Chapter 56: Good Night, Little Whale, Good Night

The sea is an amazing thing. Wow. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

When I left you last, chickens were flapping about Anne Hathaway’s cottage (metaphorically speaking). The following morning we left Stratford and continued on to Bath (the train station is called Bath Spa, hehehe) where we checked into the YMCA and then explored the city’s namesake, the ancient Roman baths. We also downed a glass of the sacred water blessed by the Roman goddess Sulis Minerva. Well I did. Sierra couldn’t quite bring herself to do it. It didn’t exactly taste like Christmas pudding. Or even water, for that matter.

Then the Museum of Costume, which was pretty neat. They had corsets and hoop skirts to try on, not pretty ones, but just so you can see what it’s like to wear them. It was fun. But wouldn’t be if I actually had to wear them all day.

Later I had the biggest noodle meal ever, topped off with wasabi chocolate cake, which is pretty ironic if you recall my adventures in Italy. It wasn’t very good, which was disappointing. I guess I’ll have to perfect that one myself.

Later that evening we had an adventure when the Y was swarmed by what seemed to be a Ridiculous Hats Convention, while we were playing cards in the cafeteria. Never did manage to score a pool table on account of their being occupied by wearers of silly hats. Oh well.

On the way to the train station this morning we had a bit of extra time (weird, huh?) so we were wandering the streets a bit and we stopped to watch a couple of street performers who were just starting their act. Man were they funny. And they did their entire on fire acrobatic routine dressed in… you guess it… leopard print jock straps. It was hilarious, if not slightly traumatizing.

So anyway. Jane and John live in an obscenely cute little area in an equally obscenely cute little house. In the afternoon they took us for a walk to see all the bluebells that had just come out. There were so many flowers it was just a sea of purple, like someone had spilled Gatorade all over the grass, except it looked way prettier than if someone had actually spilled Gatorade all over the grass. Really beautiful. My favorite part was actually this huge mossy beech that was all completely furry. Nice to hug. Hehe.

After that they took us out for a proper Devon cream tea, which if you didn’t know, is totally where it’s at. Scones, jam, and real Devon cream, which is pretty much about the best thing you’ll ever have in your life. Not to mention tea. And all this in the cutest little building you will ever see. Looks like it marched straight out of Hansel and Gretel, thatched roof, flower beds, red-headed little girls, and all. Then we looked at the black smithy across the way and continued onwards to the sea.

Ah the sea.

I couldn’t get close enough with my shoes on, so I tore them off, rolled up my pants, and splashed about in the frigid water. I inspected at all the rocks and tossed the interesting ones to Sierra with commentary. This one is knobbly. This one has a pawprint. This one has a dog. This one has the moon. This one is white. This one fits in your hand. And so on.

I juggled rocks. I selected rocks. I built stacks of rocks on my legs. My sister called me and we chatted like sisters. Sierra found a stick that fits very nicely on one’s ear. I have been wearing it ever since. I now have a rock in the shape of a penguin, another in the shape of a seal, one with a hole that can be used as a telescope, one with a sunset seascape on it, and one that talks when you smell it. I also have a fragment of shell (more like a shell with a fragment missing), and of course a stick that fits very nicely on one’s ear.