The grand return

Well, we've both safely arrived back to Calgary.  Meredith was picked up by family this afternoon and is probably home now too.  It's nice to be home.  I've come home to a peaceful, empty house and am busy doing laundry and catching up on mail - all the mundane and strangely joyful things one does when one gets home from a trip.

All the transportation getting home went off without a hitch, and the views we didn't see flying in & out of airports on the way up, we got to see on the way back with the stellar warm & sunny weather everywhere else seems to be experiencing.  Here some things I notice upon my return:  Where have the hedges gone and why is there not more vegitation?  Also the road width is ridiculously liberal - you could make all our 2 lane roads 4 lanes, or park on both sides - no wonder we're so sprawly (I know, I know, we need it in the winter).  And the sky seems overly dramatic - there are shapes there, and depth!  And it thunders when it rains.  Weird.

Sand between my toes!

Ocean!

We drove rather a while today on big roads and little roads, all mostly obscuring the scenery, to suddenly arrive at Looe perched on the slopes above the river and the ocean.  Someone had mentioned this place to us with enough conviction that we figured it was a good idea, and it was.  All we did in Looe was sit about, explore, drink some tea, and sit about some more.  It was pretty lovely, and a really nice last full day here. 

Here the water is teal and fog laps like the tide, and boats sit lazily by.  Not that it's a quiet place.  For a cloudy tuesday it was surprisingly busy - shops filled with people.  The place is lined with ice cream shops, but somehow still doesn't seem touristy.  It was lovely to walk the beach barefoot (like a massage for our overworked feet!), and look at the shells and rocks half hidden in the sand. 

Tonight we pack.

Rugged Dartmoor

Today Meredith & I went to Dartmoor to see the moors and to do some walking.  This is a bit I've been looking forward to for some time, and it was definitely worth the effort.  We did a rather long walk connecting from tor to tor (peak) in a giant loop, and took our time.  We had good weather, including some sunshine, but today felt like the most humid it's been so far.  By the end we felt absolutely damp (in the last hour the weather seems to have finally wholeheartedly committed to rain). 

It really is lovely here and Dartmoor has a wild kind of quality about it.  I'm especially struck by the shapes of the rocks.  Although wading through ferns, tiptoeing through gorse and strolling among the horses also have their charm!

Arrived in Exeter

Today we have arrived at our new digs, a B&B just out of Exeter.  It's been a rather unremarkable day, I must confess.  All we've really done is take the train here and lounge around our room.  It being Sunday, we aren't able to get our wheels until tomorrow (quite a shame), and we are just far enough out of town that it's not reasonable to walk in.  Also, no local buses run today.  So we are forced to stay put.  We did manage a bit of a walk, saw a scenic view from the high point of a field, and stumbled upon a church (so I do have a few pics for you).

Tomorrow we have more ambitious plans.

Gloucester Cathedral

The sight on today's agenda was Gloucester Cathedral, our first real sight in town, despite being here for days and days.  We'd walked past it several times and even inadvertently heard bell-ringing practice on Tuesday.  It is apparently one of the oldest churches in England and officially built in the year 1087 by the Normans, although before that there was a monastery and before that a convent, dating to something like 697.  It looks spectacular from the outside and is no less impressive on the inside.  Meredith and I joined a free tour of the Crypts, which was mostly a fascinating talk about the building of the place and changes to the structure and in the style, as well as a bit about the monks and the time periods.  We also dished out for a tour of the tower, which included the belfry.  It was really interesting to gain a little insight into the complexities and methods of bell-ringing.  Apparently the bell-ringers (I'm sure there's a more accurate term) ring different sequences of the bells - more a mathematical exercise in all the combinations rather than tunes or melodies.  Amazing views from the top of the town (of course), although it was incredibly windy.

We left to find some Christina-friendly carbohydrates (not a very successful search) but returned for Evensong at the Cathedral.  I feel it not possible to describe the beauty of the choir songs reverberating through that place.  Even the notes of a single voice, or perhaps especially the notes of a single voice are sweet to the ears like pure honey is to the taste. 

I find it a strange exercise to sit through these services.  Of course, they are not what I'm used to.  They are so rooted in an accumulation of history and ritual.  I find myself bothered by all the practices that seem arbitrary or purely tradition.  As the churches are ornate and full of history, so seems the service to me.  I am unfamiliar with their extra flourishes.  However, I'm also aware that I may just lack the cultural language to interpret.
 
Our time in the Cotswolds has been a relaxing balance to the previous exhaustion of London.  I find myself surprised to say that the driving in the countryside was among my most favorite bits (maybe just not the harrowing single track roads or the nasty large roundabouts)!  Tomorrow we're off to our last location, Exeter.  We're hoping for a day walking on the moors and a day on the beach.  After all, we can't come to a giant island and not spend some time on the coast, right?

Suprise destination - Wales!

When, a few days ago, we were given the suggestion that we could go to Wales for one of our days, we both got a little excited.  We hadn't planned on going to Wales this trip, but then we hadn't really realized that we were so close.  So, we headed to Monmouth today, which is just inside of Wales, to do some walking.  We did a circle route though fields, up a hill, through a village, through a forest, with an improvised route back to town where we started.

