We went to stay with friends in the Cotswolds for a few days.
Leaving the busy and stressful life behind and being embraced by the silence and tranquility a country village offers.
We arrived late in the evening, as we turned into the single track road leading to our friends house it started to snow. For a few moments the cottages we drove passed started to look like someone had dusted icing sugar on them. It was cold, terribly cold but the warming fire roaring in our friends cottage warmed our frozen fingers and toes.
The next morning we went on a walk trough the fields wearing wellies and big warm coats.
We visited the church where my friends got married and went home to a cup of warming tea.
I adore this little Cotswold village and the way the yellow stones of the cottages catch the morning sun.
The last day of our stay I got up just after dawn and watched the sky turn from a greyish pink to bright blue from the cottage window. I jumped out of bed and dressed warm to go explore leaving everyone still asleep behind.
As I walked around the village, the sun giving her warmth and melting the dew and the ice on the flower buds I watched the community waking up. Dogs were walked, curious neighbours asked me where I came from and cats ran out of the houses to go exploring.
Regula Ysewijn is a food writer, stylist and photographer, with a particular interest in historical recipes. he is a Great Taste Awards judge and a member of The Guild of Food Writers, as well as one of the two judges on 'Bake Off Vlaanderen', the Belgian version of 'The Great British Bake-Off'. A self-confessed Anglophile, she collects old British cookbooks and culinary equipment in order to help with her research. She is the author of 5 books: Pride and Pudding the history of British puddings savoury and sweet, Belgian Café Culture, the National Trust Book of Puddings, Brits Bakboek and Oats in the North, Wheat from the South. 
Your friends live in a wonderful house in a beautiful place. Will you write about the food as well that you tried during your short holiday? 🙂
Working on it, keep posted 😉
They do live in a wonderful place…
Let's hope Cotswolds won't change too much too soon!
Indeed, lets hope it doesn't!
I'm from the Cotswolds – and you are right, I couldn't afford to live in one of these villages now.
I do love the slightly bleak countryside though. The exposed 'wolds' have a roughness about them even in summer – it makes other beautiful rural areas like Hampshire feel too manicured for a Gloucestershire girl 🙂 Lovely pics.
The Cotswolds is special, I hope someday you will have a cottage there so you can "come home" to the 'wolds' x
Awww darling, what a lovely write up!! We truly love having you as our guests, if only we could live next door to each other and could have a cuppa in the garden.
You are right about the village though, it's so sad that we can't afford to buy a home here. I am worried that the average age of the inhabitants our Cotswold villages is growing drastically.
This sums up how I am sure a lot of us 'locals' feel about things http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEV4vnfIz7k
Oh sweets, this song was so sad but beautiful!
I hope with all my heart you will never have to leave your wonderful home…
x
beautiful pictures and heart-felt story dear Regula. I had to smile at your jumping out of bed – I could just see you doing it, then dressing and dashing out with a breathless excitement and your camera and that wondeful open smile on your face. miss you!
Thank you Karin for your lovely comment! It means a lot!
The Cotswolds is such a wonderful part of the world. The photos are very atmospheric. How lucky are you to have friends who live there – how beautiful!