dinapoli europe the summer of 2013 part ii
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EUROPE THE SUMMER OF 2013: PART 2
LONDON, BATH, THE COTSWOLDS, OXFORD, NOT TINGHAM, THE LAKE
DISTRICT, AND EDINBURGH
First Stop: London
ROUGH L ANDING
After a rough start in Bologna (see part 1) Ryan Air managed to get us safely on the ground at Stansted airport, about 45 miles & an hour and a half outside of London. After going through customs and changing money, we took the train into London, though not without mishap. Trying to board the train with a backpack and heavy shoulder bag, Tom lost his balance on the platform and fell over backwards, totally helpless, with feet and hands in the air like an overturned turtle. One of the platform attendants rushed over and along with Ben & Robin managed to pull him upright. None the worse for wear, we all climbed aboard and set out for central London.
PECKHAM
Arriving in London’s Peckham-Rye neighborhood, where the lodge of the same name was located, our second mishap occurred, this one potentially much more serious. Having to transfer from the train to the subway or “tube”, and each of us carrying two pieces of luggage, we made the mistake of trying to get to where we needed to be using the escalator. Within a few seconds Ben in the lead was pulled down by the weight of his bags, one of which slipped off the step, falling onto Tom who fell backwards, head down, feet (again) up in the air, Robin holding up the rear, which in this case belonged to Tom. Together we all rode up the escalator making it to the top uninjured, with a couple of strangers coming to our rescue – one pushing a button that stopped the escalator, the other helping us all to our feet.
OFF TO PECKHAM LODGE
Having safely made it off the escalator, the next (mis-)step was to board the subway to Peckham-Rye. Ben & Robin got on first without any trouble, but when the doors started to close, Tom instinctively stuck his arm in thinking …well, no one’s exactly sure what he was thinking. Fortunately Ben had the presence of mind to push an emergency button that stopped the doors from closing completely, potentially dragging Tom’s arm all the way to Peckham, with the rest of him back at the station. By this time we were all beginning to think we’d be very fortunate to make it back to America alive.!
PECKHAM LODGE
The lodge, named after the
neighborhood in London, was being
renovated . The room was comfortable
enough, though we were awakened by
an alarm at about 3 a.m. and a loud
knock on our door! Robin & Ben didn’t
want me to answer it, but thinking there
really could be a fire, I did – to find two
lodge employees outside asking us if
anyone was smoking which no one was.
Satisfied they left and we went back to
what sleep we could still get!
PRINCESS LOUISE PUB
Named after one of Queen
Victoria’s daughters, the pub
claimed to have the oldest
stained glass
in England.
It was about a half hour walk
from the lodge.
WHIRLWIND TOUR OF LONDON
St. Paul’s Cathedral
TOWER BRIDGE
Throughout our stay in
England & Scotland the
weather was cold, rainy,
gray – plain nasty.
PARLIAMENT &
BIG BEN
London’s Ben is the
one in the
background, our Ben’s
in the foreground!
THE TIGER PUB: 18 CAMBERWELL GREEN, PECKHAM
& CAMBERWELL, LONDON
This was a quaint pub about a 15-20 minute walk from the lodge.
HERMIT’S CAFÉ Click icon to add pictureThis is the pub we went to after eating dinner since it only served drinks. Sitting at a large table with three others: 2 guys and a girl in
their mid- to late 20s, we were soon chatting with them once they noticed our American
accents. Hearing I’d just studied in Italy, the girl,
who’d clearly had a few pints under her belt before we arrived, said she’d been to Italy once and learned just a single sentence –
taught to her by some local guys who assured her it was a surefire way to meet
Italian men. My mistake was asking her what that practical sentence was. Laughing so
loud she could hardly get it out, but get it out she did in what sounded like fluent Italian,
was (in translation): “My vagina’s on fire!” -- Robin thought that was hilarious, Ben & I told
her we agreed with the Italians that it was probably a pretty useful line.
BATH
In bath we stayed in a wonderfully situated youth hostel above the city that reminded us of a small Italian villa. In fact, its name was “Fiesole” which is the name of the small town overlooking Florence, that Robin & Tom had visited years ago and then re-visited with Ben after graduating high school. We had to take a cab up to it, but rode busses down into the city. The room was very nice and the view spectacular. Being a “youth” hostel, Tom just managed to squeak in under the age limit!
