London (Cambridge III)

So, as planned, I spent today in London. I have to be honest about my opinion here... some people I know have gone to London, and have come back totally in awe. I can't say I had the same dramatic reaction, but I did enjoy it immensely. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had gone off the very beaten path, and if I had gone a day earlier... basically, if I had planned better and less last-minute. Ah well. The way I see it, I'll have more chances sooner than later. I also found myself missing Rebz, who I think would have absolutely loved to have been there, and I have to admit... some things are better done with company.

Anyway. I walked up to Saint Paul's Cathedral from King's Cross, and of course, it wasn't open to visitors, but I managed to get a few minutes inside by going in during one of the services. I have even more admiration for Christopher Wren now... 

I didn't feel comfortable staying too long, so I walked down Ludgate Hill, down Fleet Street, and down the Strand towards the Westminster Complex.

The Royal Courts of Justice

Twinings! I didn't go in, but I was very tempted to go in and show them all the tea bags of theirs I had stuffed in my bag, and in my pockets.

Samuel Johnson

William Gladstone

Horatio Nelson (in Trafalgar Square, of course)

At this point, I ducked into the National Gallery... of course, it's one of those museums that one really needs a week or so to go through completely. I spent most of my time in the 17th-19th Century Painting rooms, and even with that limited focus I was overwhelmed! I had a few short moments of intense happiness upon recognizing certain paintings... the equestrian portrait of King Charles I by van Dyck, for one, and a few by Turner...

The statue of King Charles I in the "island" named for him, just next to Trafalgar Square. 

Downing Street! The security was immense, of course, blocking off both sides of the street.

The Houses of Parliament at Westminster

Robert Clive... I don't know why I was surprised to see a statue of him. I mean... he did essentially turn India into a British colony. But... he was just... I mean, as you can probably imagine, he wasn't... well. He's not my favorite figure in British history, we'll put it that way. 

I also visited the Churchill War Rooms, which is just off the Mall... I would definitely recommend it. It can be a bit repetitive, but I'm not sure how much of that is my already having a lot of information... anyway. It's a great museum, and the Churchill Museum (which is oddly placed in the middle of the War Rooms tour) is just fantastic. The organization is a bit unclear, but it is one of the few examples of a museum that uses technology to its benefit that I have seen. 

After that, I collapsed somewhere in St. James' Park. I got really lucky with the weather... it was looking rather dark and stormy all morning before I headed into the War Rooms, but by the time I left, the sky was blue, the clouds were white and very non-threatening, etc, etc... So I spent quite some time lazing around the park. It was absolutely lovely, except for the sounds of a beach volleyball tournament being held on the other side of the park... some credit card company or another was sponsoring it. Anyway.

Of course, as I was right there, I couldn't very well not go by Buckingham Palace. I'm afraid this is the only really decent picture I took there, but there are plenty of perfectly decent ones all over the internet.

So. That was my rather non-exciting trip to London! As much as I wish I had done more things that were less tourist-y, I think it was sort of necessary that I did the whole St. Paul's-Westminster-Buckingham Palace circut. And I'm looking forward to going back to St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey when they're open. It really would have been best if I had a few days to spend in London... unfortunately, I suppose it will all have to wait for another time. I can't very well take a day off of classes to run away to London.

... speaking of. My resident tutor, Emmet (sort of like a C.A. or R.A. at an American university) told me something interesting yesterday about the Cambridge railway station. Apparently, when the railway was coming through, Cambridge University required that the station be at least a mile away from the colleges, and generally as difficult to get to as possible so that students would be less inclined to run off to London! So, what we have now, is a railway station that it takes me half and hour to walk to, at the end of a very obscure-looking road, and only one proper platform. 

Well, I have to get up early for class tomorrow. But before I go, just a few parting thoughts about London: what strikes me most (perhaps because it is so obvious) is that London is a very alive, working city. After watching a series of lectures on the history of London, it becomes easy to expect the city to be some sort of musuem... and I'm quite happy it is not. It has been famous for its liveliness for quite a long time now, and I would hate to see that end. And yet, there's enough history there to keep somebody like me happy: even the route I took from Saint Paul's to Westminster gave me a sort of satisfaction (Fleet Street and the Strand have connected the city of Westminster to the city of London for quite a long time now).

So: hopefully, I'll have a more productive trip next time! I'll try to write again before this week is over. Until then, my love to all!

Tasha

Confucius and Clare (Cambridge II)

Tomorrow morning, I'll have been in Cambridge for a week already, and my experience here will be half-way over. It has gone incredibly quickly... Firstly, I have to say that my classes have been fantastic. This past week, I've been taking classes on Anglo-Saxon England, and on the Norman Conquest in addition the manditory class for all Medieval Studies students on "Pleasures and Pursuits." This goes on through the second week, and unfortunately, it is my least favorite. It's a bit different from the others in that it is taught through a series of lectures by many different people, and on varying subjects relating to leisure time. I take this as a sign that I will never be a social historian: really, I just want to get back to the politics. Is that so horrible? 

