Caernarfon, Wales: Saturday and Sunday

     Saturday morning we hopped on the train to Caernarfon (pronounced Car-Nar-Fon) which took about 4 1/2 hours. Cardiff is on the southern tip of Wales, while Caernarfon is on the northern tip. Not only are they in different parts of Wales, they are different types of cities! We had to leave Cardiff early Saturday morning because we wanted to be able to see lots of things in Caernarfon. We arrived in Bangor around 2:00, and we had to take a bus to Caernarfon. 2 minutes into the bus ride, the bus broke down! It only had one gear. We had to wait for a new bus, then it was off to Caernarfon!
      We checked into our hostel and left for Caernarfon Castle. The castle is pretty much the main attraction of the village, and it is so special! Construction on it started in the 13th century. The first Prince of Wales born there was Edward IV, the Black Prince. I got super excited that our tours have taken us full circle because we got to see Edward IV, the Black Prince's, tomb while we were in Canterbury! I felt like I was getting all of my history in! The castle was completed at the very beginning of the 14th century. Once again, I'm going to harp on the age of everything here. It is truly mind-blowing. The castle and the walls surround the city are still in great shape. It is so funny because you can see how the city was literally built into and around the walls! I loved it! We spent quite a bit of time at the castle, going through all of the towers and halls. It was a beautiful afternoon and perfect weather! Another special thing about Caernarfon Castle is that it was the location of Prince Charles' investiture, or when he was crowned the Prince of Wales! It was so neat to look at pictures and know that we were looking at recent history! Another thing that I forgot to mention was that Wales has two official languages: English and Welsh. It was very disorienting to have everything written in two languages-all of the signs, menus, everything. And English was not the first one listed! It was definitely a lesson learned!    
     As I mentioned earlier, the castle is the main thing in the village so once it closes for the day, it doesn't take long for everything else to close too! We were trying to get food from some of the place listed on the map but they were all closed. I really think that we ate in one of the only places that stays open after 6 in that town. I also think that everyone who lives in the town was there! One of the famous hotels and pubs in Caernarfon is the Black Boy Inn. Yes, you read that correctly. And if you thought you were mistaken, you only had to look at one of many signs outside to see that you weren't. They were complete with awkward paintings.  Apparently, there are conflicting reports about how the inn got its name. One story says that it is from the Black Prince. Another claims that the inn was once in the red light district and that a little black boy hung around the building? Either way, it was very bizarre to come across. Especially being from the south, where that is a very taboo image. Very bizarre, indeed. We watched some more of the Olympics then headed back to the hostel. Once there, I watched some more of the games and read. One thing that has been fun is seeing the games live and at the times that they occur. I am not excited to go back to the states and always be in "catch-up" mode. We even got to see Lochte v Phelps live on TV!
     The next morning we got up and walked around the perimeter of the city. We were looking for Roman ruins but couldn't see any. We walked back to the hostel along the bay and got our stuff. The buses back to Bangor are more sporadic on Sundays so we had to find one that would get us to the train station in time. We walked up as the bus was pulling up! How lucky! The train back took about 5 1/2 hours because our first train was late, causing us to miss our first connecting train. Ya know, the domino affect. We made it back to Oxford around 4:30 which was nice. I like getting back during the day so that I can unpack and unwind. This time it was a bit bittersweet because it was my last time.
     Overall, I really loved Wales. If I was ever to come back, I would want to travel to lots of small towns and villages and only spend a night or so in each place. Everything there is smaller and moves so much slower. I really loved and needed the change of pace, even from Oxford! However, I think that too much time in one of these places would be a bit boring. Really though, Wales was a great place and probably the most beautiful. It is uninterrupted and uncorrupted. I loved it!

The black circle in the center is the spot where Charles was named Prince of Wales!

I know my face is dark, but the castle is so pretty!

A view of the hillside from the highest tower!

Caernarfon Castle

The Black Boy Inn

A view of the castle from the bay!

