Rosi's Big Adventure

Interesting times

2011-03-20T12:06:00.003Z

These are remarkable times we are living in, with revolutions sweeping the Middle East. Living in England, our neighbors and friends frequently travel to destinations we would have thought exotic back in America. Morocco, Sharm-el-Sheik, Thailand, Singapore. My association with the Cumbria Multicultural Women's Network has developed into friendships with women from all over the world.

This week I was able to catch up with an Egyptian friend. She marveled at the younger generation back home which is excited about voting on constitutional changes (yesterday, March 19, 2011). Research has shown that children who go to voting places with their parents are more likely to vote as adults. But the young adults of Egypt never accompanied their parents to vote, because it was considered a futile exercise with corruption rampant in Egypt. Now the younger adults are not only voting, but also participating fully in civic operations.

An Egyptian teenager living here in Barrow went to Cairo for school term break in February. From the airport she went directly to Tahrir Square, where she could see for herself how a "free Egypt" looked. Each morning she joined groups of young people in cleaning streets and parks. How did she know where to go? Facebook. Times and places were posted on Facebook, along with supplies needed.

Egyptian parents, like American parents, used to nag their children to "Get off the computer; go outside." During the revolution, often the children knew what was really happening in the Square, through their Facebook and Twitter connections. So, parents would ask their children for news updates. "Go on Facebook." It is a strange world we live in. I'm interested in the university courses that will develop on social networking communications and revolution.

[photo of jubilant Libyan woman firing rifle, from The Guardian; tassel made in Egypt]

New Year 2011

2011-01-03T10:54:00.026Z

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With resolve to give my days more structure, Jack The Dog and I went for a vigorous walk this morning. Climbing the steep steps of Ladies Walk, we headed for The Hoad, a big hill overlooking Ulverston. It's a grand walk for both of us as long as the sheep on this common land are not nearby. First we said hello to two shaggy ponies and promised to bring presents next time. Then on to the walled path.

The holly tree along here was adorned with ornaments and plastic-coated messages.

On the first: holiday wishes to all dog walkers. The 2nd and 3rd gave us the tale of a lost little dog being found by a border collie.

What a treat to find this tree on a seemingly barren landscape. I'm still smiling as I think about it.

After lunch, Hal did the same walk with us, so that I could document my blog subjects.

This time we found a memorial bench ("to Mum and Gran") decorated with flowers.

This is our approach to the Hoad and monument to Sir John Barrow, native son, and 2nd secretary of the Admiralty for 40 years in the 1st half of the 19th century. Following are views of the panoramic vista from atop the hill.

Photos below, going clockwise, are views: to the north with Coniston Old Man as the highest peak; to the east, the head of Morecambe Bay; (two views) looking south with the gentle slope of Birkrigg Common rising to the right of Morecambe Bay; and to the West leaving town for the hills and farms of Furness Peninsula.

north

east

west

south

We passed no one on our morning ramble. Today is a bank holiday, which means an official holiday, as opposed to a regular holiday, meaning vacation in American terms. Things are pretty quiet today, and have been all weekend. On New Year's Eve, there were a few maverick fireworks, including a floating lantern drifting away on the wind. Slate roofs and damp climate reduce the fear of fires. At quarter of 12, church bells rang. Hal, Jack and I headed downtown for a look-see. A crowd of 200+ were gathered at Market Cross, many in high fashion. This may have been the entire youth population of Ulverston. Constabulary was highly visible, but restrained. The three of us went into the King's Head for a pint, and Jack's first pub. Thia, the proprietress, graciously served Hal and me, while Meghan, the barmaid and dog lover, brought out a bowl of water for Jack. She's saving up for a trip round the Arctic Circle with her own dog. It's not a trip that I'm dying to make, but I enjoy her enthusiasm.

And with our own enthusiasm for a new year, we wish you good health and pursuit of happiness throughout this year.

Messing with the Elements

2011-01-01T18:45:00.004Z

Bear with me as I try out a new template for blogging. Previous postings will be misaligned until I can square them up. Thank you for your patience. - The Management

Public art

2010-04-18T23:11:00.016+01:00

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There is a man in town, Geoff Dellow, who prepares slabs of raw clay, and then holds workshops for the public to create sculptures, small scale. He fires them and hangs them on a public fence along Gill Bank (our part of town). I couldn't make it to the sculpting session last weekend, but I offered to help hang this weekend.

