As I walked through Mickleton I was struck by the change in building materials. For the previous week houses were built of red brick with clay tile roofs, but in Mickleton and the other villages today, all I could see were buildings made of Cotswold stone; a honey coloured limestone, with shades varying from cream to orange. Older roofs were even made of stone "tiles". Even modern buildings seemed have walls of Cotswold Stone, possibly because the local planning department insisted. It gave the villages I walked through a warm, golden glow, despite the rain! One of the early villages was Chipping Campden. Popular with tourists there were gift shops and a tea room I patronised.
I was blessed with a number of cafés today. For lunch I had a sandwich at Batsford Park. One day I would like to return (when it is not raining) and visit the arboretum and gardens. After I walked down a section of the long, tree lined drive. A Longborough there was a community café and shop, where I was the only customer. The tea and toasted tea cake set me up for the last section of the day.
There had been more hills today than in recent days. In better weather there would have been good views, but today's drizzle washed out the colours and softened the lines. On an early escarpment top, an image of a Belgian soldier was carved in a tree. A sign suggested it was carved by a Belgian soldier, recovering at a nearby hospital, in the First World War.
Dinner tonight was at my hotel, one of those places where the prices are larger than the portions. There seemed to be gold leaf on top of my dessert. I decided against eating it, worried about what I might find in the morning.
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