castles & adventures

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep" The Tempest, William Shakespeare

And just like that I achieved another two ticks on my bucket list in just over two days; Stratford-Upon-Avon & Warwick Castle. Growing up I surrounded myself with classic literature, especially the fantastical kind, rarely the romantic, and Shakespeare has always been at the top of my list. Each tale and poem I’ve studied/watched has been observed as a project and I never skim over them. I’ve not read all his works but for me Shakespeare is a work-in-progress, a life-long project, just like the Bible. 

Romeo & Juliet is an ever-present tale, but for me my first exposure to Shakespeare was a production of Hamlet in primary school. I remember being sucked into the drama of the young prince being haunted by a ghost and, especially during the winter months when it would be grey and overcast, I’d be peeking from behind trees to try and catch a ghost running around the playground.

My next Shakespearian experience came during drama class in secondary school when we studied The Tempest. The idea of shipwrecks fed my love for all things pirate and tales from Greek mythology, but there was also a fair maiden, Miranda, to remind me I could still be a princess. In The Tempest I saw all my personalities rolled into one story.

"I wanted to make sure we did activities that we’d both love"

My love for literature continued into college which I studied as an A-Level. I was lucky enough to watch Othello at the theatre whilst studying it at the same time and back then comedy legend Lenny Henry played Othello. Being Cypriot myself I found it fascinating how a Shakespearean play took place in Cyprus! Not Greece, not Italy, nor Egypt, but it was based on my own little island. Need I say more about my excitement? Side note: My favourite Shakespearean curse word comes from Othello, "figs ends!’’ 

You can understand why visiting Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare, has always been on my bucket list. The journey didn’t begin there though! These three days of holiday were for mine and hubby’s anniversary so I wanted to make sure we did activities that we’d both love. On the drive up from London we stopped off at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon first. My husband is OBSESSED with cars and I myself with vintage cars, so this was a good kick-start for our celebrations. 

I’ve been to vintage car exhibitions before and when I worked in South Kensington, London, an affluent area, my evening walks were focused around finding vintage and expensive cars. Passing the Lamborghini and Maserati showrooms every morning wasn’t enough.

The British Motor Museum is funded by Jaguar and Land Rover so there are a lot of their products but there were many other British and American manufacturers too. There are also cultural hits such as the Only Fools and Horses van, Thunderbirds’ Lady Penelope’s car and Back To The Future’s DeLorean. The collections are spread over two buildings, one holding over 100 cars, as well as a garage where you can watch mechanics working on restoring cars. If you’re a car lover it is definitely worth the visit! I’d always noticed the road signs on my way up to Birmingham visiting family and never got to go as a child, so this was another goal achieved for young Rhéa.

Stratford-Upon-Avon was only a half hour drive from the museum so we had checked in by early evening, had a little rest, and then took a walk around to get our bearings of our home for just over 24 hours. We stayed at MacDonald Alveston Manor Hotel which is literally just a walk over the bridge away from the centre of town. Whilst eating dinner on one of the nights, I overheard the owner of the restaurant chatting with another tourist and they said that the Alveston was the best hotel in the area. I can’t deny that for the price, what you get and the location it was brilliant. My only qualm was when I turned the shower on; it had clearly not been used for a while, so standing there naked with orange water coming through was not ideal. If you’re someone who doesn’t know that that’s a sign of not being used for ages I can understand how it would freak you out but it was no bother for me really.

Our first full day began with breakfast at one of the local cafes, full English of course. This was just round the corner from Shakespeare’s birthplace which meant we managed to catch the next entry slot within ten minutes of booking. I was impressed at how fast I was able to buy tickets without any waiting time because I simply scanned the QR code on their notice board and voila, I had two tickets and didn’t queue at all.

The curators are volunteers but very, very knowledgeable on Shakespeare’s life and upbringing, as well as the history of the house before he was born, including after he married Anne Hathaway and moved out. A lot of the furniture were replicas but, as the curators pointed out, anything dark wood is original and there was still plenty of originals! What made an impression on me the most was the height of the ceilings funnily enough. Old houses in England always have low ceilings, unlike the grand manors and castles, and for us tall people it’s uncomfortable but I didn’t crouch once.

Whilst paying for our items at the gift shop I overheard one of the staff inform the teller that Anne Hathaway’s home had been closed and would be for the rest of the day (I didn’t hear why.) That cancelled our next trip so instead we decided to visit the butterfly sanctuary, stopping off at the ferris wheel first. Let’s just say I didn’t realise my husband was afraid of heights…I got a bit weak kneed myself but I managed to ignore it and enjoy the ride.