Geoff Dellow (left)

Sunflowers and butterflies (right)

Wheels on cart turn (left)

Megan's chihuahua and cat (right)

3 pigs, cow, ogre and rainbow (left)

Luminaria on spikes (right)

There were five Americans, including two children, there helping Geoff to hang the pottery. (No other Brits this time.)

I plan to try his workshops. They are very low cost.

Geoff is quite a character, a gadfly even, taking on public improvement projects when he is fed up with waiting for officialdom to act. There is a lamppost downtown which has been leaning for 3 months. Considering this sight to be a disgrace, he is attempting to right the lamppost himself. His blog reflects these views. http://geoffdellow.blogspot.com/

Church service

2010-04-18T15:36:00.019+01:00

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The Methodist church service this morning was very interesting, in several ways. The lesson was about Jesus asking Peter if he loved him. Rather than just reading the scripture, several women came to the front for a dramatic reading. They ranged in age from mid-50s to late 80s. The first thing that struck me was that all of the parts, male, were portrayed by women. Jesus, 3 disciples, and narrator. At one point, the narrator lost her place. While another congregant helped her, the audience was quiet and respectful. No fidgeting. It was exciting to see these very old women actively participating in the service. I've noticed that Hal and I, in our late 50s, are well below the average age of the congregation.

Taking up the collection is a different process from the method used in Niantic. Rather than a brass platen, they pass a velveteen bag hanging from a wooden dowel. The dowel has a handle on each end; the bag is wide at the base with a smallish opening on top, effectively blocking view of the contents. This morning, some very elderly women were taking up the collection. Again, I was pleased to see the participation.

There are very few youth in this church (less than ten, I think), but they are active in the band and other activities. At Christmas, they gave tealights in glass holders to everyone. It was not a tradition; they just decided to do it from their funds. Really special. Humbling in a way.

The pastor leads an enthusiastic band of brass and woodwinds. Today there were 15 or so in the band. Their benediction was "The War March of the Priests" by Mendelssohn. It started off roughly, but was well-done once they got going. Typically this congregation rises to go, putting on their coats, and jabbering during the benediction. But not today. I may make a suggestion to the pastor. I don't think Niantic Community Church came to good benediction manners on its own: a minister had to suggest it, and put it in the bulletin.

After the service, most people go to the back, where the church hall has tables and chairs, coffee and tea. The largest teapot I've ever seen. Two-and-a-half gallons, maybe. Oddly for us, coffee is more popular than tea (on Sunday morning).

The church hall with kitchen is used by several community groups during the week. I just learned that it costs only 6 £/hour to rent. Wicked cheap. At today's currency, that's about $9/hour. Philosophy, local history, mom and baby, and other groups use it. A community lunch is served once a fortnight, I think.

Easter Sunrise Service

On Easter morning, there was a 6:30 ecumenical sunrise service on Birkrigg Common, the highest point in our area. It's about 3 miles south of town, requiring crossing of cattle grids. Sheep graze here without fences. It was very cold and windy that morning. We could see snow on the mountains in the distance.

The Methodist Church band played. It must have been difficult: the dark, and cold brass mouthpieces with wind blowing the music about.

One lovely aspect was the dogs in attendance: four of these well-behaved, unleashed creatures were a joy to watch, playing on the hill, reminding us to play and be joyful.

This was our Jack's doppelganger.

Rome in March

2010-03-31T13:14:00.044+01:00

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The Disputation of the Sacrament by Raphael

I'm tempted to leave the title as "Rome - under construction," because it is such a work in progress. We just don't find this depth of history (literally) in America. Rome truly has thousands of years, and layers, of history. Trying to build another branch of the subway is so much more than planning and government approvals; history is uncovered with every shovelful, and, to their credit, this history is valued.

Traveling to Rome

We took the train from Ulverston to Manchester Airport. It's such a luxury (for us) to be able to do this, with only a ten-minute walk to the station. Walking through town with our wheelie suitcases, clickety-click, clickety-click, clickety-click, over the curbs and cobblestones, everyone must have known the Yanks were traveling. We were glad that Hal had reserved train seats, as it got very crowded. Many people were standing in the aisles for the second half of the two-hour train ride.

