A medical experience

Since we have been in Italy, neither of us has had cause to use the medical system. Until today. For the last week while we have been in the UK I have been struggling with upper abdomen pain. It progressively worsened until the night before we left the UK, when it was so excruciating that Stu took me to hospital at 2am. The doctor there suspected that it might be gallstones and gave me strong painkillers (codeine) to allow me to get back to Italy. This morning at home I woke in pain far too early so we were the first people in the doctor's surgery. Before we left home, I had consulted the Italian-English dictionary and translated every symptom that I had (dolore, spasmo, intenso) as well as several symptoms that I didn't have (vomito, nausea, diarrea, stitichezza). I even looked up gallstones (calcoli biliari). Try to imagine speaking a foreign language to a doctor when you're in incredible pain and you will get a feel for how it was. I described my symptoms and explained what had happened in the UK and showed him the painkillers that I had been given. He told me to stop the codeine immediately because it is addictive and wrote prescriptions for different painkillers, a referral for a blood/urine test and another referral for an "eco". We drove to the closest hospital to make an appointment for the "eco" where I was given instructions on how to prepare for the test including fasting and taking a gas pill for two days before. I was feeling hopeful until they told me that the soonest possible date that they could do it would be 28th May! Twenty whole days in excruciating pain!!!??? I am not sure if I can make it that long but I am trying his medication and seeing how I go. There is always Emergency...

 

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My climbing rose...my lifetime dream!

Look what awaited us when we returned from a week in the UK...my lifetime dream...my climbing rose...blooming profusely!

 

 

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Treasures!

Here are the treasures I bought in the UK...a set of rustic tin cannisters for GBP 4 and a Royal Doulton plate (circa 1902) for GBP 7...

 

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Abbey

Our final treat in the UK was Lacock Abbey and village. The property and town is almost totally owned by the National Trust which makes it quite special. It has been a popular location for period dramas including Pride and Prejudice and Cranford as well as two Harry Potter films. The abbey itself has an amazing history which runs from the 1200's but most of the village buildings date from the 1800's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Car boot sales and a special inn

Yesterday morning was spent in a very English way, at two separate car boot sales, one near Bidford and the other near Cheltenham! I couldn't believe my luck! There is simply no better way for me to waste time than by looking at second hand things! Car boot sales have a spontaneous feel about them: they are held in paddocks and handpainted boards on the side of the road announce them. Rows of cars were parked in haphazard rows in the wet grass and all manner of treasure (trash?) laid out on trestles and rugs. While I searched for antiques of inestimable value, Stu eavesdropped on the locals, listening to their accents. While my search for a lost Van Gogh or a rare Doulton proved fruitless I did pick up a few old tin cannisters and a plastic grater. In the afternoon, we left The Cotswolds and headed south west. Some time during the past year, we had watched a television program called The Restaurant Man which helps new restaurant owners to be successful. One of the episodes had featured "The Bell At Selsley", an old stone inn which was being renovated and revived. Well, yesterday we happened to drive through the town of Selsley and find the inn! Sounds like a good excuse for lunch and a beer? So we partook of a local ale and fish and chips before proceeding on to a BnB for our last night in the UK.

 

 

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An empty tourist attraction, a busy town and walking in the shoes of royalty

When we drove into Stratford Upon Avon this morning, our first stop was Anne Hathaway's Cottage. The brochures had advertised an opening time of 9am so when we arrived at 9.30am we fully expected to see tourist coaches lined up in the car park and people oozing all over the road. You can imagine our surprise when we found nothing and noone! We checked the entrance board which definitely stated that it was open from 9am...but perhaps this bank holiday weekend was different? Stu pulled up and I ran up to the door, pushed it and was surprised that it opened and that a woman waited behind the counter. I blurted out "Where are all the people!?" She didn't seem to get it because she seriously replied "They don't usually come until 10am". I couldn't believe that such a significant tourist location could be so...well...empty! Although this would have been the perfect time to visit, we decided not to go in as the thatched roof house of tourist brochures could be seen well from the road anyway and we didn't really want to pay out the GBP 10 per person to see inside it. So we moved on to the city. The streets in the centre of Stratford Upon Avon were closed for a festival and the city was alive with activity, including markets, vintage and luxury car displays and entertainment. After 3 hours we happily escaped to the country where we visited a very grand historical property called Charlecote Park. The property has been owned by the Lucy family for 900 years. While the Lucy family still owns the building and still lives in part of it, many of the treasures inside have been purchased by The National Trust which also manages part of the property for public viewing. It was an utterly beautiful 3 hour experience for us...and one that we share with other visitors including Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare!

 

 

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A field, an abbey and an eccentric man

Today was a day of variety. On our drive out of Stow on the Wold this morning, we stopped to admire one of the many yellow paddocks in the area. Our second stop was Hailes Abbey where our experience was brought alive by aural guides which told stories from monks and pilgrims of the 1200's with Cistercian chanting in the background. At the end of our 2 hour self-tour, we sampled some of English Heritage's ginger wine which was so good that we purchased a bottle! Our final stop was Snowshill Manor, a large home built in the 1600's which houses a collection of 20,000 handcrafted items from throughout the centuries and from all over the world. The collection was created by Charles Wade, a wealthy and eccentric man who gathered the items because he believed that craft skills would be lost to industrialisation. Our experience there was like walking through an extensive antique shop with no theme. Items ranged from battle armour and penny farthings to weaving apparatus and miniature stone and wood carvings. Charles purchased the 3 storey manor house specifically to house his collection but lived simply in a very small house beside the manor. We stayed at Snowshill for 3 hours so it was fortunate that we had eaten scones with raspberry jam and clotted cream before wandering through the grounds and tackling the house, which we agreed was "disturbingly eccentric"...

 

 

 

 

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Find of the day

Here's the find of the day: An amazing antique shop that only eccentrics could deal with...in Chipping Campden in The Cotswolds UK.

 

 

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A reminder

Here is a reminder: Never let your wisteria get the better of you!

 

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Some amusing images

Here are some photos of a scarecrow family that protects the kitchen garden at Hidecote Manor Garden in The Cotswolds UK.

 

 

 

 

 

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Some garden images

Here are some photos of the enchanting Hidcote Manor Garden in The Cotswolds UK. We spent a good three hours wandering through this beautiful garden with its thatched roofs, aged trees, twisted hedges and spring colour. We have a wealth of new ideas for our own garden...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Some historical images

Here are some photos of the beautiful town of Lower Slaughter...in The Cotswolds UK. I was lucky to get any photos between the many showers of rain!

 

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