It was like going on a road trip ... but it was more impactful for that (163Cong.Rec.H2078)

TJ and I decided to spend our Christmas vacation National Lampoon-style with a multi-day road trip around Europe (Cue "Holiday Road" theme song). Somehow, we managed to be the opposite of the Griswolds, who plan everything but then everything goes wrong. We planned last-minute, with a week to spare, but lucked into successful logistics despite potential problems with car maintenance, winter weather, pet importation, and border crossings. During our 10-day sojourn we hit only one snag, involving a toll-road vignette that most people wouldn't have even bothered to obtain.

And even that minor blip was only slightly more unbearable as the marathon driving we did the first day, from Kyiv to Krakow, which involved about 10 hours in the car. So we were very happy to arrive at Lwowska 1 Aparthotel, so we could unload and proceed to stretch our legs. We cruised through Ghetto Heroes Square, right across from our hotel (top), before crossing Father Bernatek Bridge (bottom left). The spotlights on the span's "Between the Water and the Sky" sculptures momentarily turned Sage into a disco dog (bottom right).

 

Once on the other side of the Vistula River, we headed to T.E.A. Time Brewpub, the only cask-ale bar I've ever been in outside of the United Kingdom -- although you couldn't tell from the decor (top left). To go with the pub's pint-and-peanuts combo, the generous proprietors brought us a set of samples from the tanks downstairs (top right). Peanuts were not quite enough to satiate us, so we headed to U Vicenta, where TJ and I shared a platter of pierogies with various meat fillings for dinner (bottom left). I was so full the following morning that I couldn't take full advantage of the hotel breakfast, which was quite a spread, considering it was Christmas Eve morning (bottom right). 

During the morning dog walk, we swung by Schindler's Factory Museum, where the famous list creator built a haven for his Jewish workers to save them from deportation to nearby concentration camps (top). In the afternoon, we made the short drive to Auschwitz, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, where over 1 million people were killed after being transported there via grueling train journeys (middle left). They were greeted by the "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Works Makes Free) sign at the entrance, whose initial E was installed backwards by disgruntled prisoners (middle right). We saw the two places where most prisoners "left" the camp: the execution courtyard, where they were hung or shot (bottom left), and the crematorium, where they were gassed and burned (bottom right). 

 

It was definitely difficult to decompress after visiting such a distressing and depressing place, but we attempted to do so by visiting Kazimierz, the city's Jewish quarter. Considering the holiday, it was one of the few places in Krakow brimming with activity. We headed to the New Plaza, the market square where animals once were slaughtered according to Jewish rites (left). There are kosher options available at Gastro Zapiekanki, but TJ and I selected the Highlander zapiekanka, which inappropriately mixes meat and cheese (right).

Even though we suspected it would be shut down, we strolled through the city's Market Square, another UNESCO World Heritage site (top left). Indeed, all the inside stalls were shuttered (top right). But many restaurants near St. Mary's Basilica were surprisingly open for business, and plenty of tourists were sauntering through the rain-slicked pedestrian zone (bottom left). We preferred the less well-lit, so we headed back down to Kazimierz, passing Wawel Castle along the way (bottom right).

We found our first homey hideout, including a chill-distinguishing fireplace, at Singer Bar (top left), where many of the tables are the actual eponymous sewing machines (top right). Next, we sampled the extensive craft-beer selections at Domowka Cafe, which literally translates to House Party Cafe (bottom left). We rounded out the night with a final stop at Krolicze Oczy, whose locals welcomed our presence in their living-room-like front chamber (bottom right).

Cotswold cottage, or some of the things that we have seen here (02-73188 Chirco, et al v. Gateway Oaks LLC, et al)

I like hiking and I like camping, but I have never done them together, despite TJ's past experience with and ever-present desire for backpacking. I guess I am a little scared that I won't be able to handle roughing it 24/7 like him. So for Thanksgiving weekend, we struck up a compromise: hiking but overnighting in B&Bs, in the Cotswolds. I like hiking for hiking's sake, but a warm village pub at the end of each day certainly made the circular route more appealing.

Some of the most difficult logistics of the trip involved getting to the start of the route. We had a short window to catch a bus from the airport to Oxford, where we would get some sleep before taking a train to our initial destination. We managed to make the bus, which meant we got to Oxford early enough that we could explore a little before going to bed. We started with a pint in literally the first pub we saw, from the window of the bus: the Port Mahon (top left). We took the fact that the place had chicken Kiev on its menu as a promising sign (top right). A few blocks down from our digs at the The Excelsior, on historic Cowley Road, we studied some suds at The Library (bottom left). Then we had one last nightcap at BrewDog before closing time (bottom right). 

