Sept 13 Stratford "Live Long and Prosper"

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Saturday, Sept. 13, Stratford-upon-Avon
Patrick Stewart sighting late this afternoon, near Shakepeare's birthplace.
I'm in Room 13 under nearly full moon - lucky day!

We had a somewhat later start this morning since we couldn't have breakfast until 8. As it was, we got to Winchester before things opened up. We were dropped off at the bottom of the High Street, with instructions to go to the Tourist Office to get a map, and given until 11:15 to wander around, to see the Cathedral, a Round Table displayed in the Great Hall, etc. and that there were restrooms near the cathedral (that was true and they were open). The Tourist Office wasn't open but they had a map displayed outside, so we all scattered. The Cathedral was open, but I didn't go in, took some photos outside.

Winchester is a lovely town, lots of shops and bigger stores along High St. I went on up the hill to the Great Hall, which didn't open until 10, but I waited along with some other folks. The Table is a large top with Knight's names around it, in narrow triangles; it is hung up, legless, high up on a wall - interesting building. Lots of interesting architecture int town - many buildings with large broken agates held together with concrete-looking stuff, in rectangular shapes among the windows. I stocked up at Marks and Spencer's food dept. on the way back to the bus.

Next destination was Avebury, a small village among large stone circles (not as organized as Stonehenge). Our bus parked out in the car park, so we had quite a long walk into the site, along a roughish path - not good for our folks who are somewhat mobility challenged. (Another bus was parked inside right next to a set of bathrooms). This was also our lunch stop, but I have learned my lesson and had already eaten on the bus, so I had plenty of time to wander around among the stones, touch them and send off healing thoughts needed by some friends at home. Had a bit of a conversation with a pretty patch calico cat along the way. I am glad to have seen both Avebury and Stonehenge - they are very different large stone circles. I don't think this stop meant much to some of my co-tourites, tho. I had enough time for a beer at the Red Lion pub, right near many of the stones.

Our final destination for the day, and for our hotel for two nights, is Stratford - I always think of S-u-A as it probably looked during Shakespeare's time, but of course it is now a totally developed tourist trap, built tightly around, and out from, the museum with what is supposed to be his childhood home - the home itself is larger than I expected. We are not being allowed time to visit Anne Hathaway's cottage, or his burial site - we were dropped off by the museum and allowed shopping time. I bought a couple of small items, and then was heading over to a souvenir shop to see about a Shakespeare T-shirt, since I'm a little short of shirts. And a man bustled across in front of me, moving at a great clip with his cell phone plastered to his ear, and my jaw just about dropped (maybe it did). Then a couple who had been on the other side of where he bustled through were also looking surprised and saying 'Was that - him?” And I said, yes, it certainly was, and what came out of my mouth was Jean Luc . . . Picard (I was wearing Star Trek earrings) - then we had to struggle to remember his real name. The man came out with Patrick and I came out with Stewart. And then we had decide if it really was, but I know he does a lot of Shakespeare, and I've seen imitators, and I'm absolutely sure that's who it was. (Of course, I might find out he's off on location, and this was just a doppleganger)!. He moved down the street glued to his phone, swinging an aluminum briefcase, very purposefully - a tactic to avoid public contact it appeared. So that was a fun end to an interesting day (oh, I ended up without a t-shirt).

Our hotel leaves a bit to be desired; it's restaurant isn't even open. And the place across the way that our tour director suggested, more than once, doesn't serve food in the evening. But, the barkeep there kindly pointed us off to a nearby pub (the Pen and Parchment) that had quite a good fish and chips (L7.95), lots of beer choices (and lots of other food as well).

Several people on the tour have been on other coach tours and there's a fair amount of grumbling about the lack of organization to this one, and the poor timing. But we're adapting and making do, and we are seeing interesting things. And still having lovely weather. The countryside has been lovely to drive though - lots of green, rolling fields, some harvested, various bucolic livestock, picturesque villages (not that we get to take pictures of them). So far, England is a beautiful country. I spotted another White Horse today, that the TD didn't point out. The soils are chalky, almost white, and on some hillsides, large figures (often horses) have been cut out of the vegetation down to the white soil (not sure if the cutting is down to rock, altho since they date back long times, it seems like they might be). Local people do keep them up as well.

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