Today I went to the Lake District with my class. It rained. I stared out the bus window, mouth agape, in shock at how wildly beautiful it was. If you ever need to understand the picturesque and the sublime, the Lake District is the place - obviously, that's where a lot of the writers on the picturesque and the sublime got their inspiration.
We went to the most beautiful house, too - an Arts and Crafts masterpiece. Also jaw-droppingly nice. It was all carved wood panelling (done largely in rowan berry and leaf motifs - which made it even better, considering my personal attachment to that plant), simple stained glass, and window seats and Inglenook fireplaces, which I am wildly in love with. Always have been. If I could make my own house, it would be small and furnished almost exclusively with built-in furniture - window seats and Inglenooks, dining table with a banquette, beds set into walls, and book shelves book shelves bookshelves.
Also today, the only church designed by one of the great Arts and Crafts architects, full to the brim with Morris & Co. stained glass designed by Edward Burne-Jones. Impressive, to say the least. And so gorgeous. I love Burne-Jones with a wildly colourful, flowery, mannerist passion. Oh, and one of the angels in the main east window looked quite a lot like Evan, a friend of mine from Wesleyan. Which was strange.
The day ended with us all stood on the edge of Lake Windermere, being dripped on by trees and stared at by swans, drinking wine from plastic cups. It was a nice way to end the class, and it was our last real meeting. Which is too bad in some ways, but good in others. I was getting really, really tired of Gothic revival churches (which was a great thing about today - only one Gothic Revival thing, the rest was Arts and Crafts!), and spending so many hours in the bus with a small group of people was really starting to grate on my nerves.
It was a 7am departure again this morning. I'm tired, but not sleepy - maybe because I just had a huge cup of tea. I've been watching Michael Palin tour about Eastern Europe, and a book quiz which made me feel both intellectual and not well-read. I'll miss being able to watch BBC programs on demand.
I did well on my exam last term, I've found out - so that's nice! Hopefully I can get down to work on my paper for this term and do well again.
Hm. Time to turn on something instrumental and get under the covers with my book on William Morris and garden design. It all sounds rather pleasant, which is good, because it's work for my paper.
(largely copied from my livejournal)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
June Beauty
As of today, I am officially no longer apologizing for failing to update this thing. But rejoice! For here I am. Writing!
I had the most ridiculously nice afternoon today. One of those ones I'll remember ages from now when I look back at my time here in York, I think.
There was nothing exceptional about today - it just all lined up so nicely.
I headed into town this afternoon with a few things to do, a craving for iced coffee, and a greyish cloud threatening me. The threats were empty, though, because the weather remained gorgeous - perfect to walk in jeans and a tank top, or to sit with my favourite canvas jacket on. A bit breezy, but not blustery - enough to break up the slightly stifling humidity.
I went first to King's Manor, which is an extension of the University of York campus located in a very old (medieval to 19th century) complex of buildings near the city art gallery, the Yorkshire Museum and it gardens and ruined abbey, and the Minster. There I did a bit of research for my upcoming final paper, and was pleased to find enough material to do my chosen subject - material that also will likely pertain to my senior thesis, which I'm already working on a bit. So that was perfect. And I sat in the ancient, wood-beamed high-ceilinged room and looked at books about gardens, and felt the breeze from the open window, and that was all just very nice.
After checking out three books for my research I went and got an iced latte thing at a coffee shop in town (I've been craving iced coffee as a result of it being relatively warm and very humid these last few days). I also got a muffin, and just sat about, reading Alice in Wonderland and enjoying my refreshments.
After this, it was time for a spot of shopping - something I've been avoiding, but the craving for new summer dresses has proved too strong. I went to H&M, and got no dresses (though I saw several I'm considering going back for), but I did pick up two tops (I got lucky on the sale rack), and a new bag to use this summer and for school next year, as my current bag is falling apart. It averaged to about 5 pounds an item - which is an incredible haul.