BATH’S “FIESOLE”
SERVING AREA
THE BATHS OF BATHClick icon to add picture
The Roman baths were
one of the highlights
of our trip. We spent
several hours touring
them…all the while
fully –clothed.
BATH CATHEDRAL
Robin’s Stained Glass
THE COTSWOLDS
The trip to the Cotswolds involved renting a car since we were going
on the assumption that it’d be absolutely essential to getting around.
As it turns out the public transportation was excellent between the
small towns in contrast to the car which we (Tom especially) soon
realized was more trouble than it was worth. Contributing to our
unanimous decision to leave the car parked outside the pub where we
were staying and take local busses, were the really narrow roads in
this district and the quaint British habit of driving on the wrong side of
the road. We call it in America and most of the free world “driving on
the RIGHT side of the road” for a reason!
ODDFELLOWS PUBThe small town of Cirencester served as our base from which we’d take side trips to the nearby towns of Bibury, Morton-in-Marsh, Lechlade, and Tetbury. We stayed above the Oddfellows Pub, which certainly gave new meaning to having to get up in the middle of the night for a drink! The highlight of our stay there was “Pub Quiz” night, a popular trivia contest in which we participated. Each team had to have a name , so we decided on “The Swamp People”.
BIBURY
Robin couldn’t get over
how large and beautiful
the roses were in this
part of England
LECHLADE ON THAMES
OXFORD
Ben spent the fall semester at Oxford’s Keble College.
We spent a couple of days in the city, visiting the
places where he studied, dined, and relaxed. The
university is everything we’d imagined it to be.
OLDEST BUILDING IN OXFORD
A WALK IN THE PARK AT KEBLE COLLEGE
THE DINING HALL
THE CHAPEL
“THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”(ROBIN’S PHOTO)
The Chapel also contains Holman Hunt's
famous painting "The Light of the World".
This famous Pre-Raphaelite painting was
donated to the College in 1872 by the widow
of Thomas Combe, Printer to the University,
on the understanding that it would hang in
the Chapel. The painting is an allegorical or
symbolic painting representing the figure of
Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown
and long-unopened door - 50 years after
painting it, Hunt felt he had to explain the
symbolism. According to Hunt: There are two
lights shown in the picture. The lantern is
the light of conscience and the light around
the head is the light of salvation with the
door representing the human soul, which
cannot be opened from the outside. There is
no handle on the door, and the rusty nails
and hinges overgrown with ivy denote that
the door has never been opened and that the
figure of Christ is asking for permission to
enter. The bright light over the figure is the
morning star, the dawn of the new day, and
the autumn weeds and fallen fruit represent
the autumn of life. The writing under the
picture, which is rather hard to read, is taken
from Revelation 3 'Behold I stand at the door
and knock. If any man hear my voice and
open the door I will come in to him and will
sup with him and he with me.'
M O R E O F R O B I N ’ S C H U RC H I N T E R I O R S
ROBIN’S STAINED GLASS
OFF TO NOTTINGHAM
Here in Nottingham, as in Oxford, we
had a good chance to see where Ben
had spent the second semester. In
contrast to Oxford, the University of
Nottingham is very modern and a lot
like a typical American university with
its expansive, unified campus.
DOWNTOWN NOTTINGHAM
THE “JERUSALEM”
NOTTINGHAM’S “DEER PARK”
ENGLAND’S LAKE DISTRICT
One of the most picturesque regions in the
country
LIFE ON THE FARM
Ben found us a wonderfully idyllic place to relax and
enjoy the beautiful English countryside: a working
sheep farm in the famous “Lake District” north of
London. It’d be our last stop before traveling up to
Edinburgh. Ben couldn’t have found a more peaceful
place for us to stay. Before traveling to the farm,
however, we stayed a few days in the quaint town of
Windermere at the Lingmoor Inn. It was from here
that we took an all day bus tour of the district.
L INGMOOR GUEST HOUSE & ITS PROPR IETORS :PAUL A & GRAHAM
SMITH
THE TOUR
THE CASTLERIGGSTONE CIRCLE
Though smaller and far less famous than Stonehenge, the Lake District’s Castlerigg
Stone Circle is just as impressive, maybe even more so given its spectacular setting.
