05/11/2022: Starting the day off in the classic British way, we made our way to the train station in the rain. Riding the train and navigating the stations was really fun! It reminded me of riding the subway in New York City. And when they say *MIND THE GAP* do it, because the space between the train and the platform is quite large. The train ride to Stratford Upon Avon was charming and very scenic. The lush English countryside was as pleasant as can be: boasting green landscapes and some very cute sheep. When we arrived in Stratford Upon Avon, I immediately felt like I was in a fairytale; but to be honest, I have felt that way for the last day or so (a major contributor being our visit to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.) The beginning of our Stratford adventure was gloomy and rainy, but everyone was in high spirits. Stratford is such a picturesque. Lining the streets there are loads of cute shops and red telephone booths, and every building looks like it is straight out of a storybook.

We had free time, and my group decided to go shopping! This was really interesting because we decided to go to a few thrift stores. Compared to the thrift store in Digbeth, the thrift stores in Stratford felt a lot less curated. Next, our group went to a few souvenir shops to pick up some classic English finds: tea, I love England t-shirts, and of course a bobblehead of the queen. Our morning culminated by enjoying a late lunch at a local pub. Funny enough, the name of the pub was the Boston Tea Party. The food was really tasty, and I got to try some coffee that had avocado in it (it sounds gross, but it was actually really good!)

At one o’clock our group met up at the Gower Monument, which is right along the Avon river. The Gower monument depicts a large statue of William Shakespeare, surrounded by some players from his iconic works such as Hamlet, Henry V, and Macbeth. We had a lovely tour with a tour guide, Tim. He shared with us the history of the city and the story of William Shakespeare and his life. Tim also quoted many a Shakespearean line, as he is quite the actor himself.

We learned that Avon means river, so Stratford Upon Avon means the street that fords the river. We walked all along the riverbank, visiting the famous Stratford Theatre, Holy Trinity church, and even the home of Shakespeare’s birth. The Holy Trinity church has a placid cemetery, which was actually very lovely. Recently, two trees were planted in the cemetery to honor Shakespeare’s children. The house where Shakespeare was born is located more in the city’s heart. This makes sense because Shakespeare’s father was in the leather business, so he could sell his goods right out of his home. The house itself was really ornate. It is one of the oldest standing thatched houses in the world, second only to Anne Hathaway’s home.

Tim shared with us that Shakespeare’s birthday and death day, although speculations are held to be on April 23rd. This is perfect because it is the same date as St. George’s day, who is the patron Saint of England. Shakespeare also wrote 37 plays and died at the age of 52. We then said goodbye to Tim. We also learned that Stratford’s public library was a gift from Andrew Carnegie -shout out to Pittsburgh! Fortunately, he will be our tour guide in Oxford, so we will get to see him again.

We had time after our tours, so we went shopping again. I went to a really cute Christmas-themed store and a tea shop. I won’t mention what I purchased here because they were gifts. Lastly, we finished off our time in Stratford by eating dinner at Edward Moon. Our food was delicious, but the highlight was definitely my dessert. I had Bonaffi Pie, which evidently is an English classic. It was simply delicious and the perfect way to end the evening.

I should mention that I am writing this blog on a train riding back to Birmingham. The view is beautiful. Tonight, a group has plans to go get ice cream- which I am very excited about! I can say confidently say that even though it’s only day 4, I can say that all of my classmates are now good friends. It’s hard to get us to stop laughing, and we are just having the best of times. This group of people are unlikely company, but there couldn’t be a better group of Pitt students I would want to traverse the UK with!