Reto Strava. 2º parada: Inglaterra

La aventura de nuestro avatar del IES Mugardos continua, tras abandonar hace algo menos de 1 mes París, se dirige hacia el Reino Unido. En este caso, se ha encontrado con bastantes dificultades durante su recorrido, ya que, el tiempo atmosférico no le ha ayudado a avanzar tanto como se esperaba. Durante este mes se puede decir que le ha llovido todos y cada uno de los días, dificultando así mantener el buen ritmo que tenía. Igualmente, una vez cruzó el Eurotúnel, también conocido como Túnel de la Mancha, nuestro querido avatar realizó varias llamadas para ser aconsejado durante su estancia en Inglaterra.

La primera persona en contestarle fue Leticia, nuestra profesora de Inglés. Ella le ha mostrado una cara oculta de Inglaterra, lugares desconocidos y escondidos que muy poca gente conoce. Así resume nuestro avatar su conversación con Leticia:

All you need is...England!

When we hear the word "England", we inmediately think of Londo, Big Ben or fish and chips..but England is more than that. There are other amazing places and hidden gems around the country, would you like to discover them?

First stop: WORCESTER AND ITS CURIOUS ARCHITECTURE

We set off on our trip in the center of England, specifically in a small town called Worcester. Pay attention to its curious pronunciation /ˈwʊstə(r)/

1. Where is it? Let´s locate Worcester on the map!

2. Why is it interesting?

Worcester is not as well-known as other English cities, but it has a special charm from the architectural point of view. Besides, its university receives students from all over the world every year. In fact, I spent one year there as an Erasmus student when i was 19! These are the 3 things i loved the most about Worcester:

ITS BEAUTIFUL CATHEDRAL BY THE RIVER SEVERN:

It was built between 1085 and 1504 and represents every style of English architecture from Norman to Perpendicular Gothic. In the cathedral you can find King John´s Tomb (the villain in Robin Hood story) and Prince Arthur´s Tomb (Henry VII´s son). If you are interested in history and literature, you can also book a guided tour of the library aby, which contains ancient books and manuscripts.

From and ol library, we jump into a more modern one:

THE HIVE ("la colmena"), WORCESTER´S MAIN PUBLIC AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARY:

It was opened in 2012 and it´s a huge golden building that resembles the nest where bees live. "Hive" also means "a place in which people are busily occupied", so people can study here or do group projects, but also relax. It´s high-teach and sustainable. In fact, it was awarded the best new-built project of the year in 2012.

In the Hive, you will definetely find Shakespeare´s plays like romeo and Juliet and Jane Austen´s novels like Pride and Prejudice, but we will talk about these authors later on. First, let´s take break. Where? At Tramps!

TRAMP´S NIGHTCLUB

If you want to experience Worcester´s nighlife, the best place is Tramps. It used to be a church school for the poor. Could you imagine partying insede a church? Every septembre, they organise the "Freshers Fest" to welcome new students. Tramps is open from 23:30 to 3:30am at the weekend and on Wednesdays too!

SECOND STOP: STRATFORD-UPON-AVON AND SHAKESPEARE

One of the best ways to travel around England is by train. From Worcester´s train station we head to our next destination: Stratford-upon-avon (Shakespeare´s birthplace)

SHAKESPEARE´S BIRTHPLACE

On Henley Street, you can visit the house where Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood. It is a restored 16th century timbered house and now it is a small museum. Two costumed guides will tell you tales and offer short live perfonmances of Shakespeare´s plays. Finally, you can´t miss the beautiful garden at the back of the house with planys and flowers that were popular in Shakespeare´s times.

THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE

If you want to enjoy Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet or other Shakespeare´s plays and works from thay period, The Royal Theatre is your place! It first opened in 1879, but a fire destroyed part of the theatre in 1926 and it was rebuilt using steel and timber as main materials. Apart from this one, there are other theatres associated with Shakespeare. In Stratfor-upon-avon, you can find the Swan theatre and, in London, you can visit The Globe.

THIRD STOP: OXFORD AND HARRY POTTER

From the most important English playwright, we move to a contemporary female writer: J.K. Rowling. Did you know that she used our next stop as an inspiration for the Harry Potter saga? If you are a true Harry Potter fan, you can´t skip this section.

