STRATFORD UPON AVON & HIDCOTE GARDEN

We'll spend the better part of today in Stratford upon Avon.  It's only a few miles from Mickelton, so our time in the coach will be very short.  Before we leave, however, Peter will provide a brief lecture on Shakespeare, the theatre, and Stratford.  It turns out that both Peter and his wife have spent time in regional theatre, so his lecture, in addition to being informative is also surprisingly entertaining.

This is it...Home of the Royal Shakespeare Company--the Swan Theatre.  Interestingly enough, this building (once an old and burned out playhouse) was renovated and then given to the English by an American.  A Kansan, actually.  Fred Koch, Jr., the eldest of the four Koch brothers, provided the funding for this theatre in the 1980s.  I describe Fred as "A Koch Brother", but not one of THE  two infamous Koch Brothers.  Fred spent millions to renovate this old theatre, but I'm sure it was worth every penny when the Queen herself showed up for the Grand Opening and, no doubt, told Fred "Thank You."  I hope she did, anyway.

Bruce and I ate lunch on the patio of the theatre, just beside the River Avon.  The weather and the atmosphere couldn't have been better.

Lunch finished, we're off to tour Stratford with Peter in the lead, and it is a story-book perfect little town.  Or, maybe, not so little.  I just learned that its population is upwards of 25,000.

See what I mean?  It doesn't get more atmospheric than this.  I love it, but it may be a little like our Gunsmoke-inspired Front Street replica back in Dodge City.  In the '50s and '60s, we built a bit more to expectation than reality. The English may also have that weakness. No matter...it's beautiful and I'd happily move in.

Peter is quick to point out half-timber designs on various buildings that are authentic, and just as quickly tells us which designs might be a bit more recent; although, recent in England is much farther removed from today than it is in America.  I simply liked this because it was so detailed.

Even though more is not always more, I did like this for the creativity involved.  If I understood correctly, the timbers on these buildings back in the day, would not have been painted black.  Today, apparently, it's a personal decision.

If you want to be scientific, this is what these homes
and buildings would look like if the nice white plaster were taken off the outside.  This method of construction is called Wattle and Daub.  Wattle would be the woven wood pieces, while Daub--which holds
everything together--is a more interesting mixture of wet soil, clay, animal dung (sorry) and straw.  I'm guessing it all lasts a good long time, as many of these buildings are hundreds of years old.

Per Wikipedia, this method of construction is still used in many parts of the world because it's economical as well as environmentally sensitive; and it doesn't get much better than that.    

WELCOME TO HIDCOTE MANOR GARDENS

Hidcote Manor Garden is nothing, if not pure gorgeousness.  It's actually within walking distance of our hotel, but the rains of the past few days have made the Walking Path a bit too treacherous for the Road Scholars, so we arrive in our coach.  In a recurring theme today, the creator of this garden, an American, Lawrence Johnston, moved with his mother to England in the first decade of the 20th century.  Within ten years or so of his arrival, Lawrence began creating his garden in the fields surrounding the manor.  It's called an Arts & Crafts style garden, and I'm fine with that, although not completely sure what that means.  I just know that it is very large, varied, and changes character with every turn.

I believe the garden today, besides providing great joy to its many visitors, is involved in historic seed preservation as well as the occasional experimentation.  Johnston turned the garden over to the National Trust many years ago and, as far as I'm concerned, they've done a fine job in keeping it up.

I believe, it's just about time to return to our Three Ways House Hotel and meet our other shirt-tail cousin, Linda, who's driven up to spend the evening with us.  That's a perfect finale for this fine day.

THE COTSWOLDS

Kevin, after delivering us safely to this lovely hotel, has introduced us to Peter, our instructor for the remainder of the journey.  Kevin will return to his Canal Boat in London for a well-deserved rest. We learn that Peter has been instrumental in the design and planning of this particular Road Scholar tour (Quintessential Britain), and this morning we will discuss the nuances and realities of that oh so pretty word...quintessential.

