Saturday 16 August 2014

Cotswolds, Oxford and a bit of decluttering

We have had a lovely week staying with cousins in Northamptonshire. They live in a 350 year old house complete with sloping walls and floors in a lovely village which also has a sizeable marina on the canal. 

We had some busy days and some lazy ones. One day we went to Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds and also to an arboretum nearby (Batsford) that would be lovely to revisit in different seasons if we are able to.

Is autumn on the way ?

Another day we went to Oxford and went to the Ashmolean Museum and did a FREE walking tour of the city. Ostensibly it is free, but you are encouraged to make payment to the host at the end - no pressure. It lasted two hours and took us around some of the colleges which make up Oxford University. Our host was a wealth of information, lots of extra tidbits gained in his three years in the role. A lot of it felt like walking around the Harry Potter set, there was a Harry Potter tour as well but we didn't know until we had set out on this one. We started on the spot where Thomas Cranmer and other martyrs were burned at the stake when Queen Mary Tudor decided to make examples of them for not being catholic. A pretty gruesome way to go. 

 This used to a brothel - now its a Pret !



 Wonder if Oxford grads get in trouble for not returning their mortarboards when they have flung them over zealously


On our lazier days we went for a walk along the canal and also tried to eliminate some of the stuff we have bought with us. We feel like extremely overweight snails carrying our belongings everywhere. Two bags of clothes and shoes have been donated to a charity shop and we have left one large and one small case in Northamptonshire for now. Still, catching the train today was fraught with frustration as we heaved our remaining bags up stairs and minded the gap as we heaved them on and off the train. I think there will be more being discarded or packed up and sent home very soon. Unless we find somewhere to stay more permanently.

I'm hoping to hear about a job on Monday, or at least an interview, and we have another few possibilities to follow up. 

Can we last til Christmas ? I hope so - I'd love to stay longer but an income is pretty imperative to make that a reality. 

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