Chapter 6
Hi everyone,
Did you guess where we are heading off to today? “To
be or not to be” comes from the famous play “Hamlet”
by the great British playwright William Shakespeare. So
we are going to Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was
born.
The town gets its name from the fact that it lies on the
banks of the river Avon. It attracts thousands of tourists
who are eager to learn more about the life of Shake-
speare.
Russie and I arrive early and try to find the Information
Centre. Our task proves to be quite easy because there
are “diamonds” on the pavement which show us the
right way to go. At the centre we buy tickets for the Hop-
on/Hope-off Sightseeing bus, which will take us around.
Right, we are on the bus and off to Shakespeare’s birth-
place, which is situated in the centre of town. His par-
ents were quite wealthy and they owned the biggest
house on the street. It is a Tudor building surrounded by
a beautiful garden.
It is believed that Shakespeare was born here in 1564
and he spent his childhood in this house. We can see a
lot of people dressed in costumes from the 16th century
and I feel as if I’m back in time whilst a tour guide tells
us about the playwright’s early years and family life. I
get distracted by people chattering and when I look
around I see a group of students in a small room where
they are being taught about Shakespeare’s life and
work.
The next place we have planned to visit is Anne
Hathaway´s cottage. This is a very picturesque Tudor
farmhouse where Shakespeare´s wife Anne spent her
childhood. It is set in lovely surroundings and the fra-
grance of the flowers in the garden take me back home,
which makes me feel a little homesick. I miss my family
and decide to give them a call in the evening and tell
them about my latest adventures in England.
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