Monday, February 21st, 2011: Warrick Castle

This morning we left for Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. We managed the trains easily and the kids were reasonably behaved. Upon arrival we dropped our bags off at the Holiday Inn (b/c we can’t take the children to a B&B). Then we caught a bus to Warwick Castle.
Warwick Castle is even better than I remembered. It was amazing. We saw a display of weapons and then we went to the King Maker exhibit. Neither kid like this exhibit. Mostly because it was dark and they had music playing in the background. Alexandra did like the seeing the “poop shoot” on the outside wall. Also she liked the Princess who taught us that the ladies would collect flowers to wear so that they would smell pretty to attact a man. But that men we really looking for a woman who smelled of fish because if you could smell like fish then you must come from a wealthy family. Next, we saw a falconry flight display/show. Then we visited the Royal Weekend Scerets and scandals weekend. The kids liked this exhibit. Mom and I really liked it because of the stories about who was really sleeping with the King and others. After the Royal weekend exhibit, we watched a storyteller tell a story about a red dragon and a terrified village. Then we decided to climb the outside walls, 538 steps. What a mistake. Alexandra was scared b/c the spiral staircases were dark and once we started you had to continue there was only one way up and one way out. In order to get out you had to go up to go down. After that both mom’s and my legs were trembling. We went to the great Hall exhibit. It was fabulous. I asked if there was another tour, and the tour guide said she would attempt to give me a 20 minute tour in the 15 minutes that were left before closing. It was a great tour. She pointed up the fossils in the tile in the floor tiles, the antlers from 500 b.c. and told us lots of stories, including one about a bear charging one of the home’s owners (Gresling?) while he was in the forest. The man pick up a sappling tree that had not put its roots well enough and beat the bear off with it. Therefore you will see Bears in the coat of arms frequently throughout the house, in addition to the Swan which was the previous family’s coat fo arms. We welked to the bus station and caught the X18 back to Stratford. It was a DOUBLE-Decker bus. Alexandra was thrilled. Also on the bus was the princess we met before. Alexandra sat with her. We got a dinner recommendation: Pasta something on Sheep street (which is where we went for dinner). Then checked into our hotel.