Wandering in Wales

Hello everyone! The last few weeks have been very busy with all kinds of events, and then our weekend in Wales. For anyone who visits the UK, I definitely recommend visiting Wales. The rolling hills, stone walls, and sheep roaming everywhere were so pretty and rustic, and it felt a little like I was going back in time. Everything was a lot less developed than it is in the US, and I really like that. I like how simplistic and beautiful everything is.

Our first stop in Wales was Caernarfon Castle. It dates back to Edward I, and sits right on the edge of the water. I love castles and pretty much anything to do with royalty, so seeing a castle was awesome. It gives more of a concrete image to the things that I read, and I'm better able to imagine what life would have been like for royalty back then when I see the small rooms, little passageways, and narrow staircases.

One of my favorite things that we did was ride horses on the beach our first afternoon in Wales. My horse's name was Tommy, and he was black with a little nub of a tail. This is only the second time that I've been riding, but I wasn't nervous at all. Tommy was a good horse who listened to me really well, and that allowed me to enjoy the ride and look around at the scenery. He kind of had a mind of his own though, because we started off sixth in line of the group, and ended the trip in second. He wasn't about riding behind all the slow people, which was fine with me.

I realize that I post pictures, but never any with me in them. So just to prove that I'm actually in England and doing these things myself, there's a picture with Tommy and me on the beach below.

On Saturday, we took a hike. It was really more of a walk, because it was flat pretty much the entire way. The path started just down the hill from our hostel, and ended when we crossed a REALLY long bridge into the town of Barmouth. It was cloudy and rained a little bit that day, but for the most part, it was a nice, cool day for a walk. The mountains (all of my Colorado friends and family would scoff at my use of the word mountain; they were little baby hills) were veiled in a low layer of clouds and fog, and it made everything seem very mystical and eerie. The opening song from Brigadoon kept running through my head.

I think the best part of this hike was that we didn't all have to stick together. We all went on the same trail together, but at different paces, so that people who wanted to stop and take pictures could, and people who wanted to walk on ahead could do that too. That meant that I got to walk all by myself! When I'm out in nature, I tend to like to separate myself from everyone else so that I can take it all in by myself. I can't hear anyone else speaking, and everything is quiet and peaceful, exactly the way it should be. 

The last day of the trip was spent in Liverpool. We visited the childhood homes of John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney. In John Lennon's house, we all piled into the entryway and sang a Beatles song. Paul McCartney used to love practicing in there because he said that his voice sounded better in there. And it was true that it made everyone's voices sound so much richer in there. We can now all say that we've sung where the Beatles sang! 

Tomorrow marks the start of Anglia Ruskin classes for three of us, and honestly, I'd have to say that it's a bit of a relief that we're starting class. I've had a lot of free time having only three classes at the Study Center this semester, so it'll be nice to have a little bit more to do. 

As always, if anyone has any questions for me, please let me know and I will be happy to clarify something or answer anything.

Until next time,

Stephanie 

Exploring Cambridge

Hello again! I've been in Cambridge for a couple of weeks now, but I feel like I've been here for much, much longer than that. My days have been filled with a few classes, but mostly going out and getting to know the city that is my home for the next eight months.

I keep myself busy during the days by walking around the small little streets of Cambridge. I don't have any classes on Wednesdays, so I usually take that day to explore. I go out by myself and take my time going down whatever road I want to just to see what's there. I love wandering around and exploring and even getting a little lost. It's been a great way to get to know the city. I love the smaller shops and local businesses. You never really know what kind of shop you're going to walk into, and I think that's awesome.

Yesterday, the entire group went punting. For those of who who don't know what that is, a punt is a wooden boat with a flat area on one end. Someone stands on that and uses a long pole to push the boat through the water. Anyway, it was another unusually gorgeous day outside with clear skies and the sun shining, and I had a blast.

The group split up into two punts, and our two tour guides had us go side by side so they could both talk about the things we were seeing at the same time. We passed St. John's College, Trinity College, King's College, and Magdalene College on the River Cam. Both of our guides were very knowledgeable and had a lot of interesting stories to share about the colleges and things that happen in Cambridge. It was nice to sit and relax for an hour and be outside in the sunshine and see Cambridge without having to walk anywhere.

The back of the Chapel at King's College

Today I climbed the the highest spot in Cambridge. Granted, I live in Colorado, so this "high spot" was a little baby hill. But nevertheless, it still offered the best views of Cambridge. I could see the entire city, and I realized that it was much bigger than I thought it was. Because I can walk to anywhere I need to go so easily and relatively quickly, I always assumed the Cambridge was smaller than it was.

