Well, we got on a bus this morning. At 6:45. Uck.
But don't you worry, I got a window seat. And that's all you really need to have a good bus nap. (That and a leather jacket pillow. haha).
After bouncing around for a couple hours and looking silly with my head tilted back at an awkward sleeping-sitting-up angle, (and probably breathing oddly on my dear friend Rachel),I awoke to a very rainy day.
We alighted at Coventry Cathedral, and headed straight for the toilets. They were sort of sketchy and gheto, and the doors didn't actually lock... but when you gotta go, you gotta go. Turns out those were the wrong toilets. OOps. Anyway, Coventry Cathedral is adjacent to St. Michael's Cathedral--or the remains of what used to be St. Michael's Cathedral... a 900 year old cathedral that was bombed in one of the World Wars. (I honestly can't remember which, and for once google is failing me). The old walls and empty windows were gorgeous, especially in the rain. There was one window in particular that caught my attention. It had shards of yellow stained glass still sticking stubbornly in their iron casings, making odd angles
Of course, we got some excellent umbrella pictures, seeing as how is was awfully wet. You know everyone seems to be getting tired of all the "old stuff"... but I just LOVE it! No matter how many castles, and cathedrals, and old towns I've seen... I could never get bored with all that old architecture. Maybe I should have been an architect. It fascinates me.
Anyway, after walking around St. Michaels for a bit, we headed into the warmer, dryer Coventry Cathedral. And boy, ... it didn't didn't meet my expectations. But it didn't fall above or below them either. It... went around them.
The whole thing was very modern in style. Lots of metal. And though the stained glass window montage was beautiful, (despite it's unfamiliar shape and design), the rest was completely... unexpected. They had these giant wooden boards on the wall with scripture quotes etched into them in huge letters... and the glass at the entrance was covered in strange zombie like figures with wings and harps. (I learned later that this represented the resurrection, which made a lot more sense than anything I could come up with).
At any rate, we were all excited to leave when Lancelot started herding us back to the bus. And speaking of herding... I never thought in all my years that even as a college student, the Kindergarten herding laws would still apply. Oh well. At least we don't have to hold hands.
After that it was on to Kennelworth Castle!! Huzzah!
I have to admit, this castle was LIGIT. (And I don't even use that word.) Even though it was pouring rain, and my feet were totally soaked, and my pants were ripped and dirty and sopping wet, it was AMAZING.
The place was a total labyrinth.So many stairways and doorways and passageways and rooms! I spent a good fourty five minutes just wandering on my own, poking my head into old forgotten places... and wondering what they were for and who had lived there, years and years ago. I couldn't help singing and laughing out loud as I ran along the outer wall, and then up the hillside, into the long, wet grass. I admit, I had a momentary balancing issue, and slid all the way down on my rear end... but don't worry, nobody saw. ;) And then I just laughed and laughed at my wet jeans, and put my head back, and stared at the castle above me.
I found what felt like the secret garden...(I love finding openings in the hedge!!)... and I don't think I was actually supposed to be there. But, it's ok. I found my way out eventually. I was just blocked by a hedge and a wall for a while. And I felt like I was having a grand adventure...
During that hour of blissful play, I was transported to much younger days... when Riley and I would play in the trees and the bushes, make forts and houses. When we collected things, like bottles and keys. When we had special powers, and a million enemieswe could always fight with... against whom we would always win. For an hour, I played pretend. And I wished my dear friend could be there too.
There were sword fighting lessons, and helmets, and chainmail. And we all had a laugh in our ridiculous outfits.
And then, it was time to go.
We piled back onto the bus, too soon. And began driving, once again. This time towards Anne Hathaway's cottage. (Not THAT Anne Hathaway, the other one. You know, William's wife. The bard.)...
I admit it was becoming more miserable, as my feet stayed wet and got colder. But the site was interesting... and the bench whereon William sat too woo his Anne was still there, which, (allegedly), will tell you how good your love life will be, based on whether or not ir squeeks when you sit down.
I squeeked.:P
There was also a statue garden, with very strange figures from most of Shakespeare's more popular works. And there was even a giant maze made of hedges in the middle! We all ran around inside of it with our umbrellas, pretending it was the Tri-Wizard Tournament, laughing a lot, and getting our shoes rather muddy.
And then it was time to hop on the bus again. I tell you, the getting on and off and on and off again... it was becoming a hassle.
