Scotland Forever

 It is a sad but true fact that many people learn history from watching movies. As former history teachers we often had to spend time unteaching the Hollywood version of a historic event. I know some filmmakers do their best to make the movie accurate but this can be difficult when there is limited documentation available. So off we went to Stirling to learn more about Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. (AKA Braveheart)

   Our first stop was at Bannockburn Battlefield where Robert the Bruce defeated the English King Edward II, giving Scotland it’s Independence (for a few years anyway). The visitors center http://www.battleofbannockburn.com/ has a nice display of medieval weapons used by both sides as well as a film showing a re- creation of the battle. Since we arrived at the same time as a large group of schoolchildren we decided to skip the film and walk around the battlefield itself. Up on a hill a statue of the Bruce on horseback watches over the field, silently protecting his country. As is often the case, seeing the battlefield geography provided a greater understanding of how victory was achieved. Here is a link to a site that will give you more information about the fighting including the one on one meeting between Robert the Bruce and  an English knight, Sir Henry de Bohuy  http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/articles/battle_of_bannockburn/.

King Robert the Bruce

Hollywood would have us believe that Scotland would not have gained independence without William Wallace but this is not true. In fact Bannockburn was fought 23 years after Wallace was executed by the English. This does not make him less of a patriot and hero to the Scottish people. A monument to honor him was built on a hill above the site of his greatest victory on the Forth River at Stirling Bridge.https://www.nationalwallacemonument.com/the-monument/

The monument towers 67 meters (73.2 yards) above the town. The viewing deck is accessible by climbing 246 steps up a spiral staircase. On the way there are three rooms displaying information about the building of the monument, the weapons of the middle ages and other Scottish heroes. Among the weapons on display is Wallace's sword. The  sword measures 5 feet 4 inches including the hilt and weighs 5.95 pounds.

The view from the top of the monument

 After lunch and a walk around the town we drove out to Stirling Castle. https://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/  This castle sits high on a volcanic rock and though it dates from at least early 12th century, the present buildings were mostly built between 1490 and 1600. It was the childhood home of Mary, Queen of Scots and both she and her son James VI (later to be James I of England) were coronated in the chapel here.

Among the exhibits were a recreation of the Castle Kitchen, Royal Apartments and the Great Hall.  They also took on two amazing projects; restoring the Stirling Heads ( three feet wide 16th-century oak medallions carved with images of kings, queens, nobles, Roman emperors and characters from the Bible and Classical mythology) and using traditional methods to weave Unicorn themed tapestries http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-33237947

The castle also had a museum dedicated to the Argyll-Sunderland Regiment who were stationed at Stirling Castle. Nicknamed “The Thin Red LIne” for their success halting a Russian cavalry charge at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854 the museum is a tribute to this Highland regiment.

 After a long day we returned to our flat; tired but inspired by the courage and pride of the Scottish people.

 

How Do You Say Glaswegian?

    Off to Scotland. We once again took the Ferry, this time heading northeast as we returned to the island of Britain. Our three weeks in the north would begin in Glasgow.

Georges Square

    Upon entering the city we were met with a most unusual site. It was a statue of the Duke of Wellington with a traffic cone on his head. This was not a prank but is the natural state of things in Glasgow. And it does represent the city. A respect for the past with with a touch of irreverence. A major city with the feel of a small town.

  Our flat overlooked Georges Square, a gathering place for all ages both day and night. Here we watched Government workers in their suits come out of their offices for morning breaks  on the square next to parents with  their babies and toddlers. Afternoons brought the students in their school uniforms to meet up with friends, or workmen on their way to the pub at the end of the day. Families went out for one last walk before bed as the sun set around ten pm, enjoying every bit of the long days of summer.

Shiva Nataraj (Lord of the Dance) 

  Our location also was centrally located so we were within walking distance of museums, churches and restaurants.Glasgow prides itself on being a city of tolerance and acceptance as we saw at the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art located in the Cathedral Precinct of the city.  http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/st-mungos/Pages/default.aspx

Here exhibits show life milestones such as birth, coming of age marriage and death through the traditions and rituals of different religions.

  On the Glasgow Greene, at the east end of the city is the People's Palace and Winter Gardens. Built in 1898 this greenhouse and building was built to provide a place for the citizens of Glasgow to gather for social and cultural events. It is now a museum dedicated to the different experiences of Glaswegians at home, work and play.

