6-7 May - another great weekend
On Saturday, BCA took us on a little field trip around the area in England called "the Cotswolds". Cheltenham is actually in the Cotswolds, but we went around to some of the smaller surrounding villages. These villages are characterised by their honey-coloured stone buildings, and "wool churches," as these towns were once an important centre of the wool trading industry. Driving through the area you see lots of sheep grazing in the hills. (Click here to read more about the Cotswolds.) You also see a lot of thatched-roof cottages.
We stopped at Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury and Cirencester, but we also drove through Winchcombe, Burford and Broadway.
It
rained for a little while so we didn't end up stopping at Burton-
on-the-
Water. But many of these places are so close, like 10-20 minutes away, so to hop on a bus and visit another day would not be a huge task. Though some of the smaller towns are harder to reach by public transportation.
The Cotswolds is also a big tourist attraction, and we are getting into the tourist season now, so it gets busy on the weekends.
You see a lot of antique shops, too. In Stow-on-the-Wold we went into a shop that was selling grandfather clocks-- for thousands of pounds. I think the most expensive one we saw was going for £19,000!
Sunday, Steph and I took the National Express coach into London bright and early to visit some of London's literary sights. We went to John Keats' home, where he wrote "Ode to a Nightingale" (brought me back to the days of freshman year British lit... Dr. Ryken would be so proud of me :)
rained for a little while so we didn't end up stopping at Burton-on-the-
Water. But many of these places are so close, like 10-20 minutes away, so to hop on a bus and visit another day would not be a huge task. Though some of the smaller towns are harder to reach by public transportation.
The Cotswolds is also a big tourist attraction, and we are getting into the tourist season now, so it gets busy on the weekends.
You see a lot of antique shops, too. In Stow-on-the-Wold we went into a shop that was selling grandfather clocks-- for thousands of pounds. I think the most expensive one we saw was going for £19,000!
(to see more photos of the Cotswolds, click here)
Sunday, Steph and I took the National Express coach into London bright and early to visit some of London's literary sights. We went to John Keats' home, where he wrote "Ode to a Nightingale" (brought me back to the days of freshman year British lit... Dr. Ryken would be so proud of me :)
Keats' home is in Hampstead, in London but not in the heart of the city. It's a very nice little borough, very residential and quiet compared to the city centre.
From there, we took the tube back into the city and found where Charles Dickens used to live. It is now a museum filled with manuscripts, portraits, furniture and possessions of Dickens'.
From there, we took the tube back into the city and found where Charles Dickens used to live. It is now a museum filled with manuscripts, portraits, furniture and possessions of Dickens'.
After that, we set off for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the Thames, where we had tickets for the evening performance of Coriolanus. The original Globe unfortunately burnt down a long time ago, but the current theatre is supposed to replicate the Shakespearean experience. Steph and I bought standing tickets (aka 'groundlings'), which means, yes, we stood for the whole three hours -- but we were very close to the actors and literally right in the middle of the play! (I know I got spit on during some of those passionate soliloquys; all part of the experience, right?) Sometimes they walk around in the "crowd" that the groundling audience provides. There was a time where Steph had to move way out of the way because the main actor had jumped off the stage into the crowd! (The main actor... who has been in movies and the TV show Empire last year)
It was an amazing performance -- probably the best perfomed stage play I've ever seen. I wasn't crazy about the play itself (it's very political) but I loved it because they did such a quality job. Shakespeare would have been proud :)
Oh, one more thing-- Steph and I kept thinking that one of the actors looked familiar, and we decided he reminded us of the butler, Geoffrey, from the TV show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Later we found out that it was really him! crazy. London just keeps getting better and better!
more literary London here
posted by Anna K @ 3:47 PM
3 Comments:
The butler from Fresh Prince...NO WAY! That's exciting! It sounds like you are having a fantastic time...see you in a few weeks!
I never much cared to visit England until seeing your pictures. How beautiful!
yes, it really is-- green and lovely :) and now the trees are blooming so I'm seeing lots of interesting flowering trees and bushes! It's nice and fragrant and colourful; I'll try and get some pictures up.
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