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"Tucked into the deep hills of western Dorset, just off the major tourist routes across England, Chedington is so small that its handful of cottages doesn't even appear on some large-scale maps. Here, far from crowds that haunt Blenheim Palace, Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon, or Haworth, I find the England of my dreams--quiet, pastoral, and sometimes endearingly eccentric...." Join Susan Allen Toth as she takes you along on her fascinating journeys to London, to enchanting gardens, to a fairy-tale castle on the Cornish coast with a history-laden past--and to sights both hidden and known. With a novelist's eye for detail and an intrepid traveler's love of adventure, Ms. Toth reveals the secrets of impeccable preparation, while leaving plenty of room for surprising discoveries. And ever practical, she offers her experience on how to keep a travel journal, how to be your own travel agent, how much time to allow for your visits, as well as the pleasures of bed-and-breakfasts, supermarket souvenirs, and hidden gardens in the city of London. Lively, trenchant, personal, and above all, entertaining, England As You Like It puts the armchair and real-life traveler under the wing of a seasoned and multitalented tour guide. "A delightfully written book full of anecdotes and tips, lived and learned by the author. Toth's personable style makes readers feel as though they are actually traveling with her through the charming corners and coves of Great Britain." --The Toronto Sun… (more)
User reviews
This book is geared towards the first-time
Toth travels by her "thumbprint theory" which is trying to spend a week at a time in an area that covers no more than the size of her thumb on the map. While this is a good way to get to know a place better than moving around, it works best for someone who knows they will be returning often.
My favorite chapter was one about Daphne Du Maurier's area of Cornwall, seeing Menabilly, Du Maurier's home and the inspiration for Manderlay, and exploring her neighborhood. But there is also a fun chapter about shopping for biscuits and sweets at Sainsbury's and another chapter explaining why she and her husband prefer packing their own food rather than eating in restaurants.