Our covid holiday in England

Reading Time: 19 minutes
England (April 2022)
Experiencing international flights again

It finally happened! Australian borders reopened in November 2021 after being unable to leave the country since March 2020. We were finally allowed out! I didn’t book a trip straight away though. Australia had a very high vaccination rate but the pandemic wasn’t over yet. During our Summer of 2021/22, Covid rapidly spread throughout Australia and I wasn’t convinced things wouldn’t revert back to lockdowns and border closures again. Plus there were still quite a few impediments to travel. I knew it wouldn’t be as easy as it was pre-Covid.

We were desperate to see our family and friends in England so after weighing up pros and cons we decided to book a month long trip in April, spanning a week either side of the Easter school break. Brandon had finished high school and was taking a break while looking for work. For Cordy two weeks off school wasn’t ideal but as it turned out, schools were experiencing heavy teacher and student absences anyway- either getting covid or being forced to isolate due to a family member having covid.

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Overnight in the Cotswolds

Reading Time: 15 minutes

The Cotswolds, England (Dec 2017)

The Cotswolds is a huge area in south central England, stretching over six counties. It is known for being very picturesque, with gently rolling hills, green meadows and historic villages, with buildings all made from the same style and pale coloured Cotswold stone.

Despite having spent so much time in England over my lifetime, I had never visited the Cotswolds, although have often heard people describe its charm and beauty. In December 2017 while on a holiday with the extended family in Poole, Dorset, I organised a mid-week trip to see what all the fuss is about. As the children didn’t want to come with us, preferring to stay in Poole with their grandparents and cousins, we had limited time. So I hatched a plan to visit the lower part of the Cotswolds for an overnight stay, then drive through Oxford back to Dorset the next day. Continue reading “Overnight in the Cotswolds”