To England: Shakespeare's Stratford

After my misadventure of a day in Oxford/Blenheim (in preceding post), I ran into more travel snags getting to Stratford-Upon-Avon. I had to take the train through Banbury, but when I got to Banbury, there was no longer a train to Stratford. I was told to go to Leamington Spa and they would get me a taxi from there--but the next train to Leamington Spa was very delayed.

WELL. By the time I finally made it, I was more than ready for a relaxing time, which is exactly what I got in Stratford-Upon-Avon. I spent an evening and one full day there and that was plenty to see just about everything I wanted. Had a great meal and my first Pimm's the first night, in the lovely Old Thatch Tavern.

Woke up early the next day to see Shakespeare's birthplace. Lots of tourists, little emotion. I also felt like it was poorly explained: I spent most of my time in a fog of confusion trying to remember if this was his actual birthplace or reconstructed or just what was going on? Thanks for no explanations?

I did get to see my first First Folio which was exciting.

Went back that evening to get a photo without tourists clogging up the facade. The smell of Subway a few doors down still hung in the air, though...

That site was BUSY so I was kind of shocked how nicely empty the other places around town were.

I visited the church where Shakespeare is buried.

What a human.

Then I went to Hall's Croft, where Shakespeare's daughter Susana lived with her doctor husband. That was my favorite because it was the most like a proper house and actually explained things to me.

After that, I popped in to Nash's House and New Place. Nash's House belonged to Shakespeare's granddaughter and husband, and New Place is the site of the giant house Shakespeare bought after he made some money, sadly torn down by some dude who was tired of tourists (I can only half blame him). Not a ton to see there.

Later in the day I went to Anne Hathaway's Cottage (above) (Shakespeare's wife's family home), which was a nice mile-or-so walk across a neighborhood and through a park. Fun tippy stone floors and thatched roof and also a garden and woods. Large.

The only one I missed was Mary Arden's Farm (Shakespeare's mother), because it was a bit out of town. I'd do the day again and rent a bike to get there, for sure. I could've done it all except I went back for a nap in the afternoon. (I do vacations right, people)

One of my favorite things about Stratford--besides the slow, easy pace and the quiet evenings after the tourists went home--was the mix of centuries. 21st century storefronts set into 15th century half-timbered uppers. I thought about the way that this isn't Williamsburg, preserved for all time and static, but a place people have actually been living and using and leaving their mark for hundreds of years. The mix of centuries makes it feel lived in and, perhaps ironically, makes it easier for me ti imagine life in the past, when people were living vibrantly and feeling modern for their age, maybe feeling like the timbering was new-fangled and therefore ugly.

I also LOVED my B&B. I love staying in single rooms because they are just the perfect size for one little traveler like me with one little bag like mine. So cozy. The owner was a fast-talking Frenchman and he made everyone feel right at home and did his best to get us all interacting, which is much appreciated by a solo traveler. I lingered over breakfast on my full day there, talking to a lovely family of Swedes about IKEA and Swedish food and Minnesota and I don't even know what all else.

Preceding entry explains about my day between Stratford and London. In leaving Stratford, I felt daunted by the prospect of entering London but I soon found a good home there.