Cardiff, Wales

    We didn't have class Friday, July 27, so everyone pretty much cleared out for the weekend on Thursday. Upper respiratory infection, or not, Emma and I cleared out as well. I got sick earlier in the week, but Wednesday morning was the worst. I was coughing, feverish, and achy so one of the professors took me to the nearby private doctor. They didn't have any immediate openings, so we made an appointment and I slept most of the day! After an antibiotic prescription and lots of sleep, my fever broke and I was ready to travel!
    Our first destination was Cardiff, the capitol of Wales. Wales is in the western part of the UK, and Cardiff is less than a 2 hour train ride away! We got to Cardiff a little before 5:00 in the afternoon. Along the train ride, we picked up people clearly on their way to a soccer game. I figured it was an exhibition match for the Olympics. When we arrived in Cardiff, we quickly realized a that the game was in Cardiff and that it was an official Olympic match! The game was Brazil v. Egypt. The level of excitement on the street was intoxicating. Everyone was cheering or using noisemakers, it was so much fun! However, when the game started, Cardiff was empty! Everyone was in Millennium Stadium!
    We stayed in a flatmate where we rented one room and shared a kitchen and bathroom with another couple. It was really nice to have more privacy while traveling compared to the hostel in Edinburgh. After we picked up the key to the flat from the hostel owners, we walked around Cardiff for a while. The city is not very big so it didn't take us long to orient ourselves and find somewhere to grab food! After eating, we walked to Cardiff Castle. We knew we were already going to see a castle later in the weekend, so we opted not to pay to go into Cardiff Castle. However, there are massive gardens behind it so we walked the perimeter of the castle inside the gardens. They were just beautiful. I'm really jealous of locals who get to go hang out there (Imagine a HUGE, sunny Quad)! The front side of the castle had a soccer goal set up in outside. It was really fun to see how their city is excited about the games!

The back entrance of Cardiff Castle

Me "defending" the goal outside of Cardiff Castle

    We called it an early night and hit the sack! When we woke up, we ate some breakfast then headed out to see Cardiff! The first thing on the agenda was the National Museum of Cardiff. They have several Impressionist paintings, including some by Van Gogh and Monet. They were really beautiful, and it was interesting to see them in Cardiff, of all places! Outside of the museum, they had Olympic rings! It only added to my Olympic fever!

Cardiff's Olympic Rings!

     Next, we caught a bus to Cardiff Bay so that I could go to the Dr. Who Experience (more on that in a different post)! We met back up around 3:00 to scout out somewhere to watch the Opening Ceremony later that night. After walking around Cardiff a little more, we went back to our flat to rest until it was time to get dinner and watch the Olympic festivities! We grabbed dinner at a place in a quieter part of the city and people watched. We had already picked out a different place to watch the ceremony that seemed a bit livelier! I loved the food and was so happy with our choice! 

     We watched the Opening Ceremony at a place called the Prince of Wales. It was a fun place that was full of people! It was so fun to watch the ceremony with British people. I absolutely loved it! I felt like we were a part of it all! There was something so magical about it. The Opening Ceremony itself was wonderful. I've talked to several people from the states that didn't love it quite as much as we did. I think that is because of the time that we've been here. My history class was extremely helpful in understanding the modern history elements as well as the musical influence within it. I think we had a deeper appreciation for how the British people are feeling and how they perceiving their history and their place in world history. It was stunning. I really don't think I could have been more impressed. It was so over the top and wonderful. My history professor, Dr. Beeler, and I had a great conversation and about it this morning. You gotta love the "A Ha!" moment of education! We stayed at the Prince of Wales until about halfway through the country procession and watched the rest from the flat!

     The next morning we returned the key to the hostel and hopped on the train to Caernarfon! I loved Cardiff. It was a "small" big city but really quaint. We did all of the sightseeing, but it would be a great place to hang out as a change of pace. I loved it!

The screen they had set up in the city center of Cardiff for the games!

It's my LAST weekend

     I just needed to let everyone in on my sadness that it is my very LAST weekend to be here in the UK. Emma and I are headed to Wales in the next few minutes! I have been sick the past couple of days. I'm super excited that I'm feeling up to traveling. I'm still pretty tired, but nothing is going to stop me from enjoying my last weekend! We will be in Cardiff tonight and tomorrow night. Saturday we will head to Caernarfon. There will be a few other people from our group going that we might run into! 

    This weekend will be bittersweet, but I am so happy that I can look back and see that I truly did EVERYTHING while I was here!

Graveley: Going Back to My Roots

     Last Tuesday I went the small town of Graveley because it is the town village where my ancestors are from. From what I understand, they are on my mom's side of the family in Berry, the Gravley's. Get it, Graveley.....Gravley? It was quite the adventure. I had to catch a train to London at Paddington Station, use the Underground to go to King's Cross Station, then catch another train to Stevenage, the closet town to Graveley. This was quite the adventure. Along the way in the Underground, a Welsh girl around my age asked me for help. I was so proud that I, the American, was able to navigate the Underground well enough to get a British citizen through! 