In the process of creating "Quintessential Britain" Peter and his cohorts met to decide on their understanding of "quintessential".They concluded (if I understood him right) that quintessential means the best of the typical.  As an example of that discussion, we learn that Real Ale and Fish & Chips are quintessential to Britain. So is the Village Pub.  Regarding agriculture (one of Peter's specialties) the Ridge & Furrow system of preparing fields, as well as Field Boundaries qualify. Ruined Castles and/or Abbeys are quintessential. Thatched Roofs, Cooked Breakfast, Cycling, Cricket, Table Tennis, Churches and the Royal Family also made the list.  We may look forward to examples of all of the above over the next two weeks.

Personally, I would consider the Three Ways House Hotel in Mickelton to be quintessential.  In an informal poll near the end of our trip, most in our group chose this as their favorite hotel.  We agree.

In 1996, the Cotswolds were named an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" or AONB.  Since then, three additional studies have added acres here and there to the AONB.  I love the British.  I love their sense of order and their understanding of the need to protect and preserve precious natural lands. Today, we will visit three Cotswold villages:  Broadway, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Chipping Campden.

We're making a little walk-around in Broadway.  It's raining off and on, but that's what you expect in Britain.  This beautiful lush landscape didn't just happen. It takes a lot of consistent moisture to produce that beauty.  Broadway is considered one of the prettiest towns in England and, personally, I'd be happy to move in.

Day by day, I'm becoming more convinced that anytime you give an Englishman (or woman) a spit of land, they will landscape it to within an inch of its life.  We found examples everywhere.

And about that English reputation for dour faces?  Despite the Queen, I think they have wonderful senses of humor.  In her defense, I need to remember she has lots of important business to take care of.

We're moving on now to Stow-on-the-Wold, where we'll have time to explore the city center and find a bit of lunch.  We've opted for the White Hart, and are not disappointed.  I'm looking primarily for a roaring fireplace, but despite this Arizona girl's chilblains, the English are acting as if today, a little damp perhaps, is balmy overall.  It is July, after all, even at this latitude.

I'm opting for Baked Billy's egg, chorizo and etc.  Bruce was ready for hot, rich, thick soup of any sort accompanied by that promised local bread.  He wished for plates of that local bread.  The atmosphere here was friendly (we ate in the bar area) comfortable and familial.  I would like to add warm, but it was not, as the door to the patio remained open the entire time we were here.  Brrr.

After lunch and a chance to wander in and out of a few shops, we've departed Stow and are driving to Chipping Campden through fields and forests and pocket-sized villages, and it is beautiful.

We stopped at this charming little cemetery as we neared Chipping Campden.  It's still wet and windy, but Peter has a treat in store.  In the first paragraph above, I mentioned "Ridge and Furrow." This was the common manner of plowing in the Middle Ages, and the examples we see today survive from that period.  Plowing was done with teams of oxen and Peter is eager to demonstrate how those dramatic (especially when you consider they're hundreds of years old) ridge and furrows we see from the highways were actually formed.  We have assignments: Some of us are oxen, some are the ancient plow.  I'm an oxen, as is Bruce, although we're on different teams.  We proceeded to plow an abbreviated furrow and, as Peter directs our turn, we can visualize the ridge that we are creating for posterity. Centuries ago, the difference between the depth of the furrow and the height of the ridge could be as much as six feet.  I understand if you're scratching your head and thinking "Do I care about this?"  But, despite the weather, it was fun, and a great example of Peter's contagious enthusiasm for all things British. I couldn't leave it out.

I wonder if the British are much more likely to keep their cities and villages tidy and law-abiding simply because they word their requests so nicely.

These arched rafters make the Chipping Campden Market quintessential.  This open market near the center of the village was built in 1627, and has held up quite well.  Despite the rain, a merchant with beautiful sheepskins and furs has set up business.  His wares were so soft and rich, that if my suitcase had not been packed to the point of bursting, I would have been tempted.  Instead, I was simply complimentary.

It's late afternoon, and we've returned to Mickelton with plenty of time for a little snooze or, perhaps, a cup of tea and a really good book.  Dinner won't be served for a couple of hours yet and the Three Ways House Hotel has a lovely lounge designed for just this sort of quiet moment. Day Seven has been a great success.

STONHENGE & BATH

As we walk down the steps of our London hotel for the last time (we're leaving this morning), our skies are a beautiful blue full of puffy, bright white clouds.  We feel a bit of breeze, but it's only enough to keep those little puff balls in motion.  We're right on time (7:00 a.m.) which, in some circles, is an ungodly hour, but we're packing in a lot today and can't miss our slot at Stonehenge. We're learning that tour groups in summertime England are held to a high standard of promptness.  

