SimplyMaggies

Yesterday I had one of the most surprisingly good days. It started awful…

I woke up congested and with a terrible headache and simply did not feel like getting out of bed at all. It took me about half an hour to convince myself I should (since I already paid for the trip I was supposed to attend). I finally dragged myself out of my warm and comfy bed and somehow got ready for this trip (which, at this point, I started to dread). And off I went…

As it turned out, my friend (who, by the way, convinced me to go in the first place) was also not feeling too chipper herself (we both shared symptoms of either common cold or flu, who knows…). And thus, we found ourselves sitting at the back of a van, sneezing every so often and drinking water to stay hydrated…

Perhaps it helped because by the time we got to the orange farm, we forgot about the cold or flu (or whatever it is) and actually started having a good time. However, the good time was just beginning…

The nice farmer and his wife welcomed us to their home as if we were part of their family. Then we went orange picking–the whole reason for the trip. It was an experience in itself, especially for someone like me, who likes nature but more form the distance than first hand. And here I had a chance to experience it first hand, not only covered nearly up to my knees in mud but also walking in weeds almost hip high just to get a chance to pick my own Sicilian blood oranges. Crazy, isn’t it? How I didn’t end up covered in ticks is simply beyond me… But I did end up having a time of my life,even though I had to carry my bag of oranges (that most likely weight about 10 lbs) up the muddy hill!

As if that wasn’t fun enough, we had this wonderful Sicilian lunch, which included lots of home-made wine and freshly-squeezed orange juice waiting for us at the farm. This was the perfect ending to a very adventurous morning. And the day that began dreadfully, turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life.

The funny thing is, I think you can only experience something like that only here in the Mediterranean. People are simply so friendly and they welcome you as if you were not this stranger but part of their family, which gives it a different meaning. And makes it far more special…

This charming little town is a birth place of world’s most famous writer, William Shakespeare.

It is easily reached by bus from nearly any place in England and as soon as you walk into the town you come upon the river Avon, filled with alluring boats. Walking along the river, you enter the towns main street dominated by the Victorian architecture and full of colorful stores, restaurants, cafes and pubs.

A ten-minute walk will take you to the Shakespeare Centre where you will find a museum as well as the entrance to his house, an enchanting cottage where he spent most of his life. This cottage is only one of his many properties, of which a few are located within a walking distance in the town.

While searching for Shakespeare’s houses with their beautiful gardens, one comes upon picturesque churches, one of which is Trinity Church, where the great writer was buried.

The streets of Stradford-upon-avon are not only appealing, they also provide many places to sit and rest and enjoy either a cup of tea or coffee (or something stronger) accompanied by any type of cuisine you can imagine.

All in all, it is an enjoyable walk in the past down alluring streets among charming buildings.

Two weeks ago (I can’t believe it has already been two weeks!), I went to England—a trip that has been years in the making. And it truly was a dream come true, as corny as it sounds. I loved every minute of it (too bad I only had four days to spend there) and even though I knew a lot about the country, it still took my breath away.

The landscape is absolutely dreamy (as anyone probably will tell you) and the countryside outlandishly beautiful. As soon as you step off the plane, you are emerged in the British language and culture (and surprisingly, my own British came back to me instantly). And although the Brits themselves can be slightly aloof, the people seem very nice in general.

Contrary to the popular belief, English food really is pretty tasty. And if you’re not up to tasting the British specialties, there are plenty of international cuisines to choose from. And of course, one cannot forget about the never-ending pubs that dominate any English town or village. There was one that stuck in my mind because it was quite unusual. The pub was located in the remnants of an old church and it had this unique feel (and smell) to it. Now, that’s an idea!

And of course the best place for the taste of the best night life is London. So many things to offer, one would actually have to have days to spend in London itself just to be able to sample it all. And since I was actually visiting a friend living about two hours away, I only had a day to spend in this world-famous city. So if anyone tells you that you cannot have the London experience in a day, you can. Trust me. This was London in a pill but at least I got to see and experience the best parts of it. And I will definitely come back. One day…