THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

NATURAL STATE.

The English countryside is vast and diverse. Abound with history, architecture and nature, you are there to relax and yet there is so much to see. Choose a region and do not wander too far, take it in, celebrate it quietly. There is so much to be said for curling up with a good book, an afternoon aperitif and then a walk on the grounds. I have spent time here visiting friends in different areas, attending weddings and venturing to explore diverse species of plants and forms of landscaping in the various gardens of historical estates. If not for any of the above, it is a true destination for antiques, fabrics and home furnishes. If you cannot afford such luxurious, explore anyway, choose your favorite castle or estate in the area and then pretend you are decorating it with all of what you see. The world is your oyster, or in this case your crumpet and behold the royal state of the nature of these towns that redefine what it means to be civilized. To know in this world it is always tea time somewhere, is a comforting thought and oh yes, do not forget to stop and smell the English roses.

DO. A TURN ABOUT THE GARDEN

Windsor Castle, feel like a princess in this idyllic and historical wedding venue for the royal family

Wiltshire, for sophisticated hedges and quaint inn’s

Cotswolds, for castles and picturesque villages

Tetbury, part of the Cotswolds for the best antiquing in England

Oxfordshire, for Harry Potter fantasies and Oxford University

Hampshire, for thatched roof houses and former capital of England

Cornwall, for sandy beaches and surfing

Peak District National Park, for hiking and camping

West Yorkshire, for Bronte country where the sisters wrote their most notable novels

East Riding of Yorkshire, for cool coastal region

Dorset, for coastal towns and sandy beaches contain massive geological history known as the Jurassic coast which lines the English Channel

Essex, for age old history and Roman ruins

Cheshire, for measured historical architecture of at least a thousand years and more Roman ruins

Nymans Gardens, find plants from all over the world here, including a seed bank with species of plants from all over the world. So in case of apocalypse head start here to restart civilization again..

Nymans Gardens

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES.

The difference of scents between colors is breathtaking

Windsor Castle

STAY. THE RECTORY

The Rectory Hotel, Crudwell, Malmesbury SN16 9EP, UK perfect little hotel in the Cotswolds with pool and exquisite unique rooms $300

Lime Wood, Beaulieu Rd, Lyndhurst SO43 7FZ, UK exquisite rooms and food in this Hampshire hotel $500

Soho Farmhouse, Great Tew, Chipping Norton OX7 4JS, UK see and be seen, or not seen at all at this Oxfordshire edition of the Soho House $250

Hambleton Hall, Ketton Road, Oakham LE15 8TH, UK coolest decor in this family run hotel with a Michelin star Rutland $300

Summer Lodge Country House, 9 Fore St, Evershot, Dorchester DT2 0JR, UK rooms designed by the poet Thomas Hardy and easy living in Dorset

Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Crook Rd, Windermere LA23 3NE, UK lake house in Lake District