"I like this place, and willingly could waste my time in it."

[Stratford-upon-Avon, Monday, May 31, Half-Term]

I went to Stratford-upon-Avon (otherwise known as the-place-where-Shakespeare-was-born/lived) a little uncertainly---I had accidentally booked train tickets to it on a bank holiday (re: public day off), which means there was a chance that nothing would be open. As it turned out, I couldn't have picked a better place to spend a bank holiday: because it's a touristy place, everything was open and bustling!

Shakespeare's Ghost

I ADORE street performers who do this, the solid-color mime thing.

I really enjoyed S-u-A! It was worth visiting, and it actually got me interested in Shakespeare, which was something high school failed to do. (Although, to be fair, I don't think it's very fair to push Shakespeare on anything less than seniors---the themes & ideas are simple, but the language they're conveyed in is not, and rather than challenge kids, I think it just frustrates and bores students who do not yet possess the necessary intellectual skills.) 

Aaanyway, you have no clue how many common phrases are from his works. Take a look at this quick list for just a few.

I went to Holy Trinity Church to see Shakespeare's grave, and unexpectedly saw this famous bust:

But the coolest thing had nothing to do with Shakespeare. At the top of a small, inset, decorative arch, someone noticed a Jesus carving that survived the destruction of the Reformation (I actually wasn't aware that the Reformation inspired destruction of anything other than blatantly Catholic symbols). Here's the official picture:

And here's the photo I took of the mirror set up for people to view it for themselves. Jesus is upside down.

Here is an unrelated, cool Tudor house.

Did you know the famous black-and-white scheme (visible on the left was a Victorian design? The original look was a contrast of cream/tan plaster with naturally dark oak framework. And the reason upper floors of most Tudor houses sag in the center (you can't really see it in these buildings, but on others it's very noticeable) is because oak gives over time. I had the opportunity to go upstairs in a Tudor house, and walking across the warped floor was really trippy.