Hotpot! no_2 - YHA London Earl's Court, YHA Stratford-Upon-Avon

Bruno Catalano's 'Khadine', with the Thames and SIS building in the background.

“Two hostels?” I hear you say. “‘Tis not enough to fill a hotpot, nor to feed a growing lad! Shame  and fie on thee! But two hostels indeed.”

To which I say yes, my friend of archaic vernacular, but there is a theme here. The hostels I have chosen for this hotpot are of the urban variety and, like all city eating, your portions are less, though your prices be matched.

I am not, by nature, an urban animal, but I enjoy a trip into town as much as the next country mouse (precisely the opposite of the moral of that story, but I digress). The city, or the town, has many charms that the countryside can’t match, not least in terms of cultural enrichment.

The Houses of Parliament.

London, the richest plum of all for this, is replete with museums and galleries, exhibitions and landmarks. A cursory google will reveal more information and advice on tourist attractions than I could ever hope to impart. I will say only this: YHA Earl’s Court is a great, cheap place to stay to see it all. It’s close to the tube and bus links, the staff are friendly and helpful, and the building itself isn’t too bad to look at either. I have stayed there with family and between working abroad, and it proved itself to be a valuable pitstop on every occasion.

Stratford-upon-Avon is, as a settlement, smaller fry: the whitebait to London’s extra large cod & chips. YHA Stratford-upon-Avon isn’t even in the town itself, but around a 10 minute drive from the centre. The hometown of the Bard is certainly worth a visit, as is his house itself. I particularly enjoy the actors reciting Shakespearian passages in the gardens. When I have stayed in Stratford, it has generally been in conjunction with a visit to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, where the RSC perform, and I have very happy memories of productions of King John, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard III, and The Whip.

Aside from the opportunities for high culture, it is very pleasant to take a stroll by the River Avon in town, which winds nicely through the centre and out to greener pastures.

Closer to the hostel, it is possible to meander along to Alveston Weir, although don’t expect too much dramatics from the river there. All in all, it is a very respectable stopover for visiting the town, while being peacefully removed from the urban hurly-burly. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked (-cool) this way comes!