RichmondRunr: Sept 11

(written by Farley except paragraphs as noted)

Can't help but think of how so many lives were changed 13 years ago. Our day was marred by some just misses, minor in comparison ... just missed the train, just missed the rental car shuttle, just missed the start of a tour ...

Our trip from London to the Cotswolds took an unexpected turn, as we headed to Bath instead, a decision driven by overcast skies and slow transfers from the hotel to the train station to the rental car counter. It was good to get out of the city, and see sheep, cattle, rolling hills, and speed limits limited only by the safety of your car.

We arrived in Bath right at lunch, and made Liz Shiner smile as we ate at Sally Lunn's house, and I had Welsh Rarebit. We then moved on to the Roman
Baths, rediscovered over a hundred years ago after being covered up by "progress" as Bath grew as a city. The natural hot spring baths (the only hot spring in England) opened in 75 A.D., and provided healing powers to queens
and countrymen alike throughout history. We then made haste to Jane Austen's commemorative house, which detailed her time in the area and her life, including her six books.

Lynne: Yes,I had no idea that Jane Austen spent considerable time in Bath. Once I realized that, of course, we had to go to the Jane Austen center. Kudos to Farley for going with the flow. Sadly, time crunch meant we missed touring #1 Royal Crescent Circle, supposedly a beautifully furnished Georgian house. I decided we had seen plenty of gorgeously furnished houses (palaces) so Jane Austen took precedence.

Back on the road again, we gazed one last time at the charming rows of town houses lining the Bath streets before running smack into unexpected traffic.
First rush hour, and then a disabled vehicle, added an hour to our expected hour and a half trip. Along the way we saw hot air balloons and more countryside, which we agreed was just not as pretty as Scotland or Italy.

Lynne: This was a total surprise. I thought The Cotswolds were going to be unbelievably beautiful. Having visited Cornwall a few years ago, I thought that was much prettier. But the Scottish Highlands and the Italian Tuscany countryside were even more picturesque. We'll see what vistas we encounter tomorrow in our walk-about.

Arriving in Winchcombe just at dusk, we unpacked quickly and freshened up, deciding to eat at the restaurant of The Lion Inn. It was a great choice. Baked Brie with poached pears got us started, followed by stone bass and braised beef, all of which was outstanding! Tomorrow, hiking and, most likely, another Lion Inn dinner.