At the terminal, the consumer excess of duty-free shops (DFS) confronted us. These are not shops lining the sides of the terminal mall: they ARE the terminal mall. We had to walk amidst the goods to get to our gate. Once through the gauntlet of DFS, we hurried to our gate, only to discover there were no vendors in this part of the terminal. No water, no food. Toilets, yes. Between the doors to mens and womens was a sign marked, "Cleaners Sluice." Interesting. Too bad I didn't have the camera with me.

Our layover in Zurich was too short. With more traffic than gates, our plane parked in nowhereland; we climbed down portable stairs, and took a bus to the terminal. Our passports were stamped by a grouchy Swiss customs official who reprimanded me for not standing behind the line. Camel provided a lovely Smoking Lounge (right). Such a thoughtful and caring company.
We arrived at our departure gate on the far side of the airport with boarding already in progress. Whew!

At Rome airport (already inside the EU), no customs! We waited for 90 minutes at carousel 9 for our luggage. Suitcases came and suitcases went. No red suitcase for me; no green suitcase for Hal. We thought we were traveling light, but the maximum carryon size for this flight was smaller than we expected, so we had to check our little suitcases. Too bad for us, because now they were lost! Woe was us! Customer service suggested we try carousel 11 before we filed a claim. Reunion with our luggage was sweet.

Our nonstop train into the center of Rome had compartments, just like in old movies. We walked two blocks to Hotel Morgana, home for the next three nights. Nice hotel: good buffet breakfast, comfortable bed, small room with en-suite (attached) bath; English-speaking staff. Our room (left) overlooked a central courtyard (right) - not pretty, but interesting with wash hung several stories up.

The hotel elevators were incredibly tiny 2- and 3-person contraptions. Luggage optional. I couldn't resist a photo (left).

The weather was about 10 degrees (C) warmer than Ulverston. High 50s (F)-low 60s. Trees were in bloom; lemon and orange trees lined the streets. We loved seeing trees on top of buildings. No rain. No snow. No coats needed during the day, though it got chilly after the sun went down.

The desk clerk recommended only one restaurant, Nuovo Stella (right). We thought it must be a relative's establishment, but decided they were right: the food was good and the waiter attentive. We ate dinner there every night, and he remembered us after the first night.

St. Patrick's Day in Rome

We took a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Rome, sitting on top in the open air, with headphones for the guided tour. I was moving about, taking photos, and my headphones were disconnected half the time, so I missed much of the commentary. It was St. Patrick's Day. We saw a mob of footballers on a pub crawl: "12 pubs in 12 hours," proclaimed their green t-shirts. The bus drove past the Pope speaking to a small crowd at St. Peter's (left), with big-screen TVs for the masses. Apparently he was apologizing, in his way, to Irish Catholics for the priest-sexual-abuse scandal. Later that day, the Brazilian priest scandal was breaking news. When will the Vatican take action? And when will the victims find justice?

We ate lunch at an outside cafe in the sun. Even though we'd been warned about the prices, we had to find out for ourselves. Lunch cost as much as supper the night before. For an afternoon treat, we tried a bar that advertised "crepes." I'm a sucker for crepes. Big mistake. Our travel guidebook warned against "bars," but again, we had to try it. One capuccino, one tea, and a crepe were 23 euros. Our dinner last night was only 27 euros for fettucine alfredo, pizza, water, and a small bottle of wine. Sheesh.

Nearly every block contained a building with a madonna plaque or painting.

I watched men laying cobblestones for a new piazza. Such an old trade being practiced in modern times.

Forum and Colisseum

The Roman Forum was overwhelming. So much to see; so many ruins; so many emperors making monuments to themselves! Oddly, Caesar's tomb (right) was the smallest and humblest of them all. A wreath hung on it, noting the Ides of March.

There were so many ruins to explore.

At first the Colisseum seemed like so many other sports arenas, with rows upon rows of tiered seating.

We came to notice the center section, site of the action. More fascinating, however, were the hallways below the arena (above right is a partial floor with lower hallways exposed; below is a closeup of the lower hallways).

Imagine waiting your turn to fight. Was it dark and damp? What else shared your cell? Vermin? Large creatures? Was it noisy with roaring and stamping of feet, and cries of pain? The odor must have been overpowering, with sweat and excrement, and mold.

