Cambridge and Oxford

On May 1st we went to Cambridge (again, for me). We got there and immediately went up Great St. Mary’s church tower—not with a full peal ringing beneath us, though.

Then we went to Trinity College, where we looked around the quad and then the library.

I may have been literally drooling by the time we left. Then we were politely asked not to sit on the grass. Walked over to the Round Church, where we would be meeting later, and then split for lunch.

Our art history class went to Kettle’s Yard after lunch. As a museum it wasn’t very spectacular but it was a really nice house. Of course I looked at all the books on the shelves. I was supposed to meet Emily, Julia, and Jessica at a tea shop because we were planning on staying for Evensong at King’s College Chapel. They weren’t there yet so I poked around the market for a bit and resisted buying any secondhand books. We met up and wandered around for a bit before heading over to the chapel. That was really amazing—we did get the boys choir. The music was a little more modern than I was expecting but it was still a wonderful experience. We got back to London about 7:30 and had dinner near King’s Cross.

The next day Emily and I went to Oxford. We took a coach and got there in about an hour. It was pretty much lunchtime when we arrived so we stopped and got lunch at a delicious Vietnamese place. We went to Christ Church but it was closed so we went to the Bodleian Library instead.

Their tour was a bit expensive and long so we opted for the free exhibition, which happened to be on the British choral tradition. They had: Rutter’s “The Lord Bless You and Keep You,” Handel’s conduction score for “Messiah,” the oldest extant copy of Tallis’s “Spem in Alium,” and the manuscript of one of the songs we had heard at King’s College the day before. The whole experience there was absolutely amazing.

We went back to Christ Church, stopping to take pictures of Lincoln College through the gate, and looked at the college while we waited for the cathedral to open.

Lincoln College
Someone was having their wedding in the cathedral. We were wondering why there was a white car in the middle of the quad so we asked a porter who said, “There might be a wedding on, mighten’t there?”

When it opened, we went inside the cathedral. There circumstances lead me to exclaim, “Oh, woops! I stepped on John Locke.”

The cathedral had amazing stained glass windows by Edward Burne-Jones, who was one of the second-generation Pre-Raphaelites.

More pictures:
Cambridge

Oxford

Stratford

Thursday, April 23rd was Shakespeare’s birthday. On the 24th everyone in the program went to Stratford for the official Birthday Celebrations. We got there and walked to the B&Bs we were staying in to check in and put our bags down. I was with Emily D., Julia, and Aleah. Kirstin and Karissa were in the other room. They were really adorable! The owner was really sweet too—very warm and welcoming. Then we met the group again and headed off to see Shakespeare’s grave. Nice old church. It surprised me how low-key the grave itself is. Just “Grave of William Shakespeare, poet.”

And the bust up above (which is probably fairly accurate because it was put up when Anne Hathaway was still alive).

We went on to the Birthplace. I didn’t like it as much as Dove Cottage or Chawton, or even Anne Hathaway’s cottage. One of those places were nothing is authentic, everything is “this-might-have-been.” But the garden was very pretty and there were three actors doing scenes from plays off to the side.

Free time. A group of us wanted to go to Nash’s house so we went there. Not much to see in the house itself but they had an activity room with coloring, so of course we colored! Then we went out to the garden which was beautiful!

A real Elizabethan knot garden (re-planted, I believe) with rosemary all around and roses climbing on the railings and apple trees growing along the path.

I wish I could see it when the roses are all blooming. Took a lot of pictures and enjoyed the beautiful day and all the loveliness around me.

We needed to get dinner before we saw “As You Like It,” so we went to a pub. It wasn’t great but it was decent. Then we went down to the river and had fun taking pictures with a statue of Shakespeare, Falstaff, Hamlet, Henry V, and Lady Macbeth.

After that we wandered about a bit. It got a bit frustrating for awhile but then we went to the play, which was great! There are a couple of major complaints about the Royal Shakespeare Company that people seem to make. One is that they have too much money and just don’t know when to stop and the other is that the group of actors isn’t really an ensemble. Neither of those issues were there in this production. The sets were very minimal and there was an actual feeling of an ensemble from the actors. Also gorgeous music and costumes. And a thrust-stage theatre, which means the actors are quite close. (I have a stick from the brush they were using to represent the forest which flew off the stage.)

Our Shakespeare teacher had tipped us off that the actors all go to a certain pub after the play so naturally we went there too. Saw a number of the actors, which was really neat. I didn’t really talk to them very much but some people stayed for quite awhile.

On Saturday we woke up and the sky was grey. It poured rain all through brerakfast but at the very end the clouds began to part and by the time we got to Anne Hathaway’s cottage the sun was out and the only sign of rain were the wet plants in the garden.

