Stratford-upon-Avon

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

The Merchant Of Venice Act 4, scene 1, 180–187

We left Betws-y-Coed at about 10:30 this morning and made a short stop to see the aquaducts at Pont Scysylite on our way to Stratford-upon-Avon. After checking into our bed and breakfast we spent a lovely afternoon exploring the streets of the town, stopping at a couple of pubs for sustenance and visiting the church where Shakespeare is buried. I was surprised to see that William Shakespeare was only fifty-two years old when he died. Merv reminded me that fifty-two was a ripe old age in the 1500s.

Tomorrow we have tickets to see a modern adaptation of the Merchant of Venice at the main theatre in S-o-A. A shopkeeper we met this afternoon told us this version of the classic play is set in Las Vegas with Patrick Stewart (aka. Star Trek's Captain Jean Luc Picard) in the role of Shylock. I can't quite imagine it. She has warned us to expect some Elvis impressions and some accents from the deep south. It will be different for sure.

The last days of our holiday are flying by. Just one more day in Stratford and two days in London before we head for home on Sunday. It has been a great trip. In spite of all the walking I've done, I suspect I will be starting my diet from scratch when I get home.