We awoke on our last day in Stratford unanimously resolved to avoid P and the group breakfast and P’s 10 a.m. checkout time by simply moving on. Easier said than done, as there was little way we could explain that while being polite — but we managed. That did involve P practically demanding that we leave our luggage (despite the thrice-explained rule that there was no room for storage of luggage), then P explaining that he didn’t want us to pay by credit card and would put a hefty surcharge on the bill if we did. So I forked over the rest of our pounds and crossed my fingers that we would be able to get by without cash on hand. We (and our luggage) trundled our way downtown to the Deli Cafe to have a better bite to eat there.
And we truly did. In fact, that little cafe went a long way to restoring positive feelings about our stay — good food and service, a pleasant rest for our feet and minds. And it was quite near the train station, so we had no need to rush.
Then onward to Salisbury — our only train trip involving two changes of trains, but not a particularly long journey, all told. This was to be our least structured leg of our journey — time to take it easy and let our friend Terry pick the sites to see.
Our lodging in the Cathedral Hotel was very nice — a large room with a decent shower and a good breakfast included, plus the hotel had its own large taproom. Apparently it can be quite the night spot on the weekends. We took an immediate liking to the town. It seemed to reflect the best aspects of our prior two stops — the easy-going, casual mood of Liverpool combined with the less-scouse upscale aspect of Stratford. It was the only town in which I found myself thinking, “I might like to do a bit of shopping.” We had a nice supper at the hotel and then Mark and I headed into the courtyard later for some relaxation and libations. As I told him, it was sort of the experience I was looking for — to be able to sit outside in an English garden with a cup of tea or a pint and just be there — no place to rush to, no business to take care of. Just to listen to the birds (and the accents) and to feel the breeze.