And Now for a Culinary 180
Trip Start
Mar 27, 2006
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33
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Trip End
Jun 06, 2006
Rome, Swindon and Stratford Upon-Avon,
United Kingdom
Saturday, June 3, 2006
Five am and we were trying to catch the first Metro of the day. On our way to the station we crossed paths with some young women stumbling out of a car in the middle of the street. They were just getting in from their nights festivities, and it was clear Rome wouldn't be missing us as much as we would miss it. The big city carries on.
We shared the early train with the few poor souls who had to work on the holiday. There were some veterans and musicians getting ready for the parade on Via Imperiali. Once at Termini we had our last café and cornetti (more of a symbolic meal then a good one. Train station breakfasts are never that good.) before stumbling on the train to the airport with all the other Americani
a. Shakespear crossing
. Our airport experience was almost too easy. No hold ups to allow us to stay a little longer. We talked to some other travelers, drank our last spremuta d'arancia, and Gabe realized we were traveling back to a much louder part of the world (American business man behind us talking loudly about the value of his house in Austin and his new truck).
The flight was uneventful and to be quite honest a little sad. We were going to miss Italy but the full impact of these thoughts would be delayed as we would be visiting friends in England for the next few days.
Our arrival in London was successful and we were surprised to find that Alitalia actually delivered our bags this time. We were greated by our friend Cheri whom we hadn't seen in 6 years. We would be spending a few days with her and her family at their new home in Swindon. It was great to see her and we couldn't wait to meet and play with her kiddies. On the way to the car Gabe tried to get in the wrong side. Silly Canadian.
Cheri took us for a pub lunch and the cider was great
b. Shakespear's school
. We caught up on her news and were really glad to find her happy and healthy. Back at her lovely new home we visited with her partner Jared and met her adorably British children. Although they were a bit shy at first we were fast friends by the end of the weekend. Dinner was worth mentioning as Jared whipped up some Bangers and Mash for us (Linda McCartney's veggie bangers which were damn good). Saturday was our big outing to the birthplace of the great Bard, Stratford Upon-Avon. Truthfully, Shilo was really hip to visiting Stratford, but Gabe wasn't intrigued until Cheri told him there were signs everywhere telling you what Shakespear "did here." You know, born here, banked here, ate here, drank here, tripped here, peed in ally here, and passed out on bench here. Jared was a perfect guide as he attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford (at the same school Shakespear attended. He even sat at a desk with Shakespear's gum on the bottom).
Stratford is a cute tourist town with some beautiful parks along the Avon River.
A review- The Guild Chapel, Stratford
Shilo's thoughts- Jared's stories of school boy mischief during morning services at the church brought this distinctly British chapel to life, and I immediately could picture young boys in restrictive clothing making their best efforts to sing hymns
c. Having a row
. Gabe's thoughts- While just as old as many churches we had visiting in Italy the aesthetic was completely different. Wooden benches and stone arches create a very intimate space that is just dripping with history.
After seeing the sites we enjoyed a picnic lunch (which included some great English cheese) and prepared to hit the water. We rented a boat to do some proper rowing. Gabe and Jared manned two sets of oars and quickly set a new river speed record for a row boat filled with screaming squirming children (Cheri and Shilo, the kids were great). We stopped showing off after we overtook a boat with an outboard motor.
After we dropped Cheri, Jared and the kids off, we took the boat out for a spin by ourselves. We enjoyed the river's swans and spying on actors from the RSC smoking a fag on the Swan theatre's balcony overlooking the river (they were all dressed in gladiator gear as the matinee show was Julius Caesar). The moment of high excitement occurred when a motor boat rammed us. The bow of the killer boat was high in the air and the operator could see where she was going. We tried to steer around but the killer boat had a Canadian seeking bow. Right before we collided, Shilo tried to alert the rouge skipper of the impending doom by screaming "Ahoy!" This was a surprise to Gabe and every other person on the river. Everyone stopped to look at the first person in the last 500 years to seriously use the word Ahoy. Just then the bow hit and slid off of our humble craft. The red faced skipper was obviously shocked and in a very British way avoided eye contact while saying "sorry" in a low tone. We were luck to escape with our lives.
After some sandbox play and lollies (popsicles) everyone was pooped and we headed home to relax. That evening we enjoyed some proper East Indian food and some excellent British beer. After a wonderfully spicy meal Gabe forced everyone to participate in a spa evening. He had purchased an organic facial mask from Lush that claimed to rejuvenate the skin. It took a few beers before everyone (you know who you are) would participate. Once all of our faces were covered in the green goop everyone could really feel it working, perhaps it was the beer.
The next day chilling out was the order of the day. Feeling fresh faced (literally that mask from Lush works) we did some furniture shopping and spent the afternoon at Lydiard Park in Swindon. Corporate games were going on so we were treated to some free music making for a lovely day in the park.
We couldn't visit England without sampling Shilo's favorite commonwealth meal, Chips! For dinner we had some excellent chips with beans and few more beers. Jared introduced Gabe to the gastronomic excellence of the traditional "Chip Butty." A very British sandwich consisting of bread, butter, hot chips and a little brown sauce. Shilo opted out of the Chip butty and missed out on tasting perhaps England's greatest unknown export.
Our reunion with old friends couldn't have been nicer. Cheri and Jared were wonderful hosts and we would like to thank them for their impeccable hospitality during a busy time for them. We hope we can offer them the same experience at some point in the future.
"Cuddle" (English for hug, proper use "let's have a cuddle")
Shi and Gabe