.Displays include life in a :single end” (a one room tenement home), going to a “steamie”(the communal laundry), and nights out at “The Dancing” in the famous barrowland Ballroom.

. http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/peoples-palace/Pages/default.aspx

  It was here at the People's Palace that we learned the story of the Dukes statue. The cone on his head did start as a prank in the 1970’s. Officials would remove it and within a few days the cone was back on his head. Eventually it was determined that the statue was being damaged more by both groups climbing up to remove or replace the cone and so the cone was allowed to stay making this one of the few statues in Britain not discolored from pigeon droppings.

   Work hard, play hard could be the motto of the city. You can feel the people have energy and purpose but without taking themselves too seriously. So go get a traffic cone and put it on a statue. You will feel much better.

   

A Fragile Peace

Northern Ireland.How could we understand?  The very existence of Ireland as an independent  nation while part of the Island remained under British rule was confusing enough, (and still a surprise to many Americans) but throw in fighting in the streets over religion?  It seems ridiculous in a modern Western country like Great Britain. From quick bits on the evening news in the 70’s and 80’s, stories of armed military personnel and checkpoints from those who visited Belfast in the 90’s and finally a truce in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the fighting was the only story we  knew. The  American press presented it to us as the fault of the terrorist group, the Irish Republican Army (IRA).  During our travels here we discovered there was more to the story.  

  The Troubles, as the period from 1968-1998 is known, is only a piece in the centuries long conflict between the Irish and the English. As we traveled through the Republic of Ireland we had learned a great deal about the abuses the Irish people suffered at the hands of the English.  Now we were crossing into the region of Ulster and the country of Northern Ireland. This part of the island has remained part of the United Kingdom since the rest of Ireland became independent in 1922. Here we hoped to learn what the news didn't tell us about The Troubles.

 We started where the violence began; in Londonderry/Derry. The city goes by both names, a clumsy but effective part of the truce. It was here that The Troubles became international news when police fired into a group of Irish Catholics  and others peacefully marching for civil rights in 1972.  This event was known as Bloody Sunday. But the history of the conflict goes back to the 1600’s when businessmen from London received a charter from the King to confiscate Irish owned land and “plant” settlers from England and Scotland in the city to eliminate Irish control of the region.  It was at this time that the majority Irish Catholics in Ulster would become outcasts and were legally discriminated against by the minority, but Protestant (English) controlled government.  Thus began the struggle for equality under the law for Irish Catholics.

 We visited the Tower Museum  http://www.derrystrabane.com/towermuseum within the city walls which covers the events of the past  to where the city is today. Here the appearances were that the conflicts had been resolved and the city was “moving  forward together”. Yet as we left the walled area in search of the famous murals we entered a neighborhood that was obviously at a lower economic level known as Free Derry.   We saw not only the murals but monuments to those who had been killed in their fight against religious discrimination. It seemed that the city was moving forward, but not necessarily together.

   As we spent the next days in the Northern Ireland countryside we began to notice the flags that were flying. In some areas it was the Union Jack; in others it was the Flag of the Republic of Ireland.  These silent symbols spoke volumes. This is a country divided.

   Upon our arrival in Belfast we knew we wanted to continue our education of The Troubles. We discovered from talking to others that the best way was to take a taxi tour of West Belfast. http://taxitrax.com/about/ .

   Belfast’s largest Protestant community, Shankill,  is separated from The Falls — the city’s largest Catholic neighborhood — by a peace wall first erected during The Troubles. This dividing wall is the only one still in use in Europe, the gates continue to be locked at 6 each night.

At the Peace Wall

 Our driver Kevin did a good job explaining both sides of the conflict as he pointed out key events  and people that were represented on murals throughout the area as well as taking us to specific locations of violence. Although the wall is scheduled to come down by 2023 it may take another generation before the people feel secure enough for it to be removed.

