I left work after lunch Tuesday to meet Dennis at the Oxford coach station, where he arrived after his 10+ hour flight from Los Angeles via Heathrow, tired but intact. We took a taxi back to my place, and he decided a nap was in order. Around 8 we went out for a pub meal, and we tried The Duke of York across the street, which I'd never visited. It is a locals' pub and not one for tourists or students, at least not that night. Dennis didn't care for his Ham & Leek pie (too heavy) but finished off my sausage & chips & a pint of bitter. We had a short walk about the main streets & I tried pointing out some landmarks before calling it a night. The next morning, St. Patrick's Day, we rode in the front seats of the top of a doubledecker out to Woodstock. It was one of the nicest Spring days we've had so far, and we wandered around the town for awhile before a delicious lunch at the Woodstock Arms. Since it was the 17th, they had Irish fare, and Dennis had Irish Stew & Soda Bread, and I had a Steak & Guiness Pie with Colcannon. After lunch we walked onto Blenheim's estate and joined a school tour around the home. I hadn't listened to the guide the last time I'd visited, so it was nice to get a different perspective. We walked around the grounds for awhile & admired the flora and fauna (saw some pheasants, sheep, rabbits and horses). After a pot of tea in the tea room and a long walk through a different part of the estate, we took the bus back to Oxford. We were just in time for Evensong at Christ Church, which lasted about an hour. I hadn't realized the cathedral there is the smallest in England but serves the largest diocese. We weren't that hungry after our big meals at lunch, so I called it a (relatively) early night. I think Dennis stayed up after 1 reading Macbeth which he'd brought with him from LA. Thursday we were up by 7 to catch the 8 o'clock train to Stratford. The morning drizzle put a slight damper on things, but we were able to keep mostly dry & ducked into a tea shop when needed. We walked through the home where Shakespeare was born, saw some exhibits in the small museum there, did some window shopping, and meandered down to the river. I had pre-ordered our tickets to matinee show of Macbeth and next time I might reconsider that, as there were a large number of school kids who were not on their best behaviour during the performance. Otherwise the show was very good, natch. The rain not improving, but we struggled along the river to Holy Trinity Church, and paid a small fee to see Shakespeare's grave and those of some members of his family. After, we had tea at Anne Hathaway's Tea Room near the town centre, and took the 5:30 train back to Oxford. I had to get for work the next day, Friday, and unfortunately gale force winds and rain were forecast. Dennis got up when I left but apparently went back to bed until after 1, then went to Gloucester Green to get some bus tickets before meeting me at home at 5:30, in time for Sung Eucharist at Christ Church. We had a meal at mom's favourite Chinese restaurant in Oxford, Liason, and I had ... something other than Sweet & Sour Chicken! It was OK. I'll try something else next time. We had another walkabout after dinner, but a blister I'd acquired at Blenheim was really bothering me so we were home & I was in bed by 10.
9:46:00 AM