I walked back along the river, which is a new route Tom showed me recently. There's a greenway-type walk that runs down to Fulford, which is the town between the university and the river, and it's just as fast as going on the roads, but much, much nicer. I ended up sitting along the river, reading Alice and watching the water (which was blue, it was reflecting the sky so well) and the occasional boat of rowers go by. The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot - basically, it was just incredibly pleasant. I finished Alice, then walked back, a route that takes me along two roads of very cute British residential streets - one with terrace houses, one with semi-detached houses, and both with a beautiful collection of little front gardens. Everything is in bloom now - roses, irises, snapdragons, impatiens. I came across a huge white peony - it smelled absolutely wonderful. A cat made friends with me, too! And after the residential streets comes the allotments - a big community garden set-up where people rent fairly large rectangles of land and grow veggies and some flowers - stuff they can't fit in the smaller front and back gardens of the houses here. Then across the big field full of buttercups, with cow off in the distance, and I was back on campus, feeling ecstatically pleasant.
I'm ready to go back to the US, and to North Carolina, but I'll miss stuff like this afternoon. June is different here, but it's just as beautiful.
I had the most ridiculously nice afternoon today. One of those ones I'll remember ages from now when I look back at my time here in York, I think.
There was nothing exceptional about today - it just all lined up so nicely.
I headed into town this afternoon with a few things to do, a craving for iced coffee, and a greyish cloud threatening me. The threats were empty, though, because the weather remained gorgeous - perfect to walk in jeans and a tank top, or to sit with my favourite canvas jacket on. A bit breezy, but not blustery - enough to break up the slightly stifling humidity.
I went first to King's Manor, which is an extension of the University of York campus located in a very old (medieval to 19th century) complex of buildings near the city art gallery, the Yorkshire Museum and it gardens and ruined abbey, and the Minster. There I did a bit of research for my upcoming final paper, and was pleased to find enough material to do my chosen subject - material that also will likely pertain to my senior thesis, which I'm already working on a bit. So that was perfect. And I sat in the ancient, wood-beamed high-ceilinged room and looked at books about gardens, and felt the breeze from the open window, and that was all just very nice.
After checking out three books for my research I went and got an iced latte thing at a coffee shop in town (I've been craving iced coffee as a result of it being relatively warm and very humid these last few days). I also got a muffin, and just sat about, reading Alice in Wonderland and enjoying my refreshments.
After this, it was time for a spot of shopping - something I've been avoiding, but the craving for new summer dresses has proved too strong. I went to H&M, and got no dresses (though I saw several I'm considering going back for), but I did pick up two tops (I got lucky on the sale rack), and a new bag to use this summer and for school next year, as my current bag is falling apart. It averaged to about 5 pounds an item - which is an incredible haul.
I walked back along the river, which is a new route Tom showed me recently. There's a greenway-type walk that runs down to Fulford, which is the town between the university and the river, and it's just as fast as going on the roads, but much, much nicer. I ended up sitting along the river, reading Alice and watching the water (which was blue, it was reflecting the sky so well) and the occasional boat of rowers go by. The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot - basically, it was just incredibly pleasant. I finished Alice, then walked back, a route that takes me along two roads of very cute British residential streets - one with terrace houses, one with semi-detached houses, and both with a beautiful collection of little front gardens. Everything is in bloom now - roses, irises, snapdragons, impatiens. I came across a huge white peony - it smelled absolutely wonderful. A cat made friends with me, too! And after the residential streets comes the allotments - a big community garden set-up where people rent fairly large rectangles of land and grow veggies and some flowers - stuff they can't fit in the smaller front and back gardens of the houses here. Then across the big field full of buttercups, with cow off in the distance, and I was back on campus, feeling ecstatically pleasant.
I'm ready to go back to the US, and to North Carolina, but I'll miss stuff like this afternoon. June is different here, but it's just as beautiful.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Travels in Yorkshire
Still behind, as usual.
The new term is in full swing now - reading, presentations, and (most exciting) study trips. The first two trips are York-based - I'm headed to the Minster this afternoon to look at the different Gothic styles contained therein - but starting next week, we'll be traipsing all over England to look at examples of the 19th-century Medieval revival.
I've been on one Outdoors Society walk, the weekend before last, from Bolton Abbey to Embsay. It was nice - I've been on enough walks now that I know a lot of the people, and it was a very friendly walk, a lot of chatting and laughing. It did rain the whole time, and Tom and I got epically splashed by a car while walking along a road (one of those moments you think could only happen in a movie), but the pub was nice, and we rode a steam train back to Bolton Abbey - which was pretty cool, but it was so jerky and smoky that I got a headache.
