In search of the bard himself...

Today was sunny; a rarity here this month! So we'd been planning a trip to Stratford Upon Avon but waiting for a sunny day because we knew there'd be lots of walking around involved. Today was the day...

Here's the Royal Shakespeare Company theater, located on the banks of the Avon river.

Here's the birthplace of Shakespeare which dates from perhaps 1529. Shakespeare was born here in 1564. Much of what you see is probably newer than that, however.

This was an area of the wall where the plaster had been removed and you can see that the house itself is constructed of sticks and mud.

For no particular reason, here's one of scores of small shops in Stratford, but this one has perhaps the most colorful window display! LOL!

What IS IT with old churches? This is The Guild Chapel in Stratford which dates to AT LEAST 1269. The "newer wing" of the church wasn't built until the 1400's so it's 'only' 600+ years old! On the wall above the arch in the photograph below you can see what little is left of what was once a colorful mural.

Jane is continuously fascinated by the ancient doors on every church, cottage and business. This one had a keyhole which caught her fancy.

The pipe organ- OBVIOUSLY!

Couldn't resist taking several detail photos of the ANCIENT hardware- in this case hinges anchored in stone that hold the front door in place.

We stopped for lunch at a wonderful restaurant and I had an aubergine and butternut squash bake!!

Jane savored the slow-roasted lamb shanks with mash and jus.

During the afternoon we attended the RSC production of Richard III. Photos weren't allowed, but I SNUCK this photo of the stage. The theater is nearly in the round and has 2 balconies- all rather in the size and style of the Globe theater I'm sure. Of course this modern theater is indoors with heat, lighting and more. In the loft above the back of the stage is the orchestra. This was an interesting production in that the players were dressed in relatively contemporary costume; perhaps 1960-1990ish rather than 1500's. Predictably it was superbly acted and beautifully produced.

After the play we took a ride on the Avon. Here's the boat.

We passed by the Guild Chapel while on the boat and caught this photo of it from the water.

There are scores of boats on the Avon. we happened to pass this one which was a different tour.

I'm watching the sights go by.

There are 100's of swans on the Avon river and this fountain/sculpture was quite contemporary but captured the look of the swans in modern metals.

After exploring all afternoon we enjoyed dinner at another wonderful restaurant. The waitress was kind enough to snap a photo for us.

I ordered a couple of appetizers; in this case asparagus with polenta and a poached egg.

England in general and the tourist spots in particular abound in 'characters'. Who knows who this guy is or why he was there, but I surreptitiously snapped his photo from a distance. Note the peacock feathers in his hat. Peacocks are as common as squirrels around here and you see 1 or 2 per mile as you drive along the roadways.

Sculling is big in England it seems and there were lots of boats on the Avon today.

So that's it- another 'lovely' day in England and more amazing food. I've talked with quite a few people about English food since we've been here and they've all said essentially the same thing: "Food in England was GHASTLY forever- but during the past 10-15 years it has changed dramatically and is now as good as most of the rest of Europe." I'd have to say that's probably true. I'm sure I will have regained the 12-15 pounds I LOST before coming here this month but I'll just have to redouble my efforts when we return to the states. On the other hand, we're doing LOTS of walking every day.