Independence without Ulster

honoring a Protestant Sniper

Bullet holes in a school

   Yes, the fighting was religious based. But the government sanctioned discrimination against Irish Catholics was the true cause for The Troubles. As the number of Catholics or those who wish a united Ireland increases, the current  situation may change. We can only pray that whatever the future may bring it will be peaceful.

this poster was hanging in our apatment

The Princess in the Castle

    One of the best parts of our nomadic lifestyle is the variety of homes we get to live in. We have enjoyed everything from big city apartments to thatched roof cottages on working farms. But so far the most unique has definitely been the Barbican in Glenarm, Northern Ireland. http://www.irishlandmark.com/property/the-barbican/ A barbican is the outer defense of a castle or walled city, especially a double tower above a gate or drawbridge. In this case the term castle is misleading as Glenarm Castle is really a manor house. This 1825 neo gothic tower was built for decoration, not defense but whatever the purpose it is delightful.

   As with so many places in both Britain and Europe in general, the way into the Barbican rooms is by stone, circular stairs. The balustrade is sections of rope, so there is something to hold on to as you climb up and around to each level. First the bedroom then up to the living/kitchen area and finally to the rooftop patio.

    It is hard to be a princess in todays world. Instead you are expected to be a Wonder Woman; both functional and ornamental. The fairy tale, happily ever after, rescued by the Prince stories that I was raised on are, to say the least, politically incorrect and just plain impractical in the modern world. The life I lead today would not have been possible if I had not had a 33 year career. And I am thankful that I was able to  choose  to work outside of the home instead of being socially forced to quit my teaching job, stay home and raise the kids. For other women the reverse is true. They often experience social and/or economic pressure to participate in the workforce when their dream is to be a full time Mom.

    And that is where it all breaks down. I think every woman has her own mental picture of what it means to be a Princess, but don’t we all have the shared idea that it means you get your happily ever after? With or without a Prince?

   Ok back to the Barbican. The deck on top was our favorite place to be, especially in the morning. We would take our coffee, survey the land, listen to the birds and watch the sheep graze in the fields. And of course it was the perfect place to people watch. We could easily see the people of the town come and go, off to work or school or just to walk through the barbican gate onto the manor grounds.

   As we were sitting up there one morning, a group of schoolchildren came by. They were 4-5 years old, walking with their teacher and some parents on a class outing. As with most other people the class paused to look up at our tower. But unlike the others the kids were visibly excited at the sight of the castle tower, set apart from any other building.  We laughed as we heard them exclaim, “Who do you think lives there?  Do you think there is a Princess in there?’

   Of course we had no choice. First John leaned over the wall and waved.”Oh look”, the children cried, ”I see the Prince. There he is!” They waved at him and called out hello. Then I came over to join him. “It’s her,it’s her. There IS a Princess in the castle!” As I waved, I smiled at the childrens’ words. Yes. Today I am a Princess.

    As we stood and waved and laughed together with the other knowing adults one little girl turned to her teacher and asked, “Isn’t she too old to be a Princess?” I was momentarily crushed; were my Princess days gone forever? The teacher quickly gave the best of all answers, “Maybe she is the Mother of a Princess?” “Oh yes”, said the child,” that must be it, so could she be a Princess too”?  “Of course”, replied the teacher looking up at me with a smile.

   After the children went on their way with backward glances and last waves of farewell we prepared for our excursion of the day. The words of the little girl and her teacher stayed with me. My daughter is a princess and so am I. My husband and son are both princes. Not because we live in a castle or have relatives who were royalty but because like the princesses in the fairy tales we face life's challenges with kindness and courage as we search for our happily ever after.

   And what happens when the Prince rescues the Princess? She rescues him right back.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

 I must confess, both John and I were predisposed to like Ireland. After all, we both have (to the best of our knowledge) a considerable amount of Irish blood rushing through our veins. But I don't think either of us were prepared to absolutely fall in love with this island and the people.

 While our days in Dublin were filled with visits to museums,churches and attractions (pour the perfect Pint at Guinness) it was the unexpected that filled our hearts.

 Whether dropping into a pub to discover a Traditional Music Jam session (ok that Was in Dublin), staying for a week in a thatched roof cottage outside of Tipperary or walking with the sheep on hills above a beach along the Ring of Kerry, the beauty of both the land and the people truly stole our hearts away. The history of the people, their struggles for freedom and for life itself were hard to hear; they were after all, our family histories. But no matter the past, we constantly heard the questions-Are you enjoying your trip? Is everything good?,Are we treating you well?  And of course,(with a twinkle in the eye) Are we friendly?  The answer was always a resounding YES.

