Woodstock & Blenheim Palace

Since previous weekend was a long three day one we hired a car and went to see Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. It looks like we are under footy curse as we encounter football crowds everywhere we go. This time we came across them while trying to have a quick break at the roadstop just before Oxford. At first I attributed the huge car park queue to the tourist popularity of Oxford. But once Clive got out of the car he discovered that the place was full of footy supporters. The road to Oxford was also packed so we decided to try an alternative route. And on B4027 the sign advertising scones and tea enticed us to stop at the farm.

We had some nice tea with scones, jam and brilliant clotted cream (it was almost like butter) and Cat go to see goats, pigs, rabbits, peacocks and a sheep for the first time in her life.


After checking into the hotel we went for a walk to admire cute buildings and salivate over marvellous items in the antique shops. In return all shopkeepers and many older women on the street admired Cat and tried to get a smile out of her (no luck, she regards strangers with very serious looks and the only sign of how much she likes or dislikes them is how fast her legs are swinging). Eventually Babe got tired so we went back to the hotel for the nap. In the evening she got to try a wooden high chair in the restaurants bistro.


And after she fall asleep I had a good soak in the bath getting high on the wonderful L’Occitane smells. I totally forgot how much I love their products.

The next day started with the lovely breakfast – they serve such wonderful dishes as buttermilk pancakes and green eggs & ham (bread, prosciutto, egg and pesto source). After Cat’s morning nap we headed to Blenheim Palace - the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.


The interiors were stunning and the gardens looked beautiful on the photos, but the weather was horrid (both cold and wet) and so we missed out on exploring the outside. Inside I learned few things about the great English prime minister, but one fact struck me the most – did you know that Hallmark used some of his paintings for their greeting cards? I didn’t even know he liked painting – I remember seeing photos of him with the easel, but my mind never registered the significance of it. I think I’ll get a book on him out of the local library as he sounds like very interesting human being (and politician).

Later in the day we went for a drive and stopped to see the Rollright Stones.


Awful weather drove us back indoors and the rest of the time was spent relaxing in the hotel.