We made a 22 mile drive from our Cotswold hub B&B to Stratford Upon Avon to pay homage to Shakespeare. It was a gorgeous day, and a little cooler with some overcast clouds and the city was very crowded on this Saturday. We started our day by doing our laundry. We wanted to be clean for this Victorian village! During the wash cycle we toured Hall’s Croft. Shakespeare’s daughter married the physician Hall. This was their lovely home in the city.
After the dry cycle completed, and the clothes were folded, and a pint consumed, we went into the church where Shakespeare was baptized, later married, and finally buried. There we learned that Shakespeare was 18 and Anne was 26, and the marriage happened very quickly with approval, as required, from the bishop. Anne gave birth to their first child Susanna only six month later.
Hall’s Croft
Shakespeare’s grave inside the church
From there we ventured to Shakespeare’s birthplace. With a gaggle of young kids on an Oxford Touring Group, we shuffled from video display to video display, and finally made it into his parents’ bedroom. It was interesting to learn that Charles Dickens bought this property some time later. We finished by seeing Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and the beautiful garden/trees on that property,
We ended the day by going back to Stow to see the Morris Men from Westminster perform in the courtyard, followed by a great dinner at Digbeths, a restaurant named after the street on which it is located that was perhaps our favorite restaurant so far this trip.
Tomorrow, Sunday, is a travel day. We’re off to Bath, a city where the extent of Rome’s reach can be seen. Today, Ted slightly strained his lower back during the morning, and we are hoping it is a bit better tomorrow. He was a good trooper today, however, and we saw the sights on our top list.