Basically, there are sheep everywhere in the lake district (think northern England, almost Scotland). Big ones, little ones, black and white and spotted ones, they were all corralled off on beautiful rolling hills by these little stone fences…it was so picturesque I couldn’t believe it! I’m not sure how nice they would have been, but I really wanted to pet one. As you may have guessed, I just got back from a trip there that was coordinated by IFSA-Butler, so all meals and housing and activities were paid for. We stayed at a hotel that caters to outdoor events and programming, including sight seeing tours, hiking, mountain climbing and boating activities.
On Friday, we made the seven hour drive to the resort well provisioned with movies and homework (side note: I’m so proud of myself for getting work done! I read two plays and wrote 9/10 pages in my Henry IV rough draft. Not too shabby for bus rides and full days of activities). After a bit of free time at the hotel, we had an amazing gourmet dinner and finished off the evening with a pub quiz. The quiz was so much fun; we grouped off and answered questions from six different categories. My team made an amazing recovery from a low first-round score to win this first segment of the game. Sadly, we didn’t show so well in the sudden death round and ended up taking third overall.
Saturday was packed with activities. I took a full day tour of the lake district, including stops at the houses where William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter lived and wrote their best works. It was so nice to go into the houses and see the original set up…there’s nothing like it in the States. There was very little plexiglass and few ropes to separate visitors from the objects. Overall, it contributed to a more intimate and organic viewing experience. I especially enjoyed Beatrix Potter’s house because there were copies of her books opened to specific illustrations that showed her inspiration for the drawings was her own home. In one of the towns we passed through, Grasmere, we had some of the most amazing gingerbread I have ever eaten. Apparently it’s quite famous, so I’m glad we stopped by! In the evening, we had a dance party in the main room, DJ, flashing lights, and awkwardness included. To be honest, it wasn’t that awkward; much better than a high school dance, for example. Once everyone relaxed a bit – as in people had a drink or two – and the music took off it was a lot of fun.
Bright and early Sunday morning then (AKA 9 am), everyone took off for a morning activity. I went on a hike through the nearest hills. It was a great day for walking: cool air and a bit of sun shifting through the clouds. Though it was hard work, it was definitely worth it. I couldn’t believe the sights from the top! Around noon we were back at the hotel and packing the vans for the return trip to London. I just got in now, about 9 pm, and am off for a shower before I get down to some heavy revisions of my essay.
That is the sound my soul is currently making (though I'm trying to zen out right now for a few minutes painting my nails and watching Gossip Girl). I can't believe how much homework has landed on my head all at once. First, I'm writing an English paper due next Tuesday for Shakespeare that included enough research that I'm only beginning to outline now. I also just learned that an Economics assignment is due on Thursday, rather than next Monday. And, of course, I won't be in town this weekend because I'm going on an Adventure Weekend with Butler to the lake district. *Sigh* I feel much better now.
With that said, the past few days have been rather low key. On Sunday evening, I cooked dinner for myself, Elissa, my room mate (Lily), a friend of her's who was visiting from Barcelona, and another friend of Lily's who's studying in London as well (Ethan). We made baked ziti and garlic bread, both of which thankfully turned out spectacularly.
Yesterday was devoted to work and some water polo in the evening. I bought some Staedtler erasers along with various other school supplies, and the erasers definitely made my day. They are absolutely the best ever, I couldn't imagine doing an Economics assignment without them!
I must say, though, that the one thing that indicated to me that I'm back at school was my desperate need to use the OED online. At Vanderbilt, I use it all the time in planning my English essays; so much so that I have a link saved to the website in my tool bar. Imagine my horror, then, when I tried to access the site in my flat and realized that my Vanderbilt subscription didn't carry all the way across the pond! It was a tragic moment, stricken with the bitter knowledge that any other definition must be faulty (by definition). To my utmost joy, I found that UCL has an online subscription too. It was easy enough from there to find the varied definitions of "honor," and, believe me, I will definitely be relying on them in my essay on I Henry IV.
Myself at the Scottish lowlands, overlooking Scott's favorite view. Apparently, he always stopped to take in the view during his travels.
Elissa outside Melrose Abbey. Check out the pink hued stone! Sadly, it's now in ruins.
Part of Rosslyn Chapel.
Detail on one of the doorways. I really loved the gargoyle-esque figures...I think they're having a grand ol' time.
