A Birthday Trip to Bourton on the Water

Bourton on the Water and Stow on the Wold

My birthday arrived bringing with it a beautiful sunny day, a welcome relief after all the rain we have had recently. We had decided to wait to see what the weather was like before making any plans for a day out, but as the sun was shining brightly we decided to visit Bourton on the Water. We had never been there before but after checking how far it was (about 30 miles) and reading a bit about it online, we decided that it was going to be our destination.

We did our usual stop off at the supermarket for fresh crusty rolls to join the rest of the provisions already packed in the bus and set off through the countryside with the music playing.

BOURTON ON THE WATER
As we drove into Bourton on the Water we were amazed at how busy it was and at the sheer volume of tourists there.

We drove past a huge car park full of coaches and day trippers and followed the road through the town itself, to see if there was a car park closer to the centre, unfortunately the one we came across had a height restricted barrier which we couldn't get under, so we turned around and headed back.

I then noticed parking spaces by the side of the road and someone was pulling out! Joe skillfully manouvered the bus into the gap and we now had a free parking place with two hours to explore.

It was such a gorgeous day, sunny and warm and the place had a real holiday feel.

People were sitting and enjoying the sunshine (and ice creams) as children and dogs played in the shallow water.

We had a lovely couple of hours exploring and enjoying the holday atmosphere before heading back.

We were parked in a quiet spot near the church and decided that we may as well stay there to have our lunch.

It was nice and cool in the bus as we had made sure that the curtains were drawn on the window facing the sun.

We soon made and devoured our delicious rolls and drank a much needed cup of coffee.

Suitably revived! we found a second wind and I suggested that we call in to Stow on the Wold before heading home.

It was only about 7 miles away and was somewhere else we had heard of but had never visited before.

We climbed in the cab and set off on the next leg of our journey.

STOW ON THE WOLD
We pulled into the pretty main square of Stow on the Wold. I was struck by the beautiful flower filled hanging baskets everywhere.

It was a picturesque place but nowhere near as busy as Bourton on the Water had been. By this time we really needed to stretch our legs again, so decided more exploration was in order!

There were some interesting shops and lots of galleries with colourful pictures adorning the windows. As it was now getting quite late in the day a lot of shops were already closed and the few we managed to visit were just about to lock up for the evening.

So we took a leisurely walk around and did some window shopping (a much cheaper alternative!) as we took in the old buildings and the ambience of the place and enjoyed the early evening sunshine.

We were now beginning to feel a bit weary and decided to head back to the bus for another drink. It was really nice, relaxing, drinking coffee and people watching through the tinted windows.

COINCIDENCE
Then a van drew up alongside and I could see the driver looking at the bus. He obviously didn't realise we were inside, as when he caught my eye through the open window he looked shocked! He asked if we converted the bus ourselves and Joe and he got talking and we invited him to come and have a look inside.

He parked up and came over and we opened the side door - he looked inside and shouted "a bus for us!" (the name of the blog Joe kept to document the self build conversion project) we laughed! and he said it was our campervan that inspired him to start converting his! What a small world!

He was a really nice guy and we talked for a while and showed him round etc. We forgot to ask his name but if by some chance he ever reads this and recognises himself - hello! it was great meeting you!

By now it was getting late so we headed for home, deciding to stop on the way for a bag of chips (french fries for my American readers :-)) - a delicious end to a wonderful day!

We decided that from now on, the birthday trips out would be an annual event - it makes such a wonderful memory and experiences last longer than presents - though don't get me wrong, I am not saying instead of presents - I will have presents too! - ;-)

About - Bourton on the Water
About - Stow on the Wold
Blog - A-Bus-For-Us