Overview

In December 2006, we were invited for the birthday celebration of a friend in the Cotswolds. The timing coincided with the Christmas holidays. As part of the trip we added a stay in London, a visit to Stonehenge, and another stay in Stratford-upon-Avon. The Cotswolds portion of the trip, spend in a delightful village named Chipping Campden, concluded our 9 day trip.

London

Our first stop was London, which we had not visited in over 30 years. We counted ourselves lucky to have had at least a few hours of sunlight during our two days there.

I must mention two London restaurants that rank with the best we've ever experienced. Pearl, at our hotel, the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel, was a wonderful restaurant, with outstanding decor and incredible food. Petrus was just as good (it is hard to choose a "best" meal between the two), with well orchestrated service and inovative cuisine.

Another highlight of our visit to London was seeing Monty Python's Spamalot at the Palace Theatre. The new London production, starring Tim Curry, is excellent.

See the London link for slides of our visit there.

Stonehenge

Our visit to Stonehenge was brief, and shrouded in fog. Although we didn't feel any mystic power, as we have in other ancient sites such as Tikal and Karnak, it was well worth the visit.

Salisbury

Following our visit to Stonehenge, we drove over the Salisbury Plains past the ancient site of Sarum to see Salisbury, and in particular the Salisbury Cathedral. It was great walking through town, as everyone hurried about doing last minute Christmas shopping. We reached the cathedral just as it was closing, but were allowed to enter. The Cathedral's organist was practicing while we were there, a modern composition, and the effect was chilling.

Stratford-upon-Avon

Although we steered clear of any tourist traps related to Shakespeare (birthplace, burial site, wife's birthplace, etc!), we found Stratford to be a good base for exploring the surrounding area. We also enjoyed seeing a production of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor - the Musical, starring Judy Dench.

The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds were incredibly scenic, and in many ways appear to have not changed at all since the 1700s. Our hotel there, the Cotswold House, is a luxurious inn, skillfully inserted into several adjoining historic structures in the heart of the village of Chipping Campden.

We were content to do little while there except celebrate Christmas in the presence of good friends and accomodating inn keepers.

London, Oxford and Windsor - 2010

We had a chance to finally see England in summer. Our previous trips had both been in December, so this June, 2010 trip gave us a completely different impression of the country. We took our niece Hannah, and placed emphasis on the theatre scene, museums and some very good restaurant selections. The England 2010 link will lead you to an extensive folio of photos from this fun trip.