Vatican Museum

The last day we took the English-language Vatican Museum tour, viewing a small portion of the Church's wealth. Hal reserved our tickets in advance. The lines for non-ticketholders was around the block - hours long.
Our guide began with an admonition to her English and American charges "to be pushy" when necessary. Italians don't queue and neither should we. We're too polite for our own good! The painted ceilings, such as these at left, appeared 3-dimensional with frames, but it was all done with paint. Trompe l'oil. Trick of the eye.
An ancient Greek marble statue of Laocoon and His Sons (being strangled by sea serpents) .

My favorite painting was The School of Athens, illustrating the reconciliation of philosophy and astrology with theology. Details are shown left and right. Plato (in red) and Aristotle are the center of attention. Raphael inserted Michelangelo's portrait into the painting, depicting Heraclitus in brown garments. At right, Euclid or Archimedes demonstrates the compass to his students. The figure in blue, lying on the steps, may be Socrates with his cup of hemlock.
At right is the spiraling staircase of the Vatican Museum.

I think it took 2 hours in room after room of amazing paintings and tapestries and ceiling/wall art before we reached the Sistine Chapel. By then we were suffering from art overload, and the ceiling seemed like just another "nice" work. Photography was not allowed there. I'm sure there wasn't time for the guide to show us everything, but we didn't see the Pieta; Hal glimpsed the statue of David down a hallway. We missed St. Peter's Basilica, because we couldn't look at anything more. Fresh air and food were needed.

Afternoon Stroll

The afternoon was more leisurely, wandering about the city. Trevi Fountain (above) was noticeably cooler than surrounding areas. The Pantheon (left), world's largest unreinforced concrete building, built in 126 A.D. has a 25-foot-diameter oculus (hole) in the dome; precipitation can fall through, but drains on the slanted floor below. I'm not doing it justice for it is a remarkable building which has withstood numerous earthquakes and wars. Navorna Piazza (right) was an interesting mix of sculpture, gardens, outdoor cafes and street artists.

We saw 2 of the 8 ancient Egyptian obelisks (left) in Rome. Passing carabinieri HQ (state police), I was oblivious to a group of high-ranking officials strolling down the street, but did see the motorcade following. On right is the Ponte Vittorio Emmanuele II over the Tiber River.

We saw curbside petrol stations, acres of parked motorcycles and scooters, dangerous speeding bicycles, and lots of homeless people. This plastic-wrapped cocoon contained a man on a sofa.

Our last afternoon in Rome, we did a crazy thing: hopped on the metro during rush hour. The doors opened to a crush of people. I squeezed on, with Hal behind pushing me farther in. We didn't think another body could get on, but 5 more people jumped on after us. Most people took our sardineness agreeably. But when the train swerved suddenly, and Hal nearly fell on a small woman, she was not amused.

I loved the earth-toned buildings and shuttered windows, the balconies, the plants. And the weather. I can't wait to return, having thrown my coin in Trevi Fountain.

Hadrian's Wall Illumination

2010-03-14T13:58:00.027Z

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Crag Lough and Steel Rigg

Volunteers set up 500 torches (complete with ye olde propane tankes) at 250-meter intervals along the 73-mile length of Hadrian's Wall. (I've seen different lengths quoted, including 80 Roman miles.) They were approximately 250 meters apart, and there were a few glitches, but it was spectacular, nonetheless.

We chose a portion in the middle of the wall for our viewing, between Greenhead and Humshaugh. The site below discusses the Illumination; the homepage has a map showing our location above Crag Lough.

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall/article.asp?PageId=3&ArticleId=107

The wee little ants trudging up the pile of rocks (no, they did not scurry) are the modern-day slaves of the Empire: volunteers bearing the materiel required for this spectacle.

We did wonder about the sentries of old who kept these fires burning for the Empire. What was their fuel and where did they get it? Wood appears scarce here, but once upon a time these hills were covered with trees.

We chose not to climb Steel Rigg (the rocky outcrop shown above and upper right), but a nearby hill where we would be able to see the fires atop Steel Rigg. Our hill was topped with an obelisk marker (see right), indicating we were at the highest elevation in the area.

The Wall itself could be seen in places, and sometimes with the accompanying ditch. The ditch was built 20-feet wide at the top, and 10-feet deep. This has mostly been filled in, but can be seen on right side of the upper photo and left side of lower photo on as a slightly ower green line.