This past weekend it was a Bank Holiday, meaning those who work generally got the day off on Monday. To celebrate the day off, I piled in a car with my boyfriend Patrick and his housemates, and we headed to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal - which is a ruined Cistercian abbey set in an 18th-century water garden. It was stunning. The fields on the way were full of blooming, sweet-smelling mustard, and it was overcast but warm - such a nice day. The grounds of the Abbey were crawling in families, people of all ages out enjoying the day - little half-clothed kids rolling down grassy hills, etc. We had a picnic near the abbey then strolled, taking in the daisy-flowered lawns and blooming late-spring plants, and the gorgeous water gardens... Really, we didn't have enough time, we only saw about half the grounds, but it was plenty. And there were bluebells - including a little patch of that extremely British sight, the bluebell wood. Very nice. (Photos will be posted soon.)
The new term is in full swing now - reading, presentations, and (most exciting) study trips. The first two trips are York-based - I'm headed to the Minster this afternoon to look at the different Gothic styles contained therein - but starting next week, we'll be traipsing all over England to look at examples of the 19th-century Medieval revival.
I've been on one Outdoors Society walk, the weekend before last, from Bolton Abbey to Embsay. It was nice - I've been on enough walks now that I know a lot of the people, and it was a very friendly walk, a lot of chatting and laughing. It did rain the whole time, and Tom and I got epically splashed by a car while walking along a road (one of those moments you think could only happen in a movie), but the pub was nice, and we rode a steam train back to Bolton Abbey - which was pretty cool, but it was so jerky and smoky that I got a headache.
This past weekend it was a Bank Holiday, meaning those who work generally got the day off on Monday. To celebrate the day off, I piled in a car with my boyfriend Patrick and his housemates, and we headed to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal - which is a ruined Cistercian abbey set in an 18th-century water garden. It was stunning. The fields on the way were full of blooming, sweet-smelling mustard, and it was overcast but warm - such a nice day. The grounds of the Abbey were crawling in families, people of all ages out enjoying the day - little half-clothed kids rolling down grassy hills, etc. We had a picnic near the abbey then strolled, taking in the daisy-flowered lawns and blooming late-spring plants, and the gorgeous water gardens... Really, we didn't have enough time, we only saw about half the grounds, but it was plenty. And there were bluebells - including a little patch of that extremely British sight, the bluebell wood. Very nice. (Photos will be posted soon.)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
I've Been Doing a Little Travelling...
So it has been ages since I updated here. It's in between spring and summer terms here, and in the ensuing holiday I have been to Switzerland, Rome, various places around York, and the Cotswolds. I've seen my parents - my dad and Michelle in Rome, my mom here in the UK. It's been good.
I left for Switzerland March 18th - a little more than a month ago. I spent the first night in Basel, then was on the train in the morning for Lucerne. I spent two nights in Lucerne, then headed for Grindelwald, where I spent one night. My last two nights I spent in Interlaken, and then I was on the train for Rome.
Lucerne was wonderful - my favourite place on the trip. The city was beautiful, very old and interesting and set on a lake and river of a rather surprisingly blue colour (I kept expecting to see sea turtles, because the colour reminded me of Hawai'i). The scenery was nice, when it wasn't snowing or cloudy (though the snow was also nice).
My first night there I took a walk in the evening and suddenly all the church bells in the city were ringing, off in the distance - it was one of the most beautiful moments of the trip.
It took a bit of adjustment at first, but I really enjoyed travelling on my own, having adventures and seeing things on my own terms, at my own pace... I like travelling with other people, too, it lets you be social, but it was nice to get away on my own, and, in a way, to prove to myself that I could do it - even in a country where I didn't speak the language. (I was very thankful that French is one of the official languages of Switzerland, especially when it came time to cook for myself, because the food generally wasn't labelled in English, and I'm useless when it comes to German.)
Grindelwald was pretty nice - and very pretty! When I got there it was dumping snow, which was nice enough, but sort of disappointing, because I'd gone there specifically to see the Alps, and maybe do some walking. The walk to and from the hostel ended up being enough for me, though - it was up the hill from town, and what a hill it was. Especially in the snow.
In the morning I woke up and was greeted by a window full of Alp - absolutely stunning. I sprang out of bed (wrapped in my duvet - it was cold!) and sat by the window, just looking at the snow-laden landscape and the mountains across the valley.
I spent the morning just wandering the town - but it was over-nice for me, really. A resort town, and full of skiers, because it was that season. I'd like to go back in the summer, sometime, and walk there - there's glaciers within a fairly short day hike of the town.
