The Stratford Adventure

For a portion of our week vacation, my partner and I decided to visit the sleepy town of Stratford, ON for the first time.  There is a Stratford Festival going on at this time of year and we watched a couple of plays, namely Cymbeline by Shakespeare and Elektra by Sophokles.  Both were very good plays, one more so than the other, but the dolls are not interested in critiquing them as they weren't there for the watching.

Avon Theatre

I brought three Blythe dolls to Stratford with me, Gia being the main doll to steal the show.  Other than play watching, Helen and I participated in this thing called "The Chocolate Trail".  It's like wine-tasting...but with chocolates!  Sounds good right?  We got a choice of visiting and tasting goodies from 8 out of the 20 shops that are part of this trail.  I admit to expecting more interaction with the locals during this trail hopping.  It wasn't always the case, though it was so enjoyable when it did occur.

I was particularly fond of the chocolate martini that was served at the Foster's Inn.  It was so tasty; I wanted another.  The bartender serving us was also extremely friendly.  It's too bad that I didn't have the dolls with me at the time so I couldn't take a picture of them with the martini.

Kitchen Connaisseur at downtown Stratford

The Kitchen Connaisseur was probably the shop I enjoyed the most during the Chocolate Trail.  Not only were the sales associates interactive and welcoming, there was a table dedicated to tasting samples of the goodies they sell, from flavoured olive oils to sauces.  They really were quite yummy!  We also got to take home a complimentary jar of chocolate sauce for doing the Chocolate Trail!

Gia and her new friend Debbie

And look, Gia found herself a new friend!  Debbie saw me carrying my doll bag with Gia peeking through it.  For those of you afraid of taking your dollies outdoors, fear not my friends!  They're great conversation starters!

Bebe in front of Jenn and Larry's Brittle and Shakes

Because Bebe always goes on adventures with me and Helen, this time around, she stayed mostly in her doll suitcase....except when she screamed for a piece of the limelight, as we were having a hot fudge sundae at Jenn and Larry's.  The place was candy-cute.  Quite fitting with Bebe's pink hair!

Overall, it was nice to get away from the city noise, even if it was just for a little while.  I think my Blythes think so too....Though I must say, having three dolls to carry was somewhat of an arduous task!