In this area, the wall consisted of squared limestone blocks along the sides, with a rubble-and-cement filler. Over the years much of the wall was dismantled by farmers and builders who found "better" uses for the stones. In the 19th century, John Clayton bought up land along the path of the wall, and had the wall reconstructed, seven courses high.

The height and width of the original wall varied. Original plans indicate the wall should be 10-feet wide in places, 20 feet in others. [Not sure if that plan materialized.] Evidence suggests the wall averaged 15 feet in height. The portions visible now are about 4 feet high. [I planned to insert 2 videos of the wall, but have not yet mastered the art of uploading video; or perhaps it's a problem with our broadband connection: The first video shows the remaining face stones on the lower wall with rubble above. The second looks at a wall end, illustrating the rubble filler.]

Wall construction 1 (face stones)

Wall construction 2 (rubble filler)

The lichen growing on the wall is quite colorful, mostly blue-green, but also white, rusty gold and lemon yellow. At right is a lichen-grown "map" of a long-lost land. [Note: I hear locals say, "lich-en," rather than "like-en," which I have always used.]

The late afternoon light and sky were lovely, reminding us of western skies. This herd of cattle came to welcome us, or maybe to wait for dinner.

I wondered if the 2-tone brown cows might be beefalo.

A Roman centurion allowed modern photography. He was a big brute of a fellow, made even larger by his regalia. At right, volunteers testing a torch prior to the official lighting.

The light arrived late by more than an hour. We weren't sure where to look for the light, and were surprised by some locations when it did arrive. It finally came over the horizon, with each torch signalling the next. On Steel Rigg, below us, more than 15 torches were lit.

Torchlights are seen as the first row of lights, running across the middle of the photos. The second line is from cars traveling on the road.
We climbed that hill twice: once in the afternoon, which turned out to be a scouting operation; a second time in early evening, for the Illumination. It was a steep climb, and we planned on doing it once, but it was too cold to wait in the wind, so we made our way to shelter.
Down the hill we went for afternoon tea at the Twice Brewed Inn. Then back up the hill to wait for the lights. Then down again, for dinner at the inn, whilst waiting for the traffic jam to clear. (The English use "whilst" much more than "while.") The pub name is curious. According to a BBC website, during 18th-century construction of an east-west road, workers were unimpressed by the weak ale at this pub, and demanded that it be brewed again; hence Twice-Brewed. The next-door walkers' hostel is named Once Brewed. According to the same source, when teetotalling Lady Trevelyan opened the hostel in 1934, she noted, in reference to the Inn, "Of course there will be no alcohol served on these premises so I hope the tea and coffee will only be brewed once." Ah, British humor.

BBC news coverage of the event has footage taken at our location.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8565759.stm

Quiz Night

2010-02-17T12:39:00.006Z

Quiz Nights are popular all over Britain. Here in Ulverston they seem to run on Tuesday evenings. We've been to Old Friends quiz night a couple of times now. You buy your own pint (or half-pint in my case). Someone comes around selling raffle tickets for a pound. (I think it's for a free meal.) Form up your team. The first time we went with another couple of Yanks: Team America. This time we took Andy, but were asked by a seasoned quizzer to join them. They had six or seven people, which is approaching unfair, and we had 3. She and a companion with "football knowledge" joined our team. Whoohoo! We had a chance now, with two English people on our team. Our new friends, Jean and Graham, were brilliant. He correctly matched all ten football teams (soccer to you) with their nicknames, and she knew nearly everything else. Our young lad, Andy, had a couple of answers about pop culture. Hal and I each contributed one or two correct answers.

Part One was a quiz sheet - match the ten teams with nicknames. Part Two questions were read by the quiz leader. Jean wrote out our answers. Twenty of those. Then we handed Parts One and Two into the leader for marking, whilst everyone tucked into the sandwiches and soup put out by the pub staff. Free food! And a very nice spread it was, but it was after 9 pm, and we had eaten supper, so we weren't inclined to eat much then. Our quizzes were returned, and rankings were announced. The other two times we've played, the scores had been all over the place. This time all scores were very close. I think there were eight teams, with anywhere from two to five members.

