Adventure: Cornwall

Hello! So sorry for the radio silence, I have been very busy here in the UK but have much to report.

Last week was great, lots and lots of reading. Classes are going well, but most of my week days have been devoted to reading and study, with a few hours a day outside exploring, sitting on the Crescent, or getting a quick run in.

One highlight of last week was dinner at the Saracen's Head Tavern, where Dickens himself dined and stayed. After that my friends Ali, Alison and I grabbed a few drinks at this gin and wine bar called the Canary, which I can highly recommend for a fun drink. I had a really nice damson gin and tonic. I am not a fan of gin usually, but I do love damson and sloe gin, both gins distilled with berries local to the UK, and semi-hard to find outside of the UK. Damsons are a bit like plums, which sloe berries are small red berries.

This weekend my whole program hopped on a bus friday morning and headed to Cornwall! I have never been to Cornwall, but have always been intrigued by it. We were not disappointed! Cornwall is a beautiful part of England, with a beautiful coast. It is also covered with hills and moors, sheep, cows, and wild ponies! Gorgeous..

It was a long drive so we broke it up with various excursions. On friday we stopped at the ancient ruins of Tintagel, which all you Arthurian experts with recognize as the alleged birth place of King Arthur. I love Arthurian legend, and was so excited to see the ruin. The little town itself was adorable, with pubs, cornish ice cream stores, and little souvenir shops, all atop a cliff overlooking the sea. When we got off the bus we hiked down to the ruins, had a quick lunch on one part of the cliff, with a nice view of the waterfall and Merlin's cave. After lunch we hiked up, up, up to the castle, and through the meadows around it. The views from the top were amazing, with miles of Cornish cliff coastline in view. Also, the water in Cornwall is as turquoise as the Caribbean. The cliff sides are adorned with hundreds of species of wild flowers, and they were all in full bloom. It was very windy, but also beautifully sunny, and it was great exercise hiking up and down the stone steps.

After exploring for a few hours we hopped back on the bus and headed to Coverack, the town where we were staying. Coverack is a quintessential tiny Cornish town on a hill, with a nice beach at the bottom. We moved into the hostel we were staying in, which was actually pretty nice, and then headed down to the (only) pub for a dinner of traditional Cornish pasties. They were actually seriously good! Loaded with veggies and steak. They say that pasties were created for the coal miners in Cornwall to eat with their dirty hands--they would grip the pasty by the crust and eat it from the top, and then discard the dirty crust when they are done. Pretty smart!

The next day we hiked the Lizard, which is the southern-most tip of England. It is known for its dicy weather and dramatic views, but we lucked out weather-wise, thank goodness. Apparently last year it was windy and rainy and generally miserable. We, on the other hand, had a great guide and a great time! Our guide told us all kinds of interesting Lore about Cornwall and the Lizard in general as we walked the 4 miles on the edge of the huge cliffs. The moors on top of the cliffs, which we traversed, boast the most endangered plant species in the UK, mostly wild flowers, and everything was in full bloom. It was sublime. There were incredible succulents hanging over the cliffs, and all sorts of other beautiful and colorful flowers. Not to mention the vibrant blue of the ocean beneath us. Our guide told us this was the premier "box of chocolates" view that England had to offer, and I cant say that I disagree. Spectacular.

After our hike we spent the afternoon in the town of St. Ives, a lovely beach town. It is much larger than Coverack, and it was cool to explore and grab some lunch. There is a large surfing community and surf school there, and it was fun to see all the Brits enjoying the beach in all their pale glory ;-)

Jokes...I cant say I am the most tan at the moment either.

                                                           This one is for Emily Bartlett-Cats in other countries...

That night we had a bbq at a local organic farm near Coverack, which was so neat. On our way our road was blocked by three adorably scruffy wild ponies, who eventually trotted down the road out of our way.  There was a lot of bonding going on all weekend, but that night definitely cemented our group and broke down any barriers that existed before. Its not a large program, I think there are 50 of us, and over the course of the weekend we all got to hang and get to know each other a lot better, teachers included. One warning to note: beware the Cornish cider. 

Yesterday our long drive was  broken up by a stop at the historic estate of Nightshayes, in Deven. Kept up by the National Trust, Nightshayes is a beautiful old victorian estate, dating from the 1800's. It was privately owned until 1972, and then was handed over to the National Trust. It has been beautifully preserved with all the original decorating, and we walked all over the house admiring the Georgian and Victorian interiors. It was all beautiful, but the ceilings were particularly cool with amazing molding, engraving, and painting.

