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Published: April 20th 2009
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And Iz and I are merely players...or is that tourists?? If you haven't guessed - we hit Stratford Upon Avon today, and I could have stayed for a week. This place is awesome, especially if you're into the Bard! I love Shakespeare and found our 3 hours in this charming city, wonderful.
There were a few scary moments on the way to Stratford from Bath, including going around a round-a-bout the wrong way (thanks Iz!! Lucky there was only one on-coming car!) but we eventually made it in one piece. I would have been very annoyed to not see this place, so I was thankful to get out of the car and stretch my legs. Somehow, we had managed to park right outside the street where Shakespeare was born...is that luck or what? Henley Street is straight out of a postcard...it is very charming with a mixture of Tudor style houses and flower baskets galore. That's one thing I love about England - they have so many flowers out in bloom at the moment - it is really pretty.
We made our way into the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Building, which is s small musuem about Shakespeare's life. It takes
you from his parent's lives (his dad John was a glover) into the life of Shakespeare as a child, and later as an actor and playwright in London. Even Izzy found the displays interesting - I guess they are a slice of history. They had many artefacts from Shakespeare's life, including his birth registry, copies of his plays (first editions) and items he had passed down in his will.
The ticket also gives you entry into the house where Shakespeare was born. This is a charming little place, that housed the family, and John's business. It is right on the streetfront which would have been perfect for the family business and quite roomy. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed, so you'll have to visit. To give you a brief rundown, the house is built over two levels, and contains a parlour, two bedrooms, a workshop, and later, a guesthouse was added to the back. The gardens of the home are also worth strolling through.
From here, we walked down to where Shakespeare and his family (wife Anne, and daughter Susan, along with his son in law, Thomas) are buried. The Holy Trinity Church is small, and has these bronze
plates hung on the wall - and they had casts of all Shakespeare's plays...including Macbeth - my favourite. There was a very tranquil atmosphere around the place. The graveyard to the left, as you walk along the shaded path created a sense of the history of the building. Inside, at the head of the church are the graves of Shakespeare and his family...they are very simple and there are engravings on the stone surface. It was surreal to stand there in the Bard's presence.
We had a quick bite to eat - a yummy steak pastie - and then made the drive to Chester. This is also a city steeped in history - and like the one dad recently visited (Londonderry), is also walled. The tourist info centre helped us out again with accomodation, and then we headed to the wall. It takes you right around the town centre, and is 10 metres tall in places. The Romans had up to 5000 troops there at one time, guarding different outposts. The wall was finished in the 13th century - amazing! It still looks as authentic as it would have back then...and there are many other sights to see, including
a lough (I think this is how you spell lock) built in the 10th century, along with a castle that still stands just inside the wall. It only takes about an hour to complete the entire walk, and gives great views of the 'licorice buildings' of Chester. I don't know if we would have seen such architecture in London alone, so it has been a blessing to have time to travel around England.
After finding our B and B, we walked down to the local pub for a cheap meal - steak and ale pies, with mash and peas - 2 meals for 8 pounds - we were happy (and full). It isn't getting dark here until after 9pm at night...it's feels like 6pm as I look through the window outside, even though it's nearly 10pm, so we are making the most of the sunlight hours. Tomorrow, fingers crossed we'll have some good weather...things were a bit overcast today, but the rain held off. The world is certainly a huge place to see...so I will have to bid you adieu...until tomorrow!
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