Our journey to Cornwall took us near the Eden Project so we decided to go and check out this world famous attraction. But so had thousands of others! The closest carpark we could find was about half a kilometre away, and when we reached the ticket office we found that conservation doesn't come cheap (47 pounds for both of us)! Our Eden experience wasn't off to the greatest start!! Once through the gates we could look down to the great plastic bubbles nestling ...

I was beginning to doubt the accuracy of google maps as the road to West Barn narrowed and the hedges grew more overgrown. We were travelling through the Devon farmland on our way to stay with family friends at their home of West Barn, but it seemed as if we were driving into the middle of nowhere! Dreading meeting an oncoming car or tractor, we trundled along the narrow country lanes - through tunnels of leafy green tree branches. But instead of traffic, we ca...

We called into Downtown Abbey (aka Highclere Castle) on our way to Bristol. It was goosebump inducing to see the familiar turrets rising up out of the green countryside. Although we had seen only one other car as we wound up the lengthy driveway, when we reached the paddock that serves as carpark we were dismayed to see eight coaches and what looked like a hundred parked cars! Tickets for the house, gardens and Egyptian exhibition cost about 16 pounds each. ...

Cambridge had impressed us as a magnificent university city but Oxford University was even grander. The ornate building facades carved with gargoyles, the secret inner courtyards, and elegant statues were all fighting for my attention as I tried to take it all in. We walked through the history filled streets past beautiful colleges and academic buildings, ending up at Christ College where parts of Harry Potter were filmed (and no doubt lots of famous thinkers s...

'The Bear of Rodborough', an inn near Stroud, was where we we would spend our two nights in the Cotswolds. The old part of the inn was very quaint, with low ceilings, exposed dark beams, and two large stuffed bears standing on their hind legs in the reception! Our room was small but perfectly formed, with a canopied bed, cute cottage curtains, and a view out over the green countryside. Back downstairs we found a table at the cosy bar and ordered beer and the s...