| Show The Salt Lake Tribune TRAVEL H7 Sunday August 7 1994 Take refuge in a countryside cottage in England where almost everything is within a day's drive By Susan Kirr DALLAS MORNING by Sir Clough NEWS Americans are often guilty of making the grand tour of Europe in headlong fashion — the "If it's Tuesday this must be London" school of travel A healthy alternative to rushing through the cities is to book a cottage in the country and to go there and relax That after all is what you're supposed to do on va- : cation We chose the Cotswolds the rolling hills in the southwest of England in the county of Gloucestershire The area is only about a 212-hodrive west of London We booked the main cottage at The Moretons a large farm of 11 cottages situated on about 48 acres outside Tewkesbury The place was idyllic — an old :stone house built about 1840 bursting with daffodils and surrounded by dormant fields an and a child's playhouse The couldn't have been more warm and hospitable They invited us in for tea :offered their library of books on the region and even generated :custom maps on a computer that :plotted out our journeys They've been renting the houses on their property for a long time and their experience in making foreigners feel at home is evident : : The marvelous thing about :England is that nothing is more 'than a day's drive away even if you do venture to Wales or Many interesting towns and :villages are within a one- - or drive : : We found ourselves within easy :reach of Bath Stratford-on-Avo:Oxford Stonehenge Warwick Salisbury and Wales not to men: owner-caretake- Scot-:lan- d two-ho- n :tion dozens of well-preserv- :picturesque villages We began Vvith the tourist hot spots — Bath :and Stratford : Fashionable Bath Bath a lovety town with a long history is built :along a hillside a short distance from the mouth of the Bristol channel It takes its name from the baths built during the Roman occupation that still gurgle forth mineral water at a soothing 115 degrees ' The town became the fashionable place to sample the waters during the reign of King George III and the Georgian townhouses built into crescents and terraces will fascinate architecture buffs Furthermore it is a modern town full of shops specializing in ceramics textiles and all things English There are many tea shops including the one where Sally Lunn first made her famous rich sweet bread Very crowded Bath seems to draw foreigners and Brits alike A visit to the Cotswolds would not be complete without a trip to Stratford Overlooking the river Avon it was the birthplace and home of William Shakespeare and it offers a glimpse of life during the Renaissance The Shakespeare Trust manages six properhouses ties all built in the Tudor style Visitors can take a bus tour of all six properties or just visit the houses they choose in their own tar We decided to visit the child- : Williams-Elli- s an eccentric millionaire who wanted to build his own romantic Italian ate village on the Welsh shoreline The result 60 years later is a sort of whimsical fairyland of pink blue and yellow villas that haven't aged very gracefully It's a tribute to one man's imaginative attempt to transform the harsh landscape but it is at the same time decadent and The town also is home to Portmeirion china which Williams-Ellidaughter designed using elaborate botanical elements as the motif Perhaps the most unusual period in the history of Portmeirion was the filming of the BBC television series "The Prisoner" starring Patrick McGoohan in 1966- 67 Broadcast only one season on the BBC the series has since become a cult favorite and has been in England and in the United States on PBS "The Prisoner" relates the story of an intelligence officer known as Number Six who wants to leave the service but is imprisoned because he knows too much His prison is the innocent candy-can- e nt s' village of Portmeirion which turns sinister and threatening whenever he tries to escape One could wander around the palatial grounds of Portmeirion without knowing that "The Prisoner" ever existed But for