Wednesday, 28th : Narrowboating, Stratford-upon-Avon.
A "Shakespeare day", visiting the four houses in Stratford — Hall's Croft (above) where Shakespeare's daughter Susanna lived with her husband Dr. John Hall, the site of Shakespeare's home at New Place, "the Birthplace" or John Shakespeare's house, and Anne Hathaway's Cottage, a short walk away in Shottery.
This is plain fare, to be sure, but as it happened one of the best and most memorable meals I had, of more-or-less uniformly excellent fare throughout the trip. This is the "Tudor Spiced Sausages and Mash" from the café at Hall's Croft — the sausages were not peppery-hot but rather full of herbs and flavorful spices, crisped to perfection, and perhaps the most delicious mashed potatoes I have ever had in my life — creamy and golden — slathered with caramelized-onion gravy. To finish off, we had a crumble with rhubarb from the garden at Anne Hathaway's Cottage, and lashings of local cream. Brilliant!
This drafty window is stopped up with bits of wool roving.
In the garden at New Place, the site of Shakespeare's long-gone house in Chapel Street.
There are water bowls for dogs pretty much everywhere — charming!
John Shakespeare's home in Henley Street.
The back garden at the Birthplace.
This guide was delighted to show off for me her blackworked cap!
Well-trodden steps at Anne Hathaway's cottage.
Thursday, 29th : Narrowboating.
Part of the "flight" or series of locks just east of Wilmcote. The land falls away rather dramatically here, necessitating locks one directly after another.
The canal is apparently rather silty lately, and we got stuck at one point, when we moored to let a succession of boats pass us coming down the flight as we went up. David obviously had this well in hand, as he simply grabbed the pole and manhandled the boat off as though born to it.
Utterly peaceful.
We saw this boat a number of times, each time to different effect as a new perspective was revealed. Note the teapot tiller pin!
Friday, 30th : Stonehenge.
A rather cold, windy day — perfect for the somber, mysterious Stonehenge. Even when the place is swarming with tourists, one somehow feels alone with its ancientness.
More about the rooks, crows, and jackdaws of Stonehenge here.
Saturday, 1st : "Mary Rose" at Portsmouth, Weald & Downland Living History Museum.
Figurehead of HMS "Warrior".
Probably most of the people exploring this the first iron-hulled warship were looking at its certainly-impressive military and sailing capabilities, but I must admit that I found the homely details more interesting!
Rigging lines on the "Warrior". It was too dark to take good photos of the "Mary Rose" but she is well-worth the visit, both as a technological marvel, the raising of her and the impressive museum built around her, and an historical treasure-trove.
Interior of the Toll House at the Weald & Downland Living Museum. I could have spent days here — I would live here if they let me!
Bayleaf, from the path approaching. This house is the sine qua non of the Weald & Downland for me, though of course everything is fascinating. But I have seen Bayleaf in photographs and television programs so often that it is the main reason I wanted to visit, and I spent much of my far-too-short afternoon exploring its nooks and crannies, touching everything because I could. Bliss.
Yes, the solar is "en suite". I suspect it required a leap of faith to use it, though, as you can see the ground on all sides some ten feet below, adding still more precariousness to one's already-precarious position.
In the furnished half of the 1860s-era laborers' cottages.
A Bluestocking Knits 
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