Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell

I think I've taken more train trips in the last six months than my whole life combined! Wednesday found me back at the train station, heading five hours south to the small (and I mean small!) village of Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell for my Level 2 Bach Flower Remedy training. 

York train station

Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell were two incredibly tiny villages (Brightwell and Sotwell) that grew together to make one very tiny village. The village has only one pub and one shopette. The shopette is about the size of your average gas station snack shop, and sold milk, eggs, cheese, crackers, some meats, breads, and other assorted foods. The pub is an award-winning pub for its food and traditional, hand-pulled ale selection. It's a 16th century thatched-roof pub that is just as sweet as can be. 

The Red Lion Pub, Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell

I stayed at a bed and breakfast, so my first meal of each day was covered, I purchased lunch items from the shopette, but my only option for dinner was this pub. Night #1 I ordered the steak and ale pie, but it was so much food I was embarrassed by how much they had to take away when I was done (no mini fridge in my cabin, so there was no way for safe leftovers). Nights two and three I ordered their soup with a side of fresh baked bread (spicy butternut and carrot + coriander/cilantro) which was just the right amount. Each night I ate there I met up with gals from my class, so it was really fun and a nice way to enjoy the environment without feeling like too much of an american  tourist :-)

The Red Lion's bar

Each morning we (there were four of us at the BandB taking the course) had a 15-minute walk to the Bach Centre. We saw a lot of village residents, including cows...

Mooooo!!!!

.... and duckies!

Quack! Quack! Quack!

And on the first morning, I woke up to find sheep grazing in the plot right in front of my wee cottage! The hostess of the BandB was surprised to see them as well, as her next-door land owner had never had sheep in his field before. I could faintly hear them bleating from inside my cabin, and it was so sweet! 

Sheep by day

That night (and the next day) the sheep were still there! It's harder to see them with the sunset behind them, but if you look closely, you can see them. I love the sheep! Almost makes me want to not eat lamb... but not quite.

Sheep by night