Shrewsbury

Only about an hour away by train from Birmingham is Shrewsbury in Shropshire. A friend and I went sightseeing last Saturday and toured a few of its many churches, the Museum and Art Gallery, a few book shops, the library, and The Quarry Gardens near the Severn.

Jesse window, St Mary's

Shrewsbury Abbey (photo from Google)

Interior of St Chad's (photo from National Churches Trust)

The River Severn

Wyle Cop

Tutor style building

Pengwern Books

At Pretty in Pink Vintage

Casa Naranjo (photo from Tripadvisor)

Quarry Gardens

Museum and Art Gallery (photo from Shropshire Museums.org.uk)

Tapestry

Fine art?

Shrewsbury Library

Nettle blend sock yarn from Ewe & Ply

And I found the yarn I've been searching for at Ewe & Ply! New project coming soon. Thank you for reading!

Oxford Botanical Gardens

On Sunday, I visited the Oxford Botanical Gardens. They are the oldest in the UK and have been in operation for over 400 years. To acknowledge this, one area of the gardens has certain plants which would have commonly been growing in English gardens at that time in history. Of course, there are also other types of plants you can see from all around the world. I was especially attracted to all the cuddly, fuzzy plants on this visit. Really, I just walked around touching everything—because that's the point of a botanical garden, it's a tactile experience. I tried to pick a mulberry that wasn't quite ripe and got juice all over my hand.

Danby Arch, Oxford Botanic Garden

Marshmallow

Brazilian Edelweiss

Mexican Honeysuckle

Gouty Houseleek

World's largest water lilies

Tolkien's Pine

Pretty cosmos

Mulberries

Happy bee

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Stratford-upon-Avon

I finally got to visit Stratford-upon-Avon last Saturday! I think I had high expectations since it is such a famous town, and it was a bit more ordinary than I thought it would be. Nonetheless, there are more than a few good book shops, a quaint little public library, a nice river walk, and so many cool houses. The gardens at Shakespeare's New Place were open for community days. Also, getting to spend the day with a friend made it a good trip! This time I did not see a play, and it's disappointing that the outdoor theatre, The Dell, seems to be closed this season. Perhaps the next time I visit I will see a play and visit the butterfly house. 

Mosaic near the rail station

Shakespeare's New Place

New Place Gardens

New Place Gardens

The Guild Chapel (and a random tourist)

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Holy Trinity Church

The Avon

The Gower Memorial

Shakespeare Statue

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Public Library

A cool building on High Street

Another cool building (Masons Court)
across from The Shakespeare Hospice Bookshop

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Rail Station

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A Visit to the US

I was recently back in the US for my cousin Amy's wedding, which took place in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was a lovely time and I got to catch up with family as well as meet a couple of new people. But landing in Chicago, it also meant driving through Iowa. One neat landmark in Cedar Rapids we visited is the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library. There was a clock modelled on the Orloj in Prague. I didn't feel at all homesick until we drove back into Wisconsin. Although this time I did not travel any farther north than Milwaukee, some scenery even in Southern Wisconsin can compete with the rural landscapes and forests of the North Central parts of the state!

Lincoln, Nebraska
(named after the president and not after Lincoln, England)
(image from Pixaby)

Czech Village Mural, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library, Cedar Rapids

Decorative Egg Ornaments

Folk Dress

The Librarian by Peter Sís

The Orloj

Rural Wisconsin (image from Pixaby)

Beret that I finished on the trip

Thanks for reading!