Beyond London
Originally, we had big ideas about going to Stonehenge, but when we first arrived in London, the forecast called for a lot of rain and the Stonehenge tours were expensive and confusing, so we decided against it.
We did have tickets to Shakespeare's Othello in The Bard's own home town of Stratford-upon-Avon, with overnight accommodations there, so on Friday, October 11 off we went on the Chiltern Railway. Stratford-upon-Avon is about two hours from London by train, with one change at a town called Leamington Spa.
We arrived right on time, expecting a quiet, picturesque little town. We set out on foot from the train station to the center of town and our hotel. As we got to the center of town, we encountered a massive "fun fair," with lots of garish carnival rides and ear-splitting boom-boom music. Fortunately, our hotel was around the corner and far enough away from the madness—and right across the street from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
We stayed at the Arden Hotel, an elegant older place with creaky floors and vintage furnishings. They don't have room numbers. Instead, all of the rooms have tree names, We stayed in "Pear." Right before the play that night, we had dinner in their exquisite dining room, with waiters in black suits and ties and other touches of class. Stephanie noticed that seated at the table next to us was the eminent British comedian and actor Stephen Fry, whom she recognized from many films.
The Arden Hotel
Part of the Swan Room, a social space lined with photos of famous actors
Manicured hedges in the garden
We stayed at the hotel Friday night after the play, and on Saturday we walked around town, carefully avoiding the carnival action that we encountered the day before. We visited Shakespeare's birthplace, which has been preserved and turned into a museum, and then we walked about two miles out to the cottage of Ann Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife.
The River Avon
William Shakespeare's house
Ann Hathaway's cottage