Insanity, Baths, and Rocks

I am beginning to feel like my students who say that they are using the words "amazing" and "awesome" too much to describe their London experiences. I think that I, too, have begun to wonder if I am really having experiences that are somehow amazing and awesome, or if I have merely grown unimaginative in my ability to describe my reactions and experiences. Surely the latter could not be true for a verbal gymnast like me, so I must be having incredible personal experiences in London. This weekend was no exception.

After returning from Sheffield, I decided to have a spontaneous weekend. On Friday afternoon, I walked from my flat to the Tate Modern, taking in St. Paul's Cathedral along the way. Yes, I got lost a few times along the way, but all roads apparently lead to St. Paul's...eventually. There is no way to describe St. Paul's; one can only experience its size and significance. I only ventured around the outside, saving the interior for an organ concert next weekend. The Tate Modern was a great experience, too. Monet, Matisse, Picasso--they are all there. There was a room devoted to Warhol, so I felt like I was back on the North Side of Pittsburgh. I look forward to chatting with my students about their impressions of the Tate Modern; an art museum is a fantastic place to explore many tenets of psychology. I ended the afternoon with a visit to the Borough Market, which made Pittsburgh's Strip District look small and homogeneous by comparison.

Later Friday night, I took in a show, "Insane in the Brain." It was a hip-hop/street interpretation of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." I wasn't sure what to expect, and honestly went with fairly low expectations. Wow, what a surprise! It turned out to be a really interesting performance with some very talented dancers. The soundtrack alone was worth the show (too bad they didn't sell a CD), and the prowess of the dancers was impressive. There were a few references to pop culture, including an homage to "Fame" and "Flashdance". I thought those were a bit irrelevant to the story, but who am I to criticize a maniac who wants to live forever?!

Saturday morning I left for an overnight excursion to Oxford, the Cotswolds (including Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Bibury), Bath, Lacock (where portions of "Harry Potter" and "Pride and Prejudice" were filmed), and Stonehenge. I had been to Oxford before, so it was a good refresher. It is a very impressive institution, and I love the idea of the self-contained college. The view from atop the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin offered a spectacular view of Oxford, but the sting of acrophobia was not far from mind.

Bath was a beautiful, beautiful place. Its historical importance in the Roman Empire was clear in its architecture (both old and new), and the Roman Baths were awe-inspiring. The Romans truly built structures to last! I could have spent much more time wondering this town, so will probably take a train back.

The excursion ended in Stonehenge, which is a must-see for any UK visitor. The structure itself was very cool. My only surprise and disappointment was how close to the road Stonehenge is. I was expecting to walk some distance to reach the structure, but no--it is just across the road from the car park. So the serenity that should be associated with an undoubtedly mystical place was disturbed by the constant sound of engines. Apparently with the Olympics coming to London in 2012, the UK is removing all roads within a mile of the structure and building a visitor center where people will have to take a shuttle to Stonehenge. I think that will restore some of the natural beauty and peacefulness that I would expect for such a place. But noise or no noise, Stonehenge truly was a very, very cool experience.

The 15 people on my mini-bus received a fantastic tour from David, our driver. A friendlier, more inquisitive guide could not be found; I highly recommend David and the International Friends Tour Company. They use smaller buses, which means you go off the beaten path where the larger coaches can't pass. We saw so much more than what we would have seen on a large tour, and we found many pig-trails that were barely wide enough for one car. And I learned many facts about "realities" that I take for granted or have never thought about. Initially, I had a feeling that David was much like my father. Is this story factual, or is he pulling another fast one and I should brace myself? Consider what I have now decided is valid:

1. Why do most Europeans drive on the left side of the road? That was the way Romans marched. That way, they could hold their shields in their left hands and fight with their swords in their right hands.

2. How was the length of a mile determined? A mile is equivalent to 1,000 paces by a Roman soldier.

3. Why is the English mile slightly shorter than an American mile? Queen _____ (choose your favorite queen) decided that a mile would be equivalent to 1,000 of her own paces, and she had a shorter pace than that of a Roman soldier.

4. In the Cotswolds, wool once was a primary industry. This is why you can see rock walls that run for miles and miles. The walls we re built without mortar (held in place by gravity), and they were 5-feet high (the height a sheep could jump). Each village has its own church, and historically all villagers except shepherds were obligated to attend church. This is why shepherds were buried with a tuft of wool so that when they met St. Peter in Heaven, he would understand why they never went to church. (Somehow, I think the folks at Mom and Dad's church will be hearing this story.) Also, because these villagers wanted to sustain the wool industry by discouraging lamb consumption, a statute was passed that in the UK cooked lamb had to be paired with an herb. The idea was that if the worst herb was chosen, people would be turned off by the taste of lamb. Unfortunately, the herb that was chosen was mint...a perfect complement.

So it was another great weekend. I will be glad to return to the classroom this week and see my students. I have missed them.




St. Paul's Cathedral. The Thames River and the Tate Modern are behind me.










This was a delicious apple turnover with fresh cream that I had while visiting Berford. Dad, be jealous--it was just THAT good.

This is the manor house at Lower Slaughter. Upper Slaughter has its own manor house. Both houses are now hotels.

This is the Royal Crescent in Bath. Because of its crescent shape, no one has a better view than any other. According to our tour guide, the architect built only the faccade of the crescent, so people literally bought the front of their home. They then built their home on the back of the faccade. This is why there are one thousand rooms in the crescent; only the front was standardized and people could build whatever they wanted behind.



This is the Abbey at Lacock. It was absolutely stunning. The sheep in front keep the grass trimmed, and it also provides a religious symbolism that is appropriate for an abbey.






This is the view of one side of Oxford from the tower of University Church. The view was well worth the 3 pounds, but wow were those tower steps narrow and steep. There was no room for a hunchback!










The view from above the Roman Baths. The hot springs were believed to have godly powers (why else would the water be so hot?). I love magical thinking. I wonder if people around Hot Springs and Lake Lure, NC once had similar beliefs?














This is a row of cottages on Arlington Row in Bibury. I love this picture because it gives you a sense of scale. You will also notice that the roof is made of stone--smaller rocks at the top, and larger ones as you move toward the ground. In the Cotswolds, local stones were used pervasively in construction.

This is the Market Cross at Castle Combe (pronounced /koom/). The minister would have stood at the Cross (looks like a gazebo) to ensure business was conducted fairly; the smaller structure to the right is a mounting stand for horses. I thought it would be a perfect place for Ricky to stand and lead singing while Sandy sits at the piano on her mounting step.





The Eagle and Child is England's oldest pub/hotel, dating to 947AD. It is located in Stow-on-the-Wold.

And finally, I confront Stonehenge.