Saturday, June 25, 2005

GREETINGS FROM STRATFORD-UPON-AVON!

This has been a very informative day for us (especially me!).  We first had a three hour motor coach ride that became about 4 due to a massive traffic jam, but we have a fantastic driver who got us out of the mess and off onto side roads to get into town in plenty of time to see all the neat sites and the scenic town of Stratford-Upon-Avon. 

The coach dropped us off on the Avon River side where we headed off for either a fish-and-chips or barge baguette lunch.  It was a bit chilly as we stood outside and scarfed down our food, hopped back on the bus with our Stratford-Upon-Avon guide, Marjorie.  Our first site to see was Ann Hathaway’s house…..who’s Ann Hathaway?  Why, she was William Shakespeare’s wife, of course!  The extremely amazing aspect about her family home is that it was in the direct family until the custodian sold it to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.  Therefore, the furnishings were originals from the time periods in the family’s history.  We saw pewter dishes from hundreds of years ago, and even a wooden “plate” where the first course was eaten, wiped clean with a hunk of bread and then turned over on the other side for the main course.  How cool would that be??!!  Here’s the question to ask the kids:  how did the following terms come about:  “sleep tight”, “left on the shelf”, “spinster”?  We had a great guide inside the house who was full of details and fun stories!

Out through the gift shop….have I mentioned we’ve been not doing too terrible of a job to improve the economy of the UK?........and onto the bus off to William Shakespeare’s birthplace.  This house was a bit different from Ann’s as there had been a time where the actual building was not in the family’s hands.  However, it appears there has been extreme care in proving that this is definitely his birthplace and documentation to state that.   And guess what?  More shopping!  We walked down to where our motorcoach was waiting for us, had almost one hour to relax and just hang out, get some cash, and use a nice restroom.  Motorcoach took us over to where the homestay hosts picked everyone up for a great night in an English household.

Looking forward to the next performance on Sunday, and hearing about all the fun from the kids’ experiences.   All is going well, all kids are doing fine, and everything’s terrific.  Thanks again for all your support!

Til next time,

SUE