London: Snow and Student Protests

I woke up to a fresh layer of snow, and much thicker this time. Put all my stuff together and made my way to the Leamington Spa train station and London. Remarkably, given the weather, my train was on time and stayed on time. By 12:30pm, I was at my youth hostel and checking in, storing my stuff, and off for an afternoon of London.

I love this city. Always have. Always will. I'm not sure why I bought a one day travel card because I walked all day. I started at my St. Paul's youth hostel and walked west to my usual first destination: St. Martin-in-the-Field's church. (For the non South African readers, did you know that somebody built a replica of this church in Craddock, South Africa because his wife was homesick....? It's true! I've seen it!) Anyways, I digress. I showed up and was shocked to see that they now have a separate entrance to the crypt. I suppose the cramped, crowded gift shop on top of restaurant on top of brass rubbing was too much. Too bad. I liked that cramped, crowded look. So, I left and went in pursuit of food elsewhere.

Ended up at Covent Garden and the snow began. Musicians were out and about. Holiday decorations are up. Oversized round balls in reds and blues. Large reindeers. Lights everywhere. Pretty in all that snow.

Then, I decided to make my way to Piccadilly Circus for a photo for my mom (who for some reason loves this busy intersection). I then thought, 'It's snowing. I think I'll go to the National Museum.' As I started walking closer, I saw the bright yellow police jackets, lots of police vans, and some serious shouting. Of course, I kept walking closer. A full Trafalger Square greeted me. Police at the ready. Students started throwing those cans with the colored smoke. I thought, 'Now is the time to back away from the protest.'

I left and walked the way I come. Two streets away, another line of students was marching to Trafalgar Square right down the street intersecting with me. At this point, I was laughing and just a little nervous (okay, more than a little). I've only protested once, and I felt like such a daredevil... I just don't big unruly groups of people.

So, I walked down another street, making my way somehow to the end of St. James Park behind the horse guards. A big empty mall, cars being diverted, the police out and ready and closing off any roads that led past Downing Street. When I crossed over to Whitehall, it was still and quiet. A handfull of police in front of 10 Downing Street (for the yanks who don't know, this is where the Prime Minister lives). In a previous protest, students actually made it to the front door. Yikes. So quiet and weird.

I walked towards Parliament and Westminster Abbey. More cops, all in riot gear. Horses in riot gear. We could walk through, but they were ready.

I found my way to the gardens beyond Parliament and it began to snow again. Beautiful large snowflakes. A think sky. Absolutely gorgeous. I spent about a half hour or more just walking all around Parliament and the Abbey taking photos. I love this city.

Eventually, I began to make my way back up Westminster and very cold. I figured, 'The protest must be over. It's dark. It's freezing.' As I got closer to Trafalgar, you could still hear the shouts. Police were encouraging us to walk around. I did, once I took some more photos of course. I felt like a tourist/journalist or something. Call me Lois Lane :)

I got back home, feet tired, and watched the news. It's all about the student protests and the bad weather that's blocking roads and airports. Let's hope I get out to Sweden tomorrow.

I've just been out to a lovely dinner with Lucy, a friend from, gulp, 17 years ago. We met way back in 1993. How does this happen???? We haven't seen each other for a few years, and much to catch up on. I haven't even met her youngest daughter. Wow.

So, back at the hostel, dreading the 4:45am wake up call to head to the airport. brrrrrrrr.

Hugs and love,

Moe

Oxford: The Nerd Paradise

What a lovely thing to be a nerd. I have only a slight desire to have the chance to go to Oxford, but I don't really want to work that hard.

The University for many other reasons is my ultimate nerd paradise. J.R.R. Tolkien studied and taught there, writing most of his Lord of the Rings during that time. The Pre-Raphaelite Artists were connected to Oxford in many ways. Scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed there (and many other films).

Put these three things together, and it's Maureen's (and many of her equally or more nerdy friends as well) ultimate nerd paradise.

The plan today was to make it into Oxford whenever I felt like it and meet Jayne at 5pm at the Covered Market when she got off the bus from work. I made it to Oxford just after 10am and made my way to the Tourist Information Office. A walking tour was about to leave, and I debated for about five minutes before deciding to give into my inner tourist. Absolutely the best decision. Ever. Our guide, Jane, was a graduate herself, and like a proper tour guide, she knew all the geeky details that make it interesting. So and so studied here. On such and such a date the first woman was admitted. On such and such a date, etc.

