The Artemis I mission occurred 50 years after Apollo 17. What will it take to not have this happen again?
England 2001
June 23, 2001 – Day 8
Stratford walkabout and “Invasion of the Baletties”
Stratford walkabout and “Invasion of the Baletties”
To give Kathy some time to sleep, I take a couple of hours to walk about and explore Stratford. The weather, as it has been since after we landed, it is clear and warm. This is the first time for me to see Stratford in these ideal conditions and I enjoy exploring the beaten and unbeaten paths!
I go back to the hotel and get Kathy. She’s ready to go, and we head off for a nice lunch at “The Jester at Cox’s Yard”. Sitting on the bank of the river Avon, eating a nice meal with the love of my life… what could be better? Moving on, I get to introduce Kathy to Stratford. We walk past the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and into the shopping streets.
At the end of one of the small streets, we see the Stratford Guild Church. This wonderful old church, built originally in 1269, has some amazing frescos still visible on the walls. After this, we walk to an open-air market where we get great deals on a pair of hand-made Scottish wool sweaters (wooly jumpers!)… one for each of us! 🙂 Soon it’s time to return to Alveston Manor to await the arrival of my parents, sister, and her husband.
Unfortunately… they miss their flight from Paris to London due to an unavoidable traffic delay. The next flight puts them about two hours late. That’s too bad, because…
John has booked a cruise along the river Avon on the “Countess of Evesham“, a traditional “long boat”. We decide that our smaller group (me, Kathy, John, Marianne, Julian, Jenny, and Mark) will go ahead and take the cruise anyway!
We’re glad we did! The banks slowly glide by, and we’re treated to sight after sight! There are a series of locks along the tributaries, maintaining flow and flood control.
Soon it’s time to turn around, so we get to see everything a second time!
We return to the Alveston Manor and confirm my family has arrived. Lots of stories, laughter, and fun are shared over dinner. We go well into the night before we “call it an evening”