I was fortunate enough to have visited Stonehenge about 35 or so years ago, and was mightily impressed.  I can't wait to see it again.  The drive, like almost any drive in England, is lovely.  I'm always a bit starved for green and lush and trees and streams...and this is the perfect place for it.  I've found I can't read in the coach for fear of missing something outside.

Actually, it's just as I'd left it.  Oh, sure, there are some changes.  You're not going to wander through those massive bluestones anymore, or even get very close.  You will walk on a hard-surfaced (sometimes) path that circles the henge.  But dreams and wonder are still allowed, along with speculation and mystery. Stonehenge was probably constructed about 3000 to 2000 BCE...give or take.  Archeologists (of which Kevin, our guide, is one) continue to find postholes scattered throughout the area, but no clear answers as to why.  And, face it, we all want to know why.  Burial grounds, we understand, but what else?

The story I heard all those years ago regarding how the stones got here has also changed.  Whereas, we used to think they were brought by humans from many miles away, today you will be told they might have been carried here by the Irish Sea Glacier.  I love the way the English pronounce it as glass-ier.  No matter what the final answer, it's mind-boggling.

I did remember correctly that the henge is aligned with the sunrise of the summer solstice and the sunset of the winter solstice, but that still doesn't answer our "why" question.  Legends abound and many have spent entire careers studying the site.  I've decided to relax and enjoy the experience.

Stonehenge has up-scaled itself over the past few decades.  A Visitors Center has been built--the women's bathroom is very large, clean and well-stocked.  The adjoining café and gift shop are also new and fresh, although  on this particular morning, the gift shop was wall to wall visitors.  Despite crawling through hordes of people from all parts of the world, I could tell that the merchandise was excellent and it receives one of my Five Star Gift Shop Awards.

I'm afraid I've sounded a bit negative about the crowds we've encountered during our first days here, and I'm sorry for that.  We visited during the prime season for tourists and we knew that when we booked.  Actually, Rick Steves writes that he prefers crowds when he travels, because they add such life to the surroundings.  And that is true.  It's fun to hear the different languages spoken and note that kids of all nationalities would much rather be left alone with their phones than forced to view yet another boring historical site.

Just outside the Visitors Center, Stonehenge has constructed a number of small huts that might represent housing for those who built this site over the years.  You can stop here and explore both before or after you visit the henge itself.  This is another wonderful place to let imagination run wild.

 

Visiting Bath  on the heels of Stonehenge was a remarkable juxtaposition for me.  The two are about 30 miles apart, so the trip is short in distance, much longer in centuries.  The Romans appeared in Britain early in the Common Era, and the famed baths were built not long after.  Of course, we're here to visit the baths and museum, but we're also soaking up the social life of the 18th and 19th centuries.  Anytime I'm walking on cobblestones that Jane Austen frequented, I'm a happy girl.

The museum here is excellent and one could spend hours..In fact, we did, and thus missed the walk to the Royal Crescent.  We caught up a little later when the coach left to meet the walkers, and we got our obligatory  photos.  Roman life is absolutely fascinating for me.  They were so civilized, although (if Rome and I Claudius were any indication) the homicide rate might have been slightly higher than ours today, but they designed comfort into much of their daily life and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Good for them

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As near as I can remember, the bathing pool still looks very much like it did on my first visit.  The water continues to pour out of the ground amid clouds of steam.  The pool is quite warm and full of minerals or whatever, so bathing here is forbidden.  Close by, however, is a posh Spa Bath if you feel the need and have the cash.

I'm still a sucker for casement windows complete with flowerboxes, and they are plentiful in Bath.  Bath is bright and beautiful and history goes back forever.  3.8 million day-trippers arrive here each year, and I would come back for a longer stay.  Our Kevin leads a Road Scholar program that stays in Bath for a number of days.  That strikes me as being ideal.

I nearly missed telling you that this building is home to Sally Lunn's Buns, and considering the line every time we passed by, Sally Lunn's Buns are very popular.  The restaurant is open all day, reservations might be smart, and buns are sweet or savoury.  There is a certain protocol to eating a Sally Lunn Bun, but they seem willing to overlook the occasional lapse.