This cottage is new "on the market" and is right in the area we were looking for (near Stroud or Cirencester), plus has broadband and a phone. Jonathan, who lives nearby, was kind enough to go and meet the owner and have a tour of the cottage - so we know we will be comfortable there. The owner gave us a good discount for renting off season.
We can even take our cat if we decide to (he has had his shots and bloodwork done and is ready to travel to England any time after October).
We had planned to spend 2 weeks in the Cotswolds this summer, but had to cancel because the flooding affected the area we were going to (water was shut off).
Now the decision is, do we go and have a nice two months? Or do we look for a one year rental while we are there? We have the cottage until the end of February and we will be in Savannah for the GTG the first week of April - so we either go back to Santa Fe for March, stay longer in England or travel somewhere else.
Nearly everyone I have told so far has felt compelled to warn me about England winters. Yes, I know it will be cold and wet! We spent the winter in England in 1988 and had many fine days. I am hoping this will be the case this winter. And while Santa Fe is sunnier, it is much colder with a lot of snow - so England weather will be (somewhat) milder. I do love the snow in Santa Fe and we will probably get some in December - so I will get a bit of "real" winter before we leave.
I am very excited about this and keep blabbering on about the things we can do there - go into Bath for the day (30 minute drive). Go to Cirencester frequently. Lots of muddy walking. Back to our favorite tea room in nearby Minchinhampton. AND have some SlowTrav GTGs!!
I know - when I saw the listing, I said to Steve "we can't bring Buddy"! And he said, send her a photo of him - no one could refuse our gorgeous cat. I did and she said - why he looks lovely. Yes bring him.
The reason for no cats is that her neighbor has a cat and it has made her yard his territory - but I explained that Buddy lives very well at home with that exact same situation (a very aggressive cat from next door who is in our yard all the time - Buddy just keeps out of his way).
The cottage looks wonderful & what a great location!
Over the last 30 years I've spent 3 winters in the UK. Yes it can be cold & wet (esp for an Aussie), but so can summer, as you found out this year!
What I love is the lack of crowds. It's much easier to get around & meet locals - be more of a 'traveller' rather than a 'tourist'. Of course the days are shorter, but there's always a fire in a pub or a restaurant and plenty of people willing to share their evenings with you!
Enjoy!
Posts: 459 | Location: Adelaide, South Australia | Registered: 08 May 2005
I wouldn't worry about the winters, Pauline. I've spent the last 3 here in the UK and it's been a very nice change from the ones I'm used to near NYC. I've only seen about 2 days that had a few snowflakes, I was never snowed in and there were many more sunny days than I expected. I really don't think the temperature ever dropped below 40 very often if ever. I do live in the south, but milewise, it's not that far from the Cotswolds.
Posts: 177 | Location: Surrey, UK | Registered: 28 February 2005
The cottage looks lovely, Pauline, and it is great that you can bring your cat with you! That completes the 'home' feeling. Have a water gun ready for next door's cat! We have a nasty neighbouring cat that comes into our garden and even chases our gentle little one out of our own garden and right into our house - the cheek of it!
Yes, a Philippa and Pauline joint birthday party! We plan to arrive the first week of January.
And, when it gets closer to the time I will set up a few GTGs! I would love to see you again Felicity, plus get into London for a GTG and maybe a trip up north?
I was thinking the same thing about fewer tourists. In spring, you can spend an extra 30 minutes getting into Bath because of the traffic. Maybe this does not happen in winter.
I was thinking the same thing about fewer tourists. In spring, you can spend an extra 30 minutes getting into Bath because of the traffic. Maybe this does not happen in winter.
We took a day trip to Bath last February - not only were there no queues getting in, we could park easily in the centre which is not something that could ever be said about the summer months! Last winter was very mild, at least here in London - I had planned to get myself a new winter coat, but didn't bother when I realised that the old one hadn't actually left the wardrobe.
The only downside to very out of season travelling is that most National Trust houses are shut until March (although some gardens dostay open all year)
Posts: 927 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 20 September 2006
Originally posted by Pauline: ...And, when it gets closer to the time I will set up a few GTGs! I would love to see you again Felicity, plus get into London for a GTG and maybe a trip up north?...
Glad to see you're factoring in time for London this trip.
Beebee
Posts: 1954 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 09 September 2002
I just booked our flights!! I was going to try MaxJet, but hesitated about flying out of Las Vegas on New Year's Day - plus we have never flown to Stansted before. We have enough British Airways miles for upgrades for two trips, so I booked with them (I am such a creature of habit - we have flown them to Europe for our last 3 trips).