Anyway. I'll be taking two new classes starting on Monday, on Lollardy and on English Radicals and Revolutionaries. I'm excited, but if I remember correctly from the reading I had to do, I found the Anglo-Saxons more interesting. 

Well. Despite all efforts, I've gotten stuck with a life outside of my classes here. Not that I'm complaining too much... I'm friends with the woman who lives next-door to me, who is called Barbara, is from Washington state, and is at least 50 years my senior. I do not exaggerate. I've also become friendly with a Greek woman named Olga. (Needless to say, I am the youngest person here, in addition to being the shortest.) Barbara and I went out for Indian food last night, before going to a concert of Italian renaissance music at the Emmanuel URC, and the whole evening was lovely... I've spent most of today in the gardens, as this is the first day they have been open while I haven't been in class. 

But anyway...

Clare College (where I am currently living)

A view of King's College Chapel from Clare College

Clare Bridge

Ah... yes. We had a demonstration of weaponry by a man who makes these weapons for a living. He uses medieval methods, etc...

Clare College's main dining hall

Confucius, somewhere among the plants at Clare College's gardens...

I'm spending the day in London tomorrow, and I've got to get up early to catch the train, so I'll leave things here for now. More to come soon, hopefully!

My love to all,

Tasha

Oxford and Cambridge (Cambridge I)

I'm afraid that so much has been happening over the past few days, I won't be able to put everything into one post. I've only been here for a few days, but it already feels like weeks... and I must say, it's a wonderful feeling: packing so much life into so few days. But anyway: I'll do my best to sum up what's been happening since I got to the UK.

Well, we arrived in Oxford on 1 August. The trip was... harrowing. Yes. That is probably the best way to describe it. And I'm not talking about the plane at all. I'm talking about trying to help my Dad navigate the roads of southern England from Heathrow to Oxford. It consisted mainly of reminding him to drive on the left, and pointing out where and how to turn. The worst part was definitely the bit where we attempted to park at the hotel in Oxford. I won't go into it. However, I will say that I discovered that covering my eyes when Dad was parking was best.

Of course, I barely slept on the plane. I got about half an hour's rest, and for some time, I was alright. Of course, by around 3.00 here, I felt remarkably like a toddler about to throw a tantrum. I don't think any of us were in very good shape, but I'm sure I was the worst. In any case... Oxford was beautiful.

Dad and I in Corpus Christi, where Daria was taking courses.

This is the Radcliffe Camera (which has nothing to do with the taking of photos). It is just behind St. Mary's, which I will talk about more in a bit. According to our guide, it is circular in order to avoid slighting any of the buildings surrounding it (which include St. Mary's, of course, as well as the old Bodleian Library). 

This is part of the Bodleian Library, which I will also talk more about in a bit. This specifically is the Tower of the Five Orders, so named because each level is decorated with a different order of classical architecture (Doric, Tuscan, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite).

The Bridge of Sighs

A bust of JRR Tolkien!

Christ Church

We also spent 2 August in Oxford. That morning, we climbed the tower of St. Mary's. I'd heard from others that one wasn't meant to attempt it with a fear of heights, or claustraphobia given the spiral staircase. I went anyway, and honestly? Nothing compared to the spiral staircase in La Cartuja.

I'm afraid it will take too long to summarize most of what happened for the rest of the week properly, so forgive me if the following paragraph sounds hurried. We all headed out to the Cotswolds the next day, following a visit to Blenheim Palace. We did a few walks, in addition to visiting Bath, Stratford-on-Avon, and Warwick Castle.

Bath

Edge Hill

I'll upload more pictures when I get home, as my computer is not exactly cooperating at the moment... Anyway. Today was my second day of classes at Cambridge, and as expected, I am very much enjoying them. I love it here. Although, I must admit that I'm still having difficulties deciding if I like Cambridge or Oxford better (I know. I'm such a loyal student). I think they're essentially different, for all that they're the two oldest English-speaking universities in the world, are equally prestigious, and are situated in comparable towns. Oxford feels more like a town, while Cambridge feels a bit more urban. Oxford is incredibly... charming. Yes. I think that is the best way to describe it. It feels like the perfect university town. The colleges and the town itself seem to bleed into each other in a way... they feel like part of the same organism. Cambridge seems more divided, in a way... the town is the town, and the colleges are the colleges. While I think one could very easily get distracted by all the life in Oxford, I think it would be easier to get completely consumed by one's studies in Cambridge.  

... but those are just my thoughts on it. 

More to come by this weekend!

My love to all,

Tasha