~~Just to Let You Know~~

I am going to be away (again) from the internet for quite possibly until M joins me over in the USA. which from the looks of it, could be around Christmastime.

I have found what looks like some decent job (and plentiful) opportunities for M and me, as well as possible college/Uni's that I/we could attend, near some friends of ours down in the middle of Missouri. This is a huge step, so please wish us luck.

Remember that I loves ya all my 3 blog readers, and that I'll be seeing ya soon. I'll be sure to make an entry at your blogs as soon as I have internet again. Perhaps I will visit the local library. Good luck with your lives until then.

Love,
Lizz

P.S. There are lots of cool wild lizards in the area that we are relocating. ahhh Lizzard Heaven!

Warwick Castle

Shakespeare's birthplace

This was the childhood home of William. The walls have painted cloths on it very much like handpainted wallpaper. The house has been furnished authentically and has real and replica items. His father was a glove maker and a very successful one at that. He would have the equivalent of $2,000,000.00 in today's US money, so he could have paid for Will's education.

I love the back window facing the garden that is on the second floor. To me that would have been what was in Willie's mind when he was writing Romeo and Juliet's balcony and garden scene. i wanted to act it out, but the windows were shut and I think M was too sore and tired to act out the scene anyways.

The very next day, M and his Mum and I went back to Stratford to see Patrick Stewart (AKA Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise) play Prospero in "The Tempest". Here is what the Royal Shakespeare Company's flyer blurb has to say. "Shakespeare's magical last play - his poignant farewell to the stage - has love, tragedy, and comedy combined in equal measure. The usurped Prospero draws his enemies to an enchanted island to exact his revenge, yet ultimately finds peace and the ability to forgive." Patrick was excellent as one would expect, however Julian Bleach, the man that played the spirit Ariel, was the creepy coolness that upstaged Pat with his talent. Creepy Ariel--I loved it!

This was one of the highlights to the trip this year. I got to have a full Shakespearean experience, and I thought that I liked the Bard before, but now I love him!

Unfortunately this will be the last time that I visit as it seems that everytime that I go to Stratford, terrorist things happen. 7-7-05 the London bombings--M and I were in stratford that day. This year we get back from, and then are going back on 10th Aug and there is a terrorist plot uncovered to blow up planes to the US while they are over the atlantic---talk about scaring the s**t outta me! So we vowed not to take me back there, and that is fine.

Mary Arden's farm

This is where i really don't have any pictures to show you because M has them. This is where his favorite part is-- the "Heart of England Falconry" They fly owls and hawks and falcons--Oh My! and they have classes on how to hunt with and to care for birds of prey. M was like a little boy in a candy store. We didn't get into the lessons, however M did get to fly and feed a HUGE owl. Enraptured is most definately the word!

Mary Arden was Shakespeare's mother, and the farm place was a working farm up until the 1970s. The tour of the home was fantastic, however there was no picture taking allowed. It was a tudor style home but with 19th century furniture as that is what was there when the last occupent left in the 1970's.

a real post :) finally!

I had a fabulous time in England! M always makes it wonderful for me, both just staying in his flat and going out and playing tourist.

We went to Birmingham, to the city centre, or downtown area and we took pictures. We went in places, such as a church, that is older than the USA. I love the old archetecture and could have spent hours just laying in the middle of the floor noticing all the details. There were garoyles and faces carved out of the stone pillars and the window frames. There were beautiful windows, and one was saved right before a bombing during WWII. We went to a catholic church next and I don't think that I have ever seen so much goldleafing in one place before-was a bit gawdy (Ha! pun intended!)


We then went to a nice downstairs pub for a pub lunch and a pint. I fell in love with Guiness Draught Cold-one pint went quickly and I was tipsy. I had fish and chips as per my usual :) I think that the pub building was also older than the USA judging by the beams and construction.

That is one thing that I both like and worry about, that a lot of their listed or historical buildings are still being used today rather than being an empty museum piece. I worry about the wear and tear done to the building, however as a greedy American tourist, I love that they are still open and that I don't have to pay to get in them.

M had to work a few of the days that I was there, so I would sit on the top deck of the double decker and take pictures and play tourist (I would also go down and make out with my favorite busdriver whilst he was on his breaks, LOL, M and I would give the closed circuit cameras something to watch---oh so naughty we were!)

We went to Stratford-upon-Avon again. For those of you who don't know your English Lit and it's history, that is where William Shakespeare was born, and was married. We went around on a tour bus to 3 of the main historical sites. Last year we tried to cram in as many as we could in less than half the time we had this year. We opted to slow it down this year, mosey around and enjoy the sites.

First stop was Anne Hathaway's cottage.






This was the childhood home of Shakespeare's wife and courted her here. She was 26 years old and he just 18 when they married. The Shakespeares never lived here, nor was it ever Anne's farm house, her decendants were smart in knowing that tourists coming to Stratford would want to see anything still surviving that was related to Shakespeare himself. It was renamed Anne Hathaway's cottage to play on the quiantness of the house and farm. The Gardens are BEAUTIFUL and a horticulturalist's dream, and a gardener's nightmare, LOL!

I am going to end this entry and start the next at Mary Arden's Farm.