Another fun Rotary field trip

This time I visited the Bristol Council House with Alderman Withers, a member of the Bristol Rotary Club- my sponsors. It was so fun! Really the building is beautiful... with two great painted ceilings. If you live in Bristol you should stop by and ask the security guards if you can check them out. The one in the actual council room is sort of an interpretive mural of the city's history (with landmarks around the edge and in the center the types of boats and aircraft built in the city).

Just, Margaret

House of Lords

Yesterday I visited the House of Lords as a guest of Lord Peter Brooke of Sutton Mandeville (quite a mouthful right... he actually introduced himself as Peter Brooke [smile]). I find it a bit hard to describe the experience because of the sheer surreality of it all. First sitting in the security/cloak room of the Houses of Parliament waiting to be escorted by Lord Brooke and having my Rotary counselor, Pat (who made the visit happen) point out various Lords who were passing in and out, then sitting on the floor of the House of Lords watching question time, finally my personal tour of the building by Lord Brooke including tea and cucumber sandwiches in the swanky tea room for members of Parliament and their guests. Lord Brooke was so kind and so knowledgeable and I could tell really passionate about his role in the government. He actually asked a question in the House which made it all the more exciting to watch. A quick aside about the beauty of the building: which I can attest totally extends into the interior... a beautiful Victorian interpretation of Gothic. Oh and I also saw a copy of the Magna Carta, c. 1215 and displayed completely anonymously in a corner of a chamber. Another amazing, once in a lifetime experience! I feel so blessed!

Just, Margaret

Skittles

Last Tuesday I attended a pub night with my host Rotary Club.  A little ways out from Bristol, we met at a pub that had a skittles alley.  If you're not sure what I'm talking about see definition.  Sounds like it should be a lot like ten pin bowling right?  Well, its not really.  The scale is completely different and though I'm not a great bowler, after trying both I think it really takes much more skill to play skittles.  Just in case you ever find yourself in an English pub getting ready to play, I'll enlighten you to some of the "tricks," literally from the ground up.  Beware the skittles alley.  It's slanted... purposely and not visible to the naked eye.  Arched in the middle making the task of aligning the ball with the pins decidedly more difficult.  Then take the skittles, aka pins, themselves.  They are shorter than bowling pins.  Their shape with the bulging part in the middle make them harder to hit with the wooden ball, which is deceptively heavy and is just the right size to pass directly through the skittles formation without touching a single pin.  Still its a fun game and because it takes considerable skill or great luck to play well, there's little danger of anyone taking the idea of competition too seriously.  

skittle |ˈskitl|noun
1 ( skittles) [treated as sing. ] a game played, chiefly in Britain, with wooden pins, typically nine in number, set up at the end of an alley to be bowled down with a wooden ball or disk.
2 a pin used in the game of skittles.

Just, Margaret

Its the little things in life.

Tonight I had another Rotary event to attend (3 down and 3 to go before the end of April). I was speaking for a club out from Bristol. (Really small club and about half of the members were absent.) Anyway, one of the older men (in his 70s) who was there looked at me before I began my "talk" and out of the blue just said "you're gorgeous."  He promptly asked if that was okay for him to say and I said of course.  Flattery can get you anywhere with me.  [smile] Plus I was having one of those days when I needed to hear something of the sort.  So after my talk about Georgia was over and I convinced them all they should visit, he said the same thing again and added "I'm not sure if its because you remind me of someone or if its because you're a unique person.  Lets say you're uniquely beautiful."  I don't want you to get the wrong idea, the whole exchange was totally not creepy.  He was just a really sweet old man... reminded me of my grandfathers.  

Just, Margaret 

End of term field trips: A retrospective, part 2

Thanks for bearing with me yesterday. I do hope these picture are worth the wait. This second set of photos are from my weekend visit with the Severn Vale Rotary Club in Gloucestershire. Pronounced for all you non-Brits out there kinda like this gla(short a)-tu-sure... well at least thats how it sounded to my American ears. [smile] On the agenda for the weekend was a wine tasting, tenpin bowling, visits to the local Cathedral (renown for being the site of Edward II's grave... he's got a really horrific death story, look it up if you dare and for being one of the composite sites for Hogwarts) and Frampton Court, and a drive through the Cotswalds. Can I just say now that house I was dreaming about with the Bristol blue door will also either be the color of Cotswald stone... a beautiful luminescent yellow. I totally fell in love with the villages my great tour guide, Sally, showed me. 

 

Just one last note about the Cathedral... part of the tour was a "backstage pass" so to speak to see the bell tower.  I've been in many cathedrals, but never actually up inside of them and it was an amazing experience to see what is above a vaulted ceiling. Turns out it looks nothing like I expected.  Its the complete opposite of the finished look of a gothic ceiling, very rough and dusty.  Nothing of the beauty below is evident.  Anyway not to go totally philosophical on you, but it made me think a bit about the dual selves we present to the world and what we are inside or another way to look at it might be to think about how a beautiful creation can come from something that appears ugly or unfinished.  Just a thought.  Now for photos.  

