Stonehenge & Dorset {England Trip Part 2}

We left the Cotswolds enroute to Devon, but figured we can't pass that close and not see Stonehenge! It was definitely a whole production, but we skipped out on part of it and took a leisurely 30 minute stroll instead of hopping on the bus. 

We took our time walking around and exploring. It had been raining earlier in the day, so crowds were relatively thin. I'm so glad we stopped by - it's one of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments for a reason! 

Moving further south to the coast, we drove to our hotel - The Pig on the Beach. It was probably my favorite place we stayed! We had a few hours before our dinner reservation, so we took a walk around the beautiful grounds. Dinner was one of the best meals we've ever had - courgette and crab, cuttlefish, monkfish, Tabasco onions, strawberries and cream? Everything was fantastic!

Breakfast the next morning was ALSO amazing. There was a huge buffet available with fresh eggs, yogurts, granola, fresh fruit and pastries. You could also order hot breakfast as well, but I was perfectly fine with the spread on the table.

After, we drove over to the Durdle Door and hiked around for a bit. I'm so glad we got there early because we had the place to ourselves for a while. It was definitely getting crowded when we left around 11.

Feeling hungry, we drove to nearby Corfe Castle...to see Corfe Castle? Ha. We had some crab sandwiches and cider with views of the castle and then headed up to explore.

That evening, we took the recommendation of the hotel and did the hike to Old Harry Rocks. The hike took about 3 hours and took us around some beautiful scenery.  I love the hiking in the UK - everything has "Right of Way" - meaning you can literally go ANYWHERE (including private property, pastures, etc) as long as you are just passing through. Just remember to close the gates!

When we got back, we relaxed on the lawn with a glass of bubbly and watched the airshow happening across the bay in Bournesmouth.

That night, we went back to our hotel for dinner because we had both been thinking about that zucchini and crab dish! The next morning, we had a leisurely breakfast on the lawn and then headed west to Cornwall. 

These might have been my favorite days of the trip - evidenced by the massive amount of photos taken in only 2 days. We plan to make a return trip to England and will absolutely be staying at more of the "Pig" branded hotels. There are 5 throughout England and they all look amazing, especially The Pig near Bath.

Up next: A drive through Dartmoor & our stay in Cornwall!

4 Days in the Cotswolds & Wales {England Trip Part 1}

The beginning of our trip to England was a bit stressful, but also pretty freaking amazing. 

Stressful:

We were racing against time - trying to get out of Houston before Hurricane Harvey hit. 

Amazing:

We got to do this from the United Lounge! Since we were flying Business Class, we had access to the lounge in Houston before our flight, so we had a few glasses of champagne and light snacks before boarding.

Once on board, we were treated to lie-flat seats, delicious food and more champagne! It was honestly amazing to eat dinner (and ice cream sundae bar!!), go to sleep for 6 hours and then wake up for breakfast and landing. Yay for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card that got us the points to fly Business Class on this trip! 

Harvey completely shut down Houston for DAYS, so while we were obviously grateful that we got out, we were WAY happier that my parents and friends were safe.

We landed in the early AM in London and went straight to the United Arrivals Lounge to shower and have a snack. Afterwards, we picked up our rental car and went to Harry Potter Studios in Leavesden. I'll cover this later though when we talk about the "London" section of our trip. 

For now, I'll skip ahead to the Cotswolds. We stayed at a cute little place called The Wild Rabbit in Kingham. The food was spectacular - from the bar food, to the breakfast, to the dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant. We had a few issues with the noise level here, but overall, we really enjoyed our 4 night stay!

We got the chance to meet up with some friends for lunch at Daylesford Organic on our second day there and it was so great to catch up and explore the area! We checked out the Cotswolds Distillery and popped over to a nearby festival to have some delicious gin and tonics.

After that, we walked around Stow on the Wold and relaxed with a drink at a local pub. We even swug by Bourton on the Water (which was probably our favorite town). We had big dinner plans that evening to eat at the Wild Rabbit's restaurant...made slightly more interesting by the fact that a local festival knocked out all the power to our entire village! We waited it out for about 30 minutes and the generator kicked in, saving the night!

The next morning, Jason and I went back to Daylesford Organic's spa - Bamford - to have some deep tissue massages and relax! We picked up a quick meal from their deli and went out to explore Bibury (Arlington Row) and meander through small villages enroute to Sapperton. That night, we returned to Bourton on the Water to have a picnic dinner at sunset along the water. 

The next morning was a bit dreary, but we were headed to moody Wales, so it seemed appropriate. Our destination was Wye Valley to see Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle. Walking around the grounds of the abbey, it wasn't hard to imagine why it became a magnet for romanticists and poets (Wordsworth most famously). It is a beautifully preserved medieval abbey and definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

Chepstow Castle was constructed by William the Conquerer in the 1060s and when we were arriving, they were cleaning up from a rock concert the night before. Now THAT would have been a fun venue! Luckily the rain held out and we were able to explore before tucking into a pub for some pies and cider.

We had a great 4 days exploring this area of the country. We really loved Wales as well, but just didn't have enough time! We'll be back!

Up Next: Stonehenge and Dorset!