Stratford is in the Cotswold region (dedicated readers will recall that the Cotswolds are a "An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" north & west of London.) The train from London took about 2 hours, and our hotel (the appropriately named "Shakespeare Hotel") was another one of those lovely old Tudor buildings built in the 16th century and nicely modernized for the 21st. The first evening there, most shops & sights were closed, but we strolled around and got our first look at Shakespeare's birthplace, which is of course the biggest tourist draw to the city. One of Chris's colleagues had recommended an Italian restaurant and it was fabulous - so fab in fact that it was our dinner spot for both nights. (Well, it was fab, and we found all of our other choices booked the second night, so it worked out well.)
Saturday morning showed the promise of sun and off we went to explore the Home of the Bard. First stop was the afore-mentioned Birthplace, and it was pretty neat. Will was born to John & Mary Shakespeare; Dad was a glove-maker and married Mary Arden, who's childhood farm is another historic sight nearby. The date of his birth (23 April, 1564) is estimated by the recorded date of his baptism; it's known that back then a child was typically baptized within 2-4 days of its birth (unless the poor thing was sickly - then it happened asap!) Will grew up in SuA, and at the age of 18 married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway, who was - gasp - already with child! I was a bit disappointed in this fact not because baby was already on the way (I mean, really - who am I to judge?) but because it ensures that the movie "Shakespeare in Love" (one of my favorites) is a complete work of fiction, rather than just a partial work of fiction. **Sigh** Anyhoo... Will went on to do all sorts of remarkable things, such as become the greatest writer in the English language. His plays were being staged in London by 1592 and he spent his career between Stratford & London, where his company founded and constructed the Globe Theatre. He lived out his days at New Place, the second largest home in Stratford, and died on 23 April, 1616 - his 52nd birthday.
After the Birthplace, our 3-in-1"Shakespeare Birthplace Trust" ticket gained us entrance to Nash's House & New Place, and Hall's Croft. Nash's house is the still-standing next-door neighbor to New Place, and is a museum; New Place is a very interesting work in progress: the final home of WS, it's currently being excavated, centuries after having been demolished in about 1760. Hall's Croft was the home of Will & Anne's daughter Susanna and her husband John Hall; a "croft" is an enclosed area of land. It's an interesting period home - the Halls were quite wealthy - with really lovely gardens. In order to bring things full circle, our last stop of the day was the Holy Trinity Church, the final resting place of the Beloved Playwright. It's on a very quiet and beautiful spot along the River Avon, and I think honors him well.
After a little siesta back at the hotel, we went to meet Mr. Josiah Grubb, guide for our evening's Stratford Ghost Walk, and he was delightful. We ended up revisiting many of the spots we'd seen earlier in the day, but gained new ethereal insights. Then it was back to Sorrento, where they already knew our name, and yummy Italian fare, of the Stratfordian ilk. Sunday found us shopping in a colorful street market, then to the Royal Shakespeare Company for a behind-the-scenes tour, which was really interesting. The RSC is home to one of the most - if not the most - prestigious Shakespeare companies in Britian; it's been burned down and rebuilt and currently produces multiple Shakespeare productions each year, featuring such notables as Dame Judi Dench, Sir Patrick Stewart, and Sir Ian McKellan. When we were there, Macbeth was playing, but at a running time of 2:50, we wisely decided that Josiah Grubb was more our speed.
Statford-upon-Avon holds a worthy spot on our list of recommendations. And so alas, parting in such sweet sorrow, I leave you better a witty fool than a foolish wit; but surely you know that despite the fact that our revels are now ended, we can always be assured that all's well that ends well. So until next time, my friends... "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" I know, I know.... "I must be cruel, only to be kind." And... oh forget it. You get the drift.
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