Helen's Travels: Cheltenham

I have had a few days to explore the quaint little city in the south west of England that we are in. Even according to other people from the UK, this town is exceptionally peaceful and somewhat posh with the streets lined up with beautiful white homes with green flowery gardens. On Tuesday, I took a guided tour of the town center, and this is what I found out:
Cheltenham was originally founded as a spa town where people came to drink and bathe in mineral waters. These mineral springs were actually discovered when people noticed that pigeons were congregating at certain spots---the spots that had the salty mineral waters. Since then, Cheltenham prospered, and while there are no spas left, the city now has some investment and insurance businesses, and being just a 2-hour train ride away from London, is actually home to some who work in London and commute daily. A pigeon is now the symbol of the city and can be found three times on its seal and on top of the street signs.
I have gone on several runs on various streets and even through the center and several gardens and parks. Im always amazed that despite having lots of shops and restaurants, the town is still pretty quiet, with friendly people, and trees and gardens everywhere. Another interesting fact about Cheltenham (Meg, you will love this one): it won the largest pancake contest a few years ago. The chef from the posh Queen’s Hotel (used to be the largest hotel in England) made a pancake that was 25 feet in diameter.