the waitfan there's a treasure-trov- e The information "Prisoner" ing center is with memorabilia and free copies of "The Prisoner" newsletter which explains the hidden symbolism in the series And for the fan there's a "Prisoner" conference held every year in The Village where the real aficionados come to hash out all the subtleties gleaned from repeated viewing& Just once on the TV is enough for me thank you Needless to say the drive through Wales was just as wonderful as reaching our destination A constant mist softened the hilly landscape and lent a rustic calm to the hundreds of lambs we saw grazing next to their mothers well-stocke- d much-studie- d die-har- 0 0 : half-timbere- d hood home of Mary Arden Shakespeare's mother Although the house and the property are large and testify to the family's wealth the spartan interiors and rough-hewfurniture suggest the hardships of rural life in that century If touring only one location Mary Arden's house is a good choice because it has a large farm yard complete with sheep: displays on the crafts of the blacksmith carpenter cooper and wheelwright old stagecoaches a falconry exhibit and a dovecote The Royal Shakespeare Compapy presents several seasons of plays consisting of both modern and Shakespearean works The company's reputation is and a visit to the theater is 'worth the time n well-know- Satisfied with venturing beyond the English borders we returned to the Cotswolds seeking out some of the little towns tucked away on narrow bumpy roads We spent a few days leisurely driving from village to village enjoying the scenery and stopping wherever we found ourselves for a pub lunch and a pint or a cup of hot tea Castle Combe was one of the first villages we dropped in on Most famous for being a location for the popular children's film "Doctor Doolittle" it is still lovely It is situated on the banks of a small stream and there are lots of Off to Wales Having traipsed through the obvious places we :took a day to venture beyond the beaten path Destination: Portmeirion Wales — another town with a colorful history In far northwest Wales on the : coast of Cardigan Bay the town was put on the map in the 1920s Old-Worl- touches: d If predictions of record num:bers of visitors to the Grand Canyon for the park's 75th anniversa:ry this summer — with you and 5 million of your closest friends expected in '94 — are keeping you :away consider this Visitation for the park actually :has been down this year — 7 in May from 1993 and 12 'percent in June — and so far National Park Service warnings : per-:ce- about mega-crowd- Bourton-on-the-Wat- stone sits er y 14th-centur- y Schel ules kestIt Fares P) est VAllue! continued through Gond erton It was one of the most satisfying days of the trip because we hiked at a relaxed pace and met a few interesting folks along the way If you take the time and the money to fly to Europe most people want to see as much as possible in the time they're there But you don't have to follow the guidebooks to see a lot You just have to take a good look around wherever you find yourself More information: To book a Suite 1510 1977 LVweesmftwi DM 'MOORE statennevA 7 DAYS $449 95 $31 OVERNIGHT I 9112 9129 r 1 Ca 5h Sat 6 pm Daity Cost I $11 I Weekdays 8:50 4 T 1:05 PM 1:35 L Discount tvAd excluding Holidays 925 10:50 AM AM 5:45 9:20 PM 9:25 PM PM ran Tx 912 $245 4 6:40 PM - $124 AND PY311160-110-111- 7:35 10:15 AM AM lo 135 PM Re o 10'9 5:45 1:15 PM 4:00 AM PM 927 $419 roR1000107ill v 01111 Iii01211011101 NOW 7:05 10:15 AM littiS1' MOWS OPE:It 280MAT28071434 Tucson 549 NEWDA1Vity-S11- 0 711111-011tiWliZ- BLACK 10:05 AM 579 CHINPAI 3:00 AM 6:25 PM PM 7 DAYS ofavvin FUNNESt NS GOING 10 Days Sacramento $661 1022 ‘41 ": Anchorage st19 519 VAILYSERT 6:40 1:25 PM a PM rrwmpgter"'1t1177177Tirr: Orr a research vessel' I j s99 Las Vegas Nevada - r m721 ASH 0 2 Nights Hotel RT Air 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oTer6 1:To7 a 3739900 geg 4"1130soo SAT APOIY 1 IN PROVO 393-770- 0 149c DC OC A r i IN OGDEN - 260 EAST MORRIS AVE (2430 SO) 1 (466-774- 7) 