We got back to Bath around 6:00, exhausted but happy. It was so nice to be outside all weekend in such a dramatically beautiful place. We truly got to experience the flavor of Cornwall, which is definitely different than Bath. I would love to go back some time and see more :-)

Busy week this week, few papers and presentations. Ill try to be a little more consistent with posts, but I cant make any promises.

xoxo

Em

ps. please forgive all the photos--I love the minutiae...

Ireland: Cleggan, Galway, Connemara, and Inishbofin

My last two days in Ireland were a thrill, consisting of horseback riding and deep sea fishing.

On the second to last day we woke up early to get to Cleggan for horseback riding. I now have a new appreciation for people that ride horses as my groin is still sore from telling the horse to go faster. When we arrived at the Cleggan Riding Centre. I had no idea what to expect. We were giving riding boots and helmets after we filled out a survey to say how many times we have rode a horse. Ironically, they gave me Henry to ride -- the same name that Emily's godson gave my Toyota. He was a nice black Clydesdale.  I remember as we were getting ready to leave the stable flies were attacking the horses and the riders and the horse were getting quite unsettled. They tried to do everything to get them off, while not throwing us off their backs! They gave us a quick 10 minutes tutorial on how to ride a horse -- showing us how to turn, walk, and trot the horse... and most importantly how to stop!

We rode to Omey Island, which was this gorgeous little "tidal" island that was hardly an island during low tide. During low tide, a gigantic beach created a rode to the island, which you would drive on if you wanted to get to Omey. On the beach in between the mainland and the island, we rode the horses. We even took them in the water to trot. At one point, Brenny's horse Barney, the alpha of the group, started to run past me... Immediately my horse started to gallop! Scarred the daylights out of me.

By the time we got back to the Currarevagh House we were all conked. However, we had a one hour turn around before we headed into Galway for dinner and a show. After eating a lovely meal at the Galway Bay Hotel, we went downstairs to the basement to see the "show" that Mr. Quinn had been talking up. While some wanted to check out the Galway pub seen, the Trad on the Prom ended up being a fantastic show. Top musicians and a whirl of Irish Tap Dancers caused the audience to roar. It was really a spectacular show. One of the step dancers twisted his ankle and they gave a quarter-by-quarter update on his injury status. It was almost comical how in depth they were going about his injury.

The next morning was another early wake up because we were going to go touring around Connemara on Shane's boat and then go deep sea fishing. This was probably my favorite day. We got to the Shane's boat around 1030 and left the mainland. On our way to Inishbofin, we stopped by these incredible cliffs. Towering over 200ft high, the cliffs had tons of different birds flying around -- every kind of Puffin and their cousin. Our captain's boat had a very shallow draft so he was able to get within ten feet of the cliffs. I was scared we might crash! While some rave about the Cliffs of Moehr, I really think these are far more exciting and breath-taking.

                                   Brian and Brenny

After we toured around the cliffs, we stopped at an island called Inishbofin, meaning "Island of the White Cow." The only pub on the island, we had a fantastic lunch of burgers and lobster. Unfortunately, I think Mr. Quinn got food poisoning and didn't feel very well for the rest of the day. After lunch, we went deep sea fishing. Unlike America deep sea fishing, the Irish like to attach 4 or even 5 hooks to their line. So sometimes people were catching up to 4 fish at a time, unbelievable! We must have caught over a 100 fish in a span of two hours.

                                                          Why didn't we ever think of using four hooks per rod?

After the fantastic day on the boat we headed for our hotel. Over looking Connemara, the Rose League Manor was one of the most spectacular hotels in Ireland. We had a very nice meal. Everyone around us was sitting in twos or threes and being very quiet. With our group of seven we lit up the dining room. The meal was remarkable and we all shared some great laughs. Unfortunately, it was my last night with the Quinn's. I can't thank them enough for including me on the trip. Furthermore, Mr. Quinn did an amazing job planning a stellar itinerary full of amazing attractions. The trip was magical and I am truly grateful for the experience.

Now I am in the Philly airport waiting for my transfer to Boston. I will spend the night at the Villa's and then head for the Vineyard to lead Vineyard Service. I hope Emily is enjoying her time on Cornwall and am so excited to see some of her photos and blogs from the weekend trip.

Cheers,

Louie

Bath: A Tour of Flirtation

Today in my Austen class we took a tour of flirtation around the city, and discussed courtship in Georgian Bath. Some of you are probably chuckling at how frilly that sounds, but it was actually quite interesting!

First we went to the Pump Rooms, which was where the Georgians went for tea, people watching, and socializing. The Pump Rooms are still a tea room to this day, which hopefully I will get to experience before I leave Bath....minus the prowling ;-)

After the Pump Rooms we walked by the Royal Mineral Water Hospital. Bath was a place of healing in Georgian times, and the waters were thought to have such wonderful qualities that they build a whole hospital around them!