 From Dingle to Donegal and everywhere in between, be it town, castle, cathedral or pub, we heard the stories of a people who would bend but not break. This in spite of the actions of a variety of government leaders,specifically Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell. The documented abuses the Irish faced seem insurmountable yet the people have managed to rise above, to embrace their future while acknowledging their past. There's not a bitterness or resentfulness but a hopefulness that fills the people and reflects in the overwhelming natural beauty of the land.

As the song says, we heard the Angels sing..

From the Wrath of the Norseman

From the wrath of the Norsemen…. This is the only quote I know of from the Book of Kells. I don't know anyone who knows any other. Maybe my friend Jeannie. The point is the irony of this book being displayed a few miles from the Dublinia museum was not lost on me. Dublinia shows the history and influence of the Vikings in Ireland. Their contributions made me feel better about the pillaging and plundering my Scandinavian ancestors had perpetrated against my Irish ones, (Actually, the Swedes raided in Russia and the Baltics, but you get the point).

    The Book of Kells,kept at Trinity College Library, https://www.tcd.ie/visitors/book-of-kells/ is an Illuminated manuscript in Latin containing the four Gospels of the New Testament.  I think it is important to note that the Vikings attacked the Christian monasteries not because they had a problem with the religion but because that is where the valuables were located. This included the gold leaf used on many pages of the handwritten and illustrated writings of the early Middle Ages.

    As it turns out my opening quote is not from the Book of Kells but a prayer of Celtic Monks: “From the fury of the Northmen, O Lord deliver us.”  Despite the Vikings’ plundering of all things holy, the Irish eventually gave them Christian faith. In return, the Vikings gave the Irish towns and a place in the international economy.

   This turn of events brought together two groups of strong, creative and determined peoples as we saw in the exhibits at Dublinia http://www.dublinia.ie/. From the long ship in the front to the recreated villages and homes inside we were able to follow the influence of the Vikings on the lifestyle and economy of the Irish. I think Grandpa Olaf and Grandpa Seamus would be proud of the result.

The Emerald Isle

     They say you can see the green of Ireland from the air. I don't know as our flight was at night and we didn't have window seats. Our ferry from Wales was also at night so our entry into the country was lit by moon and starlight, with the occasional street lights along the dock.

    Our one A.M. entry into Dublin was met not with emerald green alone but with every other color sparkling and flashing from the very active nightlife. It had Saturday night energy but it was only Thursday.  Welcome to Dublin.

    After some driving confusion,( one way streets becoming two way, driving streets turning into pedestrian only, all without warning) we found our flat was in a perfect location. We were walking distance to almost everything we wanted to see. This allowed us to put the car in a covered lot and put more miles on the pedometer. Sorry, I meant kilometers. In the Republic of Ireland we were back in the metric system and monetary system of the European Union. We had to put away our pounds and pence and get Euros right away.

   After a few hours sleep we began our morning at St Patrick's cathedral. Although it is a Church of Ireland, they allow all denominations to hold events and even services there.

Among the many treasures there is the stone from the well of St Patrick, where he is said to have baptised the Irish chieftains. They have areas to honor military service  and sacrifice as well as those who have been civilian victims of war. The door of reconciliation and it's story have a lesson that is very relevant in today's world.https://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/the-door-of-reconciliation/

Dublin Castle is now the seat of government. Most of the buildings are for use as offices for officials although there are some parts restored  for people to visit. We passed on this one and instead went to the Chester Beatty library to see an amazing collection of books and writings from around the world including some ancient Egyptian papyrus.

http://www.cbl.ie/mobile.aspx

Lunchtime took us to the Temple Bar section of town and a traditional lunch of Irish stew and cottage pie at the Quay.http://www.quaysrestaurant.com/

We continued our exploration of the city with a walk to ha penny bridge http://www.bridgesofdublin.ie/bridges/hapenny-bridge/history before heading back home for the night.

Men of Harlech

“Men of Harlech, stop your dreaming
Can't you see their spear points gleaming
See their warrior pennants streaming
To this battle field”

    On to Harlech. Our Welsh adventure continued with a drive up to the Northern lands along the Irish Sea. Our reasons for visiting this rugged, remote, region were; to see Harlech castle, visit Snowdonia and take the Ferry to Ireland.

