England 2006
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The Balettie Bunch invade England!
More pictures can be found here in our England 2006 photo gallery.
UK 2006 - Day 5(a): Shakespeare
CountryPart 7 of the England 2006 trip
report:
The Midlands area is often called
"The Heart of England". This is for good
reason... in addition to being some of the most
beautiful and "typically English" countryside,
it is home to perhaps one of the greatest
authors of all time -- William
Shakespeare.
Stratford-upon-Avon is one
of the most popular destinations in England,
after London. It is recognized as Shakespeare's
hometown, with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
located here. On previous trips, Kathy and I
have attended performances here, and there's no
better place to experience Shakespeare, than on
his turf.
The River Avon runs through
Stratford, and is almost always filled with
graceful swans, the "official mascot of
Stratford":
The River Avon, and other
waterways/canals throughout the Midlands have an
intricate series of locks that allow the river
to flow predictably across the rolling
countryside. As such, the lock dimensions define
the length and width of the "longboats" that
navigate the waterways. On our last trip, Kathy
and I had a great tour up and down the Avon on a
boat that also served great food and lots of
drinks! Unfortunately, we didn't have the
opportunity to partake this time
around!
Oh... and "Mind the Gap"
is in full play here, too!
The Royal Shakespeare
Theatre is right alongside the Avon:
Hey look, Marge... it's
that Gene Luck Picnic guy!
Given the beautiful
weather, and the fact that Stratford always puts
her best face forward to visitors, it's not
surprising that there are amazingly colorful
flowers in bloom everywhere:
The next stop is the
"Guild Church", Shakespeare's church when he
lived in Stratford.
Inside is a mural that is
one of the oldest in all of England:
Some of the stained glass
that line the sides and the front:
Melanie decides to get a
good word in:
I just stand there:
Even the Pizza Huts in
Stratford look "old world" (and *no*... we
didn't stop there for lunch):
Chemist... pharmacist...
druggist... whatever:
Near the center of town
is the American Fountain, the gift of George
Childs of Philadelphia, to Stratford, in Queen
Victoria's Golden Jubilee Year.
Mel gets a cool English
chick hat... and gets her picture taken with
*another* huge bear!
Next up is Shakespeare's
Birthplace, a beautiful example of a timber and
mortar structure that is now the centerpiece of
the Shakespeare Museum in Stratford.
We stop for lunch at
Cox's Yard, back at the River Avon... it's
yummy! But... somehow, this claim (below) is
like being the "Best Ballerina in Buda"... it's
all relative:
At least the signs are
polite:
... because yes, it
is:
After touring Warwick
Castle (next journal!), we stop to see Anne
Hathaway's Cottage -- she was Shakespeare's
wife:
We stopped at a pub for
some "refreshments" on the way home... this
village name just made me laugh:
This way for more adventures!!!!!
-or-
... back to the Adventures in England page!
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