hold the mayo

2:21 am. Sunday, December 14, 2008. Cambridge, England.  

The queue has morphed into a small mob at this point.  The two guys in front of us are deeply involved in a heated argument over how much money they spent on one another this evening.  Meanwhile, Karissa does some investigating on the price of a large order of chips.  I sidestep the debaters.  Guy A decides to follow Karissa to the menu at the side of the Trailer.  Behind me, I hear Guy B attempting to speak French to the girls walking past.  He promptly turns around to ask the girl leaning on the lamppost if she thinks this is sexy.  Too far gone to comprehend the situation, she looks at him incredulously before spitting on the ground.  Finally I am at the front of the queue.  The Greek man running the till gives me a sigh of relief at the simplicity of my "large chips" order.  "1.70," he tells me.  Giving a false name, I pay with exact change.  I have lost track of Karissa as I slide down the counter.  Grease and salad fly in every direction.  Two finicky girls to my left are doing the best job at angering the cooks with their requests.  Mayonnaise suddenly appears on my coat.  Resolute, I manage to transfer most of the salad dressing from my shirtfront to the cold metal of the countertop.  Finally, with a shout of "Sarah!" I reach for the steaming styrofoam boat.  Salt and vinegar, ketchup.  Hold the mayo. 

You can't spit here.

From America, my conception of the United Kingdom was very vague.  Perhaps it was even a little skewed.  I did not really make much of a distinction between England and Scotland.  To me, England was London (the Queen, Big Ben, fish n' chips) and Scotland was the land of rolling green hills and bagpipes.  It never occurred to me that such a strong sense of nationalism existed in this proud nation north of England.  

As soon as I crossed into highland territory, I recognized a different sort of electricity in the air.  The people were friendlier; and although I

 sometimes had difficulty comprehending their dialect, I could tell they meant well.  (After all, smiling is universal.)  Scotland was an

 interesting sort of contradiction to my usual notions of north/south geographic regions in a nation.  For instance, in the United States, the people are fairly obviously characterized by their geographic location.  Northerners exhibit a bustling, businesslike air; while things tend to move a little slower in the South.  In the UK, however, the opposite seems to be the case.  The English (aka Southerners) are much less easygoing, while the Scottish (Northerners) downplay the importance of punctuality and efficiency, thus giving Scotland an endearing atmosphere.  

When I was in Scotland, I made it to two of its major cities:  Edinburgh and Glasgow.  Many adventures took place, which may or may not have included castles, Harry Potter, a stone heart on which to spit, and eating cookies off the sidewalk.  Let's just say, that even though I was never able to conclude what exactly is (or isn't) worn beneath the kilt, I feel like I got a pretty good insider's view of this lovely little nation.

Dublin over.

Oh Ireland.  Home of rolling green hills, shamrocks, lucky leprechauns, and the occasional drunk Irishman.  

Wait, did I say occasional?  Correction:  all Irishmen are drunk.  Most of the time.  But let me tell you, they sure know how to welcome visitors to their country.  Compared to the English, the people I met in Dublin this weekend were the epitome of friendliness.  

Unfortunately, the majority of the people we actually met were not truly Irish.  Dublin seems to have become a metropolitan center for immigrants (like most big cities) and is now home to a wide variety of people.  For instance, our first night in Ireland's capitol, we met three young men who were members of the German Navy.  And, while we couldn't quite seem to conquer the German tongue twisters they tried to teach us, language barriers were overcome with numerous pints of Guinness.  Laughter was the only language necessary.  

Of course, we saw the sights and museums, but I think what I will remember most about my trek to Dublin is the tendency of old Irishmen there to offer their time-tested advice.  I will never forget the wise words of our friend Merry, whom we met at a little pub called The Celt. He was drunk (of course) but offered some insight on the gentleness of the Irish.  "See you have a ladybug," he whispered, as he pointed to his empty flat palm, "and you have to be kind to it."  With the conclusion of his statement, he blew on his imaginary beetle and imitated it flying away with his hands flapping, butterfly style.  

In conclusion, I wasn't quite sure what most of the drunken Irishmen were getting at when they gave me advice.  Most of the time it had to do with what kind of man I should marry.  I guess I will never truly understand Ireland from just a three day visit to Dublin.  Someday, I vow to return and get my own piece of the shamrock.

Liver and Wales

My recent visit to this year's Cultural Capitol of the World was full of surprises.  For those of you who still aren't sure of which city I'm speaking, it is none other than Liverpool.  As a lifelong, diehard Beatles fan, I was fascinated with this coastal English city.  I visited the Beatles Story Museum, partied at the Cavern Club (where the Beatles first played), and ate lunch on Albert Dock.  If I had had a little more time... and money... I would have definitely gone on the tour of signature Beatles sites around the city, but perhaps next time.

