England, Wales, and France

Author: Kathy Montague
Date of Trip: October 2012

We traveled to Europe for a week renting a thatched roof cottage in Broadway England that is in the Cotswold area of England. Took days trips to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and home to the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. Beautiful place and had outstanding gardens and a maze to wonder through.

Shopped in the local grocery stores and ate at small pubs. Enjoyed soaking up the culture and interacting with the people.

Traveled to Wales and spent a day visiting the Roman ruins at Caerleon and toured the Wye Valley. Great day!

Then on to Bath for lunch at the famous Pump Room and ancient Roman bath house. Impressive to walk where the Romans did so very long ago.

Shopping in all the small towns and villages surrounding Broadway was a real treat. Having to drive on the left side of the road was delegated to my sister who did an outstanding job. Remembering to look the other way for approaching cars was something we could never get used to.

After our week in England we traveled to France for another week. Managed to visit Orleans and then on Amboise located in the chateau area of the country. We visited five of the many chateaus in the area. What magnificent places these were! Walked the gardens and toured and vast number of rooms and staircases’.

We stopped to see one more castle on way to the D-Day beaches of Normandy. This was the highlight of the trip for me. Saw Omaha and Utah beaches, Saint Mere Eglise, Point du Hoc, airborne museums and the American cemetery. Got an up-close-and-personal look at the German bunkers and the trials facing the Allied forces that day. Quite a moving experience.

Sadly our time was up but it is always good to return home.