Stratford, Bath, Stonehenge and Salisbury

Long time, no see! I just got back from a very long trip. We traveled to Stratford-upon-Avon, which was completely amazing! It was so nice and refreshing to go out of the big city and get the taste of small town life. I probably saw more Shakespeare stuff than I cared to see, but now I can be a total nerd and flaunt that I saw his house, his mom’s house, his wife’s house, his daughter’s house and his church. Yeah….
We saw two plays in Stratford: “Noughts and Crosses,” which was terrible beyond all reason; and “Henry V,” which was way too long, but wonderful~

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

So quaint! =D

Shakespeare's Birthplace

I really enjoyed Stratford. It was the small, quaint English village I’d hoped and expected to see here in England—we even had dinner at one of the oldest pubs in Stratford, The Garrick Inn, which dated back to 1595! Food was good, but the service was terrible! =D

Garrick Inn

Our Bed and Breakfast in Stratford, called Green Haven, was so cute and quaint, and the couple who owned it were so nice. She made breakfast every morning and it was delicious~! We saw so many buildings related to Shakespeare. I really liked visiting Mary Arden's Farm (Shakespeare's mother). I met a sheep, a rooster and a hawk named Betsy. I even got to do some falconry with her. She landed on my arm and ate the chicken foot I was holding in my hand. =D So awesome. I had a hawk on my arm~!

Me and a sheep!

We also made a day trip to Warwick Castle. So cool! They say it's the best preserved castle in Britain. I was able to climb up onto The Mound--the outermost ramparts built by William the Conqueror. They had everything inside recreated to make it seem like you were walking back in time--sorta like walking through Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. We had lots of fun.

It's only a model...

Dance, Dance Revolution!

Me and some fake guy.

On the way to Bath, we stopped at a very small village called Bourton on the Water. It looked like a place right out of Alice in Wonderland. We were only there for a few moments, but it was enough time for me to take some cute pictures and find the local bakery.

I bought some Lemon and Orange curd for Mom and Grandma—handmade right there. I hope the jars make it home—I’m so tempted to eat them myself! :P

The Main Square in Bath

Then, we traveled to Bath for a day and I have to say it was one of the most interesting experiences. The Roman baths were INCREDIBLE! It was shocking how close you were allowed to come to the baths—you could even touch the water if you wanted to, but no one did because there was bird poopies in it. Ewww. But at least the birds can still enjoy the hot water! After the Bath tour, a group of us trouped around Bath. We paid a visit to the Royal Crescent Hotel (and started walking in places we shouldn’t), saw the big tree and the Jane Austen museum—but we were too tired to go in. But we can say we saw it! Haha.

The Royal Crescent Hotel.

The Roman Baths.

We were staying at the YMCA that night. I went to bed early and everyone---yes, everyone, went out that night and got totally plastered. Of course, this provided no end of hilarity for me when I heard the stories and giggled at all my hung over cohorts the next morning over deep fried toast.

Ah, the good times roll~

On our way home we stopped at Stonehenge, which is actually a lot smaller than you’d imagine. And unbelievably cold! I have never been so cold in my life! The wind was so powerful up there I almost fell down several times. But the ancient stones were amazing to see and I could get a lot closer to them than I’d thought I’d be able to. It’s very humbling to stand beside those stones—if only we could hear them tell us what they’ve seen, eh?

Me and the Stones!

The Stonehenge Bandit!!! Grawr!

Next was the beautiful town of Sainsbury. This is John Constable's painting of the cathedral. It still looks like that. :) I want to live there. Really. We did a coach tour of the town and only stopped at the cathedral, which was great.

Along the river in Salisbury.

Even though all the cathedrals are typically the same, each one is unique in its own way. The Salisbury Cathedral houses the best preserved copy of the Magna Carta. It was unreal how clear the script was! And for being written in 1215…very impressive.

Echo.....echo.....echo......!

Josh and Charlie.

In the Cloisters again...

Then it was home. No food…no clean clothes. Haha. So after a quick grocery run and renting a few movies from the local Blockbuster, we were home and relaxing after our long trip. And I dyed my hair.

*the audience gasps*

Yes, yes, it’s not very drastic though, but my hair is a bit lighter now. I guess I like it? =D So today’s mission is to pay for my France trip (more about that later), buy more groceries and get some boots! Big, fat, rubber boots! Strangely, my feet remain dry and warm, but my pants get soaked!!! So, off I go to do my errands.

Cheers!