Thursday May 15th, we spent the day out at Stratford upon Avon. Leaving the hotel, we were all worried because the morning was quite chilly and it felt like rain. We made our way to Moor Station and hopped on a train! When we arrived in Stratford the group right away grabbed something warm to drink; I grabbed my usual iced matcha and shivered while enjoying my cup. Our cheery tour guide, Tim, met us at the statue of William Shakespeare in town. Right away I knew that this was going to be a wonderful day. Tim was so lovely and very enthused about Shakespeare and all things Stratford upon Avon. We started our walk by crossing the bridge and seeing an original buggy that was used around the 1500s.  After we went to the Holy Trinity church where Shakespeare was baptized, worked at and buried alongside his wife. The church was a very typical Catholic Church build because originally it was, and then it converted to a parish church. Tim walked us around the church and explained the layout to us all. After leaving the church we stopped by the grammar school where Shakespeare went. It was a small little building, and although we couldn’t actually go in, I looked inside and saw a small room from which he apparently learned.  

After stopping at the schoolhouse we were given free time to grab some lunch and do a little bit of exploring by ourselves. As a group we all went to the Dirty Duck restaurant, which was adjacent to the theatre. There I had a delicious burger with a side of chips. Most of the group got Mac n cheese and after seeing them receive it, I started doubting my choice. In the end I think I made the right decision because I can’t stop thinking about that burger now that we have made it back to Birmingham. Post lunch, we walked through the streets in search of the charity shops and on the way, we stopped in Poundland. There we found so many kinds of chocolates and sweets for very cheap! We all stocked up to take home chocolates for our families and loved ones. We did end up making it to a few charity shops before we needed to be back, so I am content with our free time. I found a beautiful silk handkerchief that I am thrilled about. At the end of our day, we did a walking tour of the Birth Place of Williams Shakespeare. It was so intriguing to walk through the very same house that his father built and raised his family in. The old wood squeaked with every step, yet everything was so secure. We are ending our night with a quick dinner and then heading out to Lane7 again but this time as a group. I am really looking forward for the walk through that we will be going on tomorrow.