Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Remember in August, when I sort of disappeared for a whole month? The hubby and I spent ten of those days in England… and I didn’t even take a single photograph of food. I more than made up for it with hundreds of snapshots of other moments, mostly architecture and English roses.

We spent our first few days in London, wandering through the city, exploring museums, churches (Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral…), and lots of touristy attractions (Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London…). We rode a double-decker bus (of course) and even had the chance to experience musical theatre in the West End (Billy Elliot!). My architecture-major heart was full.

Next, we took a train to Oxford, where we walked the entire charming city under grey, drizzly skies – a constant element – and basked in academia. We climbed the winding steps of old cathedrals, whispered our way through the oldest library, elbowed our way through sites from Harry Potter, and sipped warm beer at the bar where President Clinton ‘didn’t’ inhale.

The next morning, we spent a rainy half-day at Blenheim Palace, before heading off to the idyllic countryside of The Cotswolds. We dotted our way through the gorgeous, pastoral landscape, stopping in many of little towns along our way to the perfectly bucolic village of Chipping Campden, our resting spot for the night. Stone walls, thatched roofs, creeping ivy, overflowing English gardens… I was in heaven.

Here’s part one!

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Fancy hotel chandelier… above the service stairs to the lobby restrooms!

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.comTen Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Bronze statue of Tara, the Buddhist goddess, The British Museum.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Marble statues, the British Museum

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The Marble Arch, London

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Buckingham Palace, through the gates. London

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

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Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Big crowds at Buckingham Palace, London

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Victoria Memorial, London

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

View of St Paul’s Cathedral, London

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Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

St Paul’s Cathedral

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The London Eye

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Big Ben and Parliament, London

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Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The River Thames, London

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The Tower Bridge, London

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The Tower of London, from the north bank of the River Thames, with ‘The Shard’ skyscraper beyond.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.comTen Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

A Queen’s Guards sentry outside the Jewel House at the Tower of London.

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Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The Tower of London

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Oxford, from the top of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.comTen Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

A shop in Oxford, where I may have purchased a Gryffindor Quidditch team shirt…

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The Radcliffe Camera, Oxford

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Hertford Bridge or the Bridge of Sighs, Oxford

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Rare books at the New Bodleian Library, Oxford.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Peckwater Quad (Dormitories) at Christ Church, Oxford.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.comTen Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Charming English cottages in Burton-on-the-Water, The Cotswolds.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Foggy glimpse of Blenheim Palace, Woodstock.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

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Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

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Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The Italian Gardens, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

The grounds of Blenheim.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Grey skies, stone and ivy, Woodstock.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.comTen Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.comTen Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Cheerful window boxes in The Cotswolds.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Driving through The Cotswolds.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Creeping on every country cottage in The Cotswolds.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

More creeping…

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.comTen Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Chipping Campden, The Cotswolds.

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com

Ten Days in England | forkknifeswoon.com