"England" England by DueSer

My very first venture overseas was to England. It was a great introduction to the world, I think, because there were people there from so many other places - just like home and yet it wasn't home at all. Perfect.

I guess the thing that surprised me the most was how large London is. I knew it was a big city but coming from Los Angeles, I usually am not wowed by a city's size but London did just that. Yet it doesn't seem impersonal as some large cities can.

On my way from the Tube to my B&B, I remember walking (a long ways, I got off one stop too early) through a nice residential area and went past a home with a plaque that said Mozart had lived there briefly or spent some time there for some reason or another and it just floored me. Our plaques at home are like, "This house was built in 1922!" and houses I'd seen on the East Coast of the US have really exciting plaques like, "Washington slept here!" but Mozart? The U.S. doesn't have anything like that.

I also loved all the flowers. I went in April and there were tulips and other Spring flowers everywhere I went.

I love that London is so modern and then you turn a corner and there's the house with the Mozart plaque and a few blocks away are Roman ruins. The city itself is a connection to all the people who have ever been there and I was able to become a part of it.

My favorite place

Having a degree in Literature, naturally I was more than a little excited about going to Stratford. Of course the first thing I did upon arriving was drop my bags in my room at the B&B and then head over to a matinee performance of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

Later, I toured Shakespeare's home and his wife's house and all the other Shakespearean sites. It was a real thrill but what surprised me was that those sites turned out not to be my favorite parts of the city. Stratford is more than just a town with a gimmick. Shakespeare put them on the map, so-to-speak, but it would be a lovely place to visit even if Will Shakespeare had never been born there.

So, don't make the mistake of thinking that just because you don't like Shakespeare you won't like Stratford. They have nice shops, lots of history, and the Avon is a picturesque river accented by colorful little boats. It also makes a good home base for exploring the surrounding area of Warwickshire and its castles.

View of Warwickshire from the castle

Warwick is home to a huge castle that shouldn't be missed, especially if you have children, because it is invaluable educationally speaking. It is a remarkably well-preserved castle that dominates the town.

Yet as I explored the castle there, I couldn't help but compare it to another one and, as amazing as Warwick is, I enjoyed the other one even more. Kenilworth has the ruins of a castle. The locals asked why I was going to see that castle because "there's nothing there." Depends on your perspective, I guess.

So, Warwick looks like the owners are merely away on a hunting trip and will be home soon and Kenilworth looks about as old as it really is. Both are enjoyable and both have beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. You just have to visit both and decide for yourself which is better.

That's the neat thing about England - they have something for everyone.

• Pros:The beauty of the place
• Cons:Exchange rate
• In a nutshell:When I run away from home, I'm going to England.