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.