Stratford Upon Avon

It always sounded so romantic to me, and it turned out to be just as beautiful as I thought it would be. The whole Shakespeare aura pervades the place, in spite of the tourists. The high street has been blocked to cars, so people wander in and out of shops without fear of being run over. We saw Shakespeare's birthplace right in the middle of the town and it's easy to image him there as a young man, walking these same streets.

The riverbanks of the Avon were crowded with people, enjoying a Sunday afternoon, having picnics, feeding the geese and swans, soaking up the sun. Street performers had the crowds laughing at their antics. After heavy rains and flooding, the river itself was brimming full so much that the long boats were stuck where they were, unable to get under the bridges.