A Beautiful Day in Stow and Thoughts on Travel

Another gorgeous Spring day in the Cotswolds! I’m pretty sure it doesn’t get any better than this. Blue sky, light breeze, in the high 60’s — simply perfect!

I couldn’t find a connection to see Blenheim Palace that didn’t involve a couple hours on the bus each way, so I let that go and just wandered around town again. Today, Saturday, is much busier. Lots of tourists from all around UK and the rest of the world as well. I would say more from the European continent than elsewhere in the world. Where as London was heavy international with a lot of Middle Eastern, African and Asian visitors.

Flexible Agenda

I love having no agenda and being flexible to enjoy the moment. I feel quite sorry for those who pile off of tour busses and have an hour to look around, then back on the bus! Ugh! That is not my style of travel at all.

Now I will admit having pre-arranged transportation and someone to carry your bags in/out would be nice. In spite of my small cabin-size roller bag and one carry-on, it is still a lot, especially if you have steps to climb. But I don’t think I’ll trade the freedom of wandering so next time I’ll pack even lighter!

You are not in Kansas anymore!

I read a review from one woman who complained about the hotel having bath sheets instead of regular-sized bath towels. Really? Complaining about luxury towels? I’ve been in hotels before where the bath towels were about the size of a hand towel! I say that person should just stay at home and watch National Geographic!

Part of the joy of travel is experiencing how people in other parts of the world do things. Hotel rooms, B&B’s, Inns, and even Castles all have their quirks and the older the buildings, the more unusual things will be. For example, light switches and shower controls. There are so many variations, some times I have to ask for them to come show me. 

Food is different, of course. The way people queue, greet one another, inquire at shops and service counters — all these things are a little different. You have to observe how the locals do it, then copy them. For example here, people are very gracious and don’t rush into stating what they want. Rather, they greet the other person, maybe exchange a bit about the weather or something, and then get onto business. Even in London where everything is faster paced than the outskirts, having a smile for whoever is helping you makes a big difference. Treat people with kindness, look them in the eye and speak to them, not at them. 

Now I realize that might not be the way in all parts of the world, especially in areas where women are expected to always look down and Not look into someone’s eyes. But in the UK, I think the personal connections are important.

Don’t be in a hurry! Americans tend to rush at life at a much faster pace, but here, slow down and take a deep breath. If you linger over a cup of tea or coffee for 30-45 minutes, no one cares unless there is a big queue. This morning the breakfast proprietress would have sent me away as all tables were full (small shop), rather than hurry someone to leave. As it happened two men were getting up ready to leave anyway. She said to them “Oh I hope I did rush you”. My dinner reservation tonight is booked from 5 - 6:45! I will have to work at staying that long, especially traveling solo!

No tipping expected here. That is rather nice! At larger restaurants, a service change of 12.5% is automatically added but you can tell them to remove it if you want. I find it refreshing that not every place you go expects a tip. If you get extraordinary service, a small tip is appreciated but certainly not expected or required.

A Word on Clothing

Dress modestly, comfortably and observe the locals. I have not observed the young people in scanty shorts and tank tops, or revealing type clothing. Actually some schools seem to have uniforms of a sort, or at least some dress codes. There were several groups of students maybe Jr. High or High school ages that were touring when I was in Winchester at the IWM. Nothing wild or crazy there. Even the university students that took the Bank Holiday at the British library were all pretty modestly dressed. Compare that to when I’ve been in Lawrence interacting with students from KU. Wow! Quite a contrast. Enough said. If you want to blend in and have a good experience, go local. If you want to cause a spectacle and draw attention to yourself, no one will stop you but what they privately think about you and your country will not be as positive.