only revolutions

Stratford is just absolutely beautiful. And despite earlier forecasts of rain, we have the most perfect weather for it, too!

Here are things I have done so far:

• watched As You Like It, which was absolutely wonderful and (surprisingly) genuinely funny
  
• developed a tiny crush on drag!Rosalind
  
• drunk sparkling wine afterwards to celebrate the best birthday present ever
  
• called my parents about five times to say thankyou for said present
  
• spent an afternoon lazing around in the sun by the river eating baguettes and feeding swans
  
• ... been bitten by a swan
  
• failed really quite a lot at rowing a row-boat
  
• watched a cygnet paddling around the river with its mum and taken many photographs of it
  
• realised that cygnets are absolutely adorable, and "The Ugly Duckling" really needs to be renamed "The Very Large And Oddly Coloured But Nonetheless Unbelievably Cute Duckling"
  
• sunburned myself all down my right side and on my nose
  
• stared at a jewellery shop called "Iago's" in complete confusion that anyone thought that name was a good idea. ("Iago's: For that very special gift for her that says 'I'll stab you in act five'.")
  
• been excessively amused by "Romeo and Juliet's Adult Toy Store"
  
• lol'd at esque critiquing the Stratford Waterstones' display window
  
• completely failed to find the "Shakespearience" that I wanted to go to, but never mind
  
• tired myself out so completely that today I cannot leave my hotel room. Am now conserving my energy because...
  
• I am seeing The Winter's Tale tonight, which I am so excited about because it's... probably in my top five Shakespeare plays?
  
• ... realised that the fact that I have a top five list of Shakespeare plays makes me a huge, irredeemable litgeek forever
  
• (in case you were wondering, it's probably Othello, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, The Winter's Tale, and Much Ado About Nothing. Although maybe Anthony and Cleopatra should be in there, I don't know.)
  
• in any case, I really love The Winter's Tale and its wonderfully odd Gainax Ending
  
• (also, am very curious to see how they'll do the famous "Exit, pursued by a bear" direction)
  

In conclusion, absolutely awesome thirtieth birthday present is absolutely awesome. Completely worth turning thirty for. And now, I am going to try to eat something and maybe nap so I will be awake enough for the play tonight. <3