That afternoon I headed back down the valley to Interlaken, my final destination in Switzerland.
The town wasn't that great, really. I'm not sure what crowd it caters to, but I was pretty bored. I spent a lot of time wandering in and out of tourist shops (same in Grindelwald, really) and looking at the scenery (not as impressive as Lucerne or Grindelwald, but still deliciously Alpine), and feeling cold. It didn't snow quite as much as in Grindelwald, but the wind was really cold.
Also, Interlaken has the very dubious honour of being the only place outside the US where I have ever seen a Hooters restaurant. It was right next door to the grand 19th century hotel, just for contrast.
The hostels across Switzerland were really good. My first night in Lucerne I had a four-person dorm to myself, which was pretty sweet, but otherwise I was sharing rooms. The only place that was really a problem was in Interlaken, where there were 5 other people in my room and it could be a bit distracting when I was trying to sleep. All the hostels were well cared-for and comfortable (the beds always had duvets!). Other than in Grindelwald the hostels had kitchens, so I cooked for myself the whole trip, which was nice.
From Switzerland it was on to an interminable train ride and then, finally, Rome. My arrival was anticlimactic - it was raining and chilly and dark out and I got lost on the way to the hotel, which was only about three blocks from the train station - but it all worked out, and I settled into a very nice room - with high ceilings, huge windows facing the street, and a chandelier - in an 1870s hotel near the opera. My dad and Michelle arrived the next morning (the 25th), and stayed through the 31st. We did all the big stuff - Forum, Colosseum, Vatican... walked a lot, saw a lot of opulence and a lot of nice art, both Roman and Renaissance / Baroque. We also ate. And ate and ate.
And I might update more on that later, but for now... this is a long entry, I'm hungry, and I should really get back to revising for my exam next week.
Pictures from Switzerland and Rome are up, but not captioned, here.
I left for Switzerland March 18th - a little more than a month ago. I spent the first night in Basel, then was on the train in the morning for Lucerne. I spent two nights in Lucerne, then headed for Grindelwald, where I spent one night. My last two nights I spent in Interlaken, and then I was on the train for Rome.
Lucerne was wonderful - my favourite place on the trip. The city was beautiful, very old and interesting and set on a lake and river of a rather surprisingly blue colour (I kept expecting to see sea turtles, because the colour reminded me of Hawai'i). The scenery was nice, when it wasn't snowing or cloudy (though the snow was also nice).
My first night there I took a walk in the evening and suddenly all the church bells in the city were ringing, off in the distance - it was one of the most beautiful moments of the trip.
It took a bit of adjustment at first, but I really enjoyed travelling on my own, having adventures and seeing things on my own terms, at my own pace... I like travelling with other people, too, it lets you be social, but it was nice to get away on my own, and, in a way, to prove to myself that I could do it - even in a country where I didn't speak the language. (I was very thankful that French is one of the official languages of Switzerland, especially when it came time to cook for myself, because the food generally wasn't labelled in English, and I'm useless when it comes to German.)
Grindelwald was pretty nice - and very pretty! When I got there it was dumping snow, which was nice enough, but sort of disappointing, because I'd gone there specifically to see the Alps, and maybe do some walking. The walk to and from the hostel ended up being enough for me, though - it was up the hill from town, and what a hill it was. Especially in the snow.
In the morning I woke up and was greeted by a window full of Alp - absolutely stunning. I sprang out of bed (wrapped in my duvet - it was cold!) and sat by the window, just looking at the snow-laden landscape and the mountains across the valley.
I spent the morning just wandering the town - but it was over-nice for me, really. A resort town, and full of skiers, because it was that season. I'd like to go back in the summer, sometime, and walk there - there's glaciers within a fairly short day hike of the town.
That afternoon I headed back down the valley to Interlaken, my final destination in Switzerland.
The town wasn't that great, really. I'm not sure what crowd it caters to, but I was pretty bored. I spent a lot of time wandering in and out of tourist shops (same in Grindelwald, really) and looking at the scenery (not as impressive as Lucerne or Grindelwald, but still deliciously Alpine), and feeling cold. It didn't snow quite as much as in Grindelwald, but the wind was really cold.
Also, Interlaken has the very dubious honour of being the only place outside the US where I have ever seen a Hooters restaurant. It was right next door to the grand 19th century hotel, just for contrast.
