When I was sifting through the attractions booklet that came with our London Pass, I got very excited when I saw a listing for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Confession time...

I didn't realize that it wasn't Shakespeare's original theatre. I had no idea that the original had burned down in 1613 and the second rebuilt Globe closed in 1642. The second Globe has long been demolished.

I must now hand in my "Theatre Lover Card" and my Los Angeles County High School for the Arts diploma will be revoked.

Seriously, how could I not know this?

As I learned during my tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the new building is a faithful as possible modern recreation of the original building. Here is the really cool thing about the new theatre, it was the dream of one man.

American actor, Sam Wanamaker had a dream to recreate The Globe and he rallied people to his cause. His dream was realized when the theatre opened in 1997, unfortunately Wanamaker had died four years earlier. During the tour, the idea of Wanamaker's dream was a main theme and seems to drive the spirit of the company.

It was this spirit behind the Theatre that I found most exciting. They company doesn't limit itself to just performing the works of Shakespeare, they also perform new works and often lean towards more experimental productions. It's the type of theatre that I find to be most exciting.

The tour is perfect for theatre lovers and those interested in architecture. Our ticket included the tour of the theatre and entry to a special exhibition.

The only negative aspect of our tour was our guide. He was enthusiastic and knowledgable, but he was also very much an "actor". He said everything with a sense of flair that became grating.

Great effort was taken to use the same materials that were used used for the original Globe. This includes making bricks the same way that they were made in the 1600's and using wooden nails. The theatre got permission to have a thatched roof, but they had to use modern retardants to have it meet fire code.

A majority of the tour took place in the courtyard, but we were allowed to sit inside of the theatre for about fifteen minutes while actors were rehearsing for an upcoming production. The interior of the theatre is a great space. It's enormous with various seating options, including a standing room area called the Yard. The theatre sells the Yard tickets for five pounds a performance and often sells out all seven-hundred Yard tickets.

Shakepeare's Globe Theatre is a lovely venue. I love the spirt in which drives both how the theatre was built and how it continues to be run. I look forward to booking tickets on a future trip to London.

As we had a busy touring schedule, we decided to skip the special exhibition included in our tour ticket and instead, headed to lunch at the Swan at the Globe, located adjacent to the theatre.

The Swan at the Globe is a swanky cafe catering to patrons of the theatre. We settled down and ordered two huge Addlestone's Ciders while mulling over the menu.

I ordered a delicious rare roast beef sandwich with a horseradish spread served and with thick chips for my main.

The "Worst Thing I Ever Ate" came before my main dish. It was an appetizer that Dan ordered and enjoyed. I took the smallest nibble and just barely contained myself from puking at the table.

I'm an adventurous eater and I've tried many strange and occasionally terrible foods. However, I've have never tasted anything quite as vile as Pork Cracklins with Apple Sauce.

The worst part was the taste was so strong that I couldn't get it out of my mouth. I gargled with my cider, ate mints, had gum, ate my lunch, had another mint...and the taste still lingered all day. I think that I may have even brought it home with me from the UK.

It's haunting my taste buds!!!!