Still on chocolate-covered coffee beans...

I had a very fine flight with a chatty granny beside me (thanks for the CDs, Ben, my seat controls didn't work!).
** 19 hours without sleep **
My flight got in early and I managed to sweet talk myself onto an early bus (even helped a Brit do the same! I'm pro!).
** 23 hours without sleep **
Maria picked me up at the bus and pumped me full of coffee before taking me on a walking tour of Cirencester. By this time, the word "hedge" had evolved a whole new meaning in my head, along with the words "green" and "quaint". I met my first big English church... "one of the largest parish churches in England," says my book.
** 29 hours without sleep **
Maria devised several creative ways to keep me awake until 9pm, which I deemed a respectable bed-time.

Rose early the next day to explore rural Gloscester. I got my fill of Roman ampitheatre, village churches, gravestones, cute cottages and more hedges in Bibury, Arlington, and Bourton-on-the-Water. Speaking of fill, had a full trout for lunch at the village mill/trout farm, served without the head to my relief!
I talked Maria into going upstairs to the "museum" which was like someone's garage full of antiques, except for some ghost stories and creepy, dusty displays... Fully worth my £1 for the laughs!

Bourton-on-the-Water had a miniture village inside a miniture village of the miniture village (got that?) all made of Cotswold stone just like the real houses.



I don't think you should know about the barn dance... heehee... let's just say that, after dragging me around the final promenade, my partner looked me in the eye and said, "Go home to bed now."