Midlands of England

After we returned from Brugge we spent the next 10 days at Jim and Jane's visiting family and touring around the nearby area. Jim took us on day tours of what is know as the Midlands of England. I think the thing that surprised Lee and I most is how much farm land surrounds the cities of England. Jim told Lee the farmers are not allowed to sell their land for residential development. Therefore the farms remain. In the fields in between the villages you see sheep and cows. England loves cream!!! in their tea, on their scones whatever. Therefore the cows we see are Guernsey and Jersey not Holstein.
We visited Cirencester, Stow on the Wold, and Stratford-Upon-Avon. We had a lovely dinner in Stow on the Wold. We ate what is called a Carvery. This a buffet with fresh sliced Pork, or beef roast, Yorkshire pudding and potatoes and vegetables.

And we think we have history!!

This is the hotel.

To qualify as a village you must have these three things: a pub, a church, and a post office.

Looking back you can see some of the villages we visited.

It would be lots fun to take canal trip but very expensive.

Isn't this what we all think of when we think of England?

This village is the home of Shakespeare.

This is the theater it is beautiful inside.

All of the architecture has so much detail.

Downtown Stratford-Upon-Avon

Shakespeare's home.

When in England this is how you take a break.

Who am I to fight tradition.

This is your English phone booth and you Royal mailbox. Yes, I did still see quite a few telephone booths unlike USA where it's about a thing of the past.

Lee tries on a hat -- he really looks handsome don't you think?

These signs are printed right at the crosswalks so that we blonds who can't remember that the English drive on the left side will not get hit.
I don't understand how Jim was able to go back and forth between USA and England and not get confused. I kept looking up front and wondering why Lee was driving when he wouldn't have a clue where to go and then it hits you.

This is what you call double duty!!