    Harlech castle is one of a series of castles built on the order of Edward I in the 13th century. I had asked specifically to see this one as it was the model for the book and film Castle which I used when I taught world history. It was a seven year siege on this castle that inspired the song Men of Harlech. This song is widely used as a regimental march, especially by British Army and Commonwealth regiments historically associated with Wales. Notably, it is the slow march of the Welsh Guards, and the quick march of the Royal Welsh. There is also an amazing story of the song as a symbol of inspiration during 9/11 tower evacuations.

 The castle did not disappoint. High on a cliff overlooking the sea the walls seemed impenetrable. A strong wind blowing in made walking on the ramparts a bit intimidating while the on again /off again rain created slippery stone steps.s. Like Chepstow, the semi ruined state of the castle allowed my imagination to fill in the picture of the men and women who lived and fought and died here. Truly inspiring.

    We stayed at a bed and breakfast with a room that overlooked the sea. https://www.dolaur.com/  Watching the sunset from our room was the perfect way to end the day.

  After a full Welsh breakfast (don't forget the baked beans) we drove the winding mountain roads to Snowdonia, the Welsh National Park. We intended to hike some of the trails but cold weather,lack of proper gear and our inability to find the trailhead kept us closer to the town. We did find to our delight and no one's surprise another castle! It was only about a mile in the woods from the parking lot but felt millions of miles away. This smaller castle was an outpost overlooking a river in case of an invasion by water.  
We spent our last hours in Wales on the coast at Hollyhead. As we waited for our evening ferry to take us to our next destination we already began to miss the beauty and spirit of this country.

  

Best Years of Our Life

     No trip to Wales could be complete without spending time visiting coal and iron mining.  While I thought this would be the story from a bygone day I was mistaken. While many of the mines and Ironworks are now closed, for the people who worked them and their families it is still their identity.

  We drove out on a drizzling Monday morning to Blaenavon to visit the heritage center, iron works and Big Pit coal mine.

http://www.visitblaenavon.co.uk/en/Education/BlaenavonIronworks/BlaenavonIronworks.aspx.

Unfortunately the heritage center is closed on Monday so we went to the Cordell Museum. What a delightful place! It is currently located in the former Workingmen's Institute, staffed by volunteers and filled with memorabilia of the town's people. The staff that was there that morning we're constantly stopping their tasks to be sure our guide had shown us this or that. I especially enjoyed the flirtatious attention of a very elderly gentleman whose name I don't know but whose smile I will never forget.  Among the local treasure is a flag from a British WWII ship. The ship had been captured by the Japanese and a sailor from Blaenavon managed to get the ship flag before he was taken. He kept the flag hidden while he was a POW and brought it home after the war.

  Just up the road are the Ironworks. The development of the Gilchrist-Thomas process here made the cheap, low quality iron ore usable. The rights to this process were later sold to Andrew Carnegie. Although production ended in the early 1900’s the forges at the site were still being used and helped with the production of steel shells during both world wars. In addition to the furnace ruins you can visit restored homes of the workers ranging from the 1700’s to the 1940’s.

    Signs at the site, recorded voices and documents at the Cordell Museum all told the same story. Although it was hard work, it was honest, useful and important work. The name Blaenavon was stamped on all of the products that left the works. This was the same as if every man had his own name on it.  There was a true sense of community among those who spent their days together amid the heat of the blast furnaces.

  Our last stop was at Big Pit. This is where the coal was mined to provide the fire for the blast furnaces at the Ironworks​. Equipped with helmet, headlight and oxygen tank ( just in case) we headed down the shafts into the mine. But not until all cell phones, watches, keys, belts and anything​ else metal were taken to a safe. They are serious about the possibility of gas and sparks!  

We spent a good deal of time ducking our heads, bending over and moving carefully in a dark, tight space. Our guide, a former miner, warned us of dangers, showed us places where he and others had worked, and described the physical toll mining had taken on him and his friends. Yet with every tale of risk and repercussions was the statement “I wouldn't have traded this job for anything”. It was the camaraderie he spoke of, the way the miners trusted and supported each other; a brotherhood based on hard work and danger.  These sentiments were echoed by other former  miners as we visited the above ground exhibits. For them their youth spent underground were the best years of their lives

Willing, Wanting,Waiting to Tell You

Perhaps like Alfred P. Doolittle there is a Welsh strain in my heritage. Perhaps not. As we crossed the border into this country of

musicians and miners, writers and working men we quickly realized this is NOT England.

