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May 15, 2024

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Cotswold Walk – Day 8

Dursley to Wotton-Under-Edge

5.5 miles / 9 km

During a long hiking trek, it’s always nice to have a rest day or a short mileage day. That was today for us because on the remaining three days will be covering 10 miles or more.

Since it was a short walking day, there was no need to hurry, so we left our extremely lovely, funny, & nice B&B hosts at the leisurely time of 8:50AM.

Once again, we crossed farmers’ fields, walked past gardens, & climbed hills.

We passed through a small village called North Nibley.

Then we climbed a hill to the Tyndale Monument. This monument is named for William Tyndale who helped translate the Bible into English because he believed the Bible should be in a language everyone could read instead of Latin. However, he went against the Catholic Church’s beliefs & customs, so in 1536, he was charged with heresy & burned at the stake for his efforts.

Our last hill today was Wotton Hill which was a nice place for a short rest.

A few miles later we were in Wotton-Under-Edge. (Just love these English names!)

As expected, it is yet another lovely town in the Cotswolds.

I also bought myself a Chelsea Bun. It was yummy by the way.😋

The Star Inn which was built in 1512 has a good story that connects it to the Titanic.

In 1784, John Cambridge was born in the Star Inn which his father owned. As a young man, John emigrated to Prince Edward Island, Canada, where he started a lumber business to support the shipbuilding industry. His lumber business profits grew, so he reinvested them by starting a shipping company which he named the “White Star Line” after his father’s inn. Eventually, Cambridge’s business was acquired & the new owners were the ones who eventually had the ill-fated RMS Titanic built.

Our tour company arranged for us to take a taxi to our accommodation at De Vere Tortworth Court which is an amazing historical hotel that dates back to the 14th Century.

A very special resident at De Vere.

De Vere Tortworth Court history:

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May 14, 2024

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Cotswold Walk – Day 7

Stonehouse to Dursley

10 miles / 18 km

The weather forecast for cloudy skies was spot on.

Today’s main obstacle was mud. After yesterday’s afternoon & evening rain, many sections along the path were very muddy.

The trail was slippery from time to time; but, my trusty trekking poles prevented me from falling into the mud on more than one occasion.

We also, once again, enjoyed seeing various animals along the way.

We climbed two big hills today. On Coaley Peak we had spectacular views overlooking the beautiful green countryside.

Near Coaley Peak we passed the Nymphsfield Long Barrow which is another ancient burial site that dates from 2500 BCE.

With only about an hour left on the trail, it seemed like our luck avoiding any precipitation had ended as it started to rain, so out came the rain poncho & rain jacket.

Right after this picture was taken, the rain stopped & the rain gear went right back into our backpacks. 😂

After the brief shower, we had one last big hill to climb for the day.

We reached Dursley in the early afternoon arriving a little earlier than our B&B hosts had expected us.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, the town’s name might sound familiar.

JK Rowling who wrote the Harry Potter books is from this area & supposedly she does not like this town, so she got back at it in her own literary way.

However, we find Dursley quite charming.

Market Place & Town Hall with plaque showing Published Toll Rates for various Animals & Food Products in the 18th Century

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May 13, 2024

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Cotswold Walk – Day 6

Painswick to Stonehouse

10 miles /18 km

Today was our first day to walk with cloudy, overcast skies along with high winds in some locations. However, the weather brought cooler temperatures which was nice.

We were on our way at 8:45 AM. Unlike the other days, our travel company booked us at a nice studio apartment where we enjoyed a nice private breakfast before beginning our journey.

Soon after leaving Painswick we passed the half-way marker to Bath.

After crossing an open field, we were soon in a beautiful forest.

We only had to climb one big hill today, whereas over the past 5 days, the path involved a great deal of walking up & down hills.

Climbing hills affords a great view. You can also see the cloudy weather we experienced all day. These exposed ridges had very strong winds which made it quite chilly.

We walked through very pleasant forests with wide pathways for several miles.

Interesting stiles today.

Both these styles have a special section for the herding dogs to pass through since the small, offset rock steps are hard for them to maneuver.

This is a Squeeze Style which is self explanatory

Crossing a farmer’s field always feels a little strange to be walking on their property; but, it is common practice on various walks in England.

