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s much as I adored the quirky city of London, English countryside was a breathtaking experience. Imagine being able to walk in a village which has existed for a thousand years, sleep in an 18th century manor, and walk in the of one of the world’s greatest poet & writer, Shakespeare. I get to see two more castles (which had their own special features) and further wondered why the heck did they build Stonehenge.

LOWER SLAUGHTER

My youngest sister, Erika, was the reason I placed this in my itinerary. She linked me to this article saying it’s one of the most secret villages in Europe. I got really curious and made a point that I should go there. Lucky me, my foster family #2 (The Antonio’s) drove me around English countryside. This was my favorite among all my rural trips. Click this play button Old Fashioned Love
and hear what the cafe was playing as an additional ambience to you reading experience.

 

SHAKESPEARE’S HOMETOWN – STRATFORD UPON AVON

Another trip which I surprisingly adored was visiting the hometown of Shakespeare. This is where I got convinced that English people are natural story tellers and they’re very very good at it. Listen to this lady as she talks about the most valued furniture during the 15th century.

 

HEYTHROP PARK HOTEL

I had the best and the most relaxing English breakfast in this place which used to be an old manor. For a moment, I definitely might have mistaken myself as the heiress of  the manor overlooking the beautiful garden and the vast land in the horizon. However, the rooms were not the best place to sleep maybe because their renovations are very limited due to heritage laws.

WARWICK CASTLE

I started to get sick of visiting castles after seeing Windsor Castle, Cardiff Castle, and Tower of London. But when the Antonios mentioned Warwick Castle has a special dungeon show, I had to check it because Tower of London disappointed me with their one room torture chamber.

This tour is not for weaklings. I’m sure my sister and best friend will have nightmares for a whole week after seeing this. I have always been a fan of horror movies and TV series and boy they can scare! They make sure that you experience darkness at its blackest and they can get very interactive at the least expected times (a recipe for a great scare).

PUNTING

Have you asked your parents what was your first adventure with them? Well, baby Miles’ first would be punting during his 1st month (I bet you haven’t punt yet). Since it was a Sunday, the best thing to experience Oxford University is cruising the river. You can rent the punt for GBP 20 (Php 1350) or add GBP 3 more if you want a guide to do the operating for you.

OTHERS

There are so much more to see in the countryside of UK. I’ve shared with you my favorites above and you can check out more in the following photos.

If I’m going back to UK, I would definitely see more of the countryside and book a cottage. Picking fruits will be a priority since I wasn’t able to do that because our car broke down before reaching the farm. Trail running, visiting a safari park, and seeing rolling hills will definitely be in my next list as well.

UP NEXT!

The next chronicle is about… ENGLISH FOOD! We Filipinos enjoy our dishes with lots of salt, vinegar, and fish sauce. Oh! Of course rice should always be there. However, did a Pinay like me enjoy English food? You will find out soon.