Today was transfer day but before we left London, we had one more thing to see, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. We left our bags in the room for the staff to take down the steps for us and headed out. The weather was cooperating as it was cloudy but not raining.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theater was fascinating. We went on a guided tour of the facility learning about the theater in Shakespeare’s time. Here are a few tidbits we learned:
- Ships used to dock on the wharf near the theaters. Passengers would exit the ship and drop a coin in a box outside of the theater hosting the show they wanted to see. This is where the label Box Office came from.
- There was no electricity in Shakespeare’s day, so performances were in the afternoon to use the sunlight. In order to know if an actor’s part was from hell he would rise up from under the stage through a trap door and if he was from heaven, he would be lowered on pulleys.
- There were no female actors in Shakespeare’s day. Women’s parts were typically played by young boys whose voices had not turned yet.
- Sound effects were produced by simple machines; thunder was created by rolling a cannon ball across the sound attic. Wind was created by a large cylinder covered in fabric. When a handle on the side was turned the cylinder would rotate, moving the fabric and creating the sound of howling winds.
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We then headed toward Borough Market to find lunch for the train and then back to the hotel to meet our transportation to the train station. After being dropped off, we headed inside the station to get acclimated. Before the departure board said it was time to board, Victoria found us help. A nice young man escorted us to our car and helped us load our luggage. We thought we were sitting in groups of two but it turned out that that didn’t jive with our tickets. I ended up sitting next to a very nice man traveling home from Borneo. We had a lovely conversation over the next three hours. Once off the train, we made our way to the exit and had a short wait for transportation to our hotel.
The Gilpin Hotel and Lakehouse is a resort in the Lake District. When entering it looks like a small village with many little house throughout the property. The main hotel is in an old house and has 30 rooms. The room Mary Ellen and I shared was three floors up on the top floor and reminded me of a repurposed attic with slanted walls and uneven floors. When we opened the door to the room, Mary Ellen just about jumped out of her skin! There was a cat on the bed, and she is allergic to cats. It looked so real but was not; it is used as a signal for the staff. If the cat is outside the door, they are not to enter the room. If the cat is not, they can come in. We both thought this was a brilliant idea instead of a “Do Not Disturb” sign. The room has two twin beds, a sitting area with a fireplace, and a dressing area. The bathroom was two steps up in the room and had wallpaper with birds and tree limbs to give the feeling of being in a tree house. The room was great, but we did have to watch our heads on the bathroom ceiling/walls.
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After settling in, we had the hotel call us a cab for our reservations at the Boathouse Pub and restaurant for dinner.
Tomorrow Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm and Windermere Lake Boat Ride. |
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