The hostels across Switzerland were really good. My first night in Lucerne I had a four-person dorm to myself, which was pretty sweet, but otherwise I was sharing rooms. The only place that was really a problem was in Interlaken, where there were 5 other people in my room and it could be a bit distracting when I was trying to sleep. All the hostels were well cared-for and comfortable (the beds always had duvets!). Other than in Grindelwald the hostels had kitchens, so I cooked for myself the whole trip, which was nice.
From Switzerland it was on to an interminable train ride and then, finally, Rome. My arrival was anticlimactic - it was raining and chilly and dark out and I got lost on the way to the hotel, which was only about three blocks from the train station - but it all worked out, and I settled into a very nice room - with high ceilings, huge windows facing the street, and a chandelier - in an 1870s hotel near the opera. My dad and Michelle arrived the next morning (the 25th), and stayed through the 31st. We did all the big stuff - Forum, Colosseum, Vatican... walked a lot, saw a lot of opulence and a lot of nice art, both Roman and Renaissance / Baroque. We also ate. And ate and ate.
And I might update more on that later, but for now... this is a long entry, I'm hungry, and I should really get back to revising for my exam next week.
Pictures from Switzerland and Rome are up, but not captioned, here.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Pictures From London
Happy Leap Day, and Talk of London
London last weekend was really good.
The two other times I was there I reserved my judgement, knowing that I had not been there long enough to really know if I liked it or not, but it's now official - I like London. It's short (a big advantage, in my opinion - the towering buildings of some cities make me very uncomfortable), it's pretty, it's full of history and cool things. And really good museums.
I was lucky on this trip, because my study abroad program paid for both dinners, one brunch, and my lodging - as well as my train ticket. Considering how expensive London is, that was very good.
On Friday the highlight (after an afternoon spent riding in the entrance / between-cars vestibule of the train) was definitely going to see The Shockwaves NME Awards Tour at the Carling Academy down in Brixton (in south London). Tom and I went, along with another American named Cambria who has just returned to York for another term after having been here last year.
We missed the first band, The Ting Tings, but we got there right before Does it Offend You, Yeah? started. They won my awards for Best Punctuation, and Most Direct Song of the Night ("Let's Make Out," of which the main lyrics are, yes, "let's make out!").
After DiOY,Y? Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong came on. They were the band I was most excited about hearing. They're brand new - no album out or anything. But their songs are already getting a decent amount of play, and their lead singer is Joe Van Moyland / Joe Beaumont / Joe Lean, an actor I like. They were my favourite of the night - so terribly British, clever and angular (music and looks), with Joe Lean doing his awkward pointy dancing... it was great. They weren't perfect, some of their songs were lackluster, but it was generally a really good showing. The crowd wasn't so enthused, but that's their loss. To stick with this award theme - they win My Favourite, Best Dancing, and Best Banter.
The headliners of the night were The Cribs, who were, in Tom's words, "decent." I was surprised how many of their songs I knew - they've crept into my consciousness without me being fully aware of it. The highlight of their set was definitely the fact that Johnny Marr, guitarist of The Smiths and indie god, came out and played the last few songs with them, including a Smiths cover. That was terribly exciting. They win... Most Direct Single Lyric ("I'd rather cut off my own arms then see you go out with him"), Best Guest, and Most Shoes I've Ever Seen Thrown at One Stage.
I really enjoyed the music, and just being at a British indie gig - something I've wanted to do for years. And I liked how well put on the show was - no too-large gaps between sets, and it was all over by 11pm - plenty of time to catch the Tube back to the hotel.
On Saturday I went to Sir John Soane's Museum with Tom. I've been wanting to go there for ages, and it lived up to every expectation. The place is jammed full of the extensive collections of one of the great Classical Revival architects, and it has hardly been changed since he died - meaning it really gives a feel for an early 19th century home, and for the ways in which collectors used to address and present their collections. And, of course, it's just terribly eccentric, all these odd pieces of house stuck together, with tons of windows and mirrors and sky lights, strange little objects everywhere, no labels on anything, a random skeleton staring out at you from a box in a room in the basement. I loved it, and spent absolute ages there.
After that, I had a ramble in Hyde Park before meeting some of the other American York girls for lunch and a spot of shopping in an overwhelmingly crowded and cheap clothing store. I picked up a new top and a wonderfully sparkly, star-covered necklace.
