York – Stratford Upon Avon - London

The final stop of this tour of the British Isles was at the birthplace and home of William Shakespeare in Stratford Upon  Avon.  Interesting tidbits of information to me were that John Shakespeare, William’s father, was a maker of gloves – you know the white, kid type.  He was an expert in working with the hides of animals to make them soft and appealing to the public.  He made a very good living and they lived in a home that had a bed.  Most people slept on straw pallets so having a bed was a status symbol and as such it was kept in the living room so that people could see it through the window.

William married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 years old and she was 26 and pregnant.  Because his father was notable in the community he was not charged the usual fine of about 100 pounds (which would have been a huge amount in those days) because his bride was already with child.  They had 3 children:  Suzanne who lived to adulthood and had children of her own, and twins Judy and Hamlet, who both died during a plague.  The entire Shakespeare family is buried in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

I am now back in Billings, Montana, minus 26 hours sleep (long plane ride from London), with a head full of wonderful memories trying to work their way through the stuffed sinuses, and a suitcase filled with dirty laundry.  I have four days to get my life back on track and prepare for my final bus tour of this Vagabond Year.   I have no doubt that it will all come together and I will be back writing about the sights I’m seeing in the United States and Canada.