It is almost time!

[mav Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Hi Lawren,
Oh, have a great time! Stouts Hill is a very nice place! What unit # are you in ? We have stayed there twice in the mews units and twice in the main house. Both are very nice although we prefer the mews units.The resort has a table with tons of info. on sights to see in the area and are extremely helpful with any help you may need. There is a restaurant called the Old Crown that my husband and I really enjoyed. The resort also has a dinner one night a week you can sign up to attend. I know you are a cat lover and there was always 2 or 3 cats curled up in chairs in the restaurant. Enjoy!

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Lawren, it sounds like a wonderful trip and what a nice place to stay at too. How long will you be gone?

Drive carefully. I never dared to drive in England so I find you very brave.

Have lots of fun.

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

Lawren,
Have a super time, sounds like the makings of a great trip.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Hi Lawren,
Oh, have a great time! Stouts Hill is a very nice place! What unit # are you in ? We have stayed there twice in the mews units and twice in the main house. Both are very nice although we prefer the mews units.The resort has a table with tons of info. on sights to see in the area and are extremely helpful with any help you may need. There is a restaurant called the Old Crown that my husband and I really enjoyed. The resort also has a dinner one night a week you can sign up to attend. I know you are a cat lover and there was always 2 or 3 cats curled up in chairs in the restaurant. Enjoy!

Mav I guess you must like the place if you've been 4 times!

We are in Apartment 6 in the main house. A 2 bdrm sleep 5. From the website it looks like we are to the far right of the building in the front.

I know Sunday will be a slug day and we can take advantage of all they have to offer on-site.

I was thinking of going to the resort dinner too. We will plan on doing something relatively local that day.

Do you have any day trip recommendations? I just know that one week will not be enough...

I'm glad I've got your good thoughts and a restaurant recommendation to take with me!

[Ireland's Call Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ireland's Call]

Welcome to Europe ...enjoy !
G

[mav Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

Hi Lawren,
You will have a beautiful view from your unit ! In fact, I don't think there is a soso view in the place. They are all lovely. And all the units there are very clean.The staff is wonderful and if you think you will have a late arrival contact the resort ahead of time and they will make arrangements to leave a key out for you.
There is a restaurant called Hunters Hall that everyone in area and in the recommendations book seem to like very much. We never tried it so I can't give an opinion on that one. We liked the Old Crown so much we never tried any of the others. Also, most times we were out sightseeing so we ate on the road so to speak. Bath is an easy drive from Stouts Hill, and there are so many beautiful Cotswold towns, be sure to see Bibury, Burford, "Bourton- on -the-, Water" and there are many more. The nice thing about having a car is you can stop and linger where you want for as for long as you want. We also saw Warwick Castle from there, Stonehenge, and we also went into Wales a few times to see castles, and Tinton Abbey. I know we also saw so many other things on our stays there, but the last time we stayed there was 2004 and my memory is getting dicey.. I know one was a deer park that I LOVED!! It had a castle on the grounds also.
I don't know whether or not you have been to England before. If not, you are in for a real treat. The people there are the best! I love everything about them! Their accents, sense of humor, and over all friendly natures.
The trip we just returned from was in Northern England, Scotland, Austria, and Bavaria. Lord I must be getting old. We saw so many castles, stately manor homes, etc. that I can hardly remember where I saw what and I just got back 2 weeks ago. In Sept. we are heading back to for France for 3 weeks.
When do actually head out on your trip?

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

Lawren, have a wonderful trip!

As for the Int Driver's License, yes it is possible to get it at AAA...for $15. We got ours before we went to Italy, but never needed it as the cousins did all the driving.

We wanted to have them for using in case we needed ID, and didn't want to use our passports or US license.

Bring back great stories! Be safe and have a great time!

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

T-bone in Turkey

Lawren, I envy your going to England. That is one place we've not gottten to, figuring we could go anytime, fairly easily.

As for the Int Driver's License, why wonder about it... just have them in case. Such a small price.

Seeing you wondering about bread, butter, milk products … reminded me of Navy life. We'd been out several months already when we learned of the sail from Athens to Istanbul. One crewman couldn’t wait, as he knew Istanbul Hilton served Americanized steak.

I never forgot that. I’ve been one to “do as in Rome”… ate and do what is "local". To have things the way I’m used to wherever I may roam would spoil the fun of being a world traveler.


You’ll be on vacation in another land. Venture!
Enjoy what that place has to offer. You'll be back to old-hat before you know it!