Posted by
Jackie
1:04 PM
Sunday in Edinburgh was a blast. Elissa and I cleared out of the hostel around 9 to take a tour (with the company) of the Scottish lowlands and Rosslyn Chapel. (Side note: we tried haggis on Saturday morning and beans on toast on Sunday. The haggis wasn't bad; one of those things where if you'd grown up with it you'd really enjoy it but, if not, you weren't really taken with it. Beans on toast wasn't anything extraordinary either, just very hearty.) The coach took us about an hour outside of Edinburgh to a beautiful view overlooking the River Tweed, apparently a spot favored by Sir Walter Scott. Then, we stopped at Melrose Abbey for an hour to walk around the town (if you've ever wondered what Redwall Abbey looks like, this abbey is it. Elissa was extremely excited.). Then we went to Rosslyn, the main destination. It was stunningly beautiful, with carvings of exquisite complexity and splendor. Sadly, no photos were allowed. After a short look around and a guided-ish lecture, we got back on the bus and we dropped off at the train station. Getting back into London was actually rather stressful; our first train ran late and we had 8 minutes to change to our second. Additionally, the second train was overbooked, so there were a lot of people on the train. Repeat, a LOT. Thankfully, the company with which Elissa and I were traveling had actually reserved seats for us on the train so, despite a decent amount of pushing and arguing, we got some seats. I don't think I've ever been so glad to get back to my own home after traveling; just lying down in my bed without anyone else in the room, with my pillow, and no stress to go anywhere, was the perfect end to an excellent trip.
Since then, I've finally started class. Who'd thought I ACTUALLY had to do that? They all went well, as most lectures do the first time. I'm particularly excited about my Shakespeare course. I Henry IV is on the syllabus, and I just saw its performance at the Globe Theater this afternoon. It was fabulous! The whole experience of watching Shakespeare in the Globe with British actors was unbelievable. I wish the season would go on longer, but the last performances are this weekend.
My last piece of news on the UCL front is that I've decided to join the water polo club team! I wanted to find something that would help me stay active and meet British students, and water polo seems to be the perfect blend of that. My swimming background gives me an advantage over the other polo beginners, which will hopefully get me some more playing time, and all practices and competitions take place between Monday and Thursday. Not only does the club train together, though, they have social events every Wednesday. Last night, for example, we got together at a UCL student pub to mix and mingle.
I'm off now to scour the internet (only reputable sites, of course) to prepare writing a critique essay of Henry IV/Shakespeare reproductions/whatever else appeals to me as an essay topic. I have about a week to get it turned in, so better start early.
Before I leave though, I want to wish a (day early) Happy Birthday to Mom! I doubt I'll post tomorrow, so I hope you have a wonderful day and I can't wait to see you in London in December!
Posted by
Jackie
6:05 PM
If I could move tomorrow, it would be to Edinburgh. Castles, ghost stories, beautiful little cafes, J. K. Rowling, hills throughout the city, and beautiful monuments combine to make Edinburgh a glorious city of culture and history.
On Friday, Elissa and I met with the travel guide for our group at Kings Cross Station at 6 AM. There was some initial - ahem a lot - of stress on getting to the station as I overslept my alarm and only woke up when Elissa called me. Thankfully, I had already packed my bags and laid out my clothes, so it was the work of minutes to get to the station. As the train traveled north, we watched the sun rise over beautifully rolling hills and fields that looked suspiciously like large broccoli plants. We pulled into Edinburgh shortly after 11 and were taken on a brief coach tour of the city. Elissa and I spent the evening leisurely walking through the city, most importantly finding all sites Adam Smith. In particular, we spent nearly an hour searching an old grave yard for his grave - it was one of the last ones we looked at. A few photos later, we were attending a "Ghost and Ghouls" tour. The tour guide stayed in spooky character the entire time and we explored some old underground vaults as well as historically scary spots on the Royal Mile (the main tourist street).
Elissa and I spent Saturday entirely on our own in Edinburgh. The morning was spent in climbing a mountain. Well, a hill, I guess, but it was incredibly high nonetheless. It's called Arthur's Seat and is one of the highest points in Edinburgh. Even though Elissa and I didn't have the proper footwear in the least (I was wearing TOMS without traction, and Elissa's shoes weren't much better), it was a spectacular way to start the day and see the city. Upon reaching the bottom, we visited the Elephant House tea shop, AKA the place where J. K. Rowling began writing Harry Potter way back in the day. We took some touristy photos; it was great! A quick detour took us into the National Museum of Scotland where we saw some old Celtic stuff, in particular some amazing swords and old weapons. A scarfed down jacket potato later - that's a baked potato with any topping you could think of - we explored Edinburgh Castle. Inside, references to William Wallace and Robert the Bruce were absolutely everywhere. It was rather surprising, actually. Turns out that the two of them are really big characters in Scottish history, despite a general dislike of Mel Gibson's Braveheart. We left the castle and, after a quick stop for hot chocolate, continued on to the main shopping street. As we learned, however, most everything closes in Edinburgh at 6 so there was little for us to do in the retail area of town. We stopped at a pub called The World's End, known as such because in olden days the Edinburgh town wall was at that exact spot. For the locals, the wall really marked the end of the world. After a pint, we devoured some amazing fish and chips and split a fried mars bar (also delicious!) before going back to the hostel for a relatively early evening (for students, anyways).
Sunday was excellent as well, though my update on that will have to wait. I'm tired now and need to get some beauty sleep for class tomorrow; it'll be my first one! Till tomorrow.
