Meng's Travels: To Be or Not To Be?

The first leg of this European trip takes me from Phoenix to London. I planned to spend two days in England before flying to Munich, my targeted destination for this entire trip. I debated on what to day in two days around London. Should I just stay in London or should I go somewhere nearby. I've always wanted to go to places near London, maybe 1 to 2 hours away, like Cambridge, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, York, etc. After many considerations and research, I decided to go to Stratford (short for Stratford-upon-Avon) and Oxford during these 2 days. The reason is because they are both in the same general direction from London.

My preferred option when I travel is to take public transportation - bus or train. After looking at the bus and train options, I realized that it is not an easy option going to both of those places. I'd have to change trains several times and the walk from the train or bus station to where I will be staying is too far. So, I decided to rent a car. The first question friends asked me when I tell them I am renting a car in London are: do you know how to drive stick-shift and do you know how to drive on the "wrong" (i.e left-side) of the road? The answer is Yes and Yes. I grew up in Singapore learning how to drive a manual transmission and sitting on the right side of the car. It may take me a few minutes to get oriented but once I start driving, it comes naturally.

I've been spoiled by a low rental-car rate in the US using my former employer's corporate discount. I was surprised when I reserved the car how much it costs to rent a car for just two days. Throwing a GPS and insurance, it came up to about US$200 for two days! First, I need to get oriented with the car. How to use the built-in GPS? I found out that instead of entering the full address, you can just enter the postal car and it will know where the destination is. For example, the post code for the Salamander B&B where I was staying in Stratford is CV37 6PB. That's all I need to enter and it did get me to my destination. The second thing I need to learn about the car is putting it in reverse gear. Most of the manual transmission cars that I've driven, you push down on the stick and shift the stick either up or down. I couldn't figure this new car out! Finally, someone showed me that there is a ring below the stick that you pull up, which engages the reverse gear. Now I need to figure out how to open the door to the gas tank.

As anyone using a GPS can tell you, sometimes you blindly follow the directions, which seems to take you round and round in circles. It took me about 30 minutes before I realized I was finally on the M40 highway out of London towards Stratford. It took about 2 hours to drive from London to Stratford. The GPS finally located my B&B. Here comes another challenge: a very narrow alley, just wide enough for my small car. I managed to slowly squeeze through and park in the very limited space that the B&B has for guests.

Salamander B&B

If you've never stayed in a B&B, especially in Europe, you should. B&Bs' preceded AirBnB. The difference? These people have been doing this for a very long time. They pride themselves in providing a homely atmosphere for their guests. AirBnBs', especially those who are new, are just there to make money and have little hospitality experience. I was greeted by Vivian, the housekeeper at Salamander, and shown my room. Pascal, the owner was out shopping. Why did I pick Salamander? I read about the B&B in an old Rick Steve's book on England and I read the reviews. For £40.50 or about US$55, I was given a single room with its own bathroom (down the hallway) and a full English breakfast. The building and furnishings are a little old but they are all in good condition, clean and comfortable. I don't need to spend $200 on a hotel where I don't care about all the amenities. The English breakfast was excellent. What's different about an English breakfast? It usually includes baked beans and fried tomatoes, besides the bacon, ham, potatoes and fried eggs. You sit in a dining room and share tables with other guests. There were probably about 20 guests altogether, from different countries - New Zealand, India, US, etc.

An English Breakfast

Stratford is a small old English town by the river Avon, hence the name Stratford-upon-Avon. It is about a beautiful 10-minute walk from the B&B to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. I walked past row houses that are probably more than 100 years old. The theatre is modern and sits by the river. The river is charming, reminding me of many pictures of the English countryside that I've seen. There were ducks and swans, barges and row boats for rent. A dirt path goes along the side of the river goes from the theatre to the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was buried. I spent about a couple of hours in this area, because it was so beautiful and green. Times seems to slow down; watching the ducks and swans, the boats and the river flowing gently through the lushly green river banks. The oak trees are starting to shed some of their multi-hued leaves.

The charming Avon River, with white swans, ducks and boats (named after Shakespeare plays) for rent.

Another perspective of the Avon River, looking towards the bridge

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was buried

Inside the church, where Shakespeare was buried

This area has been settled since the 7th century. It became a town in the 12th century. Shakespeare was born here in the 16th century. He died in 1616 and was buried at the Holy Trinity Church. The entire town is mostly dependent on tourism because of Shakespeare. Some friends who have been here told me that there is not much to see here but I disagree. I think the town is charming and quaint. I know some people called small towns in the US or Canada that are over a hundred years old quaint. Stratford is more than 500 years old. If there is a word for quaint, this is it. Just walking around town, admire the old architecture, shops, and the river, is just plain beautiful. Click here to read more about Stratford.

Another thing I discovered while walking around town are the Narrowboats. In the old days, towns are connected by rivers or canals. England has an extensive network of narrow canals that are navigable only by these narrowboats. Today these boats are used mostly for tourism. I was told by one of the boat owners that you can rent (or hire, as the British would say) one of these boats for 2 weeks for about US$2,000. The boat can sleep up to four guests, plus the two boat operators. There are cooking amenities on the boat - stove, refrigerator, microwave, etc. But some people prefer to eat at the pubs at the town where they stop. It is a beautiful, slow, leisure way to enjoy your holiday. For example, you can take one of these boats to Cambridge. It will go through canals, passing through locks, and stopping at small English towns.