4-MOR- RIS OUTSIDE SALT LAKE WASHINGTON One WayRestrictions CALL 1 E 900 AM — 2:00 PM PHONE M — F 8 00 AM — 600 PM 5 00 Filf 'SLIN 9 00 AM — 3 00 PM NOW OPEN 24 HOURS DAILY 1 OFFICE HOURS GETAWAY PHONE HOURS M F 8 00 AM — APPLY Seats ae dolled arIcl Mai not De ara fabfe SOME RESTRICTIONS Purchase and one nigfd stay Fares do no include S3 (per airpol) Passenger o aJ t acff:s — 8 00 PM SAT 9 00 — SCeilole and DCeS SLMPc Cnantle Peg svttrP or cate filo to S12 rnarrnur Craoe ks faffs Pan ra 7f dt 21 cm- Adaxe var Cal for defaos I ! - 47- 7:50 PM 820 oislumbsio Round TripRestrictions PM Itrange county 559' 1 DAYS Mr - 559 104 BEST INTERNATIONAL FARES - 665°° COPENHAGEN- LONDON DUBLIN PM 011011 DAILY NON-- 6:40 4:00 Spoka SAO PM 549 11114STOK p(md $1800 DURANGO Days VIENNA SA9 11:30 AM -- U5 PM PM WittION-$- 1 PM 4:00 1:45 AM 10:50 AM TOO AM 4:40 1O:I5 AM AM Now I4 ROME PM '549 Phoenix If a I 918 1:45 PM 539 eillptall VALLEY 5 DAYS $149 1023 5 DAYS 8:25 PM 011$ 12:05 LIU I NESQUITEAJWCHLINAsm -5 $112 and 4:40 PM O tmitrioN $1550 Fri 8 Sat Also open Sundays 10am - 4pm ET - 6:25 1:30 PM NOWfjIGHT9AiLYI Cokrado Springs S1 Or 83 & 96 I lititiZiiiiiiiiiieltaltil441:104424t251 MADRID 10:05 AM AM Oaidana 519 ise 'OV LjON-'- O'NITE 11" SPEC Back I$1 N 2:40 PM -- 5 DIP 2 Nights Tahoe 2 Nights Reno Virginia e'lLPatVcrrosa I — - S4g' ISAIINONS011 I ELKO Cash Back Weekends $7 Cash 12:10 AM B 114 atii s190 I $11 I TAHO 911 830 am Daily IFri 911 Pea' Cripple CreekPikes r 1105A Los Angek 9 1:50 PM D414:Arik 'PSI NOW Ill 60611- - Chicago Vqt I 4:30 PM Denve cottage at The Moretons write Tony and Diana Soutar The Moretons Bredon Tewkesbury Gloucestershire G120 7EN UK For information on other cottages contact British Tourist Authority 625 N Michigan Ave Travel 650 miles on the only research vessel on the Amazon River from Peru through Colombia VI to Brazil and bade Participate Ina research protect with tologrstSarah Carter a Fulbright Scholar at the Natkmal Institute of Amazon Research Study pink dokihns trop021 buttertles and the diverse flora and launa of the rain forest Only 61695 from Miami (WE GUARANTEE BEST AIRFARE RATES FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO MIAMI AT THE TIME OF BOOKING!) plus 623 US departure lax includes meals lows entrarke fees side trips acccmmcdations and more Egiore the tropical rainforest nativevillages and the exotic idle of the Amazon Saturday Saturday departing November 5th 1994 Cusco S Machu Picchu Wesson avallaNe This trip is open to the cubic - 9 l cess 41111111AZON Travel on 3:00 10:15 AM TOO AM nt :panned out Hotel bookings in the area are also down l9 l9 9 where we stopped for a pub lunch and a chat with the pubkeeper then continued on to Beckford home to a silk mill where visitors can view the pro- DAIVION-S101- have not s a bridge a well in the center of the town and ancient cottages covered with gnarled tree branches groomed into twisted designs Grand Canyon visitors dip POST 17th-centur- Back to Cotswolds n El THE WASHINGTON d Gretait aside a larger stream and is enhanced by quaint walking bridges willows hanging over the water and ducks striding about on the shore It has the usual wool shops as well as a perfume museum Chipping Campden is another town with a unique character The narrow high street is lined with townhouses and the Woolstaplers Hall while small winding alleys harbor great secondhand book shops We spent the last day in this region staying close to home going only to places we could reach on foot and that was remarkably a lot We hiked about a mile to Bredon Hill the highest point in the immediate vicinity Climbing the hill we saw why the English love dogs and own Wellington boots —walking is the most pleasant way to traverse these hills We passed numerous fellow travelers on the way up all of whom seemed peacefully at one with the hill Once at the top we found a very wide flat plateau that took us all the way around the top before we could wend our way back down We came down into the village of Overbury which locals say is entirely owned by one family We P |
