Back and Forth Across the Pond

I decided to just have a wander around Stratford after I visited Holy Trinity. These are the photos I snapped along the way. Stratford is extremely picturesque. I wish I could live there. Since I'm taking a lot longer to post blogs now that Steve's here, I decided to break it into parts. I'm quite happy that interest in Shakespeare grew in the 17th century because it meant the Victorians didn't demolish as many places as they might otherwise have done. Several houses linked to Shakespeare remain, including Hall's Croft. This was his daughter's home. I was just strolling along the street and saw this lovely view. Autumn was making an appearance in Stratford. The town had so much pretty green space that I felt energized, yet serene.  Row boats for rent on the River Avon. Beautiful colors. Holy Trinity's steeple. The Royal Shakespeare Company theatre. This statue was presented in 1996 to commemorate Stratford's 800th birthday. This statue of Hermaphroditus ...

Every November in Britain, people don poppies to commemorate those British soldiers who gave their lives serving their country. The sale of the poppies benefits the Royal British Legion. The commemoration revolves around Armistice Day, which was created after World War I when it was agreed to remember those lost in The Great War on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  In the U.S., we call it Veterans' Day, but we honor all who serve and have served in the military. We use Memorial Day to honor the fallen. The thing is, neither holiday really has much impact on American society. Yes, there will be tons of Facebook statuses thanking veterans on these days. Some towns may have parades. And there are ceremonies at the national cemeteries. But frankly, it seems these holidays are better known for sales and long weekends than anything else. So it was quite interesting for me to be in the UK for Armistice Day. America may have participated in the world wars. We lo...

I only had a few hours to explore Stratford before the matinee of Richard II , so naturally my first stop was the parish church. Holy Trinity is over 750 years old, so I was excited to see it. William Shakespeare is buried here, as well. I think I was probably the only visitor who didn't really care about that. Yes, it was a nice perk, but I was there for the church and its energy. I am happy to report that the church was wonderful. It felt like home when I stepped inside, exactly as a church should. I arrived just after 9 a.m. Since the daily prayer service was underway, I explored the exterior for awhile. This side of the churchyard contained a lot of Victorian graves. Many other markers were worn smooth with age, so I'm not sure how old they were. It was a beautiful morning, and the scenery was lovely. Yes, I know these are graves, but there is still something pretty about the scene. The grounds are well maintained. I'm near the bank of the River Avon here. It's to ...