Birthday trip to the Cotswolds: Part One

 

The birthday week celebrations have kicked off in a big way. To make the most of our week off, we packed up our bags and headed off to the Cotswolds. 

Our first stop was Daylesford which I have seen and heard a lot about on social media. I have always wanted to visit as I love a farm shop and this blew me away, it is like the Harrods of the countryside. 

I was expecting a rustic farm shop and in reality it was a modern food hall selling wonderful produce, it had a wellness centre and more gorgeous household and garden items than you could shake a stick at.

I was a bit shocked at some of the prices, I had wanted to buy some bits for a picnic for later in the week but I decided against it as I couldn't justify the cost. But I didn't leave empty handed, I purchased some chocolates and a rose scented candle.

Now that I have been, I'm not sure I would go back... unless I win the lottery and move to the Cotswolds.

After this, we headed to the nearby village of Kingham for lunch at The Wild Rabbit. It is a modern pub with rooms, the decor inside is cosy and the terrace outside felt like we were dining in the South of France. Thank you England for the gorgeous weather.

Of all the weeks to decide to go on a diet, I chose this one! When we moved I unpacked all of my summer clothes and a lot of them I couldn't get on over my thighs! So I am on a low card, Keto style diet. 

Which means I am mainly eating a lot of protein so I ordered the smoked salmon and ignored the bread (I actually thought I was ordering a salad). This was fresh and delicious and when accompanied with a peach bellini I was in my element.

After lunch, we went for a wander around the village. It is only small but it's not touristy and the houses are adorable. We walked past the village green and the allotment and I should imagine it is a wonderful place to live.

I prefer places like this in the Cotswolds, places like Bibury are stunning but it is so busy with coach loads of tourists which I think ruins it, especially as these villages are tiny.

We got back in the car and headed over to Hidcote Manor which is owned by the National Trust.

I am going to write a separate post about it as I have so many photos from our trip away, it would be too much to try and include them all here!

As we are still following lockdown rules, we booked tickets a few days in advance to ensure our time slot.

The surrounding area was just as gorgeous and we had such a nice time wandering around, enjoying the slow pace and the British sunshine.

Once we were done and I had exhausted my camera battery, we headed off to the The Artist Residence in Oxfordshire to check in and order a much needed cold cocktail! 

I will write about that separately too.