The trip wasn't all about the Fab Four, however.  We did get to experience a little taste of the

 cultural celebration of the year.  I spent several hours walking around the Tate Liverpool art museum.  This was an amazing experience.  The Tate Liverpool is one of four Tate art museums around England, all of which house amazing collections that cover all genres.  After seeing three floors at the Tate, we headed across town to the Open Eye Gallery.  This small building houses various photography exhibits throughout the year.   

Finally, the night life in Liverpool is incredible.  Matthew's Street is where the Cavern Club is located.  Over the decades, this area has grown into a hub of night clubs and pubs with an amazing music culture.  Local musicians were playing at every other establishment.  Even the street musicians were out at all hours, providing endless entertainment.  It was quite a laugh (as the English say).

The final leg of this particular journey took place in an idyllic town in Northern Wales called Conwy.  The Welsh language doesn't favor the use of vowels it seems, but the town is pronounced "conway".

  The town itself is known as the "Walled Town" due to the fact that it is surrounded by Medieval castle walls.  The first thing you see when entering the town is the looming Conwy Castle, reachable only by a bridge that stretches across the inlet made by the Irish Sea.  The streets are narrow and made of cobblestone.  The charm of the locals complete this picture-perfect experience.  This will probably be the only representation I have of Wales while I am living in Cambridge.  Regardless, it was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable stays I have had so far.

There will be stars.

Picture yourself riding through the idyllic English countryside.  Now, keep this visual, but to it add a coach bus on roads barely wide enough for one and a half Mini Coopers, fraught with hairpin turns and hills too steep for even the toughest cyclist to conquer.  That sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach shouldn't worry you too much.  Regardless of your level of tension prior to arrival, it all melts away as you get the first sight of one of England's most beautiful glacial lakes.  Hills of the deepest verdant hues rise majestically on either side of a surface like polished glass.  You are in the Lake District of Northern England.

The Lake District has been the summer holiday location for the upper crust of British society since the Victorian Era. 

 Now, of course, it is somewhat more accessible for all classes and has persisted as a premier travel destination of the United Kingdom.

Basing myself in a village called Ambleside for the weekend, I was able to see much of the district and its surrounding areas.  One stop I made on my way to the North was at Fountains Abbey.  These ruins (the Abbey was destroyed by King Henry VIII) are accompanied by beautiful gardens and grounds that stretch for hundreds of acres.  The massive stone structure of the church itself still stands, with the exception of its roof.  Apparently, Henry was not without some sort of bland superstition regarding the God of Roman Catholicism. 

After touring these crumbling remains of a monastery, I was off to Ullswater, home of Aira Force which is maintained by the National Trust.  This walk was quite possibly the best part of my stint in England's Lake District.  The trail takes you ambling down a mountainside peppered with waterfalls and towering trees of beautiful deciduous and evergreen varieties.  It truly surprised me to see the beauty I had been missing in the northern English countryside.  

The next day of my trip brought with it a rich artistic history borne by the Lake District.  My first stop was at Dove Cottage, poet William Wordsworth's home in Grassmere.  It was here that Wordsworth's best poetry was inspired.  On this scenic hillside, he "wandered lonely as a cloud" to see "a host of golden daffodils".  And, although it was too late in the year to observe any daffodils, I saw how a person of such creative intellect could produce poetry in the midst of unending beauty.

Following in the common theme of authorship, I next visited the Beatrix Potter Gallery in Hawkshead.  Unfortunately, this was the least

 worthwhile stop of my journey.  Don't get me wrong, I was always a fan of Peter Rabbit as a child.  However, this hole-in-the-wall excuse for a gallery is nowhere near worth your time.  But, not to be discouraged, I continued to Coniston Village where I did a longer hike up the mountain to the old abandoned copper mines.  These mines were the principle source of income for Coniston for years.  Now, however, they stand deserted in the midst of a beautiful expanse of wilderness which stretches from hill to horizon.  

I ended my trip with a transit stop at Chatsworth House.  This was originally established as the first Duke of Devonshire's residence and continues to function as such for his descendant.  

A mansion of ridiculous proportion, Chatsworth House looms over hundreds of acres of garden and functioning farmland.  

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire reside on the uppermost floor of the estate, while the lower three floors serve as a museum and display of the family art collection.  Despite its lavish display, Chatsworth manages to maintain an air of quiet dignity in its 

remote location in the English countryside.  

The variety of the Lake District surprised me.  I was pleased to be in a less-populated portion of England, which was recently noted to be the most densely populated country in Europe, according to the Guardian.  It was a refreshing change of pace in a world increasingly plagued by economic and political turmoil.     

