Lincoln and Other Things

First order of business: Happy birthday to my Mom!!! I love you and I hope you had a great day!
Ok, I think the next order of business is to apologize for not updating my blog in over a week. Especially since I went down to London to visit Mike last weekend. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot to tell, since I have had strep for the last week and a half. The day I left for Mike's I went to the doctor and got prescribed a week's worth of penicillin. This experience taught me to realize how much I depend on my couch and my TV and my family to go "there there, pookie" when I'm sick. I found that I don't much like taking care of myself.
So my weekend with Mike was extremely low-key. We did not get into London proper because I couldn't walk for more than twenty minutes at a time without having massive coughing attacks. Still, it was a great weekend all around because I got to see Mike. We watched movies and went out to eat and mainly stayed around his neighborhood. (And I went to Primark and bought a shirt!)
This weekend, we went on an excursion to Lincoln, another city that was at one time a Roman fort. During Roman occupancy, the legions built many roads. The longest road (that is still in use today, though now it's a highway) is Fosse Way, which goes from Exeter to Lincoln—about 200 miles in a roughly straight line! Well, Lincoln is known for the walled castle (where a portion of the Magna Carta is displayed), the bishop's palace (which is in ruins now), and the Lincoln Cathedral. My favorite part of the visit was to the cathedral. For some reason, though the day started out overcast and miserable in York, by the time we reached Lincoln, we were stripping off our coats and scarves and taking in the sunshine. Because of the sunshine, the lighting in the cathedral was spectacular; we spent most of our time there. We spent a great day meandering around the town, though I think we could have left an hour or so sooner.
That night many of us in the group went to a pub just to relax and talk. I spent the evening talking to some of Jessie's flat mates and their friend. They are all international students. One girl is from Mexico, one from Italy, and one from France. They were really awesome to talk to and I hope I'm starting to make some friends outside my Calvin group!
On the agenda this week is lots and lots of homework. My 3,000 work essay is due this week for my 19th Century Writing course. This is the only paper I have and makes up about 70% of my grade for that class (the other 30% is our final exam). We're also going to the Castle Museum on Wednesday. And, most importantly, it's less than three weeks until our trip to Edinburgh! Huzzah!

Fountains Abbey

Today we visited Fountains Abbey, which is a few minutes outside the town Ripon (short i), itself only an hour from York–a perfect day trip! I have to say, while I gushed and raved about Durham and Lindisfarne (don't get me wrong, they were amazing too!), Fountains Abbey is my favorite excursion so far. First, the weather was gorgeous. Fifty degrees and a slight breeze! Though I have to say that it might not have been so pleasant had it been raining. I feel like I've been spoiled by nice weather for our excursions.

Now, I've learned all about the Romantics in Art History and my Literature classes and how they revere the sublime and the picturesque, and I was like, "Yeah, ok. Get a hobby." But now, I totally get it! There's something about walking through the archways and columned passages of a ruin that you can't find anywhere else. I find myself wondering what it really looked like during its prime (It was built in the 12th Century). Were the floors as uneven? Were the walls stone like they are now? It's like I'm visiting the shadow of something really grand, something with so much history, most of which died along with its residents.

Fountains Abbey is now part of Studley Royal Estate, so the grounds are spectacular. Since we had three hours at the abbey, I took a sack lunch and then strolled along the paths to the water gardens. Sometimes I walked with other people in the group, but I mostly just explored by myself. Call me ridiculous, but I even listened to the soundtrack of The Piano while I was walking (It was a success, let me tell you. There's nothing better than having background music to your life). I felt like I could have been wearing a Regency-style dress and bonnet! Ok, I know I'm gushing now, but this was an amazing place to visit. Around every corner there was some new and breathtaking sight. I would *coughcough* definitely suggest it as a potential daytrip to anyone *coughcough* planning on visiting England in the near future…

Durham and Lindisfarne

This Saturday we took an excursion to Durham and Lindisfarne. I have to admit I was not looking forward to it. It was a four-hour coach ride both ways where I wouldn't be able to sleep or read. As it turns out, this has been my favorite day of the semester so far.

