I’m a sucker for the half-timbered look, and we have it in spades here. The Angel Hotel was thriving in the 15th century and its vaulted stone undercroft dates from the 1300s. This is a beam and ceiling in our room. Sturdy, is it not?

Guildford’s sister city — Freiburg, Germany — also has its share of half-timbered buildings, or Fadhwerkhäuser. But the cities are linked by more than medieval construction methods. They came together in 1979 to promote friendship, cultural exchange and world peace.

They’re still working on that final point. But at least they’re trying.