Nature got her revenge on me though, because I never realised I was afraid of butterflies! I was so excited to visit the sanctuary but when I saw more butterflies than I could count, some the size of my hand coming towards my face, I completely lost it. My body was twitching in weird ways, I was making odd noises and when I found a wall I could rest up against without being attacked I stood there for as long as possible. My husband however was in his element. 

"Breakdown number two ensued and I’d never been so happy to see a snake in my life in the other room!"

I really wish I enjoyed the butterflies more because, as much as I was crapping myself, it was very obvious how happy the animals were and how well they were flourishing in that environment. It would’ve been nice to embrace that moment for a longer. I thought I managed to find some respite when I walked into a room with bugs behind glass windows and away from my face, but my eyes followed a rope ants were climbing and as I looked further up I saw the ceiling was full of ropes with the ants walking up and down in open air! Breakdown number two ensued and I’d never been so happy to see a snake in my life in the other room! 

This sanctuary doesn’t hold just butterflies but other animals too, the main focus being the butterflies. I know I spent most of it with my hairs on end and drinking a well earned cold drink in the gift shop whilst waiting for my husband, but I did still enjoy it and it’s now become something to laugh over.

It was evening by the time we took a quick break back at the hotel and freshened up ready for dinner - it was a hot day. Businesses close early so it wasn’t a usual stay out until midnight vibe that we usually do whilst on holiday, but as it’s such a small place you kind of forgive yourself for being back at the hotel early. Cinderella definitely wouldn’t have turned into a pumpkin in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Our last day took us to Warwick Castle. As a child I never really knew the history of the castle except a road sign I saw on the motorway. Historical or not, any castle interests me so it has always been on my list. I first learned of the Earl of Warwick - the Kingmaker -  whilst watching the TV show The White Queen, inspired by the book series written by Philippa Gregory. The show covers the War of the Roses: mainly Elizabeth Woodville and the Earl of Warwick is one of her nemesis. It’s because of this series that the real historical events of the War of the Roses have become one of my most favourite periods in English history and how one man can have that much power is not only amazing for back then, but very relatable to the kind of powerful male figures in the world today.

"this island has also been colonised by the Saxons, Vikings and Romans but what about the original natives, such as the Druids?"

I found parking online not far from the town centre, which is also directly below the castle, so everything was very accessible. Everything about the layout of the town draws you towards the castle and ensures accessibility but it was a shame to see a lot of shops were closed and for sale. The cost of living crisis for businesses was very clear. I do feel sorry for England when it comes to tourism because apart from London, other attractions rarely get the kind of numbers going through then compared to the capital. Being Greek and seeing how well spread tourists are during peak seasons  - there are struggles there too, don’t get me wrong - I do wish there was similar attention given to sites around England. England does have a rich history outside of the British Empire and colonisation; this island has also been colonised by the Saxons, Vikings and Romans but what about the original natives, such as the Druids?

After a quick stop off at Greggs for breakfast and a stock up on snacks, we headed to the Castle which exceeded my expectations. I found out afterwards that it is now owned by Madame Tussauds which explains why it’s very well curated, exhibited and interactive. It’s very energetic in drawing children - they were everywhere having fun - but also excellent at catching our more mature and adult attention spans. 

Each room has its own way of explaining the castle’s history and important events that happened in each space through audio, visual and wax dolls - which I became a little obsessed over. Inside and outside there were events and shows taking place throughout the duration of our visit. Whilst up high exploring one of the lookouts, down below we could see a mock battle happening. For the first time we got to see a trebuchet in action which was special because we didn’t think they were actually going to use them and that they were just for show. It’s simple warfare compared to what exists today but you can imagine the type of destruction and impression that would’ve been caused back then.

Overall we were very impressed with the castle and young Rhéa who used to pretend she lived and fought in a medieval castle definitely came alive, this time through my excitement in taking photos. I did hold up quite a few people to get the shots I wanted but I really didn’t care. Better to have people avidly interested in these places than not at all right?

It was a short but fulfilling weekend break. Our initial plan was a two week break abroad but this was definitely celebratory enough for our anniversary. We even managed to eat a t-bone steak feast one evening which has kind of become a tradition for us now - the last one being in Venice. This weekend has been a reminder that you don’t have to go abroad to feel like you’ve had a holiday and that sometimes looking closer to home can be just as satisfactory, if anything better than the whole drama that comes with preparing for a flight. Hopefully I get to do short but sweet trips more often…

Rhéa x