That night the study abroad program had a river cruise dinner and dance for us. It was great - the food was good and I loved seeing the city at night from the water. We went all the way down to Greenwich and the Thames Barrier - which I was terribly excited to see, though no one else really cared. I've wanted to see it for years. We also saw the tallest building in the UK, at Canary Wharf, an odd business development that really looks like someone build a mid-size American city (maybe a slightly scaled-down Charlotte) on the banks of the Thames. You completely forget it's London.
In Greenwich we saw the terribly ugly Millennium Dome / O2, but, more importantly, we saw the remarkably strong green laser that is projected from the Royal Observatory to mark the exact line of the Prime Meridian - which is pretty freaking cool, if you ask me. tom got some good shots of it, you can see one here.
Sunday we had a very good all-you-can-eat brunch, then Tom and I set off for the National Portrait Gallery. It was quite cool - they own a lot of very famous paintings, especially in their Tudor galleries - almost every famous portrait from that era hangs in maybe two galleries at the museum. And you can also trace some of the evolution of artistic style through only that one type of painting, so it's interesting for my art historical brain.
To finish up our weekend, Tom and I did a bit of music shopping, and I picked up Bishi and Leafcutter John, two artists I've been wanting albums by, so that was good.
On the train back we actually got seats, so that was really nice. Tom took some really cool pictures on the ride, featuring reflections and long exposures -you can see them here. Meanwhile, I listen to Leafcutter John and read a book I finally bought on an impulse after wanting to read it for a while - The Book Thief. I'm so glad I picked it up, it's stunningly good. Markus Zusak's turns of phrase are brilliant.
Since London I've really just been relaxing. I've been sick, so it's good to get some rest.
The two other times I was there I reserved my judgement, knowing that I had not been there long enough to really know if I liked it or not, but it's now official - I like London. It's short (a big advantage, in my opinion - the towering buildings of some cities make me very uncomfortable), it's pretty, it's full of history and cool things. And really good museums.
I was lucky on this trip, because my study abroad program paid for both dinners, one brunch, and my lodging - as well as my train ticket. Considering how expensive London is, that was very good.
On Friday the highlight (after an afternoon spent riding in the entrance / between-cars vestibule of the train) was definitely going to see The Shockwaves NME Awards Tour at the Carling Academy down in Brixton (in south London). Tom and I went, along with another American named Cambria who has just returned to York for another term after having been here last year.
We missed the first band, The Ting Tings, but we got there right before Does it Offend You, Yeah? started. They won my awards for Best Punctuation, and Most Direct Song of the Night ("Let's Make Out," of which the main lyrics are, yes, "let's make out!").
After DiOY,Y? Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong came on. They were the band I was most excited about hearing. They're brand new - no album out or anything. But their songs are already getting a decent amount of play, and their lead singer is Joe Van Moyland / Joe Beaumont / Joe Lean, an actor I like. They were my favourite of the night - so terribly British, clever and angular (music and looks), with Joe Lean doing his awkward pointy dancing... it was great. They weren't perfect, some of their songs were lackluster, but it was generally a really good showing. The crowd wasn't so enthused, but that's their loss. To stick with this award theme - they win My Favourite, Best Dancing, and Best Banter.
The headliners of the night were The Cribs, who were, in Tom's words, "decent." I was surprised how many of their songs I knew - they've crept into my consciousness without me being fully aware of it. The highlight of their set was definitely the fact that Johnny Marr, guitarist of The Smiths and indie god, came out and played the last few songs with them, including a Smiths cover. That was terribly exciting. They win... Most Direct Single Lyric ("I'd rather cut off my own arms then see you go out with him"), Best Guest, and Most Shoes I've Ever Seen Thrown at One Stage.
I really enjoyed the music, and just being at a British indie gig - something I've wanted to do for years. And I liked how well put on the show was - no too-large gaps between sets, and it was all over by 11pm - plenty of time to catch the Tube back to the hotel.
On Saturday I went to Sir John Soane's Museum with Tom. I've been wanting to go there for ages, and it lived up to every expectation. The place is jammed full of the extensive collections of one of the great Classical Revival architects, and it has hardly been changed since he died - meaning it really gives a feel for an early 19th century home, and for the ways in which collectors used to address and present their collections. And, of course, it's just terribly eccentric, all these odd pieces of house stuck together, with tons of windows and mirrors and sky lights, strange little objects everywhere, no labels on anything, a random skeleton staring out at you from a box in a room in the basement. I loved it, and spent absolute ages there.