     I had to take a taxi from Stevenage to Graveley, because there is no train station in Graveley. Luckily, it is only 3 miles away! My taxi driver was super nice and took me through the entire town. Ironically, this was a lot like Berry in that it doesn't take long to see the whole town. My Uncle Macon was the one who informed me of this town, and he also told me to go to the church. Apparently, the old family homestead and barn were once located there. There was a very old homestead and barn there but I don't want to jump to conclusions about whether it is ours or not. 

      There was something very powerful about visiting the place that I knew my family was from. I couldn't help but imagine what it was like for them to live there. The whole experience was overwhelming and amazing. I'm so glad that I got to the opportunity to visit. It is definitely a highlight of my trip!

The sign welcoming you to Graveley

One of two pubs

The second pub

The old stables and barn next to St. Mary's Church

One of the old homesteads

A home, I'm assuming the parsonage and the church

Full view of St. Mary's

St. Mary's and the graveyard

Another old homestead nearby. The cornerstone date was in the 18th century

Town Hall

     On my way back home, I had to go back through London so I contacted Toby and Aamayna to get dinner since I would already be there. Aamayna met me at the train station, and we walked along the river to meet Toby. It was such a pleasant evening!

I promise I do study...A LOT

     I know what you've been thinking...how can she possibly be doing all of these fun things and still be on a school trip? Our classes are everyday and bright and early in the morning. I get out of class everyday at 11:05 so I have the rest of the day to walk around Oxford, go to London, and most importantly-study. The classes that are offered for this trip are really fun, dynamic, and interesting. My classes are the History of Pop Music from the Beatles to Punk Rock and Detective Fiction. Super interesting! Other classes include Shakespeare, British Intelligence, Arts of Oxford, and British Literature. I think mine are the best....but opinions, opinions.
     My history class is lecture style intermixed with lots of music! My professor loves to play examples of the music he is talking about, and it makes the class engaging. We had our midterm yesterday, and it went quite well! My english class is a lot of reading and discussion. we've been averaging a book every day or or so. Yes-that's right-a book a day. Luckily, the books are really interesting and enjoyable. You could almost call them "beach reads" because they are so engaging. I have really enjoyed going deeper than the cursory read I would have given them outside of class.
      I thought I would share some of my favorite books that we've read so far. Just so you can get an idea of what I've been doing, and maybe find a book that seems interesting to you! This also helps me review what I've read so far!

     We had to have "The Moonstone" read before the first day of class because it was the biggest book assigned. I read most of it before I left, but I had to finish it on the airplane. I got lost in the story! The moonstone is a valuable stone from India that is brought over to England. The novel is compiled of 5 different accounts of the events leading up to the theft of the moonstone and the events leading up to the solving of the crime. It definitely has some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. One of the special things about this novel is that it is seen as the first detective fiction novel!

     Edgar Allan Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story that chronicles the investigation of the murder of two women, a mother and daughter, inside a locked house. There is a detective similar to Holmes in there that is able to think tangentially to figure out who, or what, killed the women. It's a quick read with a very surprising ending!

     "A Study in Scarlet" is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel. It not only deals with the murder of two Americans, but introduces Holmes and Watson to each other and to us. The first part of the story deals with the murders and the second part tells a back story that explains the motivation of the killer! Hint-Mormons are involved. I really loved this story.

     I never thought that I would be an Agatha Christie fan, but I loved "The ABC Murders!" It follows Hercule Poirot as he hunts down what seems to be a serial killer. The killer seems to be fascinated with following the alphabet to commit crimes. The first murder is of a woman whose first and last name start with "A" in a town that starts with "A" and so on. The murders continue in this fashion down the alphabet until the final revelations. Things are not always as they seem! This turned into a really interesting discussion of the development of the idea of a serial killer as a recent thing. I think that might have been my favorite few days of discussion.

     "The Innocence of Father Brown" is a collection of short stories that focuses on Father Brown as the witty priest who solves crimes. We read 4 of the short stories, and each of them were very different! Now that I have the whole collection, I will be going back and reading the rest of them. I really loved them because they feature the crime solver as someone very different from the typical detective!

     "The Moving Toyshop" was really interesting for several reasons. The first is because it is set in Oxford, so it was fun to read about places that I am familiar with now. The second reason is because of the set-up of the crime. The main character, Cadogan, stumbles across a dead body while in a closed toyshop. When he takes the police to the location of the toyshop the next morning, the shop is now a grocery and there is no dead body. It was really fun and light-hearted while still dealing with murder. I loved the galavanting about Oxford.

