Kenilworth, Warwick, and Shakespeare's Grave

Jens accompanied me to a couple castles. The first was Kenilworth castle. The place is probably best known as the home of Robert Dudley, a man who loved and was loved by Elizabeth I, though how far he actually got with the 'virgin queen' is unknown. The castle has a great exhibit on the extent of the relationship that is known. 

The neighboring castle is far more popular, though I imagine only because of the marketing. Warwick castle is an amusement park, and a low quality one at that. It is overpriced, crowded, and has little of historical note because it has all been remade to fit the commercial look. Jens and I gave a scathing review at a kiosk that asked for feedback at the end. 

The timber-framed Lord Leycester Hospital made the trip to Warwick worthwhile. Though never actually a hospital, the grand buildings have been retirement homes for soldiers and their families from the days of Elizabeth I to the present. 

Stratford-upon-Avon was only a short bus ride away. I'm sure i would have enjoyed more of the town, but there was a sudden downpour. As the birthplace of Shakespeare, you would expect plays to be going all the time, but unfortunately they were long since sold out. Thus, I merely trudged through the rain to Shakespeare's grave and then back to the bus station.

I forget sometimes how wild I look after traveling for a couple months. I'm amazed my couch surf hosts all took my appearance in stride.

There was another fun misericord in this church:

I made my way to Oxford, where I had some Indian food before meeting up with my couch surf host, who introduced me to the movie Brick. Brick is a film noir style mystery set in a current day high school, with brilliant witty dialogue. I highly recommend it.