Mary and I went for a road trip this past weekend. We hired a car in London, a Peugeot 107, and toured the country side. This was only my third time driving on the left, and only the second with a left-handed manual transmission. It was quite an adventure.

On Saturday we picked up the car in Chiswick and headed for the Cotswolds (see Cotswolds gallery). We passed through Burford because it was too crowded and ended up inStow-on-the-Wold. From there we visited the Cotswold Farm Park and finally Bourton-on-the-Water. We had dinner in Gloucester and spent the night at a bed and breakfast. On Sunday we spent most of the day at the Slimbridge Wetland Center, run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (see Slimbridge WWT gallery). On our way back to London we stopped at Avebury (see Avebury gallery) to see the henge and stone circles there.

Stow-on-the-Wold is a village in the heart of the Cotswolds.

There are all kinds of baby farm animals at the Cotswold Farm Park.

Bourton-on-the-Water is called the “Venice of the Cotswolds”.

Slimbridge Wetland Center had many waterfowl from around the world.

Avebury has a henge monument with the largest stone circle in Europe.

Mary and I went to visit Hampton Court Palace one wet Sunday a few weeks back. The palace was originally built up by Thomas Woolsey, Cardinal and Lord Chancellor for Henry VIII.After Cardinal Woolsey’s fall from the king’s favor, the palace went to Henry VIII and the royal family. In the 17th century the palace was further expanded by William III.

There are more photos in the Hampton Court Palace gallery.

On Wednesday, June 8, 2011, Mary and I went to see the Household Division Beating Retreat. Traditionally, Beating Retreat was a ceremony held at the end of each day during battles to call troops back to camp for the night. Now it is a pagent of military music, precision drill and color which takes place on Horse Guards Parade in central London. In addition to the usual performers from the Massed Bands of the Household Division, this year there was a guest appearance by the United States Army Europe band. Watch for them in blue. I was also surprised by the first selection played by the Household Division.