I haven't seen enough of Wales to speak of it's character, but it certainly does have differences from England.  The common lament: if only we had more time!

Painswick Rococo Garden

Last night we carefully perused the weather forecast for several locations and decided on going through with our original plan.  Today is dicey for weather, tomorrow rain is solidly predicted and we wanted to see the Rococo Gardens in Painswick while we were here.  Gardens are unavoidably an outdoor activity, so today was our best bet.  And I'd say the weather was as stormy as it could be without rain.  At some points in the morning we had a bit of blowing mist (it was insubstantial enough I'm not sure it should be classified as rain), and it was raining for our drive out, but while we were there it was mostly just threats and whipping wind.

The gardens themselves are quite nice.  The buildings are perhaps the most notable part, strewn as they are about the property, very often providing a place to sit out of the rain.  They're a bit ostentatious and ornate for the purpose, kind of joyfully frivolous.  And doesn't that just characterize Rococo for you?  The ponds were also particularly nice, and I sat by one for a good long time sketching and trying to keep my fingers from going numb in the cold.  It had lily pads and I was immediately reminded of Monet's paintings I've so recently seen.  Monet doesn't sharply define his lily pads and it's no wonder - from most angles they really just look like some strange distortion on the water, catching light and shadow and making you want to grab a boat and paddle out for closer inspection.  We also managed a maze, which was loads of fun.

Our set plans ended there, but we decided to find a place to park to see if we could find any public footpaths to wander.  We'd past plenty with all the driving, it was just a matter of spotting one with parking nearby, or spotting parking with a footpath nearby.  The roads get pretty crazy here - "single track roads" (which is one lane for 2 way traffic) abound.  And you can bet they don't go through open fields where you can see whats coming.  Rather, they are windy with sharp corners and banked with high hedges, trees or stone walls.  When the road is wider, it's pretty fun.  It took us a while but we ended up walking along  canal and then up a hill for a view in a narrow hilly valley.  It was pretty, but I could have done without the stinging nettle.

Tomorrow is our last day with the car and we're not sure what we'll do yet.  More walking?  It seems likely.

Kelmscott

Todays adventures brought to you by car... we visited the Cotswold Woolen Weavers & Kelmscott Manor (Kelmscott Manor being the home of Arts & Crafts designer William Morris).  Travelling on the wrong side of the road - not as intimidating as predicted, navigating traffic circles (roundabouts) - the real threat.  The worst bit is trying to figure out which lane one should be in to get out on the right road.  Labels are good, yes, and sometimes printed in the lanes, but when they are not, who's to know where to go?  So many things to keep track of.  Nonetheless, I pleased to report that we have survived the days driving!  And what's more, we somehow managed to find our 2 destinations with a minimum of help from our GPS (It could only muster up directions to the nearest town).

The Cotswold Woolen Weavers was a bit disappointing - more store than museum, and a rather extensive store at that!  We were rather hoping for an education!  Nonetheless the blankets were absolutely lovely and so, so soft.  I didn't buy one, but really only for lack of room in my bag (I'm reaching capacity).  They were lovely, and make me want to go home and weave my own twill blanket.

Kelmscott manor was lovely too.  Photos were forbidden on the interior so alas, I cannot show you!  It's a simple sort of place, straightforward, not ostentatious, but charming.  Curtains, wall decor, bedding, rugs, many were Morris & Co. designs.  A couple rooms had the block-printed fabrics adorning the walls, much like tapestries in castles, and they were absolutely charming.  You could see how they had faded over time - the colour was generally quite soft, but the shadowy corners revealed a much bolder intent.  After seeing such dynamic and organic patterns I feel both quite in awe as well as quite inept in my own design attempts.

I should add that today is the first day we've had rain.  It's a very misty sort of rain, an it's not cold on.  It seems to ride in sheets upon the wind.  We're suddenly realizing that all our garden-seeing, countryside walking plans could be thrown into question if this keeps up. 

Away to the countryside

We have escaped crowded busy London in favour of the peace of the Cotswolds.  We had a leisurely day today, and are enjoying the relative luxury of a hotel for the time we're here.  The freedom of being able to sleep and wake when we want, make tea in our room, have comfy chairs to sit in... is all very much appreciated and stands in stark contrast to our recent hostel experience.

Meredith & I went out for dinner and had a lengthy conversation, including some debriefing of our time in London.  We're both pretty worn out from our consistently long, tiring & full days there and consequently we're both pretty pleased that our days here included at least 1 full day of unplanned time, not including today.  As for the rest of the evening, since it actually turned out warm & blue-skied after all, we went for a stroll through the town towards the Gloucester docks.  If you look on a map, you'll find we're not on the coast.  But, there are still docks, and it is still (somehow) a port of sorts!  The answer to this mystery is that it is the Canal that works this magic.

Tomorrow we attempt driving again (I think it may be me this time).

