The Cotswolds

Right in the middle of England is this region known as the Cotswolds. It's called the "heart" of England, which makes sense considering its location, but I think that name also speaks about the spirit of the Cotswolds, which, with the rolling green landscape and small villages, feels incredibly English.

England's limestone comes from this region, and all the houses are made of it, stacked horizontally. It's a muted greyish-cream color, and the ubiquitous usage makes the towns look very cohesive. My favorite quote to date is, "the whole secret of the beauties of Cotswold architecture is conveyed by the word 'unspoilt' - unspoilt by architects. Poor architects!" (Robert Henriques 1950). I had to laugh. I think he's probably right. Architects wouldn't have allowed it to be so quaint.

The area is still mostly agricultural, with tiny villages of 12 or so houses tucked between the fields. They all have names you can't quite believe aren't farsical. For example, we live in Upper Oddington. really. There's Lower Oddington just a 5 minute walk down the road. Past the town of Stow on the Wold there's Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter. We're embarassed to say any of these towns out loud, of course, because the Brits always say it differently and laugh at our American pronunciations. At the supermarket the other day the checkout clerk said he loved the way Americans say, "vehicle." I asked John if he remembered how the clerk said it, but John admitted he hadn't been sure what word the guy was saying.

At this point I go out for a daily tramping along the many footpaths, scaring cows and annoying horses who are disappointed when they discover I don't bear treats. While out I imagine I'm living in a Jane Austin novel, which is quite easy in this landscape.