Road-trip!

Because of Michael's accident, we've modified some of our plans include things more touristy, less athletic and more adept to wheel chair access. Bletchley Park and Stratford-Upon-Avon are the first on the list. Mileage wise, it's only about a 400 mile round trip. After driving 1700 miles from Denver to Seattle, it seemed totally doable! I can now say, however, driving in the UK is a terrifying and miserable experience, at least for an American driver! Between the round abuts, navigating, learning the road signs, and looking for signs and signals on the left it's a total nightmare! We managed to make it though.

Bleachley Park Mansion, chosen for it's proximity 
to London without bringing attention to itself as 
an important war time intelligence location.

Bletchley Park located in the midlands about 45 miles from London was our first stop on May 24, 2016. It was a pivotal site during WWII for Britain's code-breakers. This was the precursor to the information age as unique data processing machines were created here. You might have seen the movie, The Imitation Game that goes into some detail about the life of Alan Turing, a brilliant mathematician who was a pioneer in computer science, cryptography, and artificial intelligence. Sadly, because homosexuality was illegal in the UK at this time, he was tried and convicted of homosexual behavior and ultimately committed suicide. Work done at Bletchley Park is purported to have shortened the war by two years.

May 25 was Michael's birthday and this year it was a full day of sightseeing. After spending the day exploring Bletchley Park we drove the 56 miles to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the home of William Shakespeare. We had tickets for Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Theater that evening. We arrived in Statford around rush hour and struggled to find the theater. We finally parked the car and had no trouble finding the theater on foot/wheels right along the River Avon. After collecting the tickets from the box office, we went across the street for a fish and chips dinner. As soon as we placed the order we noticed we only had 15 minutes to eat and get to our seats! Fortunately, the order came out quickly so we wolfed down the food, put Michael into the wheel chair and I ran us back across the street and into our seats where we arrived with just enough time to see the opening! This version of Hamlet was non-traditional and totally excellent! It had an African theme including actors and costumes. I hear it's being made into a film so if it comes to a theater near you, definitely go see it!

Shakespeare's birthplace

Anne Hathaway's Family home,
Shakespeare's wife

The next day we explored Stratford-Upon-Avon, visiting Anne Hathaway's home, Shakespeare's wife, and then to his birthplace. Their wedding was fraught with problems. Because William was a minor at only 18 he required his father's permission to wed Anne then 26 and to avoid scandal, it was important the wedding take place before Ann's pregnancy became too obvious. It all worked out, however, and she was the inspiration for many of his love sonnets and plays. We walked the town and along the River Avon enjoying the lovely weather and idyllic environment! It's not a wonder he took inspiration from this lovely pastoral place!

Powis Castle near Welshpool

To break up the drive back to Holywell, we made a visit to Powis Castle located near the border of Wales and England near Welshpool. Most Welsh castles were built by the English to subdue the Welsh. Powis, however, was originally the fortress of a dynasty of Welsh princes. The castle has a grand history but, to me, the two things that really stand out about this property are the terraced gardens and the collection of Indian artifacts collected by Clive of India. These artifacts date back to a romantic time in India before the affect of western influence. Everything from bejeweled animal heads, swords, and suits of armor, to dresses, and jewels. What a collection! I had a pang that it should be returned to India, but on the other hand, it's well cared for by the UK National Trust so who am I to say? I'm quite grateful to have seen the collection!

Even though it's not exactly what we had planned, what a fantastic trip so far! More to follow!