Last of the London Adventures

Today was another bit of a gloomy, cold day, although there was a peek of blue sky in the afternoon.  We slept in a bit and got a late start so Meredith & I separated for part of the day.  I left her at St Paul's to meet me later at the Tate Modern.  I then proceeded to walk in the absolute wrong direction for rather a long time.  (I don't know why I'm so bad at navigating here!  Am I this bad at home?)  It took me an hour to get to the gallery, which, I'm ashamed to admit, is in sight of St Paul's (from the right angle).  Unbelievable.

Tate Modern was good.  I didn't spend as much time there as some of the other galleries, but did like it better than yesterday's Tate.  Reading the panels about the context in which the works were created was helpful to me.  Although I generally defend all kinds of art, I'm usually acting a bit on faith that some really do have the validity and importance that I (and I suppose history) are claiming for them.  It was good to have that faith fleshed out a little by better understanding.  One general complaint for some of the art - it gave the impression of being sloppy and unrefined - worse, as if the artist did not take care in making it.  I question the value of sloppy work (or perhaps I miss the connotations of that style?)  Best part: Seeing the room of paintings by Rothko.  I sat there for a while looking at them (maybe 6 in total) and actually didn't much like the experience.  They're huge, and in shades of rich reds & burgundy's, with window or door-like shapes on them in soft chunky forms.  I found them disconcerting and a bit oppressive.  But then I read the panel on the wall noting that that was his intent.  It's always nice to know that you've read a work right.

Since we got a late start on the day, we really only saw one sight each, but on our way back to the hostel, we went a-hunting for a store that would have foods for me.  And we found it.  It's not an old church, a beautiful sight or an important bit of history, but it's food, and it's pretty monumental to me.  I now have noodles, crackers, cereal, dried fruit and cookies to fill my belly with.  Woo!

Today was our last full day in London.  Tomorrow morning we head for the Cotswolds.  We are both not excited for the driving, but I am excited to not have to take the underground anymore.

A long day

Today went as planned - Tate, Churchill War Rooms & Westminster Abbey for their evening service.  Although all our days are long here, travelling, today seemed especially long and us especially unenergetic.  Perhaps it was the weather; cloudy and windy and not reaching the promised temperatures or perhaps it's that our feet are just quite fed up with us for all we are demanding of them.

The Tate is a funny sort of place.  Not the building, though, it is as monumental as anything else around here.  It is funny because of the mix of work it contains.  I believe the banner says it covers the last 500 years.  It has pieces reflective of an older style, through the development of photography and into modernism.  It has a large collection of Turners works, and a large collection of Henri Moore's work.  It seemed a little disjointed to me.  I should mention that with all the galleries that I'm going to, I'm seeing only the permanent collection.  They also have temporary shows that have an admission fee attached.  Best surprises for me at the Tate were to see a piece by Alfred Wallace.  He's a painter that  was never formally trained and someone I did a project on in school.  I always rather liked his work & his style.  Sargent's painting shown below - It is just warm & lively & delightful.  Also, I rather liked a series by Keith Arnatt - an artist previously unknown to me.  He did a group of photographs of dog-owners with their dogs, and a group of photos of gardeners in their gardens.  I liked the subtle differences between those groups in posture and sentiment.  I also thought one of his other series was quite clever and liked the way it dipped into history and tradition for some of it's meaning.

We spent a lot of time at the Churchill War Rooms.  There is certainly a lot to ponder there, the history of the place being quite monumental. 

We then headed to Westminster Abbey for a service we believed started at 5:30.  We had wrong information though, and so wandered around looking for a coffee/tea shop to warm up in (without success) while we waited for the 6:30 service time.  We waited some time in line ("queue") and I must say, I keep finding Londoners rather rude.  Or perhaps it's the tourists.  I find it often as we wander through crowded places.  In Canada, I feel like people are fairly aware of the people around them.  We move so people can squeeze by, we try to pause in out of the way places, rather than the middle of traffic, or at least are apologetic when we realize that they've done these things, we say please and thank you.  I wouldn't have thought it, but perhaps we are more polite?  Or perhaps a more generous interpretation - Londoners/Brits have different ways of showing their politeness & hospitality that I don't fully see?

I've gotten distracted. Westminster Abbey. We went for the service, which was short (a half hour), and included hymns I (and it seemed no one else) knew.  Those at the doors letting people in had secret service-like earpieces and told everyone who inquired about seeing it that this was a private service and to come back tomorrow.  Some people seemed to think they should absolutely get in.  I felt sorry for the door people(?) who must have to constantly put up with this kind of hassle.  Those who did get in must have been a good portion of tourists, but mostly everyone was polite and strolled obediently out afterwards.  I didn't take any pictures, but it was very ornate and very large.  I don't suppose I'll describe it much, I'm sure you've seen pictures.  One thing surprised me - the amount of monuments of those buried there.  It's a wonder there's room left for a service.  It seems to me a strange practice. 

It was good to be at a service, and it created in me the longing to return to some Christian community, which I am certainly missing at the moment.  Even a very formal, spectator sort of service was a breath of fresh air.