Shakespeare Country

This past weekend I escaped the storm scheduled to hit London and went on an overnight trip to Statford-upon-Avon and Warwick. Statford is where Shakespeare was born (saw the house), lived for part of his life, and died (saw the grave). We walked around the town, touring a few of the houses (distantly) related to him; they were all of Elizabethan architecture, made of huge timbers and wattle and daub. Again, another character-filled town, this one quite literally: costumed guides everywhere and actors of the Royal Shakespeare Company near-by, but under low-profile. The whole weekend I felt as though I had gone back in a time capsule, occassionally replacing me and you with thee and thou.

Saturday night we (the other 14 international students on the trip and I) ate at the local pub before settling into our seats for Shakespeare's "Twlefth Night." It was an excellent show, much easier to understand than the last one, relatively speaking of course. Afterwards, since the pub where the actors usually go was packed to bursting, a few of us wandered down to the river to keep the swans company. This led to a photo shoot (led from a girl by China and one from Taiwan...) and ended in a foam fight. Why there was a pile of foam on the sidewalk is a mystery to me, but it was a great bonding experience: I can now say I've flung foam at Austrians, Australians, a Syrian, and some Asians.

Sunday morning I walked through the early-dawn light to the 8:00 church service at Holy Trinity, where Shakespeare is buried. Again, much easier to understand than the last mass I was at, largely because it was in English this time. The girl from Taiwan also showed up, and so afterward, we strolled along the river Avon as rowers glided past and the morning joggers came to life. When we got back to our adorable bed and breakfast, my first full Enligh breakfast was waiting for me - fried eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, baked beans, and tomatoes, and tea, of course.

After a quick stop at Anne Hathaway's cottage, our minibus took us to the town of Warwick, which boasts a beautiful old castle. This was officially my first castle visit! We explored for about three hours, learning about everything from falconry to built-in lines of defense, parties thrown by rolaty to preparing for battle. The view from the top of the lookout tower was gorgeous: to the east, green grass and rolling hills dotted with grazing sheep as far as you could see, the small town of Warwick nestled to the west. One of the best weekends here so far...