Exploring Our Backyard

The past couple of weeks we've stayed close to Oxford, exploring some interesting places in our own backyard. We returned to Blenheim Palace (Churchill's birthplace) on Valentine's Day. We toured the palace (which hadn't been open for the season when we were there before), and afterward had a rather elegant afternoon tea in the orangerie at the palace. An orangerie is typically a large room with lots of windows in which such plants as citrus trees could be kept in the winter; this one is now a beautiful restaurant. We also took a long walk around Oxford, and found a pub with delightful vegetarian food.


Waterperry Gardens

We made a visit to the Waterperry Gardens. Waterperry is not far from Oxford, probably 8 or 10 miles, but getting there was a bit of an adventure. We had been told that a local bus would stop to drop us at a village within walking distance; however, this turned out not to be the case, so we left the bus at the village of Wheatley, then called a taxi from there. This turned out just fine, and we simply called the taxi to pick us up later in the day when we were ready to return to the village to catch the bus.


Snowdrops

Waterperry is known for its snowdrops--small bulbs that produce beautiful white blossoms very early, and they are in bloom now at Waterperry. We took a walking tour with a knowledgeable staffer who showed us several varieties of snowdrops, and talked about how the garden plans and plants them. It was a cold day, so we had tea in the garden cafe before the tour, and a lovely hot lunch there afterward.

The past weekend our friend Jonathan came to visit from London. We walked around the city, sharing the views and history of Oxford with Jonathan, and visiting a couple of museums. We also had fine meals at some of our favorite places. As Jonathan summed it up, "3 pubs in 24 hours isn't bad." We'll return the visit next month, when we go to London for some special theatre and museum presentations, and to see Jonathan again.


Oxford Natural History Museum


Connie and Jonathon on Holywell Street, Oxford

On the weekend we actually had two consecutive sunny days--a first since our arrival. But this morning we were surprised to wake up to another snowfall. By noon it was melting, but it was a reminder that perhaps winter is not yet finished with us.

Ludlow weekend

Historic Ludlow

Last weekend we took the train to visit old friends Mike and Joan in the beautiful town of Ludlow, which has come to feel like our home away from home in England over the years. Mike and Joan treated us to lunch on Friday at the beautiful Lake Vyrnwy Hotel (in Wales) overlooking the lake, followed by a leisurely drive around the lake. In the evening we had dinner back in Ludlow at the Unicorn pub, which has long been our favorite in the U.K.

We spent Saturday morning walking around the Ludlow town centre, exploring the market, and looking round the shops. Ludlow is a lovely town with an ancient Norman castle, the remains of a medieval wall, and many noteworthy buildings and houses. Later on Saturday we watched the televised Six Nation rugby match between England and Wales, and celebrated the English victory, followed by dinner at Mike and Joan's home, with neighbors Jane and Hugh.

Ludlow Market in the Castle square

After a leisurely day at home on Sunday, reading the newspapers and watching more rubgy, we rode back to the Oxford area with Mike and Joan, who were off to celebrate their mutual birthday in a nearby village. It was a delightful weekend--good company, good food, and beautiful scenery. We look forward to returning to Ludlow next month to help Joan and Mike celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Branscombe

Margells, thatched cottage in Branscombe

Lounge

Kitchen

Ceiling of our room at Margells

Our most recent outing was to the coast of Devon, about 3 hours southwest of Oxford. We were invited by friends Mike, Charlie, and Molly to spend the weekend with them at Branscombe, a lovely village scattered along the hills near the sea. We stayed at Margells, a 16th-century house that retains wonderful beamed ceilings, a huge open fireplace, and a thatched roof.

Branscombe Church

There are pleasant walks along both the beach and the cliffs overlooking the ocean, and a pub (Masons Arms) with great food and atmosphere. We rested on a bench overlooking the sea while Mike, Charlie, and Molly climbed a little higher along the path. We visited the village of Beer (but didn't have a beer, opting instead for our usual tea and scones), where we saw colorful fishing boats and more beautiful cliffs. All in all, a fine weekend with good friends in a lovely part of the world.

Woodstock and Blenheim Palace

One of our recent outings was to Woodstock, a charming, picturesque village 8 or 10 miles north of Oxford. It's a very old village with a Norman church that retains a few of its original features, lots of quaint shops and tearooms, and two or three interesting little hotels.

Woodstock's best-known feature is Blenheim Palace, one of England's great country homes. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designed in the early 18th century. Queen Anne gave the money and land for Blenheim to John Churchill (Duke of Marlborough) after his victory in the 1704 Battle of Blenheim. Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim in 1874. The palace doesn't open for the season until mid-February, but we took a long walk around the grounds, which were landscaped by the famous architect "Capability" Brown. The lawns, woods, and lake are beautiful.

As we do in nearly every village we visit, after our walk we found a pleasant little tearoom for our ritual tea and scones.

Far from home, or not?

On Cornmarket Street there is a beautiful old building. It is difficult to get a good picture of the building, especially for the modern advertising ("Mobile phones here") and the fast food joints on the ground floor. And, if you look very closely to the right of the building, above the couple on the far right, there is a familar sign. (If it is too small for you to see, that is a Burger King sign.) Across the street there is a large McDonald's and a further bit on there is a Starbucks.

Do you see what I see on the window, which is in the Oxford Castle ruins, now tourist shops? No, we didn't go in, but I know it is there, Heather.