When you think of February what do you think of? Valentine’s Day? Did you ever stop to think about what you could do in February besides romantic getaways to destinations like the Cotswolds?
Personally, I have never been a huge fan of Valentine’s Day simply because I feel I should show the one I love how much I love him every day and not just on 14 February. Little tokens of appreciation always add up to more than a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers. So, I did a little research and there are a lot of things to celebrate in February. Take a look for yourself here. My personal favourites are National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, International Bread Week and National Fairy Tale Day.
National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (1 February) is a US Awareness Day, but it sounds like so much fun I felt it deserved a mention. This holiday was invented in New York in the middle of the winter in the 1960s and it is proof that you can eat ice cream at any time of the year, any time of the day, and on any occasion. If you were to celebrate this day in the Cotswolds I would suggest a trip to Jolly Nice Farmshop. Founded by a farming family in 2013, Jolly Nice is an award-winning Farm Shop and Café open from 8 am to 7 pm every day and is renowned for their homemade ice cream and few other things like their Jolly Nice Burger and rare breed Butchery. Go give it a try in February!
International Bread Week (22 February – 1 March) is another fun thing to celebrate because who does not like bread, right? Bread Week is the annual, international celebration of supporting local, independent Real Bread bakery and baking your own.
If you happen to be in the mood to support some local real bread bakeries in and around the Cotswolds town of Moreton-in-Marsh I suggest Bakery on the Water in Bourton-on-the-Water. Yummy!
Why not celebrate National Fairy Tale Day on 26 February with a trip to Stow-on-the-Wold where Lewis Carroll spent significant time where his friend Reverend Edward Litton was the rector of a church? The heroine of one of Carroll’s most whimsical works, ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ was inspired by Litton’s young daughter. Why not take a walk where Carroll and his friend once strolled and bring to life the landscape of lush pastures peppered with farms and buttercup meadows that feature in the opening moments of the novel? To complete your wonderland experience, stop off at one of the many tearooms to enjoy your own tea party (though you will have to bring your own mad hatter). A few recommendations are Huffkins and Lucy’s Team Room.
And of course, no blog about February would be complete without mentioning Valentine’s Day. What about a romantic getaway to the Cotswolds? If you want to have a romantic dinner somewhere special The Wild Rabbit is the place to go. It is pricey and you have to make a reservation as early as possible though. Another option located in Stow-in-the-Wold (which is close to Moreton Cottage) and is called The Old Butcher’s. Or you could simply book a romantic getaway to Moreton Cottage and cozy up with a beautiful bottle of red with your special someone in front of the fire.
However, you spend February, I hope it is special for you.