Alexa, play “when the party’s over” by Billie Eilish.
Like I said, I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience in London. However, I could have definitely asked for less heavy eyelids and less body aches.
We left the hotel early today to depart for Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of William Shakespeare. I suppose the lessons from my literature teachers about Hamlet and Julius Caesar will come in handy after all.
But first, a stop at Windsor Castle.
I slept away the aches on the way to Windsor, and the fresh air of the small town refreshed me as the breathtaking view of the castle awaited us. A guide took us around the block to explain the history and attractions of Windsor before he left us at the start of the State Apartments to go on at our own pace through the open sections of the castle and chapel, which we were unfortunately not permitted to take photos of while inside.
After the castle visit, a two-hour drive to Stratford turned to nearly three hours due to traffic, but I didn’t mind. I originally sat in the very back of the coach between Lexi and Emma, but I moved to the floor and made myself comfortable with a jacket pillow and enjoyed a lovely nap – until Lexi slipped off the seat and fell on my legs when the coach made an abrupt stop. Then I woke up to a messy-haired, confused Lexi on top of my legs which was quite hilarious.
We arrived and checked into the hotel around 6 p.m. and met for a group meeting shortly after bringing our luggage to our rooms to reflect on our time here so far. Battenhall seemed to take the cake as everyone’s favorite alongside Hearst, followed by Jason’s lecture and then BCW.
We ate a group dinner at Old Thatch Tavern near the hotel that included a salad, porkchops with carrots, cauliflower and a potato, all smothered in gravy, and a sweet treat of ice cream came out for dessert.
Since Thursday night served as our wild night, the same group who took on the streets of London the night before stayed in our hotel rooms tonight to treat ourselves to a face mask.