6 AM
That's what time my morning started on Saturday....
Thankfully I got a good nights rest, so by the time 6 AM rolled around I was ready to go. So after showering, getting ready, then tubin' it to Baker Street, I was ready to start the day ahead of me!
The company I am traveling with, ISA, has arranged to take us on little day trips during our time here. This trip was devoted to Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford upon-Avon and the Warwick Castle.
After my friend Joe secured our front row seats on our double decker coach bus, we sat back and relaxed for two hours and enjoyed the beautiful views along the way.
We rolled into Stratford right around 10:30. We all eagerly jumped off the bus and headed to Shakespeare's house. Along the way our lovely tour guide pointed out various locations that were also relevant to Shakespeare and his family. Some spots included his school, his daughter's and granddaughter's houses, the location of his second house, the church he was baptized and buried in.
King Edward VI School
Shakespeare's Granddaughter's (Eilizabeth) House
The Shakespeare Family Coat of Arms
The house Shakespeare grew up in and raised his family in.
Back of the House
Interior of the house
The Man himself
Holy Trinity Church
The font Shakespeare was baptized in.
Shakespeare's Grave
After a long bus ride and walking around, we were ready for some food! So we stopped at Barnaby's Restaurant where I had my first taste of legit fish and chips! And let me tell you, I was not disappointed!
Once I could eat no more, I made my way back over to the group where we loaded back onto the bus. This time we had a quick 25 minute bus ride that ended right in front of Warwick Castle.
Here's a quick history for those of you who have never heard of Warwick Castle. (If your not interested, be my guest and skip to the pictures!)
Also along the river Avon, Warwick Castle was built by William the Conquerer in 1068. The Castle's position made it strategically important in safeguarding the Midlands against rebellion.
From 1088 the castle traditionally belonged to the Earl of Warwick. But in 1153, King Henry II took back the castle and used it to hold prisoners. During the Summer of 1469 Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, rebelled against the King Edward IV and imprisoned him in the castle, leading to the restoration of Henry VI.ests by the Edward IV's supporters forced the Earl to release the king who took exile in France until he raisedDuring the Summer of 1469 Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, rebelled against the King Edward IV and imprisoned him in the castle, leading to the restoration of Henry VI. an army defeating Henry VI and Neville at the Battle of Barnet in 1471.
The castle's defenses were enhanced in 1642 in preparation for attack during the English Civil War. In 1700's Sir Fuelke Greville took the castle and converted it into a country house. Greville spent over what now today would be 3 million pounds (almost 5 million dollars) renovating the castle.
Nowadays, Warwick Castle is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, in recognition of its status as a "nationally important" archaeological site and historic building.
In 1978, Warwick Castle was bought by the Tussauds Group, who opened it as a tourist attraction. They performed extensive restorations to the castle and the grounds, also adding their famous wax figures to help tell the history of those who once lived there.
At 4:00 we headed back to the bus to start our trip back. Many of us fell asleep, exhausted from the long day we had. By 6:30 and about 12 hours later, I was safely back home and finally done with my tourist duties!
Now your probably tired from just reading that long post! So it's time I leave you with a good tune. I know this song has no British relation whatsoever but I heard it everywhere I went on Saturday... and it just makes me so HAPPY!
Happy : Pharrell Williams
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