When our time-share points reached the use-them-or-lose-them stage, we decided that a week in Devon or Cornwall sounded like a tempting proposition.
As always, there was nothing available when we phoned RCI. We offered to broaden the scope of our inquiry but there appeared to be nothing available on the entire planet during the period we wanted. Except for Rutland, that is. Rutland? No one had ever heard of Rutland, which sounded ominous.
It's the smallest county in England, situated in the East Midlands. My grasp of English geography is minimal, but the East Midlands seemed to ring a heavy industry bell.
We logged in suspiciously to the website of Barnsdale Hall and found an English country mansion set in lush green gardens on the banks of Rutland Water.
The website promised an idyllic rural destination, replete with historic houses, castles, picturesque towns and villages set in beautiful countryside, threaded with walking trails and cycle paths.
I'm pleased to report that we haven't had to sue the website. Rutland delivered on all of these promises. It's very accessible.
It took us about two hours to drive up the A1 from Heathrow. We were surprised to learn that an efficient train service makes it possible to commute to London daily.
My husband - predictably - decided to ignore the very clear directions we received from the hotel and opted for a different feed-off which led us to the market-town of Stamford instead of Barnsdale.
This was a fortuitous mistake. We were immediately charmed by Stamford, with its mellow sandstone buildings and cobbled streets. It didn't feel like a rural backwater as we made our way past a number of fine medieval churches and what appears to be a thriving arts centre with posters advertising ballet, drama and a range of musical concerts. We chose the Nags Head from a variety of village pubs and received a jovial welcome from a group of locals having their daily pint around the bar.
We were drawn into a discussion of Nick Faldo's failings as the captain of the English Ryder Cup team and learned that one of the old guys at the bar had been a caddy at the Ryder Cup for David James, Stamford's most famous golfer.
There are at least six golf courses in the vicinity.
Our afternoon was made even more congenial as we were served slices of roast pork with crunchy crackling at half the price we'd had to fork out in London. At the current exchange rate, that's a major selling point for Rutland.
Our new mates drew us a map on the back of the menu and we made our way successfully to Barnsdale. On the way, we passed through a string of picturesque villages with ivy-covered walls and window boxes ablaze with scarlet geraniums.
It's as charming as the Cotswolds - and there's not a tour bus in sight. The turn-off to Barnsdale Hall led us to an old English manor house built in 1890. We were delighted with our double-storey wooden chalets, set in the seclusion of landscaped gardens which cover more than 15 hectares, with wonderful views across Rutland Water, England's largest man-made lake. Trout fishermen and bird-watchers would find this a congenial setting and we enjoyed strolling along well-maintained walking trails around the lake. We were lucky to have blue skies in what had apparently been a pretty dismal summer.
There was much more to see than we anticipated. We explored the nearby town of Oakham and came across its historic school which dates back to 1584 and is renowned throughout England.
The schoolgirls look quintessentially English with their clear skins, white legs and tartan skirts.
We strolled around the weekly village market and bought some cheese and freshly baked loaves of crusty bread. A dog show was on at the common with local mutts of all varieties wagging their tails and parading around the ring with varying degrees of good behaviour. Two British soldiers in camouflage gave a demonstration with their attack dogs. In this idyllic location, it seemed impossible to imagine that their colleagues were fighting in Afghanistan.
Just down the road, we found the beautiful Barnsdale Gardens, made famous on the BBC programme, Gardeners' World. The gardens feature 37 small gardens, each of which formed the basis for an episode of the TV series. A cottage garden. A pond and stream garden. A modern estate garden. The more recent additions feature Japanese and Mediterranean gardens.
There's something for everyone. We ended our visit in the leafy tea garden enjoying freshly baked scones and clotted cream.
It's not only the BBC which has cottoned on to the charm of Rutland. The authentic English setting of Burghley House, one of the stately homes in the area, has been utilised in high-profile movies such as the Da Vinci Code, Elizabeth the Great and Pride and Prejudice.
The house, set in beautiful gardens, is a fine example of Elizabethan architecture and boasts painted ceilings, antique furniture and a priceless collection of art and porcelain.
We caught a train from Oakham to the gracious university town of Cambridge. Boarding a hop-on-hop-off bus, conveniently parked outside the station, we were delighted to explore a city that seems familiar - coincidentally, the book that I took for holiday reading was Sebastian Faulks's compelling novel Engleby, which is set in Cambridge.
I was delighted to walk down Pembroke Street and have lunch at a riverside pub on the Cam. University landmarks such as King's College Chapel are as beautiful as photographs suggest and the bus also took us through the hi-tech area of Silicon Fen, where Bill Gates and his acolytes have been busy.
Brochures describe Rutland as one of England's hidden gems and we are indebted to the RCI agent who mentioned it as a destination.