I often think my dad would have enjoyed having hikers cross our family farmland.

Trail directions said turn at the hollow tree, so we did. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any Keebler Elves making cookies in it.

The last mile took us along a canal. Some people travel in a houseboat along canals in England.

We made it to our lovely hotel just as it started to rain.

History of the Stonehouse Court Hotel, very old place.

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May 12, 2024

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Cotswold Walk – Day 5

Birdlip to Painswick

11 miles / 17.7 km

Wow, 5 days in a row with marvelous weather…no complaints here!

We left around 8:30 AM with nice blue skies. Even though rain was forecasted, nary a drop fell during our walk. However, a nice summer shower occurred late in the afternoon after we were already nice & dry inside our accommodations.

Most of the day we were high in the Cotswold hills walking through shady green forests.

One interesting part of the walk took us past the very steep Cooper’s Hill which is world renown for cheese rolling!!!

Every year at the end of May, the locals enjoy rolling a cheese wheel weighing several kilos down Cooper’s Hill which is 200 meters long with an almost vertical slope. The cheese wheel rolls down the hill at almost 70mph which basically makes it uncatchable; so the winner is the first person to cross the finish line down at the base. First prize is the cheese wheel. Too bad we missed this unique event by a couple weeks

Like on all other days, many locals were using the paths & the woods to walk their dogs, run, mountain bike, or simply take a nice walk. Those of us hikers passing through the area on the way to Bath are small in numbers compared to the locals. I’m a bit jealous that they have such lovely nature paths so close to their homes.

When we reached Painswick, we explored the nearby Rococo Garden which was started in the 1700s. After the rococo style fell out of favor, the garden fell into disuse & ruin for a couple hundred years before being restored.

From this 1748 painting, historians were able to begin garden restorations to the original layout starting in the 1970s.

For a few hours, we enjoyed walking in this special garden which is the only rococo garden in England.

Painswick is yet another extremely charming, old Cotswold village. Every street here has its own charm & history.

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May 11, 2024

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Cotswolds Walk – Day 4

Seven Springs to Birdlip

9 miles / 14.5 km

Sometimes the trail doesn’t bring us close to the town where we stay mainly due to the fact that there are limited places to stay right on the trail.

Seven Springs is located a few miles from Cheltenham where our hotel was located. So, we used a taxi service to pick us up & then drop us off the next day to continue the trail from where we left it.

From what we saw, Cheltenham is a lovely college town. It was a bit of a shame because I was too tired to walk around & explore.

After breakfast & our taxi drop off, we were on the trail around 9:15 AM.

After a short climb, we summited Leckhampton Hill which has an old Iron Age fort on it.

On the top, we enjoyed beautiful views for a while.

One shop along the way on Crickley Hill made a smart decision to sell ice cream for dogs as well as for humans.

That is a great business idea since many people from nearby Cheltenham were out enjoying the beautiful Saturday weather with their four legged friends.

We totally lucked out by doing this hike in mid-May because both the wildflowers & domesticated flowers have been stunning.

We asked this gentleman to take our picture on Leckhampton Hill, then met up with him again later on down the trail. We walked together for the next few hours chatting about England & America. He is a retired truck driver spending his time walking all the UK trails. He gave us some very good tips on future walks to enjoy in the future.

Made it to our cute English inn & had a snack after our hike.

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May 10, 2024

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Cotswold Hike – Day 3

Winchcombe to Seven Springs

15 miles / 24 km

Absolutely perfect weather today. Sunny & warm; but, not too hot.

The trail was a muddy in a few spots; but other than that it was a lovely day to walk across green pastures & through lush forests.

The hardest part on this the day was climbing 3 big hills.

The first hill was up to an ancient burial site named Belas Knap.

It was built in 2500 BC as a burial site where 38 ea. sets of human remains were found.

You can see how thin rocks were neatly stacked to create it.

A few other sites along the way.

The second big climb was up Cleeve Hill which at 1,066 feet high, it is the highest point on the entire Cotswold Way trail.

There is also a golf course that runs along its summit through which the Cotswold Way trail runs. The wide open space provided us with a huge vista to enjoy.