Be safe. Enjoy!
And don’t forget to enjoy the people and each other.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

I found our car rental thru Europecar for 8 days, automatic and different pick-up and drop-off airports for USD306.45.
I hope I don't need an international driver's license???

No you don't need an international drivers licence. They are basically to provide a translation when driving in other countries. Our languages are close enough for even the police to understand

Do you think if I am landing via Ryan Air at Gatwick 14:30 that we will actually get there by 18:00? I hope so as that is when the office closes!

It will definitely be tight. You need to reckon at least 2 1/2 hours from Gatwick to Stout's Hill.

Does your butter come in sticks? Is it lightly salted? and what do they mean on bread size and type?

I've never seen butter in sticks over here. Generally in half pound packs. In restaurants you will generally get individual sealed portions. Salted and unsalted is available in supermarkets. There is a huge variety of bread available. Everything from white sliced which is OK for toast, through granary, wholemeal..... Any bakers shop will be happy to confuse you even more.

I like half&half for my coffee. Do you have that? or should I just order whole milk.

I think half & half is what we refer to as semi-skimmed i.e. half the normal fat content. Skimmed is no better than white water in my opinion. Full fat is also available, as is longlife. Longlife normally comes in cartons rather than bottles.

Keith are you dry? Do you have water? and how should we contact each other so I can buy you a pint?

We have drinking water back available again. We still have about 100 litres of bottled water which was provided free when our water was off. I've PM'd you will contact details.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Lawren, have a fantastic time!! I am still catching up so think I may have missed you, but I know a lot of planning went into this one, and that it will pay off. The place sounds fantastic, enjoy!!!

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I still have a few days...we leave on the 24th.

Mav thanks for all the suggestions.

Robert I am just asking for some basics for the night of arrival and breakfast whenever we actually get up the next day. I am happy to try anything <except blood pudding> and DS is willing but DH can be very picky.

Keith, I will let Stouts Hill know we may be a bit later than 6PM local. We are flying RyanAir from Shannon so at least the customs will be behind us.
and thanks much on International License info.

White bread works. lightly salted buter works. Our half&half here is half whole milk half heavy cream so I will just be safe and order whole milk. I KNOW the honor bar will work for me once we get there.

There had better be a place I can get a great steak and kidney pie <YUMMY!>

I have your PM and will bring it to get a hold of you.

I have heard that it can be quite cool at the end of August and layers are a must. With the baggage weight limits on Ryan I will have to be careful on what we pack.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Generally August would be reasonably warm i.e. mid 70's cooling a bit in the evenings. Layers are definitely a good idea. It has been really nice the past few days with lots of sun. Tuesday is forecast to be wet and windy (that's the other norm in summer)

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

... Robert I am just asking for some basics for the night of arrival and breakfast whenever we actually get up the next day. I am happy to try anything <except blood pudding> and DS is willing but DH can be very picky...

I hope you and other members realize I like to kid around a bit.

Blood Pudding!!?? You've got to be pulling my leg.
Well, it is understandable that all the pig be used for something.
Probably would try some but not order it as a main course.

Can't be any worse than tripe... right? Hey, it has been cooked!

The mind plays weird games with the stomach when something different is introduced to the menu. Snails, blubber, poi, squid...

I often wonder how many chickens would be eaten, if a person had to kill and gut it themselves.

Anyway, I'm having fun with you.

btw, I ran cross this, you might find interesting. Looks like you will have missed it.
The World Black Pudding Throwing

Pudding festivals - 11 August

This rather medieval dish has a fanatical following. The humble black pudding even has a festival dedicated to it in northern England. In Ramsbottom, outside Manchester, hundreds compete annually in the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships. The bloody sausages are encased in ladies' tights and contestants hurl them at a 20ft-high stack of Yorkshire puddings. Whoever knocks the most Yorkshire puds off the stack is declared the winner, in a contest said to date back to an incident in battle between the armies of the Houses of Lancaster and York during the Wars of the Roses.

I hope you have a merry time of your visit.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Black pudding (Blood pudding) is actually very tasty if made with good quality ingredients. Those with a strong constitution and even stronger stomach can find out more about the content of the pudding by a search on "black pudding recipes".
I won't post it here for fear of traumatising the 'veggies' in our number.

[Fenman Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fenman]

I like a bit of good 'Black Pudding' as part of a full English Breakfast. Sets you up for the day.