We first went to Durham cathedral, which was not as big as the Minster, but was older. Our tour guide was incredibly informative. She told us that she actually gave tours to Sting and to Princess Anne! Saint Cuthbert (who was bishop at Lindisfarne) and the Venerable Bede were both buried at Durham. The cathedral was really interesting architecturally. They began construction in the late 11th century, so the style was very Romanesque—semi-circular arches and all that. They reached the opposite wall in the mid 12th century, where there are pointed arches (which apparently is more Gothic style). This was the first cathedral to have pointed arches and the first cathedral to have a stone ceiling, a feat made possible by a lattice-work of stone that supports the roof. A group of architects voted this cathedral as the most beautiful building in the world, with the Taj Mahal coming in second. I think that's probably not true, but I did think it was more beautiful than the inside of the Minster. Also, the courtyard was a Harry Potter film site!!! One down, three hundred to go!

Next, we went to Lindisfarne. We first went to the priory ruins, which were beautiful. Unfortunately, my camera decided that it had had enough of my batteries and started flashing an angry red light at me. Oh well, if only there were twenty-six other people taking the exact same pictures as me… Our final stop was the Lindisfarne Castle, which, if the weather had been crummy, would probably have been miserable. As it was, the light was dramatic and it was slightly misty and beautiful. The seaside made me a little homesick for Lake Michigan, but at least now I can say I've seen the North Sea! Well, I took some lovely pictures of sheep with a little landscape in the background. Little did I know that only a few kilometers south-ish, Julia was visiting an abbey and a cathedral as well! If I had known that, I would have sent her a smoke signal.

Tonight and tomorrow I have quarantined myself in my room. I walked into town with Kaitlin today because we wanted to go to the market where a crepe stand is open on the weekends. However, when I got back to my flat, I had another coughing fit. I figured I should limit my walking until Tuesday when I have to go to class. I have a feeling, though, that I will be tempted to go out tomorrow since so many people do not have Monday classes.

On a more exciting note, Mike and I are planning our Spring Break trip to Paris and Florence with the EXTENSIVE help of my dad. (Thankyouthankyouthankyou!) Things seem to be coming together swimmingly so hopefully everything will at least be planned out by week's end. (And yes, I am trying to introduce some British vernacular to my repertoire). Cheers!

A Weekend in Edinburgh

This weekend was—I'm ashamed to admit—my first experience of dealing with trains all by myself. (Does this mean I'm a big girl now?) I spent the weekend in Edinburgh with Julia, Alex, and Mike. It was an amazing experience, not only because Edinburgh is a very cool city even when it's raining, but because this was the first time I saw Julia and Alex in about half a year! It was great to play cards and Huggermugger and to drink wine and eat good food! They were wonderful hosts and showed us some really great sites. On the last night, Alex and Mike made us dinner: pasta with a beurre blanc sauce and tomatoes, snap peas, mushrooms, and bacon. Yum! We also had a salad with it, which I enjoyed probably more than was normal. This past week in York I had been intentionally running out of food so that it wouldn't spoil over the weekend. All I have been left with is a packet of fakey ramen noodles. I definitely needed the veggies! I loved seeing the city that I've heard so much about and, of course, being with Julia and Alex in person. The only downside was that I had a chest cold the whole weekend, so I was a whiney baby who couldn't walk faster than a snail.

Here's an interesting story: I came back to York today at about 4:30. (Two of my friends met me at the train station so that I didn't have to walk home by myself!) At about eight o'clock, Becca, my flat mate, came in and asked me how I was. She asked if I had heard about what had happened this weekend. Apparently I didn't tell either her or Hanna that I was leaving for the weekend. I did tell Bonnie, but she was gone in Manchester for the weekend anyway. Becca and Hanna realized that they hadn't seen me since Thursday and got really worried. They called security, and someone came to unlock my door. In fact, they told the girls that they would go into my room first just in case I was hanging from a rope in the corner. When they saw that I was not in my room, they commissioned the girls to investigate whether or not there were any clues indicating I was gone: train receipts, missing toothbrush, etc. Finally Becca checked my Facebook page where my status mentioned going to Edinburgh. Case closed. I feel partly appreciative but mostly humiliated and guilty—especially since Becca said that she and Hanna were "proper worried."

Looking Up

Ok, I don't want anyone to think that I will be posting every day, but today was particularly eventful, so I thought I'd share it. Last night I was really low. I felt sort of like I was on the outskirts of various groups of friends, and my boring night in did nothing to assuage that feeling. Also, I got into bed at 11pm and didn't get to sleep until 3:00. I was frustrated and crying and stressed, so there you go.

