Stratford-upon-Avon!!!!!! For those who don’t know, is the birthplace of the one and ONLY William Shakespeare! It was so cool to walk through a town with so much history. I made a lot of comments about how I have never been in a building this old in my life. Because, well, America is not that old. I hope that didn’t come as a surprise. But this town was definitely different from London. I mean, London is very modern feeling compared. Walking around Stratford, there are no skyscrapers. But there are in London. That’s a very big thing. Mainly just the size. But also, I learned my way around Stratford very quickly because it’s so small. I was able to guide my family around from just walking around for a day. So that’s pretty cool. It was neat to walk around Shakespear’s birth home. Just to know that he lived in that house and walked around the garden. It’s just pretty crazy to think about. And then visiting the house where his wife, Anne Hathaway, lived growing up. And no, not the modern day actress. Same name, different person. My dad got confused. I could definitely feel how Shakespeare got inspired to write just based on where he grew up. Right next to the river, and going to a school that taught him story telling through performance. I found that very cool. I had the opportunity to go into his school room. I learned that the school boys would put on performances of stories that had been passed down. A lot of them were comedies, and that’s where Shakespeare got his love for comedy from. So if he hadn’t gone to that school, we may never have heard of Shakespeare.
We went to the Trinity Church to see where Shakespeare was buried. The church was beautiful. Even more so, the graveyard. One thing about me is that I love graveyards. I find them so beautiful and peaceful. Especially this one, with the old tombstones and all the trees and grass. And it was right by the river. It was breathtaking. I could have stayed there for hours reading a book or drawing pictures or even having a picnic. Shakespeare was buried inside the church. He was supposed to be buried in Westminster Abbey, but he insisted on being buried in his hometown. He even claimed that if anyone were to move him, they would have a curse set upon them. So was Shakespeare a wizard? Cause that would be pretty neat.
Overall, I LOVED Stratford-upon-Avon. I felt like I could live there. It was the perfect size, and there was so much charm. I loved it so much, and I wish we stayed there longer.
Theatre in London U of A 