Goodbye London, Hello Bakewell

Yesterday, with much despair, I left London and travelled north to Bakewell. I didn't really know what I was getting myself in to. I knew that the town only had a couple thousand residents, and the only internet access would be at the local library (where I sit right now). I knew my bed and breakfast was in a tiny cottage. In addition to this, I was very discouraged to learn that it was about 10 degrees cooler, with clouds and rain.

But, I also knew they had filmed Pride and Prejudice (both versions) here, and that the Peak District was supposed to be one of the more scenic areas of England.

Fortunately, I was relieved to discover that I had grossly underestimated this part of England. It may be a tiny town instead of a city, but it is covered in old stone cottages and quaint stores. It is on a hillside, among several huge hills (hence, Peak District?). Everything is so green, so beautiful. The people are incredibly friendly and charming, and my bed and breakfast beats the one I stayed at in London, which was very good as well. I didn't expect to have my own bathroom either, but I do, and beside my bed is a huge basket filled with books.


I don't think I'll mind being here for 5 days. This is a perfect escape from everything.

A few random thoughts from the week...

There are approximently 80 steps up to my hotel room, which I climb, on average, 4-5 times a day. I'm sure that makes up for the all the KU hills I'm not climbing.

Couples are not afraid of PDA in this town. I was going up an escalator from the Tube the other day and I noticed not one, but two couple making out on their ride up. Hyde Park is really bad. At the same time, there is an element of sweetness about it...it's nice to see happy people enjoying a beautiful afternoon with the person they love.

I went to Winchester on Tuesday. It was so beautiful. Originally, it had been the capital of England, and this is recognized by a giant statue of King Alfred which stands upon the entrance to city centre. There are homes dating back to the 1400's, and a little stream that runs through the middle of town. So quaint, so peaceful, so perfect.

Jane Austen was bured there, and she lived about 20 miles down the road in a little village called Chawton. The village is very peaceful and pretty as well. It looks almost exactly how you would picture it based on her novels and movies. Her home was a cottage, but it wasn't small. They had about four bedrooms, and a large garden. She wrote and published most of her books there in the latter part of her life.

I can't help but to be depressed though, when I think about her writing all these fantastic love stories and then dying single and alone at age 41. They said she fell in love once, when she was my age, but it only last a month and then he went away to law school. Then another guy came along five years later and proposed. She accepted, but then the next day revoked her promise.

I ate lunch at an old pub (which was delicious), and went on a walk. The countryside is so green, so quiet, so old. I can't help but to think that where she lacked inspiration from experience, she found it in her beautiful surroundings. I hope I make it back there some day.

Next week, I'll be in Bakewell...which I'm a little unsure about. It's a small town, so there really isn't much to do. I was planning on exploring the countryside where they did a lot of the filming for Jane Austen movies, and visiting the estates where they shot Pemberly and Rosings, but it might be a little bit of a let down. The forcast is for rain all five days I'm there. At least I have work to do and books to read.

Ihave to look on the bright side, I haven't seen rain yet in London and today marks two weeks since I arrived. This week will be very warm and sunny.

All in all this has been a very successful break so far. I've had some issues along the way with travel, getting lost, etc. But it's been one hell of an adventure. I think I've grown more in the last 4 weeks than in the previous two months I spent in Leicester. This growth has caused some friction in other areas of my life, but I know by now that growing pains are a part of life, and I'm happy to have learned more about myself through this experience.

London: Week 1

Unfortunately, the internet at my hotel seems to only work in 20 minute spurts. I'm going to try to take advantage of one of these spurts to do an update on my last week in London.

I visited the National Gallery, which was interesting because they had some of Vermeer's work, but overall not my favorite art gallery in London. There was a lot of art from the 12th-19th century, which I thought I liked, but after awhile it all began to look the same. I spent a lot of time outside the gallery, watching street performers. One man swallowed a sword and juggled while sitting on a rope, another man was speaking out loudly against the London police (which I have to give him credit for because he went on for hours with a booming voice and nobody really cared), and then several other men dressed up as statues and took pictures with tourists. I think I may have enjoyed watching all of them more than the museum itself.

I've also visited the National Portrait Gallery, which I LOVED, because they have an entire room dedicated to the Tudor family. Famous portraits of Henry VIII and his wives, Mary Stuart, Elizabeth I, Mary, I, Edward I...I've seen all of these dozens of times in books and documentaries. I was in utter shock when I found myself in a room surrounded by them.

Tate Britain was also pretty fascinating, more of the same except it was dedicated to the work of British artists. My favorite part of that was a large roome with no furniture, just writing on the walls. Tons of random phrases, song lyrics, etc, meant to evoke emotion based on the viewers experiences, were plastered up and down the walls and ceilings.

Tate Modern, which I had already visited in January, was worth coming back to. There were some very weird scenes, such as a naked woman covering herself in blood and rolling around in feathers, but there were also some brilliant displays. My favorite was a room full of images from the NYC Subway in 1980. The portraits of gang members, tourists, couples, homeless men and women, against the back drop of colorful street art was an interesting juxtaposition.