The stone circle at Castlerigg is situated near Keswick in North West England. One
of around 1,300 stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany, it was constructed as
a part of a megalithic tradition that lasted from 3,300 to 900 BCE, during the Late
Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages.
Various archaeologists have commented positively on the beauty and romance of the
Castlerigg ring and its natural environment. In his study of the stone circles of this
region, archaeologist John Waterhouse commented that the site was "one of the
most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain.” We thought so too!
IN & AROUND THE DISTRICT
A DESCENT FOR THE RECORDS
We'd climbed a pretty steep hill to get a good view of the valley below as the
previous photograph shows and heading back from the summit there were two
rocky/gravelly paths down. Ben suggested the one he felt was easier, Tom
decided to just do a slow half jog down the other, when before you know it, the
half jog turned into a wild sprint down the slope since once Tom took off and
picked up some speed he couldn't stop. Ran downhill over a narrow path at a
pretty good speed and in dress shoes, arms and legs flying for about 40 yds
before grabbing hold of a bush to finally stop. Ben said that when Tom took off
he had absolutely no idea what in the hell he was thinking. He says a Japanese
tourist looked at him and said "What you father do??? He crazy or
someting?" Luckily Tom didn't trip and fall since there were lots of rocks on and
along the path. Everyone had a pretty good laugh about it afterwards.
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH’S COTTAGE OF GRASMERE & GRAVE
LITTLETOWN FARM
RUNNING OF THE SHEEP
While staying at the farm we
were startled one day to
hear a flock of sheep
running down the road
towards us. They’d been let
out of their pasture and
were being herded down to
another. Ben took a video
which can be seen at the
following link:IMG_2237.MOV
TRAIL DOG COMPETITION
Our hosts at the farm told us about a periodic
competition involving a running of trail hounds,
trained to follow a scent. The competition was
being held in a field about a 15 minute walk from
the farm. The admission price was fair, especially
since it went to improve schools in the area. For
each race – the courses being of varying length
and so duration, the competing dogs were lined
up and at a signal set loose. The race we
watched lasted about 20-25 minutes during
which the dogs followed a scent some 10 miles.
Bystanders would follow the race with binoculars
and when the dogs came into view, heading for
home, their owners started whistling and yelling
to spur them on.
LAST STOP EDINBURGH
By the end of our trip through England we were all ready for some rest
and relaxation. This is why we decided to spend about a week in
Edinburgh. Ben found us an apartment at Gayfield Square, across the
river from the old town. It was an ideal location since the walk into the
old part of the city took us only about 15-20 minutes. While in
Edinburgh we twice had lunch with a gentleman who’d been in Tom’s
class in Bologna, Robert Thornton, a retired linguist and teacher of
English as a second language. It was Robert in fact who told us about a
thrift store where as it turns out, Ben found a great leather bomber
jacket for an incredibly reasonable price.
GAYFIELD POLICE STATION
Robin went out one night to the park across from our apartment to
feed the squirrels , only to literally disappear. Ben & Tom had gotten
worried since it was pretty cold and she wasn’t wearing a sweater or
jacket and was gone quite a long while. Going outside to look for
her, she was nowhere in sight, nor was anyone in the park. Well,
come to find out, she was in the Gayfield police station giving a
witness statement. It seems she saw someone throw a rock at a
parked police car, breaking a window. When the police came out
they saw Robin who volunteered to give a description of the guy.
GAYFIELD SQUARE PARK W H E R E R O B I N D I S A P P E A R E D
LUNCH WITH ROBERT(0)
EDINBURGH CASTLE
SIR WALTER SCOTT MONUMENT
F I R T H O F F O U R T H F R O M H I L L O V E R L O O K I N G T H E C I T Y
FLIGHT HOMEClick icon to add picture
We got up very early on July 5th,
around 4 am to be ready at 5 when
the cab we’d ordered would arrive.
The 8 mile drive to the airport took
about 25 minutes and so we had
plenty of time to check in and wait
for our flight, which as expected was
long and tiring. In Charlotte there
was a delay due to the weather; still
we were all very happy to finally be
back home.
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