Today started early as we had to have our suitcases in the hall outside our room by 6:30. We had breakfast and joined our group at 7:30. Our group was a real mix of people, with some being our kids age traveling single on Holiday from Australia, several somewhere in their 50s, and some in our age range and older. All seemed pleasant, enthused and with great senses of humor. We seemed to laugh more each day. It wasn't long before we were making new friends and forming a community. Our tour guide, Henry from Ireland, was so knowledgeable and funny. I kept feeling like I knew him and decided he really made me think of my brother, Gary.
We quickly decided that we had made the right decision to take this tour. Our guide was a wonderful story teller who made history come alive. We stopped often and learned a lot. Our first stop after passing through quaint residential areas was Hampton Court Palace where we learned about Henry the XIII. What a story! We walked through the beautiful gardens. The huge trees, lush grass and colorful flowers were fabulous. I loved the feel of it all.
We drove through the English countryside with lush, rolling hills, sheep and horses.
We went past Windsor castle, but I couldn't get a picture. Our next stop was Oxford. (We thought of you Becky & Kevin.) All I could think was Harry Potter streets and then found out some of it was actually filmed there.
Oxford Street.
We wandered the streets and got coffee, cheese and baklava at a covered market.
Our tour guide also talked a lot about World War II and played some music from that time. It made me misty.
Our last stops were at Anne Hathaway's (Shakespeare's wife) Cottage (with Gardens and a Thatched Roof)
and then at Stafford on the Avon (river) to see Shakespeare's birth place and monument. The town was quaint and beautiful.
We checked into a great hotel where we had a lovely dinner and hung around with two Australian couples. Good times. Good first night.
