Oh the beauty of Stratford-upon-Avon. I wish I had more than just an afternoon to explore this small town and do as much sight seeing as possible. It felt similar to Windsor in the fact that it is much smaller than London and has a lot more land and nature to take in. Of course, the thing that sets Stratford apart from the other small towns is one man in particular, if you believe in his existence at all, and that man is the playwright Sir William Shakespeare. As a long time fan of his work, I was really looking forward to seeing the same buildings he would have seen and walking in the places he would’ve walked. (Okay, maybe that’s pushing it, but you catch my drift.)
Our tour guide, Vicky, opened her discussion by coming straightforward and informing us that there is much that is not known about Shakespeare. There are some who believe Shakespeare was just a pen name for a different playwright or that many men wrote under one name to produce so many works. Others, like myself, like to believe in the idea that there was one true Shakespeare that walked around Stratford and wrote many plays and sonnets. No matter which option you choose to believe, there is no denying that this town brings Shakespeare and his work to life.
I enjoyed walking through Shakespeare’s home, passing buildings he would’ve frequented during his time in Stratford, and eating lunch in a small, but cute cafe. After exploring the town for a few hours, we boarded the bus yet again in pursuit of our next destination. This time we were headed to Liverpool, another city home to famous artist(s), only these artists were musicians – The Beatles!
Upon arrival, we freshened up for dinner and made the forty five minute hike to Grilla, a Greek restaurant. It probably wasn’t such a bad thing that the walk was so long because I cannot even begin to describe how much food we consumed (nor would I like to). We have had some seriously delicious meals on this trip, but nothing has compared, or is likely to compare, to that of Grilla in Liverpool. I was very impressed by the quality and size of our portions and need to make a note to try to find a restaurant even remotely close to this back home.
With a full stomach and gorgeous view from my hotel room, I can honestly say that I thought I would like Liverpool the least of all the cities and towns we have/will visit, but currently it is ranked as my favorite. It offers the city atmosphere while also relaying a calming feeling because of the nearby river. I guarantee I will sleep good tonight.