Week Fifteen: Adventures Through Space and Time

Hello Internet!
Last week was...something else. On Monday, right off the bat, I was struck hard by the realization that I don't have much time left in England. So, in an attempt to stave off the dread, I went for a walk around Sidney Gardens. Unfortunately, this initially served as a reminder of how much I'll be leaving behind when I fly home. But on the bright side, the beauty and tranquility of the gardens gave me time to reflect on and brace myself for the semester's end, and eventually managed to lift my mood.

Sidney Gardens

The next morning, I woke up early to board a bus to Stratford-Upon-Avon with my fellow ASE program participants. Stratford-Upon-Avon (which I will henceforth refer to as Stratford) is known across the world due to its status as Shakespeare's birthplace. Though the town was small and quiet, with a population of only 20,000, it offered some truly unique experiences and opportunities.

Stratford-Upon-Avon in the Morning

After arriving in Stratford, having a quick debriefing session about our schedule, and wrestling our luggage into our hotel rooms, my peers and I were given some time to grab lunch and roam around the town. I decided to go for a wander along the banks of the River Avon, which runs along the edge of the Stratford city center. The river itself was gorgeous, though the waterfowl that lived in it were intimidating, to say the least. Fortunately, I survived the ferocious geese and ducks and made it back to the ASE rendezvous point on time.

Once the entire ASE program had assembled, we were taken on a brief guided tour of Stratford that ended at Shakespeare's birthplace. The building and the grounds were very pretty and it was easy to sense the weight of the history that they held. The house was decorated to look as it would have during Shakespeare's time and even contained the original sign from the pub that Shakespeare's daughter ran. In addition, the grounds had two actors in period costume who acted out a few scenes from Shakespeare's plays, which was super cool to watch.

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Later that night, my peers and I went to the Swan Theatre to see A Museum in Baghdad, a rather unusual play about The Iraq Museum. As a historical fiction piece, A Museum in Baghdad follows the narratives of Gertrude Bell, the woman who opened the museum in 1926, and Ghalia Hussein, a fictional woman attempting to reopen the museum in 2006. These stories overlap each other often, and at times, the two characters were speaking the exact same words at the same time. The play was interesting, especially the parts that focused on Iraqi history, but it was also just a little too out-there for me. Though the ending was visually super neat, it didn't make much sense to me, and it felt like the characters' narratives weren't wrapped up well. That being said, overall it was very fun to watch.

On Wednesday, my peers and I went to a debriefing/academic discussion about the play, then hiked out to Anne Hathaway's House. For those of you who don't know, Anne Hathaway was William Shakespeare's husband. When she married him, she left her family's house to live with him and their children in the house where he was born, and I would just like to say that this was a downgrade. Details of William and Anne's personal life aside, Anne's childhood home is much, much prettier than her husband's. The grounds, which were recreated to look like they would have when Anne lived there, were lovely, and the house itself was snug and charming. The surrounding countryside and the path to the Stratford city center were also gorgeous.

Anne Hathaway's House

After exploring Anne Hathaway's House, my roommate and I went to Holy Trinity Church to see Shakespeare's grave. The grave, like most I've seen during my time in England, was relatively humble, as were the graves for Shakespeare's wife and children that were nearby. Still, something about the simplicity of it took my breath away for a moment. Standing inside a medieval church, mere feet away from where Shakespeare is buried, made me realize just how far I've wandered from small-town America and how darn lucky I am to have come that far.

Holy Trinity Church

When we had finished paying our respects, my roommate and I parted ways and I headed up to the city center, where I stopped at Magic Alley. This quirky little niche shop had souvenirs for nearly every fandom imaginable and I had to pull myself away before I spent all my food money for the week. I made a quick detour to check out the Stratford Living Advent Calendar, which featured a harp player and a flutist on that particular evening, then headed back to the Swan Theatre to see Shakespeare's King John.

King John is one of Shakespeare's least performed plays, as many people tend to think of it as a boring, convoluted historical account. The version of the play that I saw, however, was amazing. It began with the king sauntering on stage in his pajamas to drink a Bloody Mary, then escalated to an onstage boxing match and, later, a food fight where my roommate got hit in the chest with a flying roll. Though the second half was much more somber, it culminated in a disgustingly realistic death scene where the king writhed and coughed blood in a bathtub. The play was vibrant, visceral, and honestly, a lot of fun. It had me leaning forward on the edge of my seat, jaw literally hanging open, which not every performance can do. It was an experience that I suspect I will remember for the rest of my life.