Part Three was another twenty questions. After those were graded, we were tied for second place, which meant a "sudden death" match. A single question, involving a date, was posted. Whichever team gave the leader the correct (or closest) written answer first, would win. So Jean had a single piece of paper, and sat verrrrry close to the announcer. "What year did Isabel Peron become president of Argentina?" Our guess was 1950. The other team's guess was 1960. The correct answer was 1974, so the other team won second place, and we won third. First prize was eight beer tokens (pints); second was four tokens; and third was a bottle of wine. Jean and Graham thought we should take the wine home; perhaps they knew it was "shite." We had great fun, and now have met some more English in their natural habitat.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

2010-02-17T11:21:00.025Z

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Hal and I took an afternoon trip into the middle of the Lake District. (It seems to be called both Lake and Lakes District.) Ambleside and Keswick are both tourist towns. In the summer it must be mad, maybe even worse than Mystic.

These shots were taken in Ambleside.

The auto is a sweet little number from the early 90s: a Nissan Figaro.

Approaching Keswick, we turned onto a side road for a stone circle. Castlerigg Stone Circle is quite a nice one, surrounded by the Cumbrian Mountains.

One thing all of the stone circles we've seen have in common is beautiful siting.

Andy visits

2010-02-16T12:51:00.016Z

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Andy arrived by plane and train on Sunday afternoon. Hal (and the satnav) drove us down a few tiny lanes (two-way roads wide enough for a single car) to give Andy a "feel" for the area. I think he was duly impressed with the winding skinny roads. But coming from California, he wasn't as impressed with the sweeping vistas as we were. Connecticut has so few long horizons.

We took the bus to Barrow on Monday and breezed through the Chinese New Year exhibits, saying hello to my Chinese friends. There were stalls selling Chinese goods, and several craft tables were set up for children and families. The place was mobbed with children on school holiday.

At the Orange store Andy bought a UK phone. "No returns." Within an hour of arriving home, major defects were found in the phone. The volume switch got stuck. Believe me, Andy was wearing a different face after that.

The return bus to Ulverston was very cold. To get warm, we went to Gillam's Tea Shop. Enjoying teas and scones beside this upstairs window, we could browse their retail items, including teapots, loose tea, and implements of the trade, such as the all-important teabag squeezer.

Glasgow

2010-02-03T11:16:00.047Z

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We are not a spontaneous family, but there are exceptions to every rule. On Saturday morning, Hal found an ad for Celtic Connections music festival, ending Sunday, in Glasgow. Within 2 hours, he had booked a room and concert tickets, and we were on our way to Scotland for the first time.

It had snowed in the north on Friday night, so the mountains on both sides of us were blanketed in it. The Cumbrian Mountains to the west and Pennines to the east. The highest mountain in England is 3200 feet above sea level (Scafell Pike in Cumbria), and the peaks we passed were mostly around 2000 feet. But considering that the coast is so near, they rise at a pretty good pitch. There are many evergreen forests here, apparently planted and managed. Barren fields and hillsides beside well-defined forests. Villages didn't seem as pretty as the ones in Cumbria, but we didn't investigate them on this trip.

Passing through Lockerbie, we both fell silent, with a sense that this was hallowed ground.

We made it to Devoncove Hotel on Sauchiehall ("sawkie" or gutteral "ch" as in "loch") Street in Glasgow in 3 hours. Devoncove is 3-star rated by the Scottish Tourist Board, so what did we get for our 59 GBP?

A clean, tiny room with wifi and en-suite bath. My personal favorite amenity was the heated towel rack. Mmmmmm. It also had a shower-caddy-dispenser, with shampoo, shower gel, soap, and conditioner. Cool! even if it was missing the soap button (still worked). During the night, we discovered that the walls were paper thin. The man next door was hacking up phlegm. I envisioned myself smacking on the wall, (kindly, of course) asking if he needed me to call a doctor. Conversations in the hallway were heard word-for-word.

Full Scottish breakfast was included, but rushed. They stopped serving minutes after we sat down, and fifteen minutes later, we were told they were closing up (meaning: GET OUT).

Sauchiehall Street (left) viewed from our room and the Royal Crescent (right).

Supper was at the Filling Station, an American-style restaurant, ala Ruby Tuesdays, with a Route 66 theme. We got our dose of red meat there.

Our concert was at the Royal Concert Hall. A Scottish man sitting in front of us chatted us up, and called us his colonial cousins from America. He's a storyteller, so we told him about Mystic Seaport and the Sea Chantey weekend.

