Getting the lie of the land. Cotswolds Way day 1.

Roo and I are entering the unknown here. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Cotswolds before, and as we didn’t really prepare for this trip (surprise, surprise!) we didn’t read up about it.

It’s beautiful. It is quintessentially English countryside. Rolling (sometimes steeply!) hills, quaint (with all that implies) villages and ancient, glorious trees. There are a lot of other walkers; mostly American, mostly from Kansas and all of them happy to talk to Roo while they (sometimes correctly) told them about birds. This area is very well served with cafes and ice cream shops and pubs and fruit farms and farm shops and… aren’t we supposed to be walking?!

We started at the north end, staying in between Binary Cottage (made Roo happy) and Controversy House. There’s probably a story there, but we were too busy eating the best dirty fries ever to want to find out.

Today was about enjoying views and getting used to walking in such a popular spot.

We had a long first day, which was maybe a mistake. But there’s so much variety on this trail. Long views and beautiful villages like this…

Then there was a tower, which apparently has a bathroom with a view on the roof…

Towards the ending the day we walked through a village that had really taken things too far…

They must bribe the owner to park that car there during tourist season! But there’s nothing else there, no people, no shop, no community. Waking through it feels just like visiting a museum.

Much more interesting and beautiful and worth protecting were the trees. Huge and ancient and alive.

By now it was almost 6pm, time to get to the B&B and prepare ourselves for the first cooked breakfast.