Shakespeare and Santa Claus

On December 14, 2015December 14, 2015 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn England7 Comments

We were fortunate enough that when we went to Stratford-upon-Avon, we joined the locals in celebrating the arrival of Santa Claus. It was truly a magical experience and the town of Stratford-upon-Avon was everything that we expected for a small English village. There is something special about walking the streets of a town so rich in history, thinking about all who have walked those same footsteps. The shops, pubs, and people were all extremely welcoming as the holiday spirit certainly filled the air.

The town of Stratford-upon-Avon is a tourist destination due to the fact that it is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, but we were surrounded more by locals than tourists while we were there. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is located in Stratford where the plays of Shakespeare are still performed. The original charter for the town was granted in 1196, making it over 800 years old. Located in Warwickshire, England, nestled along the River Avon, it is truly a destination well worth visiting. Seeing the home where Shakespeare was born is a memory that will stay with you forever.

Shakespeare's Birthplace — Shakespeare’s Birthplace

The most memorable part of the visit, however, was when everyone gathered in the center of town outside of the Town Hall on Sheep Street to wait for the arrival of Santa Claus. After it turned dark, the town officials came out onto the balcony to address the crowd. Then, to the excitement of the children and adults alike, Santa Claus appeared on the roof, waving to the crowd below. After seeing the arrival of Santa Claus, we went to one of the pubs where there were large punch dispensers with mulled wine to warm the belly as much as our hearts had been warmed.

The following day, we joined other holiday shoppers in the market that had been set up to sell a wide variety of crafts and products. We also visited the various shops that were all festively decorated for the holiday season. We purchased holiday decorations for family and friends as well as some for ourselves. We ended up buying another suitcase, just so we could bring home everything that we found while we were there. There were also plenty of restaurants with local fare to eat, such as the traditional fish and chips, bangers and mash, steak and ale pie, and bubble and squeak. Needless to say, besides the mulled wine, there were plenty of pints of ale to be found and we enjoyed several of them.

This was truly one of the highlights of our visit to England. We had been in London prior to heading to Stratford-upon-Avon and it was almost as if we’d travelled back in time. I’m sure that it is beautiful during the summer, but if you get the chance to visit during the holiday season, we’d highly recommend it. Stratford-upon-Avon will stay in our hearts for many years to come.

Bringing Christmas Home

On December 7, 2015 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Travel Tips2 Comments

Needless to say, we pick up souvenirs from all of the places that we visit so that when we see those objects, they remind us of the places we’ve visited. In particular, though, we try to find something Christmas related whenever we can. It is quite enjoyable to be decorating the house or trimming the tree and coming across something that we’ve picked up from one of our travels. It isn’t always possible to find something, but sometimes we will find a Christmas store or curio store that sells something Christmas related.

Little Drummer from Bethlehem Pennsylvania

We were in England about a month prior to Christmas and one of our fondest memories was going to Stratford-Upon-Avon and seeing the mayor announce the arrival of Santa Claus, who appeared on the roof. We drank mulled wine at a local pub and found a perfect little store full of Christmas decorations. While we were in London, we made our way to Harrods to view their Christmas displays and to do some Christmas shopping.

Christmas Ornament from Stratford-Upon-Avon

Christmas Ornament from Harrods in London

Another great memory was when we were in Paris and we found a little store that sold wonderful china where we found the perfect little statue of a boy and girl on a sleigh. It is the memory of the streets of Paris and the little shops that we went into that comes back to our minds as we put it out on our mantelpiece every year.

It isn’t as if the items are extravagant or expensive, but we treasure each and every one of them. Whether from Aspen, Chicago, Spain, England, France or any other place, each comes with a trove of memories. What better time of the year to pull out a piece of the past and set it out to remind us of the places that we’ve travelled to.

Plenty To Be Thankful For

On November 30, 2015 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Travel Tips7 Comments

If you’re asking yourself “where do I want to travel next” instead of “where is my next meal coming from”, then, like us, you have an awful lot to be thankful about. Neither of our families travelled much when we were younger, which is probably the main reason that sharing travel experiences with our children was so important to us when the kids were younger. Now that we’re older and are fortunate enough to be in a position to travel, we often think back to the days when we struggled to take time off, let alone go anyplace for vacation. We’ve come a long way from the days when we worried about getting food on the table, but we’re well aware that life can change in a heartbeat, so we never want to forget how far we’ve come.

With the hectic day-to-day life as well as planning another trip, it is easy to forget how blessed we are to have the opportunity to see the places that we have. We often see other posts from sites that we enjoy and think to ourselves, “wow, I wish we could go there”. It is easy to get caught up in travel envy instead of simply being thankful for the experiences that you have been able to have. More importantly, for the opportunity to share those experiences with the ones that you love.

We recently purchased a digital picture frame where we’ve loaded pictures from places that we’ve travelled, concerts that we’ve been to, and special occasions and holidays with family. It was really eye-opening to see all of those memories in a single place. It really gave us the opportunity to look back and think about how fortunate we truly have been. And that only includes the places we’ve seen since we entered the digital age, there are still photo albums filled with pictures yet to be scanned and added to the library.

Hopefully we’ll do a better job throughout the year of being thankful for our opportunities. It is easy to be thankful during the holiday season when it is forefront on people’s minds, but it is something that we want to remember the whole year-long. Hopefully next year will provide as many travel opportunities for you as we hope to have for ourselves. We truly are a lucky couple.

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Living The Q Life Travel Adventures

Tag: England

Shakespeare and Santa Claus

Bringing Christmas Home

Plenty To Be Thankful For

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