There are also free roaming sheep on the golf course.

Rules to follow on the trail:

The third & last hill took us through a beautiful forest called the Lineover Wood which has large lime & beech trees. Lineover means “lime bank”.

We ended the day at Seven Springs which is the headwaters for the famed River Thames.

Seven small rivulets emerge from the ground here which create the source for the River Thames.

In the stonework basin is a plaque that reads in Latin: “Hic tuus o Tamesine Pater septemceminus fons” which translates to “Here, O Father Thames, is your sevenfold spring”.

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May 9, 2024

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Cotswold Walk – Day 2

Stanton to Winchcombe

8 miles / 13 km

After a hearty breakfast, we hit the trail by 9:30 AM enjoying gorgeous Spring weather.

Today’s walk was similar to the first as we walked crossed many green pastures & said hello to some sheep & lambs.

Yes, they speak English in England; but, that doesn’t mean I always understand what they mean.

A fairly common sight in England are the ruins from the many abbey’s that were destroyed by Henry VIII.

Just after 1:00 PM we made it to Winchcombe. This town is over 1,000 years old with many old buildings. Our hotel dates from 1554.

This town could easily be used on a historical movie set.

After a quick lunch we visited the nearby Sudeley Castle. British royalty ranging from Richard III, Charles I, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, & Elizabeth I as well as many other well known names in British history are included in its story. Henry VIII’s last wife Katherine Parr who survived him is interred here making her the only English queen buried in a private castle. Sudeley Castle is also where Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn along with Henry’s Chief Minister Thomas Cromwell decided Britain would break with the Catholic Church so Henry could divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn.

Henry VIII & his 6 wives- (L-R) Catherine of Aragon (Divorced), Anne Boleyn (Beheaded), Jane Seymour (Died), Anne of Cleves (Divorced), Catherine Howard (Beheaded), Katherine Parr (Widow)

Henry VIII’s last wife Katherine Parr is buried in St. Mary’s Chapel on the castle grounds.

Great story on how Katherine Parr’s burial place was found

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May 8, 2024

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Cotswold Way Hike in England

Day 1

Chipping Campden to Stanton

10.5 miles / 16.8 km

We were blessed with perfect weather on our first day hiking in the very charming Cotswolds.

We left Chipping Campden around 9:15AM passing through this lovely village that serves as the North-South Cotswold Way Gateway. The route ends 100 miles further south from here in historic Bath.

The walk began with a gentle ascent up Dover’s Hill. The climb’s reward is sharing a view overlooking the beautiful English countryside with sheep flocks at the top.

For the next few hours, we enjoyed meandering over green fields past too many sheep to count.

The trail is well marked & hikers simply have to look for the Cotswold Way signs which includes wooden posts with an acorn symbol or small round circle pointing the way.

One nice landmark on the trail is the Broadway Tower which is named after the town closest to it. The tower sits on the second highest point in the Cotswolds & as such, it can be seen from miles around. Its location affords a nice view from the hilltop.

This tower made me think about the Rapunzel fairytale. I could very easily envision Rapunzel on the balcony letting down her golden hair

Around noon we walked into the quaint village Broadway.

From Broadway, we only had 4.5 more miles to reach our final destination for today.

In England, you can walk through many farms & fields. This trail is a public walkway due to right-of-ways that have existed for centuries.

Since livestock needs to be controlled & managed, each time you cross into a new field, you have special gates to unlatch or fences to negotiate.

Along the way, we saw these very unique looking cows called Galloways or “Oreo Cows”.

Around 3:00PM, we reached our final destination of Stanton which is yet another cute English village.

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May 2, 2024

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Africa, South Africa

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Driving South Africa’s Garden Route

For 5 days, we enjoyed exploring South Africa’s Western Cape along the Garden Route.

Day 1

We took a a short boat ride to see a very large seal colony at Hout Bay.

Upon our return, the boat was greeted by a band that looked like they belonged in New Orleans along with a friendly seal.

Before sunset we made it to Africa’s Southernmost tip at Point Agulhas which is where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean & vice versa.

A funny sign in L’Agulhas.

