Day 9: Back to London/The Globe Theater

I took the train from Bournemouth back to London and checked in at the Westminster Hotel. Didn't have the charm of a nice B&B but it was clean and in London, not the outskirts. There was also a nice view of a city garden. I'm not sure what they are called there but it is a fenced-in, private area with flowers and trees for the tenants of that specific building/property.

Being that it was my 2nd to last full day in England, I had to hit The Globe Theater. It is a must see for enthusiasts of the Elizabethan/Shakespearean age. This is a replica Globe built by hand with Elizabethan tools using documentation, drawings, and the archaeological remains of the Rose Theater. It took 10 years to complete and is the only structure, in London, that has and is licensed to have a thatched roof (it does have a hidden sprinkler system).

I'm typically not one for tours as I like to wander at my own pace but I am glad I decided to take one of the Globe. The guides were very animated, knowledgeable, and entertaining. I learned tons of "fun facts" about the theater-goers of Shakespeare's day. If you weren't able to afford a bench seat, you were standing on the main floor at the foot of the stage in the center of all the seats around you. Let's call it the pit. Apparently the pit was also the loo. Yes folks, that means the toilet. There was much drinking and rowdyness at these productions that lasted for several hours. If you had to go out of theater to relieve yourself, then you had to pay another admission fee to get back in. Well many people could barely afford to get in as it was and others didn't want to miss anything and there was this nice dirt floor...you get the picture.

Imagine the stench wafting around from the pit coupled with the fact that most people only bathed at Christmas and Easter (it's said the Queen bathed monthly). Additionally, people would chew on gloves of garlic to "ward of illness". Yuuuuck! No wonder Queen Elizabeth remained a virgin!

The Hiking Map

Pretty simple but it really helped. I had no problem finding my way. Thanks Mark!

Day 8: Bournemouth-Studland and Old Harry

Remember I nixed my plans to visit Cornwall? Well I still felt the desire to visit the coast (any coast at this point) . I decided that Bournebouth looked like a good place as I was able to find a direct train ride to there from Salisbury. It wasn't too far from Salisbury either plus there was a direct route back to London. I was hoping for some solitude and nature time.

I took a cab from the train to my abode for the night at the Urban Beach Hotel. I made a reservation while I was in Salisbury. I had no clue what to expect but this place was great and the staff welcoming. Even the resident cat was friendly and stopped by for a drink. I explained to one of the owners, Mark, that I needed a bit of nature time. He was very helpful and drew me a map, gave me bus navigation directions, and sent me on my way to visit "Old Harry".

After about 45 minutes of bus travel, I took the ferry across Poole Harbor to Studland. The ferry dumped me off on a desolate strip of sand. The cars went off and there I was...all alone. It was great! I began walking along the empty beach and waaaay in the distance, I saw a couple of
disembodied lumps of land. Must be Old Harry.

Along the shore, over some hills, and through quaint farmsteads and thatched cottages, I reached the end of the road. About 100 feet straight down was the sea (be very careful here, near the edge, especially in high wind). Along the coast, you can see the exposed chalk. Old Harry is a grassy-haired rock formation that separated from the mainland as water found a fissure and eroded the rock.

I could have explored farther along the shore but it was getting late and I wasn't quite sure how I was getting back. If I haven't said so before, everyone that I asked directions for in England was very helpful. I found and older man and his cute lab who directed me to a bus stop that would take me back to the ferry. I longingly looked at the cozy Banker's Arms Inn which had it's own micro brewery and sullenly headed to the bus stop. Good thing too because the last bus was at 6 and it was about 5:50 when I got there!

It was already dark, sometime after 7, when I finally walked through the front door of the Urban Beach Hotel. Mark was there and asked me if I was "nackered". I thought he said "naked"! Gotta love the language barrier! Yes, I was extremely nackered and in need of a meal and a beer! It was a great day though and one of my favorite of the whole trip.