To upgrade to Club World, you have to purchase a Premium Economy ticket. The price was about half of what we paid for the same flights last summer (leaving late June, flying home August). Similar to what we paid the year before flying in May. ($899 each plus taxes - total of $1300 each - and 25,000 miles each to upgrade) I did the booking online - which is my preferred way. I get so freaked at committing to dates and spending all that money, that I do better having the transaction done between me and my computer.
We are going out of Dallas, as we did last time, flying on January 1. I still have to buy separate Albuquerque - Dallas tickets, like last time, because you can only do the upgrades when booking the BA portion only.
This flight arrives at 7am at Gatwick (on January 2) and we are thinking of getting a car service to take us either to Brighton/Hove or to Bath (our usual destination). Then two nights in a hotel in a town, my way of getting over jetlag, then pickup a car an onto the cottage.
I have been looking up car rental/lease prices and it looks like AutoEurope US is the cheapest - just a regular car rental, but with no insurance (we will be covered on our home car insurance and our AMEX card). A car lease is more expensive, but does include insurance - but we can only pickup at the airport and there are fees if you make date changes.
I booked us to fly home on March 4, giving us 4 nights after the end of our cottage booking to either stay there longer or plan a mini-break. Since we fly out of Gatwick on a 10am flight, we will spend our last night at the Alexander House Hotel - like we did on the last two trips. It is a fabulous old hotel with lovely rooms and a good restaurant. A special end of trip "treat".
We have not resolved the cat issue (whether or not he comes). We think we will start looking for a long term rental in February, but if we don't find anything, we will try again later in the spring.
We have to be back in the US by mid-March to be home for a bit and then go to the Savannah GTG!
Now, time to get out the wool and start knitting some sweaters (and buying a new raincoat, waterproofing hiking boots). We can check 3 bags each on Club World - for two months in one cottage I am not going to be packing light (as if I ever do).
I just took a look at your rental cottage - looks lovely and I was transfixed by the picture of the wonderful small working range in the living room. Are you going to try and bake in it ? Or it would be great for long slow cooking of warming casseroles. We've had a coolish period (touch of ice on the windscreen) but it is supposed to be going back up to 15C here tomorrow (London, that is) Hope I get a chance to meet you when you come into London.
Posts: 927 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 20 September 2006
Yes, I was pleased to see my booked time on that calendar too! The owner lived in the cottage for a while, then used it as a place to work, but is now turning it into a vacation rental. She may have a booking over Christmas, but if not, we will be her first renters.
In December I will get going on picking a date for a London GTG in January. We can take the train in.
I will find out if I can cook on that livingroom range - that would be nice! Winter cooking is my favorite - lots of stews and root vegetables.
my husband has asked if we can please go in summer next time!!
This is kind of funny. My daughter and I visited London in March 2004. We went to all the usual tourist places including Trafalgar Square. In fact we went to Trafalgar Square more than once because we ate more than once at Cafe in the Crypt which I believe is the crypt of a church right by Trafalgar Square. I think we saw the sun 2 days out fo the 10 that we where there, but we did have a good time. A few years later we were watching a movie that took place in London. They showed Trafalgar Square all blue-skyed and sunny. My daughter asked me: "Mom where is that place? Did we go there?". I said yes. The reason you don't recognize it is because it looks so different with the sun shining on it.
Posts: 3780 | Location: St Paul, MN | Registered: 10 February 2006
Although it's autumn, not winter, I think the quality of the light at the moment shows off the buildings and views in London to their best advantage. We are having very pleasant weather at the moment - about 15C, with little wind, and very clear - in the summer, the light can be hazier and in the true winter, on a nice day the light can be a bit hard.
The downside to travelling now is that the days are shorter and it's tooo chilly for t-shirts. Far less crowds, though - I took my daughters to the Tower of London during half term last week (quite how they had been so deprived London born and bred children not to have gone before I'm not sure!) but we all agreed it was perfect tourist weather - not too hot, but warm enough to picnic outside if neccessary and not raining. Rain is the enemy of good tourist moments - not many places look their best in that clinging misty rain that just goes on and on.
Posts: 927 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 20 September 2006
I just ordered a new hiking rain jacket - this summer in Switzerland I realized that my 15 year old Gortex jacket was no longer waterproof! I ordered rain pants too - and will get our hiking boots waterproofed.
I am preparing for a lot of rain and cold, and will be pleasantly surprised if we get some mild, sunny days.
The weeks since I started this thread have zoomed by! We leave on Tuesday. We are mostly packed. I have a 45 pd suitcase with just our walking gear - boots, rain pants, warm pants, fleeces, hats, gloves. I am prepared for everything - except for mild weather
It is very cold here (down to nearly ZERO tonight - and that is Fahrenheit) and we have about 3 inches of snow on the ground. We got a bit more snow today. But starting Sunday it is getting warmer and will be sunny, so I am hoping for good weather for our flying day.
