The Good Life
Today had it all… a woody, hills and valleys walk, fun conversations, delicious food, staying on the route, and a wedding.
Our 7 miles began in Birdlip and ended in Painswick. After just a few hours in this town, I started looking at real estate listings.
Yesterday involved a lot of walking up. Today had a fair share of steep down hills.
Fairly early on we met Julian, Angela, and their vizsla Darcie. They gave us a sense of where we were and shared their experience walking the northern part of the Cotswold Way, in short stints over time. They just bought a home a few miles from this spot and plan to retire there in just a year or two.
They told us we were near Cooper Hill and said we were lucky not to be on this part of the trail next Monday…
Which is when the rolling cheese competition takes place. Participants race down a hill, chasing a wheel of double Gloucester cheese. Compete at your own risk is an apt slogan for the event (which attracts 5,000 observers) as 33 of 100 participants get injured.
A Wikipedia post says “Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling has been summarised by a previous participant as "twenty young men chasing a cheese off a cliff and tumbling 200 yards to the bottom, where they are scraped up by paramedics and packed off to hospital".
When you look at how narrow and steep the hill is, you can only surmise that participants are crazy, drunk, or both.
Those who love it are passionate. This, on a bench at the foot of the hill.
On we walked, passing through, not by, Painswick Golf Club. I can’t imagine it’s much fun to play on a Saturday, sharing the course with walkers and bikers.
I wish this picture could clearly convey the steep drop on either side of this path, and the vistas. It was imperative to watch our feet, but we paused often to enjoy the view.
And then Painswick. What a picture perfect town.
St.Mary’s Church is in the center of town, and, lucky us… a wedding! Generally, my photographer instincts are pretty good. Here’s a big miss.
This one’s better.
The Oak was a fabulous place for lunch and another cider for Bill.
Bill watched soccer while I wandered around town.
Another bit of luck, I wandered into the church and listened to 4 vocalists rehearsing for a concert this evening. After dinner, we’ll stop in.
Heading back to the room, I met this group, in town to celebrate Theo dog’s 5th birthday. Every year, Veronica, Julian, and Sabina go to a different fun town. Last year they went to Bath.
This may have been our best day here, though I’ve felt that almost every day, except yesterday. 😆
P.S. Dinner at the Falcon was delicious, and we were able to catch the last two songs at the opera concert. Perfect end to a perfect day.