Our last stop of the day was the Mary Arden Farm. (I honestly can't remember if she was his mother, or some other distant relative. All the Shakespeare sites sort of melted together into one in my brain...) But it was very cool. It was an actual Victorian style farm, still in working condition, with people in dresses milking cows and feeding chickens! (Sounds like fun, right? Especially when it's raining...)
We saw a performance from the falconry... the falconness? The Falcon lady? Well, at any rate, the lady who trained the birds was there. She showed us first a little white owl who was supposed to fly silently, (because all owls do), but instead he just screached and screached and screached some more.
Then she brought out a European Eagle Owl named Tes, and it was GIGANTIC. And so gorgeous. It had these huge, orange eyes like a cat's, wings five feet wide, and feet as big as my hands! And sometimes it would nuzzle up against her chin and she'd squeeze that big beautiful bird like it was a baby. She asked for our professors afterward, and said "I'm a Mormon too!" ... What are the chances that the bird lady would be LDS? Small world.
We also met a horse, who was big and black and white, with a long ruffly main and feathered hair over his hooves, and who would ram into you with his head from sheer excitement if you weren't careful. I named him bobby. Bob for short.
And after we'd wandered the farm, I bet you can't guess what we did!!... You got it, hopped back onto the bus. By that time, I was soaked in earnest. The rain hadn't let up all day, and even attempting to blow dry my shoes and socks in the bathroom before we left didn't help.
Not a moment too soon, we reached our far off destination... The land of The Bard, of good old Bill Shakespeare, the one, the only, Stratford-Upon-Avon!
We scattered to our various bed and breakfasts, (Ashley and I heading to the Aiden B&B). We found our adorable hostess, Evan, ready with keys and instructions, and we marched up the stairs to Number 2. We opened the door and found an absolutely delicious room. The long, gauzy curtains matched the wallpaper on the left--big pink flowers on a white background--and there was purple trim around the top of the room. The beds were made up perfectly quaint with two or three attractive throw pillows, and the whole place smelled like a bushel of roses.
I threw my things in a corner, and went to the first item of business... testing the bed. Soft? Check. Bouncy? Check. Perfect? Check.
Next item of business? Find some scissors.
When Ashley tracked down Evan and asked her if we could borrow a pair, she looked at her sceptically and said... "well, as long as you don't cut up the curtains... (?)"... After being assured this was not in our plans, she brought them to our room. I promptly cut off the bottom three inches of my jeans, which had been folded up, and looked as though I'd dragged them through water and sand repeatedly. (Which I had, in fact, done). And then, after a few moments rest, we headed out into Stratford.
The next thing on the list of things to do was definitely to EAT. It was dinner time, and the rather inadequate lunch of crisps and digestives was really starting to wear off. We walked as I navigated, almost pretty sure I knew where we were going. Evan had given us a map, but those things are often little good if you aren't sure where you are or where you're going.
We finally asked a man on the street where he might eat, if he were hungry, and he pointed us in the direction of some pubs and restaurants. We chose the Rose and Crown, which is, (not surprisingly), a popular pub name. I ordered a burger at the bar, and was proud at how quickly I counted out the change... Of course, the bar tender laughed at my obvious smugness over my ability to count out coins.
One thing I love about Europe is that you're liable to be called darling, love, dear, or pet at least 10 times a day. After receiving my food, I went back to the bar to grab a glass of tap water. And the bar tender called me darlin' at least five times while he asked if I wanted ice and a lime. Yes please! I love ice. And limes. And the country where I'm always darlin'. ;)
We got to the RSC theatre 15 minutes before Romeo and Juliet started. Only we didn't, because it actually started 15 minutes earlier than we thought. So... we were right on time. Only... a little late, by the time we got to our seats.
The show was excellent, and the concept was intriguing. Romeo and Juliet were in contemporary clothing, while everyone else was in period dress. This was the case all through the play, until the very end, when the lovers are discovered, dead. At this point, everyone was suddenly in modern dress. And it was as though they had been brought into Romeo and Juliet's world... and perhaps suggest that the story was timeless and could be a part of any place or period.
Mercutio was hilarious. If... inappropriate. But, he had bleached blond hair, so I'll cut him some slack.
After that it was time for BED. We walked back to our Bed and Breakfast, and jumped under the covers. And as we were falling asleep, I couldn't help asking...
"Ashley, does your bed smell like flowers? Cuz mine totally does."
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