To Be or Not to be?

I was trying to think about what to title this post that would feature our day in Shakespeareland! I asked for Eric's input and he said, "Kill all the lawyers!" Go figure, that is why he is not writing this blog. But it is true that this day trip was almost not to be. This jet lag can get over any day now, didn't fall asleep until 3am this morning so we didn't get out the door until 11am. It is about 90 minutes to Stratford-upon-Avon. Eric drove the car perfectly and can now confidently drive on the "wrong" side of the road and car.

We started off first getting some lunch at a cute little place that offers gluten free sandwiches, scones, and such.

Then we took a tour of the home where William Shakespeare was born. No pictures were allowed inside so I just snapped a few in the front and gardens.

There was also a couple doing some famous Shakespeare monologues.

Then we took a walk along the River Avon

Then to the Holy Trinity church where Shakespeare and his wife are buried. It is a very beautiful church and it felt peaceful. Head stones were dating back to 1616 when Shakespeare died.

This is a bible that dates back to early 1600s.

Then we walked along the River Avon to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Then I went to visit my sister's family at the Nash House.

This is where Shakespeare's daughter Susanna lived with her husband Thomas Nash. Shakespeare lived and died in the home behind this one which is no longer standing. They are still performing archaeological digs to find remains of the home. Now there are beautiful gardens.

 Then we stopped by the Guild church which was erected in 1269. The archway inside had silhouetted shadows of old paintings that were on the walls. They looked almost Egyptian.

Finally we stopped at Anne Hathaway's Cottage (Shakespeare's wife, not the actress =)

The gardens were beautiful and there was even a hedge maze, making it to the center was easy but getting out was another story!

We had a wonderful day and were happy to finally have a little sunshine. It was still only 10 degrees Celsius which is about 50 F. We loved the city especially after most of the crowds left in the late afternoon.

Something new we learned today. Many of us use/eat Canola oil everyday but never knew where it comes from. The countryside here is rolling fields of bright vibrant yellow flowers. These vibrant flowers are called Rapeseed and they are pressed to make the Canola oil we eat and to also make bio fuels. I am not sure how long they bloom for but they sure are beautiful. I tried to capture a few photos while riding down the motorway, so I apologize if they are a little blurry. The camera can not do them justice. 

After seeing a sign I also learned what a chevron was, besides a gas station in the US. There was a sign that said "keep car 2 chevrons apart" and when I looked confused Eric informed me that this is a chevron:

The arrow tops on the road. These lines would basically help you to realize how far apart you should be from the car in front of you. Hmm, we do a lot of tailgating in the US if this is the standard. It looks like right in front of that semi truck (called lorries here) is the next chevron so cars should be another chevron past that in front of you.

Hope you enjoyed the blog today with lots of pictures. Feel free to leave comments, you just have to sign in or sign up for a free google account. If you have a gmail address then you have one. You can also email me any comments or questions to missarie52@hotmail.com.