Lie Back and Think of England

The more I experience of London, the more I love it.  I have spent the last two weekends in this fantastic capitol city. 

The first weekend I traveled with the fifteen other students I live with in Cambridge.  

The weather was amazing, so after taking a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, we wandered around London.  I saw Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's Cathedral, along with a plethora of other awesome sights.  

One of the greatest parts of the first weekend in London, though, was the British Museum.  A great thing about this city is that the majority of the museums are free.  

So, being the budgeting college student that I am, I wandered around inside this mammoth building for a good three hours last Sunday.  Seeing some very famous exhibits, as well as some not so well known, but equally important ones, was inspiring.  The Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Sculptures were the two most renowned displays I visited.

On my return trip this past weekend, I was able to meet my grandparents for a few days.  Again, I saw countless icons of London:  Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, Abbey Road, and Notting Hill, among others.  This sightseeing becomes slightly surreal after my years of commercial conditioning to recognize key points of architecture in the world's great cities.  (Movies are at least good for something besides entertainment, right?)  Anyhow, I didn't JUST spend the whole three days sightseeing.  I ate a lot too!  I had the famous Fish 'n Chips at Harrod's huge department store.  Let me tell you, it was DEFINITELY worth it.  Aside from that, I had delicious Italian pasta, wine, and gelato one day and traditional English pub food the next!  Only in a city like London can you experience such cultural variety nearly instantaneously.

Two more things stood out from the weekend in London with my grandparents.   First of all, I was lucky to have the chance to see Les Miserables on stage at the Queen's Theatre.  In a word, it was beautiful.  I really cannot find the words to describe it; you must experience something like that yourself.  It is a must-do if you ever go to London.  The theatre itself is a

 surprisingly intimate atmosphere, which makes for a truly unique experience, even if you don't have an overabundance of expendable income.  Secondly, on Saturday morning, we got 

up early and made our way out to the Porto Bello Road Market.  THIS is something that really made London unforgettable.  It is the world's longest street market, and it has anything and everything your heart desires.  You can find antiques, jewelry, crafts, clothing, fruits and vegetables, cameras, clocks, oriental rugs... you name it!  Part of the atmosphere on Saturdays at Notting Hill (where the market is located) is the crowd.  It might not be everyone's favorite thing to push through throngs of people to look at things you probably won't end up buying, but it is fascinating to see the mix of individuals and families that gather there.  I am sure I heard over a hundred different languages and dialects being spoken in the few short hours I was there.  Incredible.

London has been a terrific launching pad for my exploration of Europe.  Stick around to hear about my upcoming adventures, both around the British Isles and the rest of the Continent.

Bridge Over the River Cam

Finally, I am in Cambridge!  I have found it to be not only a town of great beauty, but of immeasurable historical importance.  As far as academia goes, Cambridge, England (contrary to the belief of those in Oxford) is truly the cradle of modern thought.  A myriad of great minds have had direct connections to this quaint English town.  Ideas like Darwinism, gravity, and DNA... poets, actors, and countless others, all studied or lived here over the years.  The first computer was built in one of the halls at Trinity College right here in Cambridge!  I couldn't have found a more conducive environment to study overseas.  

As I was saying, the scenery here is fantastic.  There are over 30 colleges within Cambridge University which are scattered around the town.  Some of the most beautiful buildings house lecture halls, dormitories, and chapels for the colleges.  I shelled out two pounds to walk up a tiny wooden spiral staircase to the observatory deck of Great St. Mary's Church in the heart of town.  It is next door to the famed King's College.  From here, I could see over a

ll the town, the river, and the surrounding area.  It was truly an amazing view. 

The people here are quite friendly, and it will get much more crowded once the students return to the University from holiday.  Already there are so many pedestrians and cyclists.  

It is a nice bustling town for a college student.  The streets are rather narrow and fewer motorists venture into the center of town.  This makes for an exciting atmosphere when walking around to see what there is to see.  I could honestly spend hours just wandering around on a nice day.  It is going to be a splendid few months in England.  

I hate to wake you up to say goodbye...

Today is THE day! At 9:30 tonight I will be leaving for Cambridge, England. And, for the next four months or so, I will be unleashing myself upon the European Continent.

Do you think they're ready?

Everything is going as planned. I'll admit, it was quite difficult to manage to pack my life for an entire semester into TWO bags. But hey, no one ever said this stuff was easy.

So... the blog. I am basically setting this up for those of you who would like to keep up with my comings and goings for the next few months. I will be posting as often as I can (or at least when I have anything worthwhile to say) so you can hear all the stories as they unfold. Photographs will most definitely follow suit.

Stay tuned for tales of my arrival in London and the following jaunt to Cambridge!

Peace.