A Visit to Stratford-Upon-Avon

At the end of my parent's week-long visit, we drove 125 miles north, through the Cotswolds, to Stratford-Upon-Avon. Shortly after we arrived in Stratford, we attended the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It was an inventive, fresh, and funny performance. They performed on a thrust stage, with the audience surrounding the stage on three sides. Mom & Dad's seats were in the second row; they had quite a view. We stayed in a really beautiful Bed & Breakfast outside of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Here is the room D & I were given... with it's tower sitting room...and it's cute bathroom (note the faux-painted base to the tub!).... This was the view from our room. The couple who own the B&B were so gracious and lovely, and they fixed us a fantastic breakfast -- a great way to start our day of sightseeing. While in Stratford we visited the home where Shakespeare was born in 1564.While there, Dad met Helena and Hermia from "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Here they are wearing traditional clothing, whereas the actresses playing those parts in the production we had seen the night before were wearing modern Western clothing.Too bad we didn't run into his favorite character from the play, Bottom, or as Dad affectionately refers to him, "Ass-Head"! (Photo from the RSC web site.) After a stroll through Stratford and some shopping (here are D and Dad oh-so-patiently waiting outside of a store for Mom & me)... ...we had a tailgate party lunch in the parking lot.... (What? Doesn't everyone tailgate at historic sites?) and then toured the thatched cottage where Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, grew up. This side trip was a great end cap to my parents' visit; they flew back to the US the next day.