Not surprisingly, we ended up waking up later than planned, which meant we ended up missing earlier trains to Stroud, where we would start our hike. But the extra time turned out to be good because we strolled through downtown Oxford for a while (top). Due to the delay we did not dally in Stroud, only snapped a few pics of St. Laurence Church as we hit the road to Slad (bottom left). The path cut mostly through the woods until just outside the village, where we skirted the road to stay out of the way of local traffic (bottom right). 

Slad was added to the route mainly because of The Woolpack, a pub that features frequently in the works of Laurie Lee, whose books and likenesses can be found throughout the small establishment (top). We managed to sneak into a table for lunch, a lamb-filled feast, starting with kidneys as an appetizer (bottom left). We rounded out the menu with lamb stew and a lamb sandwich (bottom right). 

By the time we let all the lamb digest, the weather had turned. We slogged to Bussage, where our appropriately named planned pub pit stop, The Ram Inn, was closed. But we turned our bad luck around by using the extra time to make a detour to Stroud Brewery, where we warmed ourselves by the woodstove (left) and treated ourselves to pizza and porters (right). 

It was fortuitous that we refueled because we got a little lost on the way to The Ragged Cot, our pub inn for the night. It was located further outside of town than we had suspected, but eventually, TJ's GPS pointed us in the right direction. We made it in time for dinner: beef-cheek roast for me and a pork-schnitzel sandwich for TJ (top left). Breakfast the next morning was equally generous, with a view of the fields we traipsed through the night before (top right). As we set off for the day, we finally saw how quaint the 17th century coaching house is (bottom). 

We retraced our steps back to Minchinhampton, where animals, especially cattle, are in charge, as is made clear in the town sign (top left). We saw only horses and donkeys, but no cows, on Minchinhampton Common, the public green space all residents may use to let their livestock graze (top right). The common is surrounded by ancient defensive walls called Bulwarks (bottom left). Unfortunately, the walls did nothing to protect the animals from once being auctioned at the Market House for slaughter (bottom right). 

 

The sad fate of cattle created a satisfying lunch for us at The Rose and Crown in Nymphsfield, where the burgers included lots of cow (top). I can credit only all the walking with our evening appetites for pies at The Old Crown Inn in Uley (bottom left). The pub was packed on Friday night, but when Saturday morning came, we were the only guests at breakfast (bottom right). The proprietors seemed happy that we got off to an early start, so they could head out to a nearby pheasant hunt sooner.

We didn't have any illusions that Uley Brewery would be open so early in the morning (top left), but in a trusting tiny town, a lot of its operations, including piles of kegs, could be observed outside (top right). TJ might disagree, but I thought the view from Uley Bury, an ancient hillfort a short climb away, was a bit more enchanting (bottom left). The grass-covered ruins provided a 360-degree view of the surrounding valleys (bottom right). 

From there, we hiked down to where we could join the Cotswold Way, which coursed along the valleys, eventually ascending up to Crawley Hill, where a panorama provided glimpses of the River Severn (top left). Along the way, we met a local man and his dogs, who led the way to Selsey Common (top right). Another descent and we connected with the Thames and Severn Way, which brought us back to Stroud (bottom left). Before we hopped on a train, we had a quick drink at The Little George to toast the completion of our route (bottom right). 

We decided to spend our last night in nearby Swindon, as it offered better post-hike celebratory opportunities, including Hop Kettle Brewery (top left), where TJ tried to recall all the interim imbibing we had done during the hike (top right). Having just completed about 30 miles in 3 days, it didn't seem like a big deal to walk to Old Town, where we had a drink at The Hop Inn while we figured out how to access our accommodations (middle left). Eventually, we met our host, settled in, and sought out sustenance. We had atmospheric alcohol at The Wheatsheaf (middle right) after dinner at Old Town Thai (bottom left). An even better meal was to be found the next morning at Dotty's Café, where I had eggs Benedict and TJ had a bacon bap the size of his head (bottom right). 

 

On the way to the airport, we had some time to reflect on our route. I could overwhelm you with snapshots of Cotswolds countryside, but I'll stick to the highlights. We crossed a lot of farmland, so we frequently saw sheep (top left) and horses (top right). Sometimes we saw other two-legged creatures (middle left). But most of the time, we had nature to ourselves, including stream-intersected forests (middle right) and limestone-cut cliffs (bottom left). It was easy to become entranced and almost walk by historic sites, including the Nymphsfield Long Barrow, a mound from which Neolithic skeletons and artifacts have been excavated (bottom right). 

In the end, our success convinced me that I probably could handle backpacking. But of course, I say that knowing our good fortune included good weather. With the exception of a few showers, we were blessed with sunshine (top left). Even when the sun went down, the temperatures weren't unbearable (top right). And of course, I can't deny that it was always nice to end the day with good pub food. Indeed, right before we caught a train to the airport from downtown London, we had one last belt-busting meal of fish and chips and beef Sunday roast at The Crown and Anchor (bottom).