We went into Jesus College, Exeter College, the Bodleian Library, the Divinity School, and in and out of lovely college lanes. Jesus College was the only college founded under Queen Elizabeth I's reign. Click. Click. Tolkien and Philip Pullman studied at Exeter. That got my camera clicking faster. Old Buildings. BENCHES. Ivy in lovely fall colors. Stained Glass Windows. Street lights. Doors. Windows. Etc. Etc. Etc. Today alone I took almost 300 photos. tee hee hee

After the tour, I asked my lovely guide where a Tolkien fan and a Pre-Raph fan would go. She sent me to the Union Library to see the Pre-Raph mural. I sat in there staring at the ceiling, walking around the balcony, writing in my journal. Then, off to find Pembroke College at Oxford where Tolkien taught. Closed. But a picture outside. Then off to Harris Manchester College to see the Burne-Jones/Morris stained glass windows in the chapel. Then off to New College, where I learned by eavesdropping on a tour that scenes from Harry Potter were shot there. Then meandering and meandering. To end the afternoon, book shopping in Blackwell's!

Jayne and I then met and went to the White Horse, the pub where Tolkien, Lewis, and others would meet and discuss their work. A glass of wine, some fries and salad (for me, lol), more good conversation, and the final nerd factor of the day.

Back at Jayne's now and digesting this wonderful, wonderful day. Sad to be leaving Jayne so soon, but it's on to London for a fly-by dinner with Lucy and then Sweden on Wednesday. Only a week has passed. Three wonderful, soul-friends. Two more to go :)

Hugs and love and may you find your nerd paradise...

Birmingham, Leamington Spa, Oxford

I am overly caffeinated and suffering from jetlag. I can't seem to get to sleep at a normal time, even though I only drink one cup of tea in the morning. I have made it through half of Jayne's copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows due to my inability to fall asleep. At least it's worthwhile!

I am currently in Leamington Spa with Jayne and Scott, and I will shortly be heading off to Oxford for a day of gallavanting and Tolkien before joining Jayne for dinner. But to backtrack...

On Friday in Birmingham, having slept through our Thanksgiving stupor, Jackie and I traipsed through B'ham to Cannon Hill Park. Despite the fact that the cold was biting our noses and fingers, we had a nice walk around the park. We watched the ducks slip and slide as they emerged on the now frozen sections of lake. I can imagine it in summer with picnics and music, kids and dogs running around, flowers and trees in bloom. It's not hard to imagine in these beautiful public spaces as the Brits sure know how to do gardens well.

We spent the evening at home making another fantastic meal before enjoying a film (2012) and some more chat. I'm sure all my friends are getting tired of my incessant questions and need to hear about everything in their life. Like my brothers, they seem to tolerate this particular character flaw :)

On Saturday, Jackie kindly took me to the train station where I went south to Leamington Spa to meet Jayne and Scott. A quick and gorgeous train ride as everything is covered in the first snow of the year. It's beautiful but brrrrrrr.

Jayne and Scott flew into the car park, picked me up, and we flew home to a cup of tea and a warm house. Besides seeing my brothers so happily coupled, seeing my good friends so happy is the next best thing. I haven't met Scott, and I'm so thrilled to finally get to know him, to see how happy he makes Jayne and vice versa.

We had a lovely Saturday with cups of tea, trips to the grocery store, and a great little walk around Leamington Spa--which included the pub where J & S met, the pump rooms, the church, the town hall with a town crier in costume (he obliged me with a photo). A cute town with all the things that make it truly English: the promenade, the church, the cute bridges, the pump room, etc. Scott chose some absolutely wonderful wine, and we chatted and ate a delicious meal.

On Sunday, Jayne and I went into Oxford to see the Pre-Raphaelite exhibit at the Ashmolean Museum. Since it's closed on Mondays, it was Sunday or never. Since this is my favorite artistic movement, I was in heaven (as was Jayne). What a great exhibit, though crowded. Artists I've never heard of, artists I love. Rossetti, Burne-Jones. Really lovely. At the end of the exhibit, we both had reached our museum limit, so we didn't meander through the rest of the museum.

We then went for a meander and lunch before heading back to Leamington. Oxford was busy and crowded, people out for a Sunday stroll or holiday presents. It's been 11 years since I've been here with my Nottingham Lenton & Wortley Hall friends, so it's been awhile.

Sunday night was a great quiet evening at home with Jayne & Scott. I really just love being in everyone's homes with them, to experience the normal stuff. It's what a miss most of the time.

So, I'm off to hunt down some Tolkien history in Oxford if I can keep warm enough. It looks brutally cold out there. No blue sky today! I'm sure I can manage with some long underwear :)

Love to you all.

Just a few photos