“To Be or not to Bee… Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow”

Yes, you guessed it. Today is our last day in the Cotswolds. And what would be more fitting than to end with the Bard himself.  But first…. get your epi-pen ready … a visit to the lavender fields.  The Cotswolds are doing their part to keep the bee 🐝 population thriving.  The renown naturopathic remedy for stress, lack of sleep and apparently cholera and bad luck grace the hills outside Broadway with subtle gradations of purples, pale to deep. As we drove there with the windows open (hit 30 degrees Celsius..approx 92 Fahrenheit) three cars passed us in the opposite direction setting alight a wonderful lavender breeze. It was a hint of what was to come.

The fields abound with the purple flower and it was a buzz ( literally) with bees and butterflies gracing the garden. The flowers were so delicious they did not bother the people tracking through. A separate field of camomile dotted with some random poppies perhaps dropped by a passing bird  brought greater interest to the hillside.  We entered the distillery just as the lavender steam was being released in the distilling process. The fragrance permeated the air.  We will be relaxed for days! It is a trip you could easily miss, but well worth it.

Well the Shakespeare reference was not only to the “bees” but also to our final destination – Stratford-on-Avon.  Today we returned for theatre. We first did some shopping in the many little curiosity and tea shops then took a canal boat tour along the Avon.  Swans abound!

Swans are romantic creatures. They mate for life. We boated with swans, wandered over to profess my love of Will and then on to Sheep Street the Lambs restaurant.  #Trip advisor, #yum.  Perhaps the best meal ever!  Sorry little wooly friends, the lamb steak was amazing(a word Shakespeare introduced to the English language). Complex flavors of fresh mint and onion, greenbeans, new potatoes and tender juicy lamb… my mouth waters just thinking of it…but the absolute highlight of  this day .. well in the words of our dear friend Will “the play’s the thing”-Romeo and Juliet. It was a tour de force . Claiming to be gender bending and reimagined, it was riveting.  The cast was stellar, with a very hip vibe while holding true to the iambic pentameter ( thanks Mary Petrella -ninth grade English).

The mark of good theatre is it stays with you and moves you long after it ends.  We drove home to Blockley for our last time recounting moments and performances, silent, contemplation … and under a near full moon we arrived back at the Primrose Cottage, on last time.  “Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight ’til it be morrow….” and I had a double espresso with the sticky toffee pudding so it may be that!