     James Cain's "Double Indemnity" might be my favorite book that I've read so far. It is the first "hard-boiled" detective book that we've read so far. The story is about an insurance agent, Huff, that gets caught up with a woman and helps her murder her husband for the insurance money. It was different from the rest of the books because the protagonist was the killer. I read this one in a few hours because I really couldn't put it down! 

     We still have a few books left to read so I will update y'all on how I like them! I hope that at least one of these is interesting to someone!

Dover Castle

     On Saturday afternoon, we left Canterbury and headed straight for Dover Castle. Dover is on the coast on England, on the English Channel. I had always heard/read that on a clear day you can see France from Dover. Dover is also famous for their white cliffs. Well, it was GORGEOUS day in Dover, probably one of the best days we've seen since being in the country! I don't exactly know what I was expecting when I heard you could see France, but I wasn't expecting to be able to so clearly see it! It was incredible! I kept asking everyone, "are you sure THAT is France?" I just couldn't believe how close it was. I always assumed it was a tiny speck that you could see when it was really pretty outside. But no, it's right there! We spent a good amount of time at the Admiralty Look-out, looking at the white cliffs and France.

Kasey and me with Dover in the background

Rosemary, Kasey, Brantley, Natalie and me at Dover Castle

I believe that I was saying "Take a picture of me with my future home!"

The white cliffs of Dover

You can see France if you look closely!

France is at my ear level!

      Our professors recommended that everyone check out the Secret Wartime Tunnels that were used during World War II. There is a guided tour through them, so after we left the look-out, we got in line for the tour. As I mentioned earlier, the tunnels we went through were used in WWII because of Dover's proximity to France. This was literally the first line of defense from the Nazi invasion of France and potential invasion of the UK. The tunnels were really interesting to see, but I did not particularly enjoy the tour. The whole thing was a bit hokey. They had a voice that came over a loud speaker that treated you as though you were military personnel, giving you "green lights" to enter various parts of the tunnels. This was, in part, to make it interesting for kids. Perhaps even to make it interesting for adults who don't find the tunnels themselves interesting on their own. I don't know. Either way, the whole tour was a bit cheesy and silly. One thing that I did really love was the day-by-day run-down of getting Allied troops out of France and back to Dover. It helped me see Dover and the tunnels as the command center it was during WWII. Don't get me wrong for all my complaining of cheesiness-these tunnels were VERY fascinating. I love WWII history, and it was very powerful to be in the small space where part of the war was fought and strategized.
     After the tunnel tour was over, we walked up to Henry II's Great Tower. It has been meticulously recreated to appear as what it might have looked like when Henry II was there. Some of the exhibitions were a bit cheesy but the historical power behind it made that irrelevant. We climbed to the top, to look out beyond the roof, at the English Channel and Dover. It was breathtaking. I really thing that Dover Castle has the best view of all of England. I loved it. By the time we climbed back down, it was time to get back on the bus and head back to Oxford. As short as the trip was, I was ready to be back in my own room and my own bed!

