Further Up and Further In

Dressing in Victorian style ...that English majors traveling to England must study Jane Austen’s novels ...that one of the best homework assignments is having to watch a Jane Austen movie. ...that when in England the said English majors will travel to Chawton (Austen’s home) and Bath (a city where two of her novels are partially set) ...that after having read all her novels, the said English majors will start casting each other as various Austen characters. ...that the said English majors will quote and parody Austen quotes all of the time and in various contexts ...that a crazy bus driver combined with curvy, country back roads equals really bad motion sickness for many passengers (thankfully myself not included) ...that when the opportunity to dress in Victorian clothing is available (corsets, hoop skirts and bonnets included!), a girl will always take it ..that every girl has a secret dream to dance in a Regency ball in the Bath assembly rooms E...

So I’m still catching up on my travel log. I’m currently up to Canterbury, we’re getting closer, y’all. Slowly albeit but slow and steady wins the race, right? Or at least that’s what they tell me. Anyways... I’ve decided to post my front-of-the-book article that I wrote for my Travel Writing class. This is supposed to be a short article which gives someone who is unfamiliar with your assigned place, a sense of whatever city, building or event you are describing. I wrote on Canterbury Cathedral and so here it is. I’d love to hear your thoughts about what you think! All feedback, criticism and comments are  welcome. The nave Every good English major knows what a paradox is. It is when you have two things that do not go together, in this case, rest and traveling. I find this to be true for me because I have imbibed my dad’s method of traveling and sightseeing which is to see as much as possible and to get the most out of an experience. This means constantly being on the move...

Like Flynn Ryder from Tangled, I too want a castle. But perhaps I'm more in love with the ideals of a princess and a castle that every girl harbors as a childhood dream. However, my dream was fulfilled when I stood on the walls of Dover Castle, the largest castle in England. I gazed upon the famed white cliffs of Dover. We read Matthew Arnold's poem, "Dover Beach". I looked out over the ramparts of the great tower and took in the classic rolling green hills, buildings scattered here and there and the magnificent view that nothing but a enormous stone tower can grant you. I learned about the royalty that lived there once. King Henry II built the castle to pacify the people after killing Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral (another story for another post). Whether or not it worked, I don't know but it was a good idea, people generally like castles. Later Dover Castle became incredibly important as a military base in WWII with secret tunnels, a hospital and ...

Penshurst: my new dream house We are nearing the end of our tour of the Penshurst gardens and I have this literary moment of feeling like Elizabeth Bennet when she was touring Pemberley. I too am a visitor of someone else’s beautiful house and grounds in the English countryside. Another elderly lady is gently and earnestly showing us around Penshurst telling us about the history of the Sidney family (fun fact: Sydney, Australia is named after them!) and the house that the Sidneys continue to occupy to this day. I, like Elizabeth, am also awed by the grandeur of the parlor, dining room and stare at the portraits of the family wondering what they were like and what their stories were. Elizabeth and I share a mutual love of the outdoors and gardens. We both believe in rest and renewal of the heart, mind and soul by spending time in nature and enjoying the beauty of flowers and trees. I did not meet any Mr. Darcy but I did greatly relax and delight in the gardens, topiary, flower beds...

Cheers, friends! I actually don't have pictures of the red photo booths that are everywhere when you walk down the busy streets and are the classic icons of this beautiful city. The past few days of London have been go-go-go in the best way possible. I have been walking until my feet are killing me exploring the side streets, main walkways, crowded squares and navigating the usually jam-packed Underground or "Tube" stations. I don't have enough time or words to describe everything that I have done, seen and felt. However, I'll start with the 5 senses. Taste: I have tried a hot steak and stout pie. I have sipped tea samples in Whittard's at Covent Garden. I have tried samples of traditional English biscuits. I have eaten lots of sandwiches as a cheap college student in an expensive city. I haven't mustered up the courage yet to try stewed tomatoes and beans for breakfast at the youth hostel. Smell: I smell the almost constant smoke of tobacco as th...

You can see the BGC! Wait... wait... I leave for England TOMORROW?!? What has happened to the past two weeks? How much information have I crammed into my brain? What have I learned? I skyped with my family yesterday and my parents were like- "So did you learn anything?" And I replied, "Yeah, I learned.... stuff. Metaphysical poetry, Jane Austen, travel writing about moors, playgrounds and farms. You know." But the two weeks of intensive classes have come to an end and there is only ONE DAY MORE. You know this has got to be a big deal because I very rarely use all caps for anything. Perhaps you're wondering what the past couple of weeks have entailed. I'll give you the highlights. 17th century poetry on Blanchard lawn Discovering the awesome conference room on the 4th floor of Blanchard (above picture) Studying outside on Blanchard lawn with NO black flies (ask any New Hampshirite about this and they'll tell you why this is such a big deal) Wa...