Day 2

This was mostly a driving day from L’Agulhas to Knysna (pronounced Nice-nah). Knysna is nice-ah! Due to strong winds, our nature walk there was postponed until the next morning.

Knysna Harbor- Featherbed Nature Preserve across the water

Day 3

In the morning we enjoyed a lovely nature walk at the Featherbed Nature Preserve.

With all the verdant scenery, it was hard to believe that most vegetation on this island was destroyed by a fire only 7 years ago.

At the beginning of our hike we were given slingshots to shoot seed pods down the hill to help replenish the native plants.

Due to the rocks, currents & tides, as well as not having modern navigation devices, the harbor entry was rated as the most difficult in the world to navigate.

After this lovely morning hike, we visited the Knysna Elephant Park that helps orphaned & injured elephants.

At the park , you are given a chance to feed & walk with the elephants.

We were lucky to have our picture taken with Sally. She is the 34 year old matriarch & the oldest elephant at the park. She now teaches the young elephants how to survive.

Day 4

Before starting this day, I had a lovely breakfast at the cute Roadside Cafe restaurant in Plettenberg Bay which has a plant nursery as well as a petting zoo.

I had a very filling breakfast to prepare me for the 7 mile hike around the Robberg Nature Reserve.

The views around the reserve were spectacular which included being able to see various seal colonies from high above on the cliffs.

After passing the half way mark on fairly easy trails, the path involved bouldering having to scramble over & climb many rocks for over a mile. Thankfully, we made it through that rough stretch without any turned ankles or falls.

An hour before sunset we made it to Jeffery’s Bay. This town was made famous in the 1960s documentary movie “Endless Summer” which is about surfers 🏄 who travel the world surfing at various beaches all year long.

Day 5

Our last Garden Route day involved watching a few surfers at the beach & visiting the Birds of Eden bird sanctuary.

From the first moment we entered the sanctuary, we saw birds up close. This large facility allowed us to observe many species for a few hours.

My husband has an unusual hobby. He likes to do bungee jumps around the world when possible. He has now bungy jumped in New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Greece, & now South Africa.

He jumped off the Boukrans Bridge which at 216 meters (709 feet) high is the highest bridge in Africa & the world’s 3rd highest bungy jump.

As we left the Garden Route, we drove off into a beautiful sunset heading for the Karoo region.

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April 25, 2024

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Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest city & as such is known in the country as “The Mother City”.

It is South Africa’s 2nd largest city after Johannesburg.

The German anthropologist Theophilus Hahn recorded that the area’s original name was ‘Hui ! Gais‘ from the indigenous Khoi language meaning “Where clouds gather.”

Indeed, the week we were in Cape Town, Table Mountain was often covered by clouds.

Portuguese mariner & explorer Bartolomeu Dias was the 1st European to reach the area in 1488 & named it the “Cape of Storms.” King John II of Portugal renamed it the “Cape of Good Hope” because it opened a new trade route to the East Indies after the Ottoman Empire cut the overland routes to Europe.

Today you can visit the Castle of Good Hope not far from the bus station.

It was built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679. The Castle is the oldest existing building in South Africa.

Another historic attraction to visit is Robben Island where political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela were imprisoned. Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years as a political prisoner on this island.

It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (robben); hence, the Dutch/Afrikaans name Robbeneiland which translates to Seal(s) Island.

The island tour includes a 30 minute ferry ride, a bus tour around the island where you see the lime quarry where Mandela & other political prisoners did hard labor, & a walking tour around the prison. Our guide around the prison grounds was an ex-political prisoner who was able to give us a first hand experience about the daily life for prisoners on the island.

Among most popular spots in Cape Town is the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront. It’s the perfect place to shop, eat, & enjoy the views.

If you are a foodie, then Cape Town won’t disappoint. One evening we enjoyed typical African food & entertainment at Mama Africa.

We found a very nice food court called the Time Out Market on the V&A Waterfront where every meal was delicious & nicely served.

Our last tour in Cape Town was to the Diamond Museum located at the V&A Waterfront. South Africa’s diamond industry dates back to 1866. In the 1870s & 1880s, South Africa produced 95% of all diamonds in the world.

After the tour we were given a chance to purchase a diamond. Hmmm…maybe next time or after I win the lottery.