Next we walked up the hill to the Upper Rooms, which is where many scenes from Northanger Abbey take place. If you are familiar with the novel, it is where Catherine meets Mr. Tilney, and has her first debut in Bath. The Upper Rooms were the place to come to dance, meet young men, play cards, drink tea, gossip, and flirt! Basically just a regency version of a modern day club with a very large age range.

The Pump Rooms were followed by the Circus, which is one of the signature places in Bath. Designed by John Wood, Sr., and finished by his son, the architecture of the Circus is heavily influenced by both Roman grandeur and Bath's pagan roots. Supposedly the first king of England was born with a terrible and disfiguring skin condition. His father deemed him unfit to rule because of it and disinherited him and sent him off to be a pig-herder. One day he was out with his pigs and they discovered a mud hole while in pursuit of acorns, and began rolling in it, as pigs are wont to do. He noticed that the mud and water seemed to improve any skin problems they had so he went out on a whim and tried it on his own skin. Lo and behold, the mud and water from the hot springs below began to heal his skin! He returned to his father, who was overjoyed, and he eventually took the throne and founded the city of Bath around the hot springs he found there. The acorns seen at the base of the roof on the buildings of the crescent are meant to signify the pigs of the King, and the subsequent founding of the city!

                                                                                           The Circus

After the Circus we hit the Royal Crescent, a place which has come to define Bath, and was also designed by John Wood. The lawns there are beautiful, and look right down on the Victoria Gardens, which is a beautiful park. We walked from the Royal Crescent down a small path through the gardens where Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth walk in Persuasion, and where I am sure many a real life couple flirted and, in modern day language, "DTR-ed." There was a little Georgian garden off the path which we check out as well. The people who own in it have faithfully kept it in the Georgian tradition, which is characterized by more muted and natural colors (the Georgian didn't have bright exotic transplants yet), and contained wildness.

                                                                                   The Royal Crescent

If you are familiar with Austen then you know that her novels do contain many flirtations. Back then, women were meant to be charming and engaging, yet never too funny. It was very unladylike to see a man without any chaperones, and so flirting was hard to pull off with constant supervision. That being said, it could be done behind a fan in a crowded room such as the Upper Rooms, or while hanging back from a walking group. Places like the garden we saw were very helpful arenas for flirtation because a couple could be relatively alone, and yet in full view of a drawing room window. Even at a time when most marriages were semi-arranged or out of convenience, flirting was still exciting, and in a place like Bath, where people came simple to see and be seen, it was quite rampant.

                                              One of the houses Jane lived in while in Bath, in Queens Square

We ended our tour at the Royal Theatre, which is now a Mason house. We were content to just see the outside, but a sweet man invited us in for a quick look around, and for free! The theatre is still very much intact, they have just taken down the boxes to convert it into a meeting room. Super cool! This was where Catherine looked across to catch Tilney's eye, and he slighted her. Hard to get...oldest trick in the book.

After my classes, my friend Ali and I headed back to the crescent to read and enjoy the evening sun, as it was pretty drizzly earlier during our tour. It seemed everyone was out walking their amazing dogs (seriously, I have never seen such a range of breeds as I have here), and we spotted this guy. How handsome is he?!

Love,

Em

Bath: A Truly English England

                                                               A Truly English England
 

            When I was in London last week, before coming to Bath, an English friend remarked to my fiancé and I, “ You Americans are such suckers for anything old.” I laughed a bit, but am not ashamed to admit that statement is entirely true for me.  I have been an anglophile my whole life, have always felt drawn to anything British, and have steeped myself in British literature.  Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that aside from the 1/8th of my blood which is Italian, the rest of me is entirely Anglo-Saxon—a mix and mash of English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish heritage.

            My ancestors go back generations, and have lived in many different parts of this country. There is an inbred depth of legacy here for me, mirrored by the depth of history that comes along with that. I love the states, I am very proud to be American, but before America there was England, and Scotland, Ireland and Wales. As we all know, history is incredibly important in informing us about the current state and condition of a place. Therefore just as our great country, America, is informed by the history of the UK, (whether or not we want to admit it), I as well am personally informed about myself and my heritage by exploring the history of this place.

            This is not my first long stay in the UK, in fact I spent my freshman year at the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland. It was all at once a rich, complicated, and wonderful experience. Because of that time, my trip to Bath so far has not been surprising in the way that it may have been for other people. That being said, the Scottish part of me is nudging me to make note that Scotland is different than England. Still very romantic, but in a darker way-- not quite as light-hearted as England.  Beautiful in it’s starkness, and jubilant in it’s summer green.

