.
During the 6 month period, we holidayed in beautiful Scotland for 2 weeks, and besides that we traveled to little towns near and far in the Cotswolds and Cornwall every other weekend.
England is green and beautiful and when you venture from the highways you tend to encounter lots of little hedged-in, narrow roads, where you really have to drive carefully because some are so narrow you can’t pass another car without touching side mirrors. Sometimes sunlight filters through the bright green leaves of age-old trees and you feel like you are in a fairy tale. I wish they would put dates on all the big trees so we could learn how old they are.
So, this year (2019) we are back in England from June to December–yippee! I will endeavor to take lots more snaps in England, Ireland and Hong Kong (we will be traveling there for a short break).
See below for a glimpse of beautiful England and Scotland with some of my 2018 photos. Many more will follow…
This time we are staying in Blewbury, a small village in Oxfordshire about 5 km south of Didcot and 23 km south of Oxford. Many new experiences await.
Our home for the next 6 months is a lovely, sunny garden flat. “Why Blewbury?” you may be thinking–well, because of the relatively short distance from here to my husband’s work. Only seven minutes’ drive makes it really convenient. Now I can drop him off some mornings and take the car to explore more of the countryside and other little villages on my own.
We had a pleasant stroll through town and I have to say that on all our walks through these little picturesque villages, I feel that many of the quaint cottages that we pass belong in story books and fairy tales, like Hansel and Gretel. All of them were built to last, and had developed their own charming looks over the years, through the effects of Mother Nature.
Some are delightful to behold, while others are so crooked that you wonder how they don’t crumble and the windows don’t crack. Each of them have their own charms that enchant and mesmerize and from within, I’m sure the magic lives on in a cosy way.
Just 3 minutes’ walk from our flat we discovered a charming garden center where you can buy fresh produce and plants. At their coffeehouse you can have tea and scones or a hearty breakfast.
Below are a few photos of this lovely little village. Be sure to follow along for more posts of our time here!
Travel Snaps and (Gluten Free) Snacks 