Looking down at the cloisters used for Hogwart's Halls. 

At the very top of the bell tower in the Cathedral.

I love this photo with the cloudy sun.  

Some images just happen upon you.  

Amazingly beautiful isn't it?  

Frampton Court

This is the summer house in "Strawberry Hill Gothic" style for the residents of above.  

Really roughing it, right?

Okay so hopefully now that you are all caught up on the specifics and have enjoyed the photos. [smile] That's all for now.
Just, Margaret

End of term field trips: A retrospective, part 1

So I realized that I've let a few of my last "field trips" pass by without sharing photos.  I put "field trips" in quotations because one trip/tour was for class but the other was a Rotary-thing.  Both were great fun... for different reasons of course.  Just a quick run down of the 5 Ws before I post a select few of the photos.  

The first set of photos are of my trip to the Defense Estates on Salisbury Plain (near Stonehenge... so I also got to see the monument in person for the first time, well from the car [smile]).  Basically we were exploring the military heritage the on-site archaeologist manages:  WWI practice trenches (some of which I will be helping to excavate this summer); a mock German and Iraqi village again for war practice; arborglyphs, aka tree carvings from WWI and WWII and at least one really recent one; and lots of old tanks for target practice.  Interesting stuff despite its aggressive history.  I do have to say the highlight of the trip was crouching on the bank of one of the WWI practice trenches and imagining what it might have actually been like for all the men we've been studying about the past few months to live and fight in a similar earthwork in France or Belgium.

Arborglyphs.

One of the "target" tanks.  Luckily no live fire the day we were there.

Can you read what it says on that sign?  

DANGER UNEXPLODED MILITARY DEBRIS

Yikes!

 

I just finished uploading the photos for Salisbury Plain and realized this is getting really long... so check back tomorrow for part 2.     

Just, Margaret 

A day out: Chew Lakes

Today Pat, my Rotary host here, took me out to visit some of the areas that she once visited for her job as a speech therapist for the hearing impaired in the local school system.  The Chew Lakes were absolutely beautiful, despite the cloudy, misty, very English day. [smile]  We also ate fresh trout from the lakes in the perfect English pub.  I learned I do like hard cider.  All in all a great day.  I took several photos but I think this one with a bit of late afternoon sunlight reflected on the water is my favorite and sums up the peace/relaxation of a day off from my grad school life.  

Just, Margaret

P.S. I know I still need to update you all about the conference.  I promise to get on that.  Expect something tomorrow or early next week.  

Rotary District Conference

So I have 50+ photos from the weekend (oddly no good image of the beach), but since posting all those is a crazy idea.  I'll just post a few of my favorites.  Hope they are diverse enough to give you an idea about my weekend.  [smile]

"The Four Star Hotel"

Friday night festivities... Rotarians like to have fun. 

One of the Island's memorials to the Occupation

It wasn't all play.  

One of the quaint views I happened upon on my Saturday adventure.  

Some might say I got a little lost, I prefer to think I purposely took the scenic route to the Jersey War Tunnels. 

Jersey War Tunnels Museum... very nice exhibit

View from the really tiny plane.  

In other news, I finally finished reading Willa Cather's O Pioneers. It is one of the best books I've read.  I've now read about 3 of her books and Cather is such an amazing storyteller.  Read her.  Find out for yourself.  Anyway O Pioneers' ending was sad and beautiful and as I was reading on the plane, my eyes began to tear.  

Just, Margaret

Jersey update

Fun people, good food, nice views, lots of sun.  Overall a good time.  I'm now just exhausted... currently waiting for the plane back.  I'll go to sleep early and hope to wake up ready to work tomorrow.  Pictures to be posted later tonight before bed.  

Just, Margaret

**4 stars**

So I expected the Rotary District Conference this weekend to be a posh event, but I didn't realize the accommodations would be so elegant.  I'm currently writing this post from my own room in a 4 star hotel.  It is definitely the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in and you can understand why it feels even more luxurious when you remember that I'm currently living the life of a poor student.  I think you could fit three and a half of my student rooms into this one room.  There is both a single and queen size bed.  I'm sleeping on the queen of course... needless to say I've missed my big bed at home and plan to enjoy all the extra space.  [sleep]  The room also has free Wi-Fi and a TV.  Best of all I have a bathroom all to myself, with an extra-long tub.  I totally indulged in a warm bath tonight before cuddling up in the complementary robe to write this (and plan to do the same tomorrow night).  Ah, the simple pleasures of a graduate student.  [smile]

Just a quick note about the Conference so far.  First, its on the island of Jersey... not sure if I mentioned that on here before.  Interestingly I had a lecture on the Channel Islands this week, about the material vestiges of their occupation by German forces in WWII.  Tomorrow I'm hoping to take some free time to explore a bit of that history.  Back to the Conference, tonight was basically just a fun evening of welcome with a delicious 3 course supper then dancing.  I even got on the dance floor with some of my club members.  [smile]  Time to be off to bed... long day tomorrow.  

