Last Wednesday we went to Coventry Cathedral and Stratford-upon-Avon on our very first day-trip.  It was wonderful to get out into the countryside after a week of busy London. Those who managed to stay awake during the early morning coach ride were treated to glorious views of the English countryside, complete with fluffy sheep and neat hedgerows. However beautiful the landscapes were, Coventry Cathedral surely surpassed it. It’s actually two cathedrals in one; the original cathedral was destroyed during the Blitz, and all that remains is a shell of a nave and the tower. As a testament to Coventry’s perseverance and commitment to peacemaking, it was rebuilt in a way that preserves the past cathedral, but adds on a new nave that runs perpendicular. What I loved most about the cathedral was its inclusion of more modern approaches to religious visual art. Although many of the pieces were more abstract or non-representational, they still radiated symbolism and Christian teachings.

Stratford, in contrast, had a much more traditional feel. Many buildings from the Tudor era have been painstakingly maintained, especially ones that are related to William Shakespeare. Anne Hathaway’s (Shakespeare’s wife) cottage was especially beautiful, with large flower, vegetable and sculpture gardens and an orchard in full bloom. In the evening, we attended a play, As You Like It, by the Royal Shakespeare Company. We had wonderful seats, generously sponsored by Goshen College. Many people have stereotypes of Shakespeare’s plays being boring with archaic language, but the way in which the RSC  performed the play shattered these stereotypes—the actors interacted with the audience, and the setting was visually exquisite, and grew more elaborate as the play went on. It was a very full day to say the least, but definitely worth it! Hopefully our trip to Salisbury on Tuesday will be equally rewarding!