View from the top of the Great Tower of Dover Castle

Canterbury Revisited

     When Stella, Anna, and I visited Houston in England three years ago, we spent a few nights in Canterbury. It was so nice because this town is a great change of pace from London. Houston was studying at Kent University, a college in town. We got to do Thanksgiving while we were there. We were so proud because we cooked Thanksgiving meal ourselves! I have some great memories from that part of our trip. This is why I was so excited when I found out we would be taking a group trip to Canterbury!
     We arrived Friday afternoon (after Penshurst Place) and had the rest of the evening to walk around and see Canterbury. I texted Houston and she gave me a very complete list of good places to go that night. We had about 2 hours from the time we checked into our very nice hotel until we had to be back for dinner at the hotel. A group of us decided to walk around, orient ourselves with the town and find all the places that Houston suggested. It took some exploring, but we finally found the places we were looking for! Also, we saw the bed and breakfast where Anna, Stella and I stayed! I just had the greatest time remembering that trip!
     We stayed in the Falstaff Hotel, and it was absolutely lovely. Emma and I shared a room. This may sound so silly, but I was so excited about the bathroom. I say this because in Oxford, our showers are one with our bathroom. No separation, just a curtain. This bathroom had a bathtub! We actually got to stand in a specified area for showering. What can I say? It's the little things that make me happy. All of that aside, I was super happy to be back in my bed (and my shower!) last night! Back to Canterbury. We had a wonderful meal at the hotel. A week or so ago, everyone was given a 2 options for each course to choose from. It was all very fancy. I chose the breaded mushrooms for an appetizer, baked chicken with herbs and potatoes and peas for dinner, and rice pudding for dessert. I was a big fan of everything...but the rice pudding. There was something about that textures and consistency that threw me off. But alas, all is well, I still thoroughly enjoy that meal!
     After dinner, a group of us headed to the pubs that Houston suggested. A lot of people from our group came along, but we eventually had to split up because the pubs just aren't big enough to fit everyone. We went to several places, 2 of which I remember from my first visit to town. I really enjoy spending time with this group of girls, and we had such a fun night out together!
     The next morning we woke up and had a great English breakfast in the hotel. For those of you who know me, you know that (when I wake up) breakfast is my favorite meal. No, we are not served my all-time favorite meal of chocolate chip pancakes-but we are served a lot of wonderful things that start the day off right. We also get an English breakfast every morning in Oxford which is spectacular as well, but every version is different. The English breakfast includes bacon, sausage, sautéed mushrooms, eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, and baked beans. Simply delicious. Like I said, it got my day started off right.
     After breakfast, we had a group tour of Canterbury Cathedral, one of the central things in Canterbury. It is a site of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett's, murder in 1170. Since then, it has become a pilgrimage site for Christians all over the world. It has been associated as a place of healing, part of the reason for its draw of pilgrims. I went on a tour of the cathedral when I was last in Canterbury, but I loved getting to see it again. You always learn something new when you revisit a place like that. The cathedral was built (for the first time) in 597AD. I know that I have harped on the age of things in England, but this really blew my mind. It is almost incomprehensible that something could have roots that are almost 1500 years old. I say that it was built for the first time then because it was burned down and destroyed several times between then and now. Even though the building we saw yesterday may be quite new.....built in the 12th century.....it doesn't take away the holiness and history from the roots of the original church of 597AD. There were several times when I was quite overwhelmed by the sheer powerfulness of that lasting faith. We were in the cathedral touring during the 11:00am prayer for all British soldiers, past and present, and it was so sacred. There was something very powerful about that place. I am so glad that I got to go back and experience the Canterbury Cathedral once again!

Brantley, Amanda, and me in front of the Old Buttermarket, one of Houston's suggestions.

In the Quire of Canterbury Cathedral

The tomb of King Henry IV. He wanted to be buried near Thomas Beckett,
whose body has since been removed!

Kasey, Amanda, Brantley, Natalie and me outside of Canterbury Cathedral

     Once the tour ended, we had about an hour to eat then get back on the bus to head to Dover Castle. A few of us ended up eating at a restaurant Orlando Bloom owns! Did I mention that he is from Canterbury??? It was delicious and put us in a great mood for the next let of our trip. Altogether, though the visit was short, I LOVED getting to see Canterbury again. It is a quaint little town! So glad I got to go again.

Penshurst Place

     We left Oxford bright and early at 8:00am for Canterbury. However, before going to Canterbury, we stopped at Penshurt Place and Gardens. It is a lovely house that was once owned by Henry VIII. Some parts of it were built in 1341! We arrived there before the house opened to the public so we were given a tour without anyone else there. They don't do restoration there so all of the furniture that we saw was original and how it was when in was used centuries ago. I know that I have mentioned my amazement at the history and age of things in the UK. This was truly incredible and so hard to wrap my brain around. My idea of "old" is expanding daily while over here. 

     The house is owned and lived in by the same family that inherited it from Henry VIII. They allow tours (and weddings!) through the oldest parts of the house and live in the newer parts. Our tour guide was telling us that this house receives no government funding, so this is solely operated by the family because they want people to see this magnificent house and gardens. Also, it is a VERY big house so having the extra income from paid tours probably helps pay the power bill. Whatever the motive, the UK is very lucky to have such a wonderful piece of history so well cared for! 

     After the tour completed, we had a couple of hours to walk through the gardens, get food, and be back at the bus. I, of course, spent most of my time in the gardens. The gardens had over 20 "rooms" of various themes and plant types. One was full of roses, one was an apple orchard, one was only white flowers, and so on. Every room was absolutely gorgeous and so well tended to. It is obviously a full time job for several people to tend this garden. I think I walked through the whole garden 2 or 3 times! I just loved it! Penshurst was a wonderful house to tour and a great way to spent the morning!

The backside of Penshurst Place

Overlooking part of the gardens

This garden is in the shape of the Union Jack, Britain's flag!

My favorite view!

Marie. Her brother, Steve, went to Cuba with me!