After that, I had a ramble in Hyde Park before meeting some of the other American York girls for lunch and a spot of shopping in an overwhelmingly crowded and cheap clothing store. I picked up a new top and a wonderfully sparkly, star-covered necklace.
That night the study abroad program had a river cruise dinner and dance for us. It was great - the food was good and I loved seeing the city at night from the water. We went all the way down to Greenwich and the Thames Barrier - which I was terribly excited to see, though no one else really cared. I've wanted to see it for years. We also saw the tallest building in the UK, at Canary Wharf, an odd business development that really looks like someone build a mid-size American city (maybe a slightly scaled-down Charlotte) on the banks of the Thames. You completely forget it's London.
In Greenwich we saw the terribly ugly Millennium Dome / O2, but, more importantly, we saw the remarkably strong green laser that is projected from the Royal Observatory to mark the exact line of the Prime Meridian - which is pretty freaking cool, if you ask me. tom got some good shots of it, you can see one here.
Sunday we had a very good all-you-can-eat brunch, then Tom and I set off for the National Portrait Gallery. It was quite cool - they own a lot of very famous paintings, especially in their Tudor galleries - almost every famous portrait from that era hangs in maybe two galleries at the museum. And you can also trace some of the evolution of artistic style through only that one type of painting, so it's interesting for my art historical brain.
To finish up our weekend, Tom and I did a bit of music shopping, and I picked up Bishi and Leafcutter John, two artists I've been wanting albums by, so that was good.
On the train back we actually got seats, so that was really nice. Tom took some really cool pictures on the ride, featuring reflections and long exposures -you can see them here. Meanwhile, I listen to Leafcutter John and read a book I finally bought on an impulse after wanting to read it for a while - The Book Thief. I'm so glad I picked it up, it's stunningly good. Markus Zusak's turns of phrase are brilliant.
Since London I've really just been relaxing. I've been sick, so it's good to get some rest.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Two Weeks... Oops
So, brief highlights post of the last two weeks.
The walk two Sundays ago was quite nice. We started at the top of Sutton Bank, a very steep drop-off from the hills that makes up most of the North Yorkshire Moors. We then walked down by the Kilburn White Horse, a chalk horse on the hillside, while small planes pulling gliders took off above us. Then there was trees, mud, some really pretty horses, and a lot of walking through fields and young forests. There was a stunning patch of snowdrops and a really pretty little lake with a sandy bottom that had ripples in it - it looked like an underwater zen garden.
We had lunch at a pub in Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe, which apparently (according to Wikipedia) is the longest place name of anywhere in England. whilst waiting for out food I was messing with my camera, and I pressed what was apparently a very incorrect button, and lost all my photos. Oops. Luckily, on our walk back we did a good bit of backtracking, so I managed to re-take some of my photos (see my web album).
The next big event was the Jorvik Viking Festival - a week-long celebration of York's Viking ad Anglo-Saxon heritage. It was great. And I have more to say about it, but I also really, really want to go eat breakfast and get ready to leave for London for the weekend - so for now, check out the photos in the above-linked album.
The walk two Sundays ago was quite nice. We started at the top of Sutton Bank, a very steep drop-off from the hills that makes up most of the North Yorkshire Moors. We then walked down by the Kilburn White Horse, a chalk horse on the hillside, while small planes pulling gliders took off above us. Then there was trees, mud, some really pretty horses, and a lot of walking through fields and young forests. There was a stunning patch of snowdrops and a really pretty little lake with a sandy bottom that had ripples in it - it looked like an underwater zen garden.
We had lunch at a pub in Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe, which apparently (according to Wikipedia) is the longest place name of anywhere in England. whilst waiting for out food I was messing with my camera, and I pressed what was apparently a very incorrect button, and lost all my photos. Oops. Luckily, on our walk back we did a good bit of backtracking, so I managed to re-take some of my photos (see my web album).
The next big event was the Jorvik Viking Festival - a week-long celebration of York's Viking ad Anglo-Saxon heritage. It was great. And I have more to say about it, but I also really, really want to go eat breakfast and get ready to leave for London for the weekend - so for now, check out the photos in the above-linked album.
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