For our FIVE year wedding anniversary (and our 10 year dating anniversary), Cole and I decided to travel somewhere to celebrate, but wanted to stay a bit more local this time. Since moving here in June, we have heard a ton about the Cotswolds, an area west of London that is known for its beautiful limestone buildings and rolling hills. So we thought what better place to celebrate our anniversary than the beautiful English countryside and have a weekend of relaxation and rejuvenation.

We left after work on Friday and stopped in Oxford for dinner at this adorable French inspired pub, The Old Bookbinders Ale House, before finishing the drive. We both enjoyed delicious savory crepes for dinner before finishing our drive. We were staying on the most eastern part of the Cotswolds, right near a town called Burford. Our bed and breakfast, Old Swan & Minster Mill, was absolutely beautiful and located on nearly 65 acres of land.The breakfast at the hotel was delicious and the staff were incredibly friendly. We spent Saturday morning exploring the property surrounding the B&B, which included the old Minister ruins which were back from 1400s.

We then headed to Burford to grab some coffee and explore the cute shops on the main street. After a few hours, we decided to check out the other parts of the Cotswolds via car to cover more ground. The beautiful countryside homes set on the rolling hills made for a gorgeous drive. We stopped into a few pubs before heading back to our B&B to get ready for our dinner reservations at the restaurant on property. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then headed into the bar to sit by the fireplace and watch UGA shut out Tennessee.

On Sunday, we enjoyed the same delicious English breakfast at our B&B before making our way over to the spa. We had a massage and relaxed a bit before packing up and heading to one final town I had read about when researching the Cotswolds, Burton-on-the-Water. We headed to grab coffee from and walk around the village before our drive back home. We checked out the Cornish Bakery for some traditional pastries from Cornwall (the southern coast of England), which were delicious. We headed back to London, driving through Oxford one more time so we could see it in the daylight before we arrived back at our home sweet home.

The past 5 years of marriage have included plenty of adventure, so many laughs, and tons of good memories. I am so lucky to go through life with my best friend by my side. Can’t wait to see what the next 50 years of life have in store for us 🙂