London and Stratford
After hitting the Internet caf� yesterday, we set off for the British Library, the storehouse for a number of Britain�s greatest literary treasures. We took over an hour in the Treasures Room looking at the pieces. We saw medieval illuminated manuscripts, Lenin�s letter of application (under an assumed name) for access to the Library, the Magna Carta, and the Guttenberg Bible (well, one of them) in addition to many other items. We were both blown away by the collection and were thoroughly glad to have made the time to see it.
We then met up with Barbra and Yannis for lunch (curry and wonderful) before heading to Hyde Park to enjoy the afternoon. Somehow I got talked into racing Costas, who�s only four but has a scooter that makes him pretty fast. We would race for a little, race some more, and then finish it off with more racing. The kid was unstoppable and just wanted to roam the entire park. Exhausting to say the least. Colleen, meanwhile just laughed at me (I think the whole thing was her idea anyway, but it happened so fast that I can�t be sure � she denies it all).
We had talked about taking a walking tour in the evening (Jack the Ripper), but we were both tired and decided it would be better to save our energy for the first big day on the rails. So we called it a night after a wonderful Italian dinner and headed back to the hotel for our last night.
So what was London all about? People. London is nothing if not crowded. People swarm around Picadilly Circus and Leicester Square like ants around the queen. The Tube is always bustling as well. But everyone we met was nice. Londoners went out of their way to help us with directions when we asked, we sometimes found ourselves engaged in conversation before dinner � just wonderful. Moreover, London is multiethnic to the nth degree. It is a perfect blend of people living in harmony with one another.
So today we hit the trains. We started very early � left the hotel at 6:30. We were on our first train by 7, our second by 7:45, and after a third train arrived in Stratford-upon-Avon at 9:30 ready for a few hours of sightseeing on our way to Wales.
Stratford is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, so the whole tourism industry in the city is built around his life. We bought tickets for the hop on, hop off tourism bus and made our way around the city. It was very different from the busy atmosphere in London. There were very few tourists out, so we were able to see the sights quickly and efficiently. It was great to see the house Shakespeare was born in (and lived in for much of his early life). But Colleen�s favorite was the Hathaway house that his wife grew up in. It was a bit out in the country, surrounded by a small herb garden, with some of the original architecture still being used. The floor in the kitchen dates from the mid-1500s. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and told us about many aspects of life in the 16th century.
We could only stay in Stratford until 2:00, as we had to catch the first of our trains to Llandrindod Wells in Wales. We have changed trains a couple times, enjoyed the peace of the Virgin First Class Lounge, and are on our final train about an hour from our destination. Colleen is holding up well, and our luggage is proving its worth.
We hope everyone is doing well back home.
Paul and Colleen
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