We started out from Webster NY and about 2.5 hours into our drive to Stratford Ontario, we decided to stop at IKEA. Of course, as it was lunch time, we had a fabulous IKEA lunch of meatballs, mac and cheese, and PIE! Here's Dan with his bounty:
We then continued on to Stratford, and arrived at the Stewart House Inn. After getting a quick tour, it was off to the pool, which was actually full of salt water. It was only 1/3rd the salinity of the ocean, and it felt great. Here's a photo of the pool, along with the back of the inn.
Floating in the pool works up an appetite, so we went in town to Raja, which supposedly served the 'best Indian food outside of the UK.' Neither Dan nor I has ever had Indian food in the UK, but this sure was tasty!!! We tried a tasting menu and pretty much had no clue what we were eating, but it was all delicious. We laughed at the end of the meal when the waiter brought us each a complimentary glass of Baileys. He hadn't noticed I was pregnant!
Friday July 11th:
After a yummy breakfast, we headed out to do some shopping before our 2pm matinee of 'Cabaret.' Of course, when we came across a sushi restaurant, we had to stop for lunch.
After the show, we went for a walk along the Avon river, which heads all through town. There were lots of beautiful gardens, and places to sit and enjoy the scenery.
We did stop for dinner at a delicious wood-fired pizza restaurant called Pazzo, which had an eclectic decor. While eating, I just felt like someone was looking over my shoulder the whole time....
After dinner, we went to an 8pm performance of 'Taming of the Shrew' which was followed by a Q&A with several cast members. It was midnight by the time we finally strolled back to the inn.
Saturday July 12th
As the morning was rainy, we stopped out to an antique show that was going on. Dan had a great time reviewing all the vendor booths, while I enjoyed people watching while sitting at the concession stand.
Before heading back to town, we went to a place we had passed on our way to Stratford, called 'The Pork Shoppe.' While they were more of a farm store and petting zoo than a restaurant, we still found some tasty things to eat, with the help of Dan's pocketknife.
Following a 2pm performance of Hamlet, we headed back to the inn for a swim and a nap before dinner. We had reservations at 'The Belfry' which was the top level of a restaurant called 'The Church.' The Belfry offered more modern tapas fare, where The Church served classical French cuisine. As you can see from the photo, the restaurant really is a converted church! And the decor was similar to another restaurant we visited, as I again had someone sitting over my shoulder.
Before we left, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a picture with a sign that was on the bar. And on our way back to the inn, I took this picture of the town hall.
Sunday July 13th
Our last day in Stratford, we didn't have tickets to see any shows. After sleeping in, we went shopping around town, and wound up at "Art in the Park" by the main festival theater. In addition to about 15 local artists displaying their work, we encountered lots of swans and ducks.
After the park, we went and grabbed lunch at the 'Down The Street Cafe.' Their walls were covered with playbills and posters of book covers, and Dan wrapped up his meal with the cheese plate.
After more shopping and strolling around town, we went back to the inn to relax by the pool.
We had late dinner reservations at 'The Old Prune' and each tried different flights of their tastings menu. Dan's appetizer was hamachi ceveche, and mine was smoked salmon with frizee, along with a poached egg that had been fried. I of course had forgotten this when the plate arrived, and thought the fried nugget was a donut or something. Imagine my suprise when it was an egg! Dan had a main course of pork, and I had sirloin. Dan's plate was huge, as we were the last table of the night.
Monday July 14th
Before we checked out, we had to have one final breakfast at Stewart House. YUM! York, one of the two terriers that lived at the inn, kept an eye on us while we ate.
We said goodbye to the Stewart House and Stratford, and headed back home. It was a great vacation before the baby is here. And he really enjoyed the trip too. :)