            Bath has delighted me in that it is so very English. It is surrounded by rolling green hills, full of delightful local pubs, the people are kind, they drink tea, and it is characterized by the layers of history to be found here. The Abbey has been a house of worship for over a thousand years, since before the Norman invasion of England. The countryside around the city, especially the Cotswalds, (Bath is the southern tip of the Cotswalds), is obviously the type of countryside which Tolkien was inspired by when he created the Shire. The town has been heavily influenced by the Romans, Georgians, Victorians, and modern day Brits. You could spend weeks here just exploring Bath through the centuries.

            It has been my experience this country that you must get out of London in order to truly experience England. This is not true for every city and country, in fact Edinburgh is decidedly Scottish. London is wonderful and fascinating, but it is not purely English anymore in the way that Yorkshire, Harrogate, Somerset, and Bath are. Bath is all at once the England of my imagination, the England of story, and the real England.  A bit corny, I know, but you will have to excuse me…I’m such a sucker for anything old.

-Emily

This post is actually the first of 6 journal entries for my fantasy class. I may share a few more if I feel like it, but I just thought this might be helpful in understanding a bit more about my affinity for England and my excitement about this trip. 

Bath: First Day of School!

"Fantasy remains a human right: we make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker."

J.R.R. Tolkien, On Fairy-Stories

While J.R. Richey was catching wild brown trout Ireland, I was over here in Bath having my first day of classes. Yesterday was a pretty boring day, standard orientation, so I was super excited to dive into my courses.

Bath Abbey

I am taking two courses here in Bath, one on Jane Austen (who lived here for at time), and one on Anglo-American Fantasy, focusing on Tolkien and Lewis. I came here specifically for the latter course, I felt I couldn't pass it up, but I am pumped to revisit Jane as well. LOVE her!

I started out the morning with my Austen class at 9:30. My tutor (Brit for teacher/prof) seems fantastic, she is about to start a fellowship at Christ Church at Oxford. She has been teaching at Oxford for a while, but she has been coming to ASE in the summer to teach this course for a few years.  She is young and bright, and also quite brilliant I think, as she already has her PhD. Very excited to look at Jane with her. We are starting with Northanger Abbey, moving onto

Pride and Prejudice, followed by Emma, and then Persuasion. 

Bath features prominently in both Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion,  and it is so neat to be able to recognize some of the places that she mentions, such as the pumprooms, and Milsom St, which I have walked along every day!

At 2:30 I had Tolkien class, which was great. As some people may know, both Tolkien and Lewis were great men of faith,  which is very evident in their writing. It would be, in my opinion, an incomplete reading not to address this when studying their work, but many people gloss over it, especially when studying Middle-Earth. (Lewis's allegory in Narnia is so wonderfully overt that it is hard to ignore.) I was unsure how this was going to be treated in this course, and so was very pleased when my professor decided to tackle this head on by asking us each to share a little bit about our religious background and what we believe. This may not look intense on paper, but in person it was aggressive and bold, but essential.

It was interesting hearing where everyone was coming from, and what they believe. It helped me to understand everyone so better, including my professor, and was also a cool opportunity for me to share my belief in the Gospel and the J-man. I wasn't alone in that either, which was also a wonderful discovery! The discussion left us in a great place where we know where each person is coming from, and can reflect on Tolkien and Lewis's work respectfully, but also honestly, because we had already shared our personal beliefs.

After class I read for a few hours. ( I will be reading for the next million years...aside from the 10 books we are studying in the next 5 weeks, my professors also gave us about 400 more pages of supplementary reading today...dang. The nerd in me has to admit that I love it though... and I already ready 7 out of 10 books.) After that we all headed to a cocktail reception with the whole program, including professors, in one of the art museums in the city, called the Victoria Art Gallery. Drinking wine with our professors was a bit weird at first, but we got used to it! Everyone mingled, and it was so great to get the opportunity to get to know each other on an informal and social level. After a bit, the director of ASE,  Jonathan Hope, invited us all out to the pub! Everyone went to the "afterparty" at the Pig and Fiddle, a great local pub in Bath. After oneCrabbies (current fave) and some lovely chats with my professors, I called it a night, and headed home to bed and two brand new pillows...cozy!

Hope all is well across the Irish and Atlantic Seas!

xoxo

Emily

ps. Lots of fun stuff coming up, including a "tour of flirtation" for Jane, and trips to Cornwall, Oxford, and Manchester! eeek :-) pumped.

                                               Oops! Ali and I wore opposite but matchy outfits...including our gold shoes!

Oops! Ali and I wore opposite outfits...including our gold shoes!