Just, Margaret

"If I loved you"

Last week I traveled with the Bristol Rotary Club to London to visit Westminster Abbey and see Rogers and Hammerstein's Carousel.  Although the day started off a little uncertainly (with all the snow of course), we all had a great time.  I have to say that I was pretty psyched about the whole trip.  I hadn't been to London since I arrived, plus last time I was there I missed seeing Westminster Abbey and I of course always love going to a musical.  Our tour of the Abbey was particularly great as we had our own private guide.  We saw all the highlights, Elizabeth 1's and Mary Queen of Scots graves, the coronation chair, Poets corner, grave of the unknown soldier.  We were a bit rushed and didn't have time to explore on our own, but I imagine that it would take a full day to see everything.  

Upon exiting the Abbey we walked the few blocks to the Savoy, past Big Ben and the House of Parliament, several of the international embassies.  We also happened to pass Number 10 Downing Street just in time to see the Prime Minister's convoy of cars arrive.  Really quite exciting (although I couldn't actually see into the vehicle to be sure it was him)!  We arrived at the Savoy Theatre in plenty of time to find our seats for the matinee.  Of all the musicals I've seen in Atlanta, London, and New York, I've never seen a Rogers and Hammerstein show.  The production was awesome.  The actor playing Billy Bigelo was particularly great, a very good singer.  The plot of Carousel is actually quite depressing (secret love, lost, and eventually love realized).  Everyone was in tears by the time for the curtain call.  Its one of those shows that makes you want to make sure you express your feelings to those who you care about.  The day ended with fish and chips at a pub.  

Just, Margaret

Bath and Jane Austen

Saturday my Rotary counselor, Pat, and I went on a day trip to Bath.  I have to say that after having seen this perfectly lovely city I feel so lucky to just be a bus ride or train trip away.  [smile] Pat and I had a walk-about the city just to kinda orient me to the must-see tourist stops and the little shops she's found on all her trips there.  Although I found Bath to be absolutely beautiful in its autumnal finery, I have been assured that this is Bath at its worse and that I must see it decked out for Christmas and then in the Spring when all the gardens are in bloom.  I have to say I don't have any problem thinking about "having" to go back to Bath more than once while I'm in this country.  "If I must, I must." [smile]  Saturday we visited the Royal Crescent, walked through the Pump Room (and tasted the water I might add), and sought refreshments at Sally Lunn's House, known particularly for Sally Lunn buns that are absolutely delicious! 

Of course walking through Bath I found myself envisioning the characters of Jane Austen's novels.  Think Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth in Persuasion, so far my favorite, I think.  Bath is definitely the perfect setting to rekindle lost love.  Well this morning I finished reading Emma.  Although I knew how it would end I couldn't bear to put it down, but I could imagine letting the story end either.  If you haven't ever read it you should.  There were points when I felt so frustrated by the silly heroine and others when I found myself laughing aloud.  "Miss Bates" is a character of comic genius.  

Just, Margaret

Sitting at home with the dog in my lap

I have finally made it home. Well I've actually been back in Georgia since Sunday evening, but this is the first time I've had to sit down and really reflect on the last week. It seems so strange that just a week ago I was finishing up my last day of active work as a US-2 missionary and now I'm home with our sweet little dog in my lap and thinking about all I have to do to get ready for my next adventure.

It occurs to me that I haven't really shared what's next for me on my blog yet. Mostly because I think most of you who read this already know, but if I happen to have some random readers who don't know me outside of the Internet world let me clue you in. (By the way, I'd love to know if any of you actually exist. I have an automatic stat counter on my blog, but it can only tell me so much about who is reading this.) So back to my new adventure... in September I'll be moving again- I can hear the audible sighs and the "can't this girl stay in one place for any significant length of time"- to the U.K., specifically Bristol. I'll begin a master's program in historical archaeology of the modern world at the University in October. My first real international adventure... I mean I have had my passport for about six years and been out of the country twice for about 10 days each, but I wouldn't really qualify that as an "adventure". They were just trips or visits. Now I'm applying for a visa and will be living in the U.K. for a full year. This is a real adventure.

In addition to being a student, I'll also be serving as an ambassador of the Rotary Foundation. Like my friend, Jane Marie, whose blog link is on the right, I've been awarded a scholarship by Rotary to help fund my studies. Which partly helps to explain where I've been since leaving Louisiana. Over the weekend I attended a orientation seminar for my scholarship. I met tons of other scholars mainly from Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, but with a few random states (and neighboring countries) thrown into the mix. The scholars I met will begin their programs around the same time I will, but in places all over the globe (Russia, Taiwan, Costa Rica, etc.). We are all commissioned by Rotary to be creating pockets of peace, which I've learned can take many forms so who knows what my year will hold. I have so much more to share about my weekend and lots of photos and at least one video to post, but I think I'll go unpack a little more of my life and get back to this later.

Just, Margaret