Really beautiful garden there, all in bloom. It was less formal than the knot garden but just as lovely. Also a heritage orchard and small heritage vegetable garden.

The house itself was beautiful. Unlike the others, they had a lot of authentic owned-by-the-Hathaways furniture.

And it was the only place where I really believed people had lived. Bought a few things in the shop and then had to wait for everyone else.

On the way back, we saw a field full of ewes and lambs, some of them quite close to the fence. So naturally a number of people went, “LAMBS!” and ran over to take pictures. Then they ran away, which may have even been cuter.

The parade was fun. Very English—bands and Morris dancers and Girl Guides, etc. Also representatives from different countries.
Unfortunately, the people to my left stood up which meant we all had to stand up too if we wanted to see anything.

Afterwards we split up and Julia, David, Emily, Colin and I ended up having lunch together. It was nice except that they took forever to get our food to us and we had to sprint back to meet and get our bags. After that we wandered and poked into various shops until it was time to catch the train.

More pictures:

At Anne Hathaway’s cottage.

The cottage itself, with roses.

View from the train window, returning.

Chawton and Ely

I went to Chawton on April 10th. It was really sweet. I got off the train at Alton and walked there along a major road and then a little country road with high hedges on both sides. Went to Austen’s house straight away.

They had a lock of Austen’s hair, her writing table, the quilt she and her mother pieced, Jane and Cassandra’s topaz crosses. A number of reproduction letters, including Cassandra Austen’s to Fanny Austen just after JA’s death. If anything disproves the scandal mongers, it’s that letter. It wasn’t quite as good at Dove Cottage at making you forget it was a museum but it was still lovely. And the garden was really pretty as well.

There really isn’t anything else to see in Chawton, so I got lunch and then headed back to London.

On April 13th I went to Ely, mostly to see the cathedral. I’d heard it was beautiful architecturally and Elizabeth Goudge had lived there as a child. It was a fairly quiet little town, especially earlier in the day before all the holidayers came. The cathedral itself is beautiful.

Apparently St. Etheldreda founded the Abbey there. The cathedral may properly be dedicated to her but I’m not quite sure.

There’s an amazing Lady’s Chapel (even if a rather awful modern statue of Mary) and the Octagon is really stunning.

Several other small chapels around the cathedral.

One of the things I really liked about the cathedral was the way their leaflet tried to emphasize that this isn’t a museum or even architectural masterpiece. Rather it is, as it has always been, a house of God. Sometimes their efforts were a little vague but it was nice to see them making the effort.

I looked around and got some lunch and then walked down to the River and along it to the railway station.

I had just missed a train so I decided to go back to the Cathedral and look for Elizabeth Goudge’s house. I don’t think I ever did find it, but I did get some nice shots of the cathedral and a nice walk up the top of the hill.

Ely apparently used to be an island. I think they were cut off by the river on one side and the fens on the other but at some point they drained the fens.

Other pictures:

I’m not sure if anyone is reading this at this point, but I do have a few more wrap-up posts to put up. I haven’t talked at all about Stratford, for example, or Cambridge and Oxford. Those should get put up today. *crosses fingers*

I’m using this blog as my “while abroad” assignment for Willamette. I had to answer two questions for the assignment.

1. What have you done to learn about your host-country’s culture? What parts of the culture are you learning about? What do you feel you are missing? What can you do to explore the parts you feel you are missing?
What parts of the host culture do you enjoy the most? What are the least enjoyable parts? Why do you dislike these aspects of the culture?
I already knew quite a bit about English culture before I left but I was interested to see what parts of my expectations were real and what parts were based on literature/films/music which may no longer be valid (if they ever entirely were). I’ve learned quite a lot about British politics and history from the classes I’ve taken while on the program. I’ve also watched some television (thank you, BBC iPlayer) and, probably most importantly, I’ve listened and read. People’s conversations can tell you a lot about their culture if you’re listening for it—the slang and references to programs or just general cultural ideas. I have also found the advertisements helpful since they often include jokes that someone native to Britain would understand. I always feel a little thrill of elation when I get the joke.

I feel like I am missing a lot of the youth culture simply because I don’t know any young people! My host mother’s children are grown up and on their own now and because our program is so self-contained, it’s possible to go for three months without really getting a sense of how people our age live. I suppose making more of an effort to go to International Student House events might have made a difference in this regard but I think it is one of the dangers of having such a separate study abroad program.

I enjoy the general sense of tradition that is present, even today. It’s hard to ignore the past when you’re living in it and around it, seeing it every day. Also, free museums. Free museums are wonderful. However, Britons in general could give Americans a run for their money in terms of thinking their culture is the best possible (and then complain about it in the same breath). And really, American tourists are not as bad as the French tourists so I think our reputation is somewhat undeserved. Football matches are not fun, in my opinion. Of course, I’m biased because Wembley Park, two stops before mine, has a big football arena so several Tube rides home were filled with multitudes of football fans singing songs at each other and pounding the walls.