Front of Royal Concert Hall (left) and view from Royal Concert Hall (right)

Majorstuen, the opening act, is a young Norwegian string band with a great sound and lots of energy.

The headliner was Nuala Kennedy, an Irish "flautist" and singer with backup band. We would have liked less percussion, but it was lovely. We bought a CD from each, including Kennedy's The Books in My Library (mp3).

Hanging around after, we managed to get into the Late Night Session where bands played 15-minute sessions. Quebecois Le Vent du Nord was good with its hurdy-gurdy, a very strange-looking instrument. Our favorite was Jeana Leslie & Siobhan Miller, a young Scottish vocal/fiddle duo.

It's 1.3 miles straight down the well-lit Sauchiehall Street from the Royal Concert Hall to the hotel, a good walk through a shopping district with shoes to die for, or maybe just to break an ankle.

Our return after midnight provided an eyeful for middle-aged parents who are rarely out past nine. The street was lined with young partygoers waiting to get into clubs. Numerous clubs. Astounding number of smokers. Workers were sweeping the pedestrian malls and collecting trash - litter everywhere. Hal couldn't believe the girls out on the town on a freezing night, with no coats, in short, short skirts, and 6-inch heels (see previous photos). What were they thinking? Someone told me that girls leave the coats at home so they don't lose them whilst clubbing. Interesting logic.

The city has some interesting architecture, alongside some horrific 60s buildings. I had fun taking reflective photos in windows.

University buildings

Balustrade view

Proud proclamation

Glasgow taxis

Reflections of the city

This...

is...

this.

Most of the buildings are very dirty looking. It's a gritty working-class town with several universities. Odd mixture, but well worth a return visit.

Wow. I almost forgot to put in some very important photos.

This "truck" hovered over the entrance to a club.

We've been "collecting" O'Neill's in London, York, and Glasgow.

And finally, a reflection of the intrepid travelers.

Fiddle session at Old Friends pub

2010-01-27T12:19:00.009Z

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We went around to a pub near our house one evening. Three fiddles, Irish pipe, mandolin, tambourine, and bones.

We managed to capture some of the music on the following videos.

It did seem like old friends sitting around a living room playing their instruments. Not a bad evening for the cost of a pint.

Birkrigg Common

2010-01-26T22:30:00.010Z

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We drove south from Ulverston, eventually crossing a cattle grate which let us know we were on the Common. Sheep were all over the place. The hills look harsh and unforgiving. Trying to find our way was crazy: unmarked roads/cart paths veering off unexpectedly.

These mounds reminded me of a roller-coaster field on which my father used to drive "fast" (it's all relative), and we would hit our heads on the ceiling of the '53 Buick. My moto-crossing nephew would have a great time here, though I don't know if that's encouraged.

So we drove to Bardsea, a pleasant village overlooking Morecambe Bay, and found our way from there to Birkrigg Stone Circle. Actually we stopped at the end of the road, wondering what to do next. I asked a man about the stone circle, and he said to park, walk through the gate and a short way beyond, the circle will be on our left. He said they "regularly sacrifice children there." Ah, British humor.

Notice how the moss thrives here, even in the cold of January.

Sunset over the hedge and gate near Birkrigg Stone Circle.

The stone circle is visible at this time of year. Later on, bracken (fern) obscures it, making it much harder to find.

"Innocent" children playing in the stone circle...

and charred embers on the center stone. Bardsea and Morecambe Bay can be seen to the east. A lovely view fitting for ceremonial fires.

Scarborough

2010-01-26T20:22:00.021Z

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Scarborough Castle is on a high promontory into the North Sea. The photo above was taken from the castle looking back toward the town. The bluffs were menacing, so Hal and I found this sign amusing. Notice the little man falling/jumping off the cliff.

Entry to the gatehouse (right)

Romans had a signal station here back in 300 AD.

Chapel beneath the old signal station.

The castle dates back to the 12th century and King Henry II. It took some hits in the (English) Civil War. Once the Parliamentarians gained final control, they destroyed it so no one else could use it, whilst sticking out their tongues and singing "Nyah, nyah." Spiteful blighters.

Barracks and batteries were later built, but they took heavy hits from German bombardment in World War I.

