I arrived in England via a ferry coming from France and so my first drive was through the Hampshire and Surrey area, south of London. Funnily, I am back in an English speaking country after 18 months, basically since the day I left Australia. So what are the south, southeast villages of England? And is Oxford worth a visit? Scroll down all the way to find out!
After the initial hesitant moments of driving on the left side, in a car that is made for right side driving, I was looking forward to exploring this country.
From Surrey to Oxfordshire, the first impressions of England and its villages was quite pretty. The Victorian style ‘red brick’ homes looked well maintained, the gardens full of blooms and colour, the chimneys quite characteristics and the english pubs inviting. I liked it.
Guildford 
Guildford
Surrey County
The Surrey County of England is south of London and most towns are within a reasonable commute to London. From cute little towns and hamlets, to plenty of fancy shops and pubs, it is a nice area to spend a little bit of time in. And yes, I sat in a few pubs with my friends, although I don’t drink beer (rather Whisky).
The town of Guildford is great for shopping, the Devil’s Punch bowl perfect for walking and if you feel like some homemade Gin, visit the Gin distillery at the Silent Pool (it is called silent because of the mysterious drownings in this lake throughout the history). And while you are there, have an ice cream in the historical small town Shere. Gorgeous place to hang out on a sunny afternoon.
In addition, being here was perfect for my train commute to London.
Shere 
The Devil’s Punch Bowl 
Winchester
Windsor
Although the Queen wasn’t present at her Windsor castle the day I was there, apparently the christening of little Archie was happening on that particular day inside. Maybe that’s why there were so many people present?
The town Windsor was quite interesting. I entered the city center via a big shopping district, that was clearly there for all the tourists. Otherwise the city streets are filled with more neatly aligned red brick houses and well maintained gardens. But I guess it is the town of the Queen, so it would have to be a manicured place.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in South East England, and, same as Surrey, quite pretty. It has an old school posh air about it, with the houses built from stone rather than the red bricks I saw further south. It was filled with gorgeous historical villages and beautiful homes. Furthermore, it is a perfect spot to hang out with some friends at their country house, drinking Whisky. Oxfordshire (as the name hints) is also home to the university town Oxford.
Burford 
Oxford
Established in the 12th century, Oxford is definitely known for its prestigious universities, with 38 colleges all up. You could spend hours walking in between the grand buildings of all the colleges, admiring the architectures and designs. It was definitely something different and unique and worth a visit. I felt smarter just being there (photos below).
And so…
My introduction into England started quite well. I liked exploring the south, southeast villages of England and I was looking forward to seeing what else it has on offer.