2. What did you assume before you left that you are not finding in your host-country, host-culture and/or host family and friends? Why did you make those assumptions?
I assumed that I would find a fairly straightforward culture. It’s England, right? But in London especially, a recent wave of immigrants has meant that the idea of “English” culture most of us probably think of has definitely been challenged. There is still definitely a sense of the English history, heritage, and culture. But for someone whose parents were born in India and immigrated, how do you identify? Are you English or Indian? Or are you in some strange limbo in between? In the outlying areas this is less of a problem as there are simply fewer immigrants but for many people the question of who is and isn’t English has become a major problem.

I really assumed that I would find that kind of culture because of Britain’s portrayal in literature, film, and other kinds of media. Since I’ve been here, I’m noticing a more diverse portrayal in internal media. That is, within British television/books/etc, the current cultural situation is at least somewhat accurately portrayed.

I also assumed that the people I met would be kind of coldly polite. But that really is a stereotype. I’m sure the very wealthy and very aristocratic can be quite snooty and it’s true that people put a bit more distance between each other. However, I have met some wonderfully nice people, from the program but also friends of my host mother. Again, I think I made that assumption because of the portrayal in books/movies/television, etc.

Last night after a dinner I went and sat in the lounge. Someone built a fire and it got quite full. I just sat and listened most of the time.

This morning walked into Grasmere and had a cream tea before waiting for my bus to Windermere. Cream teas are the apex of British culinary art, in my opinion. Bus to Windermere; waiting for the London train now. It was beautiful this morning but it turned rainy.

I wonder what this area will look like in twenty years. The older generation seem to be hanging on to the old lifestyles in some form but I don’t know if anyone else is. Still, I feel like the sheep farming is more alive than I expected it to be. In late March there’re a lot of lambs. And on the way into Windermere I saw a sheep shake itself like a wet dog.

Got back about 5:30. It does feel a bit strange to be in London again.

Windermere. Waiting for the train to Kendal. Automatic doors in the train station apparently insane as they keep opening and shutting for no reason. Funny sign I saw: Beware chickens.

Much nicer today than yesterday. Still chilly and partly cloudy but not raining, thank goodness.

Got to Kendal. Left the train station and immediately found the Kendal museum. This was, however, not the museum I was looking for. And it was closed anyway. So I trekked all over Kendal, which was much larger than I was expecting and not terribly well signposted, looking for the Museum of Lakeland Life. It did not appear. I got hungrier and colder and crosser. Saw a sign for Kendal Castle and thought it might be like Chepstow and have a Visitor’s Information Booth. Hiked to the top. It didn’t. Ate half a sandwich and bemoaned my fate. The view was beautiful. Hiked down and took a different street. Across the way I saw some sort of tourist information plaque and crossed to see if it could help. But it wasn’t necessary because there was a signpost helpfully directing me straight to the museum!

A very nice museum. They had a room each for several important industries: agriculture, mining, the Arts and Crafts movement, textiles. One on fashion. One for dolls and doll houses. One for Arthur Ransome. There were some beautiful pieces in the Arts and Crafts room. They also had a replica of a typical Cumbrian yeoman farmer’s room, a typical 18th century farmhouse and a typical Victorian parlor from the area.

Then a long wait at the Kendal train station with a bunch of students who insisted on behaving as badly as possible. Train ride to Windermere, another wait and a bus ride to Grasmere. Stopped in the village and got some soup for dinner.

Tues. March 24, 2009

Up at 9:00, walked down to Dove Cottage. Sheep all over the place. I suppose people do get dulled to living here after awhile but I can’t imagine it. Now waiting for the next tour of the cottage. Read Dorothy Wordsworth’s journals for the next few days. Extraordinary–things like “Wm went out this morning and wrote Peggy Ashburner.” Very dark entry-way. Panels and cupboards. Forsythia and daffodils and a picture of a dog.

Lovely tour around Dove Cottage. It’s really a beautiful house and I could see how the Wordsworths would have been happy there (which apparently they were). Nice little garden too–Wordsworth wrote part of Intimations on Immortality and then went out to spread manure. Dove Cottage was once the Dove and Olive Branch Inn but had been empty when Wordsworth bought it. After they left, Thomas De Quincey moved in. Coal fireplaces still–they had at least one fire going. One lovely pink room where they used to sit in the evening and read German, Spenser, Chaucer and Shakespeare. Had a lock of Wordsworth’s hair. The children’s room was lined with newspapers to keep it warmer–one from March 1802 had notices about Masquerades and someone looking for a servant. Also had a butter which really was about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house.

