Rollright Stones and Tolkien's Door

First, I just want you to know that I write every morning while most of the people I love are fast asleep. And, I have been doing it from the gorgeous Larches Bed and Breakfast just outside Ledbury. Inga, Malcolm, and their two precious pups (Morac - 10yo and Mable - 10m) have been an absolute delight!

Speaking of Inga, having a bed and breakfast is her dream, and my goodness, does it show. She cooked me my very first English breakfast! Turns out, I'm okay with black pudding!!! And, did you know it's a British thing to keep the plates in the oven before you serve, so all the food stays warm on your plate?!?! Here's how my breakfasts have gone every morning (in sequence. It's not all at once like a buffet; it's a whole experience): freshly cut fruit, yogurt, fresh juice, coffee or tea, toast with butter and three types of jams to choose from, and THEN a full course meal with sausage, beans, roasted tomatoes, black pudding, sautéed mushrooms, and fried eggs! Plus, Inga wants to hear all about the adventures from the day before and where I plan to go after writing that day. Then, she makes sure Malcolm shares anything I may need to know about the places I've chosen.

And, to top it all off, Mable (the puppy) sometimes squeezes in the door, and watching Malcom try to wrangle her while calling her naughty and a hooligan (with his accent) fills my heart - mainly because he's such a gentle soul, so him saying those words makes me giggle.

After breakfast, Sherry and I headed to our first stone circle: the Rollright Stones! This was my first ANCIENT sacred site!!! The Neolithic Era, Y'all! This is one of those places that I had no choice but to approach with humility and respect. It commanded it. I saw to the right of the stones a little tree with things hanging from it. I'm not 100% sure what they are, but they felt like prayers. (Ten years ago, I would have thought they were some kind of devil worship and avoided it. Thankfully, I can hold space for other beliefs, respect them, and enjoy their beauty). We were in quiet awe for a while, walked the circle, enjoyed the views of the meadows creating an incredible backdrop of this beauty. Then, we sat and did a little intuitive reading with the cards my bestie KT gave me for Christmas.

Travel makes me feel even more connected to my tribe. I bring everything you've poured into me with every step. This card pull in this place was about as perfect and magical as it gets. Plus, I get to share with my bestie back home. How could it get any better?!?!

Then we met a precious couple there on holiday. They're from the southern coast, and Sherry offered to take their picture. Gahhhh... they were lovely! We talked with them for almost thirty minutes. I was able to tell the husband I was sorry the dude who's "running" our country is making everyone nervous. He lost quite a bit of money with the tariff and stock debacles. SJ, the wife, ended with asking if those were our things over there, and then she said we shouldn't be so lovely and trusting. She said she hated to be a mom, but there are not so nice people everywhere. Noted, SJ :)

From there, we traveled to Stow-on-the-Wold, and my goodness... I was yelling as we drove in because it was so gorgeous. I just thought it was beautiful, but Sherry filled me in later how uppity most folks were.

Here's how I travel: I go off vibes, but I'm not aware of folks judging me. Think about it that. I'm really blessed that the anxiety of judgement doesn't register anywhere in my brain :)

We at an amazing restaurant called Sheep on Sheep Street! The food and atmosphere was amazing. Plus, SOOOO many people take their dogs everywhere with them. It is amazing.

Then we went to St. Edward's Church that has the most beautiful door I've seen in my life. I find the sacredness of trees and doors fascinating (that could be a whole post on its own), so this was beyond breathtaking. The yew saplings were planted by the doors when the church was built around 300 years ago. It is "said" that Tolkien modeled the Doors of Durin, the west gate, in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring after this door. Although Tolkien visited the area frequently while attending and teaching in Oxford, no one knows for sure. But, if you look at diagrams of how the door is described, it's pretty similar! Either way, I'm glad I went.

We went straight to Oxford after this. It was late, so we just went to scout it out for my solo trip later this week. IT WAS SO BUSY WITH PEOPLE, BIKES, DOGS E V E R Y W H E R E!!! Here's where I will be selfish and not relive it to share with you, so here's an overview:

We were driving to Exeter College when the navigation stopped working properly, and we ended up on pedestrian-only roads. I'm still traumatized from it. Mainly, I don't want to do anything to seem like a privileged American on my visit, and I did something sooooooooooooooo disrespectful that I just can't think about it again. I was horrified AND scared. But, I will say this: if you know me well, you know how dramatic I am. So, you would have peed yourself at my reaction just yelling "Sorry" while yelling at Sherry to get us tf out of there! Horrific.

It was an hour drive back to our place, and I finally calmed down thirty minutes into the drive. Whew! Just writing that paragraph made my blood pressure go up!

As a palate cleanser (for me), I'll share some cute pics of us from the day!

Thank you for coming on this journey with me! It makes it that much sweeter.