STAIRCASE AND DINING ROOM IN CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE

The staircase in Christ Church was used for several scenes in the first and second films. Do you remember when Professor McGonagall met Harry, Hermione and the new students here before entering the Great Hall? This is the staircase that gives acess to Hogwarts dining room, which is found in the same building. The only difference is that this room is tiny in real life.

NEW COLLEGE CLOISTERS

It was used for one of the emblematic scenes in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Remember when Moody turns Malfoy into a ferret? Well, that was in that exact cloister!

BODLEIAN LIBRARY, ONE OF THE OLDEST LIBRARIES IN EUROPE

Duke Humfrey´s Library is the oldest reading room at the Bodleian and was used for the Hogwarts library during the first tow films. We can see it when Harry sneaks into the restricted section wearing the Invisibility cloak.

FOURTH STOP: BATH AND JANE AUSTEN

Another must-see city in the UK is Bath. Situated in the valley of the River Avon, Bath became a touristic spa town during the Georgian era (1714-1837) and has been considered a UNESCO Heritage Site since 1987.

ROMAN BATHS

As it´s name indicates, the city is characterised by its well-preserved Roman Baths. Did you know that the Romans arrived in Britain centuries ago? You can visit the ancient baths they built, but be careful! You can´t enter the water.

THE ROYAL CRESCENT

This group of terraced houses forming a circle was built between 1767 and 1774 by John Wood and it is one of the best examples of Georgian architecture.

JANE AUSTEN´S CENTRE

The writer of Pride and Prejudice lived in Bath between 1801-1806. If you love literature, you must visit Jane Austen´s Centre and some guides will show you how this city influenced the author and some of her novels (the film below is based on one of her famous novels). You can also have fun dressing up using typical clothes and accessories from Jane Austen´s period, as I did during my visit.

SALLY LUNN´S

To conclude our fourth trip and get energy for ou last destination, we can relax at Sally Lunn´s. This is one of the oldest houses in Bath (built in 1483) and now it is a restaurant and tea house where you can try the traditional Bath bun called Sally Lunn. Looks tasty, doesn´t it?

FIFTH STOP: LOVERPOOL AND THE BEATLES

If you are a football lvoer you will probably be intetested in visiting Anfield Stadium. However, if you prefer music and the classics, you will enjoy the Beatles tour around Liverpool.

ST. PETER´S CHURCH

This was the place where Paul McCartney and John Lennon first met on the 6th of July, 1957. Lennon was impresed by Paul´s musical ability and only two weeks later Paul would accept the group´s invitation to join the band. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr would call themselves "the Beatles" years later and soon become the most influential band of all time.

PENNY LANE STREET, STRAWBERRY FIELD AND GEORGE HARRINSON´S HOUSE

You cant take a bus from the city centre, just as Paul McCartney and John Lennon used to do, and visity Penny Lane Street and Strawberry Field. The two places served as an inspiration for two of their famous songs. Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes...said Paul about his neighbourhood. If you make also a quick stop at Strawberry Field, you will find graffiti-covered gates. It was an orphanage, closed to Lennon´s house. Can you imagine a young John Lennon playing behind these gates? This place inspired one of the most famous Beatles songs and is now open to the public.

George Harrison´s childhood house is located at 25 Upton Green Street and this is where he and his friend Paul used to rehearse. A fan bought the house in 2014. The other band member, Ringo Star, lived at 9 Madryn Steet, but almost all the houses of the area are abandoned. Still, many fans come and leave some graffiti.

THE CAVERN CLUB

This is a small pub where the band started to perform and be heard by managers and music producers. Every Saturday, there is a tribute band who plays the Beatles hits. Just outside the Cavern, you can take a selfie with the statiue of John Lennon. However, if you prefer a picture with all the band members, the so-called "the Fab Four", you must go to Pier Head. The sculpture by Andy Edwards was donated to the city by the Cavern Club to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the band´s last performance in Liverpool.

The Beatles sang "all you need is love..." and that´s absolutely fine, but after this post, don´t you think what you need as well is...England?