We saw no fair, but apparently it was a biggie in the Middle Ages, attracting traders from all over Europe for 45 days every summer. I thought Simon and Garfunkel had written a great song about Scarborough Fair, but now I find that children have sung it for centuries.

Today the town appears to be a beach resort, although I doubt I will be dipping my piggies in the North Sea anytime soon.

Old Bay to the south (left) and North Bay (right) with its colorful cabanas (taken from the castle)

Lakes District

2010-01-23T21:55:00.050Z

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A weekend drive through the Lakes District in January. The fog came and went whimsically. The Lakes District is a favorite walking area for Brits. Even though it's still nippy, we saw hundreds (literally) of hikers.

Driving north from Ulverston to Coniston to Ambleside.

Coniston Water, looking north

It's good to know you can post your mail even here, in the middle of NOWHERE.

Ambleside
Church steeple and lawn bowling weathervane

Reflection in brook

Sheila's Cottage - excellent soup and tea

Tower House and a public well

Then northwest from Ambleside to Keswick (ignore the "w": "Kezzick")

With similar colors and values in sky and snow, the snow looks like holes in the mountain with sky poking through.

Keswick

York

2010-01-17T22:19:00.059Z

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Buildings along the flooding River Ouse ("ooze")

The river was high, just over the banks when we arrived, but receding throughout our stay. No river cruises were running. Flooding is an ongoing problem here. One swanky restaurant/hotel has been on the market for 2 years. Can't find a buyer because it's on the river and gets flooded regularly. Another place takes a different tack: the lower level, which floods, is all stone, with shelves and bar up high. They serve upstairs even as the floodwaters are rising, evacuating only when the alarm sounds indicating that water has entered the building. When it drains, they hose out the mud and let it dry. Easy peasy.

Flower shop in York in DECEMBER.

We stayed at Warren B&B outside the walled city. The chandelier in our room had ugly white porcelain roses (for the House of York?) It had good hearty English breakfasts - starting with toast served on a rack (so it can dry out and get cold before the eggs arrive), eggs, sausage and bacon, roasted tomahto, baked beans, pots of tea. Sideboard with cold cereals, pastries, yoghurt, fruit and juice. It was hard to eat all that and still keep our trousers (NOT pants, which are underwear) fastened.

Private parking (a luxury) was behind the 2 combined townhouses of the B&B. Parking was easier said than done: drive to the end of the block, turn right, down one block, turn right into a very narrow alley, with a special curbstone at the entrance to help turn carriages, but not so good for turning autos. Oh boy. Halfway down the alley, make a sharp right turn (MORE than 90-degrees) into a walled carpark for 4 cars. Leaving, Hal tried driving out, but that required multiple back-and-forths, many more than a 3-point turn. The next day, he backed out, with little hassle.

In hindsight, we would have liked to be situated closer to the walled city. It was a hike to get there, and then more to get to the shopping district and the Minster.

Our first stop was York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in western Europe. It dates from 12th century.

Stained glass depicting King Solomon

The fifteenth-century choir screen with life-sized kings of England, and the ornate ceiling of a passage

Rood screen

The nave and vaulted ceiling

The "semaphore saints," a modern installation (I did not decipher their code.)

As we wandered through the cathedral, we were serenaded by a choir practicing for the Christmas concert that evening. Lovely. We had to buy a CD before we left the gift shop. That night we went back for the concert, which was standing room only. The choir, probably 300 strong, consisted of NHS staff from the area. Collections were taken for a child-accessibility fund.

Rose window on south facade, and heart window on west face.

Patrons seeking favor with the Church?

One section of the Minster had small statues depicting various afflictions common to medieval people. Toothache, broken bones, poverty, madness.

New ones have been carved, in the same style, to be added soon.

There were crypts beside and below us.

You would think that a town with this huge cathedral wouldn't need any other churches. But the town is filled with churches. On the right is The Parish (pub).

After the lessons and carols, we managed to get into Betty's Tea Room before it closed its doors at 9 pm. It was a classy supper place, with a pianist tinkling the ivories. I ate the BEST quiche I have ever had.

Following supper, we meandered through the curvy streets of the (mostly closed) shopping district. There was an outdoor Christmas market - one of the few times we've seen a shopping area open late.

Hal tried on a Harris tweed jacket, and fell "in like." The waistcoat (vest) was made in China, which put him off. Checking the Internet that night, he learