English Roads - a tutorial and a warning

"you can't possibly get lost"---- that will be the motto for this trip, because we've heard it at every place, pub, village, out of every mouth to give us directions and we've always managed got, indeed, get lost.  And here's the reason:  the English road system is not like America's.  
1.  No directions-- North, south, east west.  No, they have small signs, usually hidden behind a very large hedge, that give the next town up the road.  Therefore, if you don't know where yu are going, you can't ge there.
2.  Hedges, see above
3.  Signs are only given once, right at the round about and you must read quickly and then navigate the roundabout.  
4.  Once you are on a road, they never tell you what road you are on, nor do they give speed limits.  Although for us, that has not been a problem as we have been driving so slowly, trying to miss the edge of the road, which grows right up to the edge with those very large, obstructive hedges.  No shoulder, no verge...

English roads fall into 5 levels.  The large blue roads-M roads: these would be equivalent to our interstates.  Then the green roads, usually A roads:  equivalent to our state roads.  Then the B roads, smaller state roads.  Then yellow roads, like county roads, then white roads, the country lanes.  White roads are usually 12 ft across and often require one driver meeting another to back up to a wide spot to allow passage.  Again, no shoulder, no verge...

It's been very stressful and I'm sure to have an ulcer at the end of the trip.  Jim is laughing as he reads this, but I'm dead serious.  Ulcer. My stomach has been upset for three days,such that I cannot eat much and only want bland, potatoes and bread things. I've been taking pepto bismol for two days just to keep stable. So Jim thinks it's stress, and perhaps it is. The roads are so twisty, steep, narrow, poorly marked, potted, and wife driving on the left and with the steering on the right----man! Constant stress in the car.

Today is Tuesday, and I'm doing another catch-up.  I lost signal last night in the pub, so never got yesterday's blog posted.  This has been a recurrent problem.  Internet is weak, it goes out frequently, and the signal is not strong enough for certain functions on the iPad.  Anyway, we stayed above the pub in Paxford, and the room was the least nice so far.  The room was tiny, the bed was soft and lumpy, the toilet was almost impossible to flush.  Altogether I wouldn't recommend this place at all.  I thought the food was overpriced as well.  12.95 for fish and chips!!  Really!
Anyway, the day was windy and very misty so we went to Moreton in Marsh for the weekly market, which was great.  Lots of vendors of fresh veg and this and that.  I got a sweater for 2.50--a real bargain.  We bought a few souvenirs, and had a cream tea and sandwich at a tea shop.  Britain must have more tea shops than anywhere else in the world.  
Then we drove to Stow in the Wold and walked around, in the rain this time.  Found a great chocolate shop.  Then we drove to Willersley and found our farm for our farm stay.  Strict instructions to not arrive before 5:00 pm and to take off our shoes.  So we're debating whether to venture out for supper tonight.  Not very hungry after the large tea at 2:00 pm and we have nuts and granola bars.  We were give tea and cake at 6:00.  The English seem to eat a lot of cake, and, of course, tea must be taken at multiple times during the day.  
The farm has lovely views and horses and sheep to look at.  Tomorrow is Hidecote gardens, which we've been told are lovely.  

Monday:  today we drove to Broadway, which was a lovely little town.  We spent a few hours walking around.  Then we drove on the Chipping Csmden, had lunch, and again walked around.  Another blustery day with wind and sprinkles, though no outright hard rain.  But it made walking around less pleasant.  Then of to Paxford, a teensy village of about 1000 people, at most.  We are staying abode the pub st Thd Churchill Arms, the only place in town.  Again, an early arrival and Jim took a nap.  He's been doing all the driing, and I've been navigating.  He's had a two day headache and I had some sort of tummy thing yesterday all day, which made me feel punchy all day yesterday.  Evidently, there is some 24 hr flu going around, so it was either that or something I ate.  
We're sitting in the pub now, and waiting for dinner.  I've had a pint of Hook Norton, local brewery ale. No Internet upstairs in the room, so this is it for the evening.

Another day, another pub...

I was unable to post yesterday, be auss the intent at our farm stay went out. So, I'll try to do catch up.
Sunday: we lest Painswick and Simonne with kisses and hugs and took off for Sudley Castle. It was. Loses because the family was in residence. The family which has lived there for 200 years.... so we walked around the areas that tourists could visit and then walked through the gardens. It was a windy day with sprinkles of rain, so we didn't linger. Had tea and a scone and then took off for Tewkes urn and to find out farm. We arrived very early, about 3 PM and walked around, played with the dogs, took a turn through the vegetable garden. Very nice, and the room was wonderful. Big fluffy robes, leather chairs, big Telly.
We had a vey early dinner at The Swan, which was wonderful! I had a duck and chicken liver pste to die for. I promise a separate blog just for the foods we've eaten. Not a bad meal so far. Anyway it was back to the farm and we spent a long time planning ou the routes fo the next 3 days. Internet is so unreliable and another blog will be on the roads, signage, and amazingly easy many ways to get turned around and lost!
More on the next post....