The Cotswolds

I loved the Cotswolds--the rural part of the country we drove through yesterday. We got up early and bid goodbye to Stratford, wending our way home by way of the Cotswolds and Oxford. It's almost like the Industrial Revolution skipped over this place, so in some ways is much as it was 200 years ago.

Rolling hills

Quaint stone villages

Sheep grazing in the fields

Baby's breath everywhere

Broadway Tower

Pictures don't do this place justice, really. I can see why coming to these sorts of places inspires art, whether it be a painting or a poem or a song. I can see why Maria von Trapp just had to sing when she went to the hills, because I felt like I had to run and jump and sing as well. It's hard to understand if you haven't been someplace like this. These places, with all their history and their charm, resonate with something inside of me. There is nothing so majestic as God's good earth.

I think part of my soul belongs to the countryside.

Kid Stuff

Mary Arden's Farm also had a sweet playground area.

It was great for little kids...

And big kids too.

There was a lot of "get in touch with your inner child" that day. Which I am totally okay with, obviously.

Who was supervising this enterprise?

The falconry demonstration was super cool as well. Also one of the highlights of this trip.

This owl had an attitude, and she did what she wanted, no matter what the falconer tried to coax her to do. For example, for a bit there she stood several yards away on the ground and refusing to fly and land on his glove, answering with a snippy "Kaaw!" whenever he spoke to her.

Kaaw!

Mary Had A Little Lamb

Little kids who love the song "Old McDonald Had a Farm" would be in hog heaven at Mary Arden's Farm. This "real working Tudor farm" had cows, horses, geese, chickens, goats, the works. And, of course, many fluffy sheep.

This is Frankie. He likes to be petted, to the point where he will push Annie out of the way in order to get the maximum share of the attention.

We walked out to the pasture where all the sheep were grazing, including a good number of little lambs.

Clothed sheep

Nekkid sheep

I may or may not have compromised my dignity (ahem--I mean, gotten in touch with my inner child) by making noises and calling out to the lambs using phrases like,

"Here, lamb!"

"Heeeere, lamby lamby!"

"Come closer, little lamb!"

"Come on, lamb lamb, come eat your grass grass!"

Just a leeetle closer...

Success!

Once the other sheep realized what was going on, they all ambled over to the fence en masse to make sure they got their share of love, attention, and the handfuls of fresh grass we were holding through the fence for them to nibble.

Apparently for sheep, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Honestly, feeding the little lambs was one of my favorite parts of the day. 

If growing up means I no longer get to feed cute little sheep, then I'll be a kid forever.

Shakespeare Sites

Day two of Stratford was a grand tour of all the sites associated with the great William Shakespeare. We started the day with 

Mary Arden's Farm (more on that in the next posts--Shakespeare's mother's house),

went to Ann Hathaway's Cottage (Shakespeare's wife's family's farm...get all those possessives?), 

and then rounded things out with the Birth Place (Shakespeare's birthplace...duh),

New Place (which I oddly seem to have missed taking pictures of--where Shakespeare lived when he came back to Stratford and the place where he died. It's not an actual building--just the foundations. It's an excavation in progress),

Hall's Croft (the house of his daughter and son-in-law), 

and Trinity Church (where the Bard is buried).

Of course, my camera would die right before I went into the church. But never fear--I'll steal one of the pictures my friend took of Shakespeare's grave soon.

You know all those quaint little cottages you see in storybooks? Well, they were all modeled after Anne Hathaway's Cottage. This is the real deal.

And can I just say that I love the flowers here? Love, love, love them. We've seen some of the most glorious wildflower gardens that I've ever seen in my life, and it makes my heart happy whenever we see one.

And the climbing rosebushes? My gracious.

Going to Visit the Bard

Tuesday, early in the morning (well, we had to be ready by 7:00, and that's early for me) our group packed up and set out in a coach (bus) for Stratford upon Avon, birthplace of the great William Shakespeare. Because, this is, after all, a theatre program, and what program would be complete without a visit to pay homage to the Bard?

Our group was split up to stay in several different places, and I was assigned to a cute little bed and breakfast called Linhill.

However, some of us (including me) ended up next door in a B&B called Avoncot, because the two were both owned by a lovely older gentleman and his wife. I've decided that staying at a bed and breakfast is a quintessential British thing to do, and that everyone who comes here must do it at least once. It was lovely. 

My room was on the third floor (up two flights of a rickety narrow staircase that I was sure I was going to fall on at some point in time) with a beautiful view of the town. 

P.S. I love how they name everything here. Numbers are way too boring, obviously. :)

Oh yes--there was a view of the laundry as well.

Walking the streets of Stratford was glorious. You could get all the way down the street without walking through a cloud of cigarette smoke, and cars actually stopped for you to cross the street. In London the drivers act very annoyed if you're in their way, and if you're in the street when they're coming you'd better get out of the way quick, 'cuz they ain't slowing down. Life goes a little slower in Stratford upon Avon. It was a refreshing change of pace.

The Royal Shakespeare Company is based in Stratford upon Avon, so of course this meant that we had to go to a couple of plays while we were there. In tribute to Stratford's favorite son, we saw Julius Caesar on Tuesday night and Richard III on Wednesday night. And on Tuesday we got the grand tour of the theatre, up through the lighting booth and costume areas and everything.

This is the stage floor of the old theatre where many of the great Shakespearean actors performed. And I stood there and recited the first few lines of Hamlet's famous soliloquy. Yep, I was in the company of the greats there, people. My Shakespeare recitation skills are put to use yet again!

The view from the theatre was glorious. Have I ever mentioned that I love big picture windows? Because I do. Can you see why?

Swans in the river

Naturally, after the tour of the theatre we were  starving to death (it seems I'm starving a lot these days--maybe it's all that walking) so we went to the Windmill Pub, housed in a building that dates from the 16th century. I ordered the Gammon Steak, which is apparently standard pub fare. I didn't really know what I was ordering, but this is what I got:

Bacon, people. This is bacon. A big slab of some of the best bacon you've ever tasted in your life. It was good. And then I got the Kentish Bramley Apple Lattice for dessert. Oh my heavens to betsy--one of the best things I've had here. I inhaled it before I even thought to take a picture. Sorry about that.

I could definitely see why Shakespeare kept coming back to this place.