Stratford Upon Avon

What an adventure I had yesterday! Let's just say being up for 19 hours is tiring--I got up at 6 AM and went to bed at 1 AM. For the amazingness of this cute town known as Stratford-Upon-Avon, the long day was absolutely worth it. For those of you who do not know, Stratford-Upon-Avon is Shakespeare's hometown. After a two and a half hour journey, we stopped at Mary Arden's house. Mary Arden was Shakespeare's mother, and we could still see the rooms of the house in addition to some cute farm animals. Then, we made our way to the town and had a walking tour (by our English professor, who is a real expert in Shakespeare). We saw the house he lived in with Anne Hathaway (his wife, no relation to the actress people think I look like), the grammar school he attended, John Hall's (son in law/personal physician) house, and the Holy Trinity Church (where he was buried). I enjoyed shopping and exploring the town with my friends, and at night, we saw A Winter's Tale at the Royal Shakespeare company. The performance was well done and had a lot of upbeat music and dancing.

Mary Arden's House

One of my new friends on the farm

Shakespeare himself, up close and personal

Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway's house

My favorite Shakespearean character, John Falstaff (Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2). I also saw statues of Lady Macbeth, Hamlet, and Prince Hal (also from Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2)

Shakespeare attended King Edward grammar school. Unfortunately, we could not go in as students still attend school today.

Shakespeare's grave at Holy Trinity Church

This afternoon we are going to the Holocaust Museum, as we read Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning in psych class. I am going to Wales with my friend Trever (from a different UP study abroad program), and the rest of the week will be spend relaxing. I can't believe I only have two more weeks left!