    The differences​ were subtle and hard to identify in many cases. In other ways it was very clear: all the road signs were written in both English and Welsh.

  Our first stop was in Chepstow.Here we visited our first of four Welsh castles. Dramatic in location and size,majestic in its ruin, this remains my favorite castle so far.

After a morning navigating steep stone steps, it was lunchtime. We decided to stay in the village to eat and were soon settled in at the Three Tuns, a delightful pub/pie shop in the shadow of the castle.

http://threetunschepstow.co.uk/

Not only did we have a wonderful meal but we discovered that this was the pub that inspired  j.k.Rowling when she wrote about the three broomsticks pub in the Harry Potter series.

The author herself grew up and went to school here and, according to the pub owner, based her character Snape on a science teacher she had.

  On to Cardiff and our flat. We were about a mile from the city center so it was an easy walk to the major sites.  Although this is the Capital City of Wales there was not a feel of importance. Rather it was one of practicality and functionality. Cardiff castle centered the downtown area. From the top of the keep you could see the harbor, Millennium stadium and the Edwardian era Civic offices. The area under the castle had been used as air raid shelters during the WWII Blitz. The castle itself had been built on top of Roman ruins, some of those original walls can still be seen.

 As we went through the city it became apparent that “Made in Wales” was a proud distinction which would see again later in the week. At the local market, the butcher assured us that the lamb he sold would be the best we ever tasted. Why? “Because it's Welsh”, he replied with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. And he was right!  

    After only a few days of surprises I looked forward to what was waiting for us as we continued to explore Wales.

Colleges, Birds, A Castle and The Bard

     The Cotswolds? Where is that? What is there? These are some of the questions I was asked as we prepared for our British invasion.

The Cotswolds covers a huge area – almost 800 square miles – and runs through five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire). One of the delights of visiting the Cotswolds is exploring the different areas, each with its own identity, yet all with those defining Cotswold features: golden stone and rolling hills, the ‘wolds’. The beauty of the area alone is almost indescribable especially if you stay as we did on a farm in a tiny village. Our place was a refurbished barn in Nauton, blink twice and you will miss it. The roads throughout the area are edged with golden stone walls from local quarries. This characteristic stone is used for many buildings also as an subtle indication that you are in the wolds.

Our week here took us to many of the villages as well as four local highlights about an hour's drive from our cottage. Our first excursion was to school. But this time it was Oxford.  Of the 38 colleges that make up the University, Christ Church college is probably the most famous with such notable alumni as John Locke and Lewis Carroll. They even do an Alice in Wonderland tea to honor the author. Today many will know the college from it's great Hall dining room used in the Harry Potter movies.

    Classes were on spring break when we were there but many students had come back early to study for end of term exams. As always, prospective students were visiting, providing a youthful energy to very old buildings.

    Our next outing was closer. Just a few villages away to the Cotswolds Falconry Center. http://www.cotswold-falconry.co.uk/. This was an adventure I had been looking forward to. We had scheduled an appointment to fly a bird of prey. Unfortunately their was a problem with the reservation and they had no record of us.  Thankfully, we were able to hold some of the birds which was really cool then watch the show. If you get a chance this is a not to be missed visit.

    The show may have ended but we are still fans of Downton Abbey. So of course a visit to Highclere castle was a must.  Be sure to reserve a ticket in advance and check the calendar. The castle is closed when the current Lord and Lady are in residence.

https://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/

    It's not hard to be the Bard when an entire town is about you. I'm talking about Stratford upon Avon of course and the man himself, William Shakespeare. The drive out was longer than we expected but completely worth it. We visited Shakespeare's birthplace as well as his grave before attending a performance of Anthony and Cleopatra by the Royal Shakespeare Company https://www.rsc.org.uk/. We were treated to more of Will’s words in a garden outside his birthplace by two talented performers. A truly great day.

The Cotswolds. A week was not enough to explore and words are not enough to explain all there is to enjoy here.