CORNWALL AND BEYOND: TRURO to CASTLE COMBE, WILTSHIRE

And Castle Combe presents this charming scene,

of hill, woods and meadows cloth'd in green.

Here grand terrestrial scenes, almost celestial nice,

makes Castle Combe, sweet vale, an earthy Paradise.

Edward Dowling

We're here!

By "here" I mean closer to home, the England I've known and loved all my life. I love all of England, my roots are here, my people are from here, it's always been a draw for me, but certain areas are closest to my heart, creating their unique energy and connection for whatever reason. Why question, just go with it, and let its magic take me for the ride. The Cotswolds and surrounding area is close to mine.

We had a technologically challenged day yesterday where I learned my lesson well - it's not enough to rely on a GPS to get you where you want to go. In particular I wanted to find a Celtic cross called King Doniert's Stone . Garmin sent us to someone's farm. Later we wound up at the wrong village and continually losing our little blue car icon which would suddenly wind up in space. The phone was some help but still had trouble homing in on me in the space-time continuum.
So always have a map, even if it adds weight to your baggage.

We all have baggage, it might as well be maps of footpaths in England!

Linda drove intrepidly along some of the narrowest roads yet. The GPS seemed to avoid highways and always zigzag us across country in this way.

But finally, with a great sigh of relief and enough to joy to want to embrace the receptionist who said "Good afternoon Madame how can I help?" we arrived at the Manor House Hotel in Castle Combe.

It's one of those places where you drive up and say "I've been here, it looks great on the outside but lets see..." Kind of like a chocolate lava cake, you break into it and all the rich beautiful soft fudge flows out. AHHHH!

When I opened the door to my room my heart fell onto the floor, just look at this!

I am never leaving.

My room is called BROADMEAD.

AH-MAZING

I've Got a Place to Sit

And My Own Ancestor

And a Blog Writing Center

The Hotel Table of Guest Fame

Calling My Name for Tea

Tearing myself from the hotel and it's traditional manor garden, we walked into the village. I've been to Castle Combe many times and it's always a treat for the senses. It's been awarded the most beautiful village in England many times over and you can see why. It's a chocolate box.

Chocolate, lava cake... I'm sensing a pattern here! It's always teatime in my little brain.

Ellen the Cake Maker - 2£ Through the Door Honor Box Gets You Heaven

It's a crazy tourist attraction because it looks like someone built it, a life-size model fairy tale village, a stage set. There were Japanese with cameras, holiday families, people peering into resident's windows, but when I went back after dinner, as it got closer to sunset the tranquility and true beautiful of the England village in the country showed itself.