Umm so evidently there are buses, there are coaches and there are double-decker coaches. Our coach was the most top-heavy, gas-guzzling, ostentatious, behemoth of metallic black sheet metal I have ever seen. It is a miracle we didn't tip over. I liken the feeling to being on one of those Alaskan King Crab fishing boats (although I haven't actually experienced it) you see on "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel. That incessant rocking motion that tries (but ultimately fails) to make you sick. The interior was pretty typical except for one incredible detail: there were tables scattered about! Tables that had two rear-facing seats and two forward-facing. It was great fun and it definitely helped to pass the time.
Rainey, Alice and Steph!
Look at all the fun we're having
Now that fifteen seconds of your life has been wasted by reading about the coach we took to Stratford, I suppose it would be wise to mention some other parts of the journey.
With images of English sheep stuck in our heads, a video introduction to the Real World London complete and stomach cramps from laughing, we got off the bus and went in search of food.
Twelfth Night reference.. Thank you, high school English class....
After lunching, Rainey, Zach and Steph decided they were willing to fork over some Pounds to take a gander at the supposed home of Bill S. With "rental car" replaying over and over in our heads, (due to the rising cost of our Eurotrip 2010), Bri, Dave and I decided to keep our precious Pounds and stroll through the relatively monotonous town of Stratford. During said stroll, we spotted a rather massive Royal Shakespeare theatre, a shop of witchcraft and wizardology and a farmers market where I purchased some spotted dick!
A delicacy here in the good old U of K, spotted dick is a steamed suet pudding, usually served with currants or other dried fruits. Besides the brilliant name, I'm not totally against dried fruit and so I thought it would be wise to give it a shot. The result? Mehhh, at best. What is Mehh? Well, when the gracious lady that sold me the SD briefly explained the ingredients, I happily ignored the "suet" part of the equation to focus more on the "pudding" and "dried fruit."
mmm mmmmm goood
After a quick Wikipedia session, I discovered that "suet" is actually: "raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys. Suet has a melting point of between 45 and 50 degrees C, and congeals between 37 and 40." The buzzwords: "raw, beef, loins, kidneys and congeals" just made me vom a little. Delish. Awesome.
I boarded the bus with my spotted dick in-hand, ready to see a big, old and cold castle. This big hunk o' stone, otherwise known as Warwick Castle, was built by William the Conqueror in 1068. So it's old and considering Wal Mart has yet to decide a Supercenter + parking lot is a better option,it sits peacefully under the control of a lovely nonprofit. We had tickets that allowed us to explore the ins and outs, ups and downs (literally) of the grounds.
My flatmates, Zach and Dave
Ins and outs: The outside of the castle (look up) looks pretty typical. The walls are just like the ones we studied in 3-4 grade during the medieval unit at MV. Inside, however, I was really impressed by the attention to detail. Each room was open to the public, but instead of having very ornately-decorated rooms that were empty, they created life-like scenes with wax figures. Think Madame Tussaud's wax museum, except 49321 times better. It really helped bring the rooms to life and it gave you a vivid picture of what they were actually used for.
Ups and downs: What is the coolest part of a castle? The towers, of course! In order to better appreciate the view of the English countryside and have an excuse to climb 9384938 stairs, we decided it was a good idea to embark on the adventure up the (seemingly) never-ending winding staircase. Score. Each step was approximately 1/10th the size of my foot and, as a result, I had more than enough room to step safely (not). Thankfully, there was period-specific organic LED white lighting on the handrails to help guide us safely in the right direction. It was all worth it in the end as the view proved to be (not quite) breathtaking, but pretty impressive. The semi-gloom, coldish temperatures didn't help the countryside's cause to try and look beautiful for the pictures that I (didn't) take.
As if we couldn't experience anymore excitement, we caught a glimpse of a sign that simply said "peacock gardens." Awhhaaaaa? Peacocks?! Yes, indeedy, that sign was not lying.
Feast your eyes upon this BigMac of birds:
That is one plump peacock...
Post-peacock viewing, it was time for more eating at the Warwick Restaurant. We then jumped back on the bus for the trip home. To my delight, what came on the bus TV? Did you say Oceans 11? Only one of the greatest movies of all time. Incredible cast, never-ending humor and Brad Pitt manages to eat food in EVERY scene. Long day and good times. What else can I ask for?
One day trip down, one to go. This Saturday: Bath.
As always, many thanks to Zach, Bri and Steph for the use of some great pictures!
Cheers!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment