Coddiwomple!

In this day and age of the virus, so many of our friends and colleagues have had to quarantine or isolate when they arrived in a new country—or even sometimes in a new state. As previously noted, Sarah and I got to join that sisterhood when we arrived in Merry Olde England, We had to register and “self-isolate” for fourteen days and we were indeed fortunate to have discovered Little Chauntry, in Taplow, near Maidenhead, to host our penance. The cottage, little sister to the adjoining manor house known simply as “Chauntry,” sat across the drive from “Chauntry Barn,” and all three were on the old grounds of Burnham Abbey, where Anglican nuns still cloister and the bells chime matins. BTW, the community was founded in, wait for it, 1266 . . .

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Our relaxing two weeks of chilly self-isolation—we even had a walled back garden so we could enjoy the outdoors with its temperatures in single digits C on occasion—at Little Chauntry was a delightful intro to our new surroundings and British culture. We indulged in far more telly than we usually watch, keyed by the discovery of reruns of Doc Marten, Poldark—hmmmm, should we maybe go visit Cornwall?—and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series. But alas, even in Britain, there is no free Premier League football on the telly! Rubbish! Best, though, during our stay at Little Chauntry, was our connection to grocery deliveries from Sainsbury’s, where we ordered (repeatedly) excellent foods like steak and ale pies and even a few bottles of wine and beer—the Brewdog Hazy Jane IPA was brilliant!

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Following our gentle fourteen day isolation at Little Chauntry—we love how so many homes and buildings here have evocative names—we trekked and sconed and clotted-creamed and cidered and Sunday Roasted—and puddled, as Sarah likes it—our way around the southern part of the UK. Daily, we learned so much beyond the gastronomic about the complex history and the charming countryside and the friendly ways and delightful turns of phase of the folks of stately Windsor and thatched Cotswolds and bardly Stratford-upon Avon, not to mention the glittering south coast and Cornwall. And we realized, at last, our true status when a new friend from Yorkshire defined precisely what we’re about: Coddiwomple!

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Right! Coddiwomple is “to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination.” Precisely . . . So to speak! Of course, our overall, eventual, goal is to move to Lisbon, Portugal now that Sarah has retired. But, due to the virus, Portugal will not allow “tourists” with US passports to enter the country, so our plan to spend a month or so in Lisbon to find a flat to lease, has been moved to the cool side of the hob. But our many thanks to the UK for letting us stay in here in England for up to six months while things get sorted, yeah. Thus, welcome to Sarah and David’s own personal coddiwomple!

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So, after we emerged from our cozy hibernation, we shifted to Windsor and stayed in a hotel just down the street from the Castle. Our friends, Peter and Swapnil, graciously introduced us to the British rail system—fabulous—and even the incredible London tube system—very noisy—for a day’s outing into London. We crossed the Thames and rambled Trafalgar Square and toured the National Gallery with its incredible collection of artworks, and then grabbed our first fish & chips (and a small beer, what a great idea!) at the The Chandos pub!

By the way, we should note that, here in Merry Olde, masks and social distancing and hand sanitizer and shop limits and courtesy to others are on high display, so we feel quite comfortable getting out and about. Not to mention that cafes and restaurants and pubs all follow the national track and trace protocol, so we know that we would be contacted if necessary. Nice!

Next came a stroll through St. James Park and an exploration of the Churchill War Rooms, a museum replicating the underground British headquarters during WWII and a fascinating remembrance of the Battle of Britain.

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So, after our one-day ramble in London, we railed back to Windsor and had our first great views of the Castle. Alas, we didn’t get to tour it but we plan to return! We did love strolling Windsor’s posh shops and cafe and pub lined streets in the brilliant early fall weather. Our digs in the MGallery Castle Hotel were cozy and its location perfect.

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Of course, wherever Sarah and I travel, we love trying new dishes, new flavors, and yes, new drinks! At Little Chauntry, we could only indulge in delivered pizza or Chinese food, so we were really ready to step out in Windsor! Cider, anyone?

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And that is just the tip of the iceberg of our culinary wandering in Merry Olde, so stay tuned for the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon and then to the south coast for Dorset, Devon, and magical Cornwall!

Ah, but of course, when in a new country, one must also do one’s best to learn the customs and speak the language, and Sarah and I continued our training as we graduated from the Maidenhead cottage to royal Windsor. Greetings on the street, we learned, are typically “Hiya” or “You all right?” A day might be cracking or a restaurant a bit dodgy, and even better—and not to be too cheeky—a jumper is a sweater and fries are chips and chips are crisps and spotted dick is, well, not what you might think . . . .

Cheerio for now, mates!