Shire

Yes.  That’s the green door.  Bag End.  Home of Bilbo Baggins.

Okay, okay, okay.  I admit I went full-nerd but I toured the set of Hobbiton for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

Buses started from a visitors center which included a (somewhat underwhelming) store and a clever café.From the shuttle bus, we entered Hobbiton through the same narrow channel that Gandalf and Frodo rode through.Many of the hobbit holes themselves were fractional scale for forced perspective.Location scouts had found twelve locations to film the Shire.  This farm was the thirteenth location and when Peter Jackson saw it he decided he could shoot everything he needed in this one location.Frogs took up residence in this artificial pond.  Jackson liked the verisimilitude, but they proved so noisy that they had to be relocated.

Each hobbit hole was merely a façade, but some had enough room inside to shoot from the inside looking out.This crossroad sign made me so happy.As did this one.
To complete the scene for the tourists, the smell of woodburning fires wafted from each of the hobbit hole’s smokestacks.  Loved it.
This is the door to Samwise Gamgee’s home.  Jordyn, our tour guide, said, “Some of us consider Sam the hero of the story.”  A handful of us nodded knowingly.According to Jordyn, 40% of the visitors have never seen the movies or read the books.  I hope they enjoyed the wood smoke.

The weather was typically English, switching schizophrenically between rain and sunshine.
Every little detail was pitch perfect.
From Hobbiton, we crossed the bridge and moved on to the Green Dragon Tavern.
I had a cup of cider (no, they didn’t come in pints) and a beef & ale pie.

Here’s the green dragon carving over the bar. The set decorating was complete with advertisements…
Poetry…
And maps…
However, I couldn’t help but spot one recurring inaccuracy in the Green Dragon.  Books as set dressing?  I doubt any hobbits ever settled a pub argument by saying, “To the encyclopedia!” Outside the tavern, there was a glimpse of Bilbo’s 111th birthday tent.
Here’s a final look back at Bag End as the sun set behind it.And back at the Shire under overcast skies.All of this has inspired me to start a charity helping to dig hobbit holes for halflings in need.  I’m calling it “Hobbitat for Humanity”.