Looked around the attached museum too but the cottage was better at giving a sense of their lives. And a lot of the information was repetition if you know anything about the Romantics.

Sitting on a bench near Grasmere Lake with the rain spitting at me. No public footpath yet but the road gets quite close. Near the hostel is more Pigeon Post–this is more Swallows and Amazons though still a little wild for that. Natives probably think I’m insane. Air very fresh here, especially by Dove Cottage where it smelt of herbs (English pronounce the ‘h’ which is odd given that they usually opt for the French style).

I did find a public footpath and wandered about near the lake for a bit. Turned back towards the village. I can’t get over how clean and crisp and fragrant the air is here. It smells of rain and spices. Now I’m on another public footpath near a lovely little stream.

Sitting in a Grasmere cafe with a pot of tea. I’m mostly done walking for the day. It’s only 2:30, so I”m trying to figure out what to do for the remaining hours. Also what to do about dinner.

I don’t know how it will be, going back to London after this. Grasmere is certainly touristy, as was Tintern, but with both you had a sense of the reality of the attraction. The truth of the beauty wouldn’t be dimmed by all the elf ears and ‘quaint’ bed and breakfasts. Especially here, with the peaks looming on the edge of your vision.

Had cream tea. Absolutely delicious. Realized in the middle that I’d had three separate pots of tea–pots, not cups–today. Not sure how I’ll manage to sleep tonight. Up early tomorrow, I think. Going into Kendal but exploring around Grasmere a bit first.

Rain off and on today. Got wet and a bit chilled. Soup for dinner and a hot shower afterwards. Hopefully. Not sure if their shower facilities will stand the test.

Pictures:

I have three more days of spring break to write up. Since then, just as a brief summary, I’ve:

-gone to Swan Lake
-seen a debate in the House of Commons and protesters in Trafalgar Square, on the same day
-seen Elgar’s The Apostles
-gone to Kew Gardens
-gone to the Globe, where he had a tour and did a workshop with Debs, a very nice actress there
-seen Cassandra Austen’s portrait of Jane Austen
-played Juliet when we did a scene in class
-gone to Chawton, Austen’s second to last home
-gone to Ely and seen the Cathedral and river

Hopefully some of those will be written up a little more fully but just in case, I wanted to be sure they got mentioned at least.

Tonight we have “Winter’s Tale.” Tomorrow I’m going to Cambridge for the rest of Holy Week. I’ll be back Sunday afternoon.

Mon. March 23, 2009

Got up early and said goodbye to the nice hotel people.

Huge mystery over trains. I’m currently on one to Birmingham from Newport. When I bought my ticket, I also got a reservation for a 9:09 train from Newport to Bristol Parkway. As far as I can tell, there is no such train. (Unless they mean the London train, but why would they?) But there is a 9:00 service to Nottingham that goes through Birmingham. Anyway, why would they want me to go to Bristol? It’s the wrong direction. As I said, all very mysterious. But the conductor accepted my ticket without any fuss so apparently I’m fine.

On my right it’s a beautiful day. Blue sky, big high puffy clouds, green fields. Everything looks saturated with color and light. On the left, big ominous grey clouds and stubble in the fields. Water reflecting the sky. The contrast is quite startling.

Gloucester. Caught a glimpse of the Cathedral. I know there was an Earl of Gloucester but can’t remember who he was or why he was important. If he was important.

Mingled sun and clouds now. I really have no idea of our route except that we’ve just left Cheltenham Spa and are going towards the University of Birmingham. Finally, the right direction!

The sheep really do catch bits of fleece in the hedges and fences.

On a train to Lancaster en route to Windermere. Ended up sitting next to a bunch of international students going to some sort of conference. One them looks oddly like a friend of mine. Not exactly the same but if they were standing next to each other you’d probably think they were closely related.

On a train to Windermere. Sunny again. Mud flats to the right.

The hostel sounds nice, especially the food. Not sure if it’s included though, or if you have to pay extra.

Girl on the train has a strong Northern accent.

Grasmere Hostel. It seemed like a long walk up here but then I am tired. Stunningly beautiful scenery though. Stopped to take a few pictures but tried not to too much because of the cars. Dove Cottage is right there in the village so I’m thinking that’s the first thing on my list for tomorrow. Maybe just explore the area after that. Figure out if I can actually get to the Lake. And then Wednesday go to the Museum of Lakeland Life. I’d have liked to have seen Beatrix Potter’s House but I think it’s a bit too far. Still, I get some Wordsworth, some Ransome, and some beautiful countryside.

I think I’d like to come back to the Lakes at some point. I don’t feel like i”ll be able to see enough on this trip. I’m missing Beatrix Potter and Conniston Water entirely. And there’s just so much space up here.