Enough about museums though, I want to talk about the other wonderful things I love about London. I love Hyde Park, and how busy it is with people on the weekends. There are so many people here that picnic! Both weekends I've been here there are blankets and people strewn about in the parks and by the Thames. I love China Town, where Jon (a friend from Leicester and Rome) took me last Monday to get some lunch. I love Soho, with all it's shows and secondhand bookstores. I love riding in the tube, and walking miles each day, exploring this massive city and all it has to offer.

Today I'm going to go to speakers corner in Hyde Park, and then to the Science Museum. Although there has apparently been a massive ash cloud over London, the sky has been blue and sunny for several days now.

London: Day 1

I'm officially in London! My hotel is amazing considering the cheap budget price I paid for it. It's in between Oxford Street and Notting Hill, right across from Hyde Park. My room is incredibly cozy but I figure I won't spend a ton of time there. Plus it has everything I need, including free wifi (unreliable but still a nice perk).

I spent my first day exploring the area. I walked around Hyde Park for awhile...It was an absolutely lovely day. Everyone was outside, enjoying the nice weather on a Saturday afternoon. Then I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I only got through half of it in two hours, but I will for sure be back soon.

The photography exhibit was amazing...but what was really incredible was the set of tapestry pieces done by Mary Queen of Scots and Countess Shrewsbury. I had just finished a 400 page novel that describes the relationship between the two women during Mary's time of captivity. Seeing the physical evidence of the characters I've been reading about for these past few weeks was so surreal and so amazing.

It's weird being here by myself. I feel like I'm an outside observer looking into the world. It's not lonely, but I do feel very small surrounded by this incredible city that I'm completely enamoured with.

Week in Cambridge

Well my week in Cambridge is just about finished. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, hanging out and doing a little bit of sight seeing. On Easter Sunday we went to church at Kings College Chapel. The choir was beautiful, the chapel stunning. Blaine and I grabbed meals at a few of the other colleges, and went to see a few of the more famous one. I also saw people punting on the river, and ventured into the town to see The Fitzwilliam Museum and the city market.


I am heading to London tomorrow afternoon for two weeks. So far I have been having the perfect spring break. I was afraid of hopping around too much, of being exhausted, and inevitably not being able to fully absorb the beauty of my surroundings. Instead I have some busy days and some quiet days, some days where I walk miles and some days where I walk none. It is absolutely lovely.

More of Italy

I have to say, the best part of the Roman ruins weren't in Rome. The more famous monuments- The Pantheon, Collosseum, Roman Baths of Diocletion...were just a whisper of their former glory. A lot of the ruins have been converted into great churches, or left to deteioriate after spending centuries as medival fortresses. The top spots for me were primarily outside of the main city. In the ancient port city of Ostia, there are roads of ancient apartment buildings and shops. Granted, they really only consist of brick walls....but it is the first place where one can attain a greater appreciation for what an ancient Roman city must have looked like. There was one bar, from the 4th century AD, that was almost perfectly preserved. I could see where people actually walked up to order drinks, and get a sense of some of the painting originally depicted on the walls.




Another great site was the Etruscan 'city of the dead'....this was an ancient burial ground full of round houses which housed the dead. They wanted to treat their dead with the same respect as the living, so the houses look just like ordinary homes from the time.








The most beautiful place we visited was the Villa D'este. This was a villa built by a bishop in Tivoli, at the top of a mountain overlooking Rome. It was absolutely gorgeous. Every room was orantely decorated, the walls all painted to a different theme. They didn't need TV back then, you could just walk from room to massive room, looking at the stories told through the massive murals on the wall. Some were a bit creepy, but all were so impressive. Behind the villa was one of the most amazing gardens I have ever seen. The landscape was on the side of the mountain, so each level you got to you could look down and see another new set of gardens.

I love Italy. Italy does not love me.

I have now been in Italy for almost a week now. It is beautiful. The weather is gorgeous, the buildings are gorgeous, the people are gorgeous. It is absolutely lovely. That being said, I don't think I could stay here for more than a week. Since the second day I have been sick with something.

The food is very salty and greasy, not nearly as good as Italian back home. I had to go home early from our tour on Monday, and unfortunately didn't make it back in time before tossing my cookies on the sidewalk a block away from the hotel. I felt so awful, but this nice old Italian man whose store I was in front of gave me a towel and did his best to console me. I kept aplogizing in English. I wish I had learned some of the language beforehand.

Anyways, after that embarressing and rather awful memory I had another two days of fever which evolved into a bad cold. Thankfully, I forced myself out the rest of the time and didn't miss anymore of the fantastic sights even though I was ill.

I got to experience the Vatican on Palm Sunday, and several other churches throughout the week. Being in a Catholic church in Rome feels like a completely different experience. The frescoes take your breath away, and the music sounds amazing in the large spaces. Everything- from the ceilings to the floors-is incredibly ornate. Today we went into a 14th century church that was built above a 5th century church that was built on top of a 2nd century Roman house where early Christians worshipped in secret. I can't describe the feeling of being in a place where people once gathered together despite the risk of Roman persecution. It had made me feel so much stronger in my faith, and so much more convicted.

I have so much more to say, but my one euro is about to expire. I promise to add pics and give a full description of my week soon!