Outings In and Out of London Town

The week before last (that is, the week of 12--19 October) I spent with a wild burst of energy, going out almost every night. It was great, but I felt I needed to get out of London. Sometimes it's nice to be in a different part of the country, so I took a day trip like I used to in Wales, and hopped on a train to Canterbury.

Modern-Day Pilgrim

Having never read the Canterbury Tales (only seen them on the telly), I had only heard second-hand about the town. I'd always associated it more with the murder of Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury--that is, before I forgot all of my British history. But I needed to get out of London, and my other avenues (friends in Glasgow and Herefordshire) hadn't panned out, so away I went on Sunday.

10 quid for a nap?

I used to do this occassionally when I was in Swansea: just hop on a train and go away for the day. My roommate Jihane was surprised that I went solo (Elizabeth couldn't make it), but although lonely, it's something I needed to do. Besides, what better place to take a nap is there than on a train? As Stephan found out this past Saturday, I instantly fall asleep on them. And in cars, and airplanes. And even the ferry back from Ellis Island, which is only a 15-minute journey.

Oh, My God--What a Building

Refreshed, I awoke to a stunning glimpse of the cathedral that took my breath away. There's nothing like the sight of one, nothing in the world, and I feel sorry for anyone who hasn't experienced the sheer awe and majesty of human creation encapsulated in the magnificent edifice of a cathedral. Now, I've seen many cathedrals, basilicas and abbeys: Westminster, Bath, Exeter, St. David's, the York Minster, Chichester, Salisbury, Worcester, Southwark, Le Mans, St. Peter's. But Canterbury took my breath away more than any I'd seen. The magnificence--the opulence--the glimpses of room after room! And the sheer and utter SIZE of the building! I cannot do justice to it in words nor photographs. It was just one of those amazing experiences of my life, one that I count myself lucky to have seen.

Now it's your turn...

Now I know how the pilgrims felt...in a way. When I was in Rome with my parents we tried imagining what it would feel like to be a provincial citizen visiting the capitol for the first time, and coming upon the Pantheon. To have made a pilgrimage of hundreds of miles across difficult terrain--and to finally enter the tiny crooked streets of the town, and then the cathedral itself... Well, just try imagining it yourself if you can.

Snapshots of Canterbury

The cathedral was the highlight of the day, but I wandered up and down the streets and ate at a nice Indian restaurant that my friend Geoff had recommended the night before. I'll leave you with a few glimpses of the city:

~walking along a street and realising I'm on a bridge, and not only that, but the tiny river is only a foot deep and flowing over grass
~walking around the West Gate, the typical entrance to a medieval city, centuries old and driven through by cars
~going past pansies still blooming near a branch of the river, and watching a swan float downstream as it was intent on preening, only to notice how far down it had drifted and swim quickly back to the other birds
~thinking 'what the heck?!' when I first saw the Dane John mound that overlooks the park--completely conical, with a Victorian statue on the top. In the Middle Ages women laid their washing out to bleach in the sun on this original Roman burial mound, later part of a castle

I can't say enough good things about it, but I'll stop before it gets too detailed.

My LBD comes in handy

My mother told me to always bring a dress when going abroad, and I certainly needed one when James took me out to dinner on Tuesday at the Lansdowne Club's restaurant. I felt so elegant in my dress and heels, surrounded by Art Deco decor. But never had I felt such a country bumpkin as when the waiter brought over four rolls on a silver tray (this after I'd had my seat pulled out and my napkin placed in my lap for me). I chose a roll and put it on my plate, only to see James point to his roll, and the waiter place it on his plate with a pair of silver tongs. I pretended like I hadn't just grabbed the roll, and let James continue with his constant flow of flattering comments.

Lager Louts and Rugger Buggers

I saw James in a different light when I met him at the Walkabout on Shaftsbury Avenue for the England vs South Africa rugby match on Saturday. For those of you unacquainted with pubs in the U.K., the Walkabout is Australian, and as such was filled with many Southern Hempisphere-dwellers who loudly supported South Africa. England was just as loudly cheered, with the crowds singing 'Swing low, sweet chariot' after each try. And let's not forget the stirring rendition of hundreds of people singing 'God Save The Queen' with great relish. Never had I been in a place with more testosterone--about 200 men to 20 women, all of them huge and tall. I was surrounded by James (6'0), Geoff (6'1), and Stuart (6'4), who all kindly explained the rules of rugby to me. I'd only ever seen one match, a game in Swansea, and my English friend couldn't explain the rules very well. I'm a rugby pro now, and can't wait for another match. It's such an exciting game--no pads, constant action, and if you're lucky the players take their shirts off occassionaly!

More Miliatary Men

After the game we headed back to Geoff and Stuart's flat for an impromptu party. I ended up on a couch talking to a nice girl, Rachel, and two guys from the RAF. What's the deal with all these military people? We all left at around 10 p.m., which seems like an early hour except for the fact we'd been drinking and eating since 1 p.m. All in all, a great weekend.

Rest of the Week

I also went to a comedy show at Imperial College with my flatmates Brenna, Elizabeth, Meredith and Chrissy--Jihane, my roommate, works at the Student Union and got us in free. I love comedy, but after the professionals at the Comedy Store some of the beginning acts were a bit flimsy. But it was still a perfect way to spend a Thursday night. And a perfect Friday night is going out with coworkers to a pub, which I did to celebrate Emma's birthday. I heard all about the love lives of Emma, Peternell and Claire, who have all been with their partners for seven years. Let's just say we're at different stages in our lives!

A Recap

So that was my week: dinner, comedy, drinks, rugby, party, Canterbury. Not bad!

Love, Theresa