SUNDAY 3rd MAY 2012

OXFORD

Set off this morning heading for the Cotswolds, staying off the dreaded motorways and heading south, by passing Wolverhampton and Birmingham and then turning west and on to Stratford upon Avon for a coffee stop! The home of William Shakespeare was a pleasant little place - popular tourist bus stop - and it was packed with people of all nationalities! The rain had begun again and we had a brief walk and a coffee before hitting the road again - a pity, because on a sunny day the walks along the Avon River would have been lovely!
We then drove south and west to the Cotswold region through some gloriously beautiful countryside! All the little towns along the way were decorated with Jubilee bunting and most had some sort of street party or some other form of event! It was a great drive - all the thatched roof cottages and narrow streets - it was like going back in time!
Passed through Winchcombe and Cheltenham and then set out for Oxford for our night stop! The many people traveling over the long weekend again meant it was hard to find accommodation and after trying a couple of places in town, we settled on a Holiday Inn about five miles out of town! A bit pricey but the room was good and it was reasonably new.
Our first impressions of Oxford were of bicycles, students and lots of old buildings - hardly surprising for a university city that was built in the twelve hundreds!
We relaxed a while before having drinks and a meal, reminiscing that we have only two days left in the car and the first part of our holiday over!