Speaking of moments that I will remember forever, the next day my peers and I took a trip to the nearby Warwick Castle. This was, hands-down, the best experience I've had while in England, and I'd even say it makes the top-10 list of Best Experiences in my Entire Life. I'm not exaggerating.

Warwick Castle, All Decked Out for Christmas

My time at the castle was fantastic for several reasons. First of all, last year, my friends and I took part in a 14th century reenactment where we pretended to be soldiers serving under Thomas Beauchamp, the Earl of Warwick. Therefore, visiting the castle felt like stepping directly into a world of make-believe. I was treading paths that I had only pretended to walk before, and that was an insanely cool feeling. Secondly, the castle itself was stunning. Guy's Tower, which was built in 1395, provided a fantastic view of the general castle and the surrounding area, including a field where the Templar Knights used to train. The medieval history exhibit under the battlements was super interesting, and the Great Hall had more weapons and suits of armor than I've ever seen in my life. It was a medieval nerd's dream come true.

The Great Hall's Armor Display

Lastly, and most importantly, the castle was incredibly interactive. For example, my friends and I went through the Time Tower, where we learned about the history of the castle and were startled into bolting up a set of stairs by an animated knight. The most exhilarating part was where I was nearly trapped against a turnstile by a closing door--thankfully, my friends yanked me inside just in time. In addition, I got to try on a helmet in the castle's armory, which helped fix the armor craving I've had since coming to England. But all this paled in comparison to the fact that a castle worker let me hold one of the Great Hall's display swords. I don't really have the words to describe how that experience made me feel, so I'm going to let this picture do the talking:

(Bonus Pic: Me Wearing a 15th Century Helmet)

I could've spent days wandering around the castle, but in a matter of hours, the ASE advisors were herding me onto the bus back to Stratford. Back in Stratford, I went to a pub with my friends and had a delicious dinner of sausages and mash, then headed to the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre to see The Boy in the Dress.

The Boy in the Dress was the first and only musical that we saw in Stratford and, unsurprisingly, it was pretty great. Quite simply, it tells the story of a boy named Dennis who is expelled from his school for wearing a dress but is reinstated after his teammates and father stand up for him. The musical was heartfelt and funny, and the songs had me half out of my seat at times, dancing and clapping along. All in all, it was a wonderfully fun way to end the ASE Stratford residential.

Friday found my friends and me back in Bath, where we decided to get together for a long-awaited game of Dungeons and Dragons. It was an absolute blast, not least because my dice rolled absurdly well for the majority of the session. Good company, good food, and good storytelling made for a truly excellent evening.

On Saturday--because I evidently hadn't had my fill of adventure during the week--I decided to take a trip to Cardiff, the capital of Wales. My first stop of the day was Cardiff Castle, an old Norman keep surrounded by replica Roman walls. The castle was a bit difficult to navigate, but the battlements offered a nice view of the city and the keep itself was cool, especially given that it had a moat. It was no Warwick Castle, but it was definitely a worthwhile stop (since it was, you know, a castle).

The Keep in Cardiff Castle

After touring around the castle for a few hours, I hiked across the city to Roal Dahl Plass. The Plass was what had inspired me to visit Cardiff in the first place because, as all Doctor Who fans know, it's supposedly home to a rift in time and space. Though I hung around the Plass for several long minutes, I saw no sign of the TARDIS, which was rather disappointing. On the bright side, I got some lovely pictures of The Millenium Center, The Water Tower (aka the entrance to Torchwood), and the nearby bay.

The Bay

The Entrance to Torchwood!!

Once I'd had my fill of the Plass, I hiked back to the city center and wandered around the Cardiff Christmas Market before catching a bus to St. Fagan's National Museum of History. The Museum might classify as the most interesting part of my week, and that's saying something. St. Fagan's is a huge living history village in the middle of the Welsh countryside, and it's filled with replicas of buildings ranging from the Iron Age to the 1800s. Though it was too cold and damp for the buildings to be inhabited by reenactors like they usually are, the buildings themselves were still open to the public. I had a great time wandering around the Welsh forest and exploring a 13th century prince's house, a 16th century palace, and an 18th century barn, amongst other things. But all too soon, I had to catch my bus back to Cardiff so I could catch my train back to Bath.

Selfie in the Tree Tunnel

St. Fagan's Castle

So, to sum up: my week had me exploring eras from the Normans to the Victorians and places from central England to the Wales countryside to a fantasy world where friendship is the ultimate solution. In a matter of seven days, I adventured across time and space, and I absolutely loved it.

Thanks for reading!

Abby

Artsy Picture of the Day: The River Avon in Stratford