Driving Down the Romantic Road

While we are waiting for Zoey's passport and British visa, we are not allowed to leave Britain. We're (hopefully) close to finalizing her paperwork, but in the meantime we've been satisfying our need to travel by exploring more of England. Last week we went to the Costwolds and Cornwall, which was absolutely amazing. It is gorgeous down south! I love living in North England, but I would not complain if I saw this every day.

Porthcurno Beach

We started our trip with a drive through the "Romantic Road." It was a lot of driving, but it was definitely worth it. The scenery was fantastic, and Dan had fun driving down the tiny, windy roads.

We stopped every couple of hours to explore the small market towns (and feed Zoey). I particularly liked Cirencester, a town whose name I still cannot pronounce. When we asked a local how to say it, he gave us a whole story about how his family, who have been there for generations, say it one way while other families say it a different way. Neither pronunciation was what I thought it would be. Apparently this is a well-documented issue going all the way back to the Normans.

Where we stopped on the Romantic Road

Lower Slaughter was a nice stop off. The mill was very picturesque, and though we didn't do it, I hear that it is a really nice walk between Upper and Lower Slaughter.

I also enjoyed walking around the St Mary churchyard in Painswick. The church is originally Norman, but was expanded in the 1480s. It is famous for its yew trees and unique tombstones. 

Painswick church

After more than two years living here, it is still hard for me to wrap my mind around how old these towns are. Painswick's high street was built around 1428, and there are still some 14th century houses in the town! As an American, it is hard to imagine such a long and well-preserved history of one's country.

We drove through, but didn't stop in Broadway since Zoey had just fallen asleep. The town is listed as one of the more charming in the area though, so if I were to do it again I would get out and walk around. We did stop in Burford for dinner though and stumbled upon a fantastic restaurant called The Angel. It's just a little pub (of course dating from the 16th century), but the food was delicious! One day Dan and I will get to eat a whole meal together, but for now this was my view as I ate:

Dan and Z watching me eat from outside

Read about our other stops in south England:
Exmoor
Waterfalls and Castles