All in the Family...

William Shakespeare...

(according to Wikipedia)


 was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.


Wow, right?


As one of the most celebrated poets, you would think that I would go crazy to set foot inside his epic birthplace 
(pictured above).


But I didn't.


I also didn't feel a sense of life fulfillment after visiting his wife's cottage and his parent's farm yesterday. 


In fact, our visit to New Place (Shakespeare's home that he had built in Stratford upon Avon),
which is now just a garden because the original house was torn down by Shakespeare's neighbor...


(guess good old Bill forgot to bring over a warm plate of "welcome to the neighborhood" meat pies or something)


became a very appreciated opportunity to take a nap and soak up some vitamin D:

We found some amusing ways to entertain ourselves though...

Oh Ellie...

I'd finally "had it up to here" with the immortalization of every house that Shakespeare had any obscure connection to after we visited Hall's Croft


- the house of Shakespeare's granddaughter's husband - 


Was I just too immature or too spoiled to truly understand the gravity of this opportunity?


Probably.


But I learned something at Hall's Croft that changed my impression of this famous man...


He cared for his family.


Yes, there are rumors that he and his wife, Anne Hathaway, only married because she was pregnant with his child...


But he took care of those children.


He gave his daughter Susanna hundreds of acres of land after she married John Hall and he left her his entire fortune...


But - even more inspiring - his youngest daughter, Judith, married a scandalous and somewhat sketchy merchant. 
Though unheard of in that day, Shakespeare prepared a way to give Judith an annual income 
(which was a fortune in and of itself) 
that her husband couldn't touch 
just to ensure that she was well taken care of. 


I realize that not much is known about Shakespeare's private life, but I was grateful for that small peek...


that small peek which made him more than just a famous playwright with lots of tourist attractions created in his name...


he was a man who loved his family.

(Shakespeare's grave located in Trinity Church, below)

I appreciated him so much more after that.


Plus, being in his hometown gave us a great excuse to go out and have fun with some wonderful people too!

My first "real" English breakfast!

The Garrick Inn, where I had my first authentic English Shepherd's Pie... 

"I bear a charmed life."
Macbeth (Act V, Sc. VIII).