Afterward we had a guided tour of Stratford with a tour guide named Helen :-) She was great. It was my first time to Stratford. And although I am not a Shakespeare buff, I really loved the old architecture. I'm just amazed how homes made from timber, sticks, mud, manure & urine can last 500 years and bow dreadfully while still remaining functional (and safe!). My only disappointment was seeing a dozen shops I wanted to go in and a great market in the park by the river, but we had no time to split off and enjoy it. I guess I have to come back!
Most of this afternoon was spent on our trusty coach with our driver, Mick. We arrived early (a record) at the University of York. After checking into Franklin House we made our way over to "The Treehouse" for what was supposedly an informal dinner. It was casual in feel but the food looked like something out of a magazine.
The current joke in the group is that we will need a re-entry program to help us adjust to normal life. It is sort of nice being handed a flute of champagne when you enter dinner, not having to worry about where to go next, and having all of your details wrapped by with an overly competent guide. It is also refreshing to be constantly intellectually stimulated with no requirement for immediate output.
I do think at this point I am starting to get a bit tired, a bit homesick, and feeling like it all runs together. For this reason I am glad to have kept up the blog. I know the time will pass faster and faster and the returns on this investment of time will be lifelong. I want to make the most of it. We have 2 more weeks ahead.