The hill that I climbed was actually built by the Romans in the early A.D.'s. It was a point where four different roads met to cross the river Cam into the city, and, being the highest point in Cambridge, it was easy to defend. Like I've said before, and will probably continue to keep saying, it is fascinating to be in a place where the history extends over a thousand years.

For those of you who don't know, tomorrow, September 18, Scotland votes on whether or not they will stay as a part of the UK or become independent for the UK. There will be another blog post to come once the vote comes out, because this is a fascinating and historic occurrence, and I'm very excited that I get to be here and experience it.

Until then,

Stephanie

A Weekend Away in London

I just got back from a weekend in London, and I can't believe how much we packed into three days. Granted, we didn't see that many things but when you include travel time on the Tube (with lots of construction and line closures), I really didn't have all that much down time. And that was okay. I got to see revisit things I had already seen, as well as see a bunch of new things.

 I was struck once again by how many years of history were around me as I was walking through Westminster Abbey. There were kings from the Middle Ages buried there alongside pictures of the royal wedding from just a few years ago. The wide span of history represented in that church is fascinating. Queen Elizabeth I is probably my favorite English monarch, so it was exciting to finally see her final resting place in Westminster Abbey.

I also really enjoyed the Houses of Parliament. I had never been inside Westminster Palace before Saturday. That was a new experience I thoroughly enjoyed, so thoroughly, in fact, that there were times when I felt that everything else was gone and I had been completely transported into the past. As I stood in Westminster Hall, I could imagine big banquet tables and a huge throne where Henry VIII sat as he watched his court dance. I could see large groups of judges assembled on a more somber occasion, and Guy Fawkes and the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot being tried for treason. In the hall where Parliament used to meet before the two houses were built, I could imagine William Wilberforce standing up and delivering a speech, arguing to abolish slavery in England. Like I've said before, it's a very powerful experience to be able to stand in a place where so much history has taken place.

I would have to say that my favorite thing that we did was nothing historical. That's pretty shocking for me, since I love history so much. My favorite thing was when we went as a group to see the play Matilda performed at the Cambridge Theatre. It was based on the children's book by Roald Dahl, and I have to say it was so much better than what I remember of the movie. The sets were fantastic. The desks for the classrooms would raise right out of the stage, and things would fall from the ceiling. My favorite song was called "When I Grow Up," because all of the children were featured in this song, swinging on swings that dropped down from the rafters. However, I think what impressed me the most was the emphasis on learning, knowledge, and storytelling. I loved that it was such a big deal that Matilda knew how to read and expand her mind, and that she was able to come up with fantastic stories to entertain other people. Creativity is a wonderful thing, and I love that you can find it in books.

We're all back in Cambridge now, and I'm happy to say that I don't have to travel anywhere for awhile. While I like traveling and seeing new places, it's really nice to take it easy for awhile and settle into a routine. I'm excited to spend some time exploring Cambridge for awhile.

Until next time,

Stephanie

Jump Right In

I have safely arrived in Cambridge and settled into the house! I can't believe that it's already the beginning of the week and that classes have started. It seems like I was just at home, and at the same time, so much has happened that I feel like I've been gone for at least a few weeks. 

The trip didn't start off so well because the night before I left, I got a very bad cold (that I'm still recovering from). I am not one to get homesick and want to go home, but that very first day I did, because there's no place like home when you're sick. 

I got over that really fast when we started walking around the town. Cambridge is such a pretty place. I am so lucky to be able to spend the next nine months here. They have an outdoor market in the city center that's there nearly every day, selling all kinds of fruits, vegetables, breads, cheeses, souvenirs, you name it. The few pubs I've been two are very cozy and friendly, and their crepe cart is fantastic. 

One of the things that has amazed me (and will continue to amaze me, I'm sure) is how much history there is in this little town. In America, our history is not very long. Wildly interesting, but short. In Europe, that's not the case. Their history spans over a thousand years. Different people over the centuries return to the same spots, and do amazing things here. 

For example, on our walking tour of Cambridge on Thursday morning, our lovely tour guide Mary took us to her favorite pub in Cambridge called the Eagle. She had many cool stories to tell about this pub (which I can share with you later if you're interested) and the people that had been there. Shakespeare's company probably performed there, Charles Dickens went there, Watson and Crick went there to tell everyone about their discovery of DNA, and American pilots went there during World War II when they were in England for pilot's training. 

What's even more amazing is that all of these historic things coexist with modern day things. People here think nothing of walking by a hill that's nearly a thousand years old, or by chapels on college campuses that have been there since 1250 and later. But that astounds me. It is so cool to live in a place that has so much history wherever you turn. 

No signs of homesickness yet (I'm not surprised) and no culture shock yet (although our history professor had quite a lot to say about us "stereotypical" Americans). I just take each day a step at a time, and hope for something interesting to happen. 

Until next time,

Stephanie