We found our way to Broadway quite easily (Liane drove the route as if she does it every day) and very excitedly entered Mellowstone, our temporary home. We were kind of like kids at Christmas as we toured our digs which are completely and utterly gorgeous. We have a three story (though if you throw in the odd step down here and step up there I reckon you could add about 10 stories to that total!), three bathroom Yellowstone Cotswold dream home with a private walled and enclosed garden and….. Well just every little thing you could imagine. There was welcoming wine, fruit and chocolates and every detail of possible comfort has been considered….. It is utterly perfect and within a stone’s throw (well OK that’s an exaggeration as even an Olympic athlete competing in the shotput couldn’t make that throw so shall we say a 4 minute walk?) from the village proper so perfect positioning for evening strolls….. To the pub perhaps?….. Well I am travelling with Liane Mum!
We are thrilled with our choice of abode and quickly settled in after the room decisions were made….. I desperately wanted the attic room which the others generously agreed to….. God knows why I wanted it…… I think it was my romantic delusions of sleeping under the sloping ceiling and looking out the gorgeous little windows etc….. as it is I am constantly knocking my head and banging my elbows into walls and oh my goodness the stairs!!!!! It doesn’t help that Liane and I are at the “where did I put the?/I’ve forgotten the…..” stage of life so I end up going up and down the stairs a ridiculous amount of times a day….. Especially considering we are hardly ever home!
The evening of our first day, not just due to old age but probably delirium from our epic 36 hour trip, Liane and I completely lost the plot and giggled like school girls who can’t look each other in the eye without bursting into hysterical laughter at the following……
Liane: I need to find the temporary folder on this computer
Debra (pointing at screen): Would it be there?
Liane: Mmm…. What am I looking for again?
Debra: The temporary folder.
Liane: Oh right
She pushes two buttons
Liane: Oh God, what am I looking for?
We just completely lost it and laughed like maniacs for a good three minutes. Gwendoline, hearing our cackling from upstairs, came rushing down and then stood there looking at us like we were mentally insane. We tried to explain but of course it just didn’t come across!
We walked down to the village and had a lovely pub meal and then made our way home again and went to bed….. And here endeth the first day……

(L) Even though we were all totally exhausted from the journey we decided going for a nanny nap might result in us all sleeping for 12 hours and wasting our first afternoon in the Cotswolds so after running around squealing with delight at all our discoveries we sat in our gorgeous courtyard for a drink and nibbles and then strolled into the village in search of our first English Pub meal. Mind you what should have been a 5 minute walk soon turned into over half an hour and we stopped many times to ooo and ahh and take copious amounts of photos. Along the way we wandered up a path and found a paddock with some horses, I called to one and it came trotting over. GJ and I were talking and patting it but Debra was having none of it... after about a minute she says "right that's enough, he's looking at me funny" .... I'm sure she thought he was planning ways to jump the fence to attack her!! We ended up at the Broadway Hotel where we had a lovely meal in front of the fireplace. We were all rather surprised to see dogs drinking bowls next to the fireplace and a few people stroll inside and sit down for a drink with their dogs in tow! Gwendoline and I are missing our "babies" and are constantly "dog spotting" and have decided the Cotswolds are Black Lab Central as we see them everywhere... surely it's a sign that we were just meant to be here!