This morning, I woke up at nine and went grocery shopping at Spar, a closer little grocery store. Then, I came back and took a much needed nap. In the afternoon, there was a lot I had to get done, but first I stopped into a coffee shop called "Middleton's," which some of the girls recommended to me. Middleton's is a small room with only three tables. The owner and his wife are both chefs and they told me that, if there was any sort of food I was homesick for, I could request it and the next day it would be ready for me. He gave me this little chocolate candy stick which was really good. Then, when I was ready to pay, I asked if he accepted tips. He said yes, so I handed him a pound. He said, "But if you tip, you have to take this," and he gave me a bag of homemade cookies! I was so tired and grateful that I almost started crying right then and there.

I went to Little Apple Bookstore to buy a class book, to the library to get a card (it was Narnia Day so everyone working there was dressed up as a character—there was even a wardrobe to go through!) to the rail station to buy tickets to Edinburgh (which was a disappointment because I ended up forgetting an ID picture), and to Boyes to buy some more kitchen supplies. I'm from the Midwest, so I know polite, but I was overwhelmed by how nice everyone was. It's all people holding the door for you and apologizing when they realize they're walking too slowly on the sidewalk and apologizing when it's your fault for standing in their way. Today was "just the ticket."

Another thing: I know I told Mom big deal, so there's a cathedral in York, it's not like I've never seen one before. Well, let me tell you: it's enormous! I had only seen the front of it, but today I walked along it and it just keeps on going! The church bells were chiming for about an hour and it was so magical. I couldn't stop myself from going into the side door. I didn't go into the main worship space, since it was huge, but the short cross-section that I did see still looked like the biggest church I've ever seen—and that's only about a quarter of the size!

This evening, we went to a neighborhood church that had an event called "Tea and Toast" where people from the congregation served us…tea and toast. The pastor was there (priest?) and sat down and talked to us. I just feel like everyone is so welcoming and hospitable.

Anyway, I'm pretty cheery now—especially since I'm about to go and watch some Jane Austen.

Getting Acquainted

I'm an English major and a Linguistics minor. I love Brit Lit and the history of the English language. So I've had it as my goal to visit Britain, especially once I became a Jane Austen and Harry Potter fan.

York is a wonderful town for a student (I wouldn't want to raise kids here though—no lawns!). Everything is history and cobblestone and brick and bakeries and cafés. But it's not a museum; it's a livable city.

So far, my experience has been tiring. It's difficult to get settled in when you have to walk everywhere (my legs!). I went to Sainsbury yesterday (the supermarket) and just about died trying to walk back. It turns out I took the long, roundabout way there. It's strange hearing this really thick accent all around me, but I feel like, in a few days' time, I could do a solid impression.

I went to my first pub last night with the other study abroad students. It was called The Stone Roses. I had a cocktail with vodka, kahlua, milk, and chocolate. Yum! However, I'm not sure that a pub like that is really my scene: dim lighting, LOUD music, and nowhere to sit. I'll have to keep checking around for a better one.

Today (Saturday) we went to the seaside town of Whitby (The image above is a picture of the Whitby Abbey). To get an idea of what Whitby looks like, picture a seaside town. Ok, that's Whitby. It smells like fish (not in a bad way) and salty wind. We walked to the pier, which was too cold to be enjoyable. I had my first fish 'n' chips there, which was "gorgeous."

On the coach ride back, I was trying to think about what made the Yorkshire landscape so different from anything I've seen in America. It's strange. It looks a lot like an American landscape, but there's something different that I haven't been able to put my finger on today. Two words: sheep and hedges. Ok, I know I've seen sheep before, but not in this capacity. Sheep are to England what cows are to the Midwest.

The British landscape is so much more beautiful (in my opinion) because all of the plots of land are divided by these cute hedges. And everything is hilly and green, and it looks awesome, even when it's cloudy.

Tomorrow I have a day of errands, including buying a train ticket to Edinburgh to visit Julia and Alex! I'm sorry this post was so scatterbrained, but I'm still getting the hang of everything. I miss you all!

One Week and Counting

It is one week until I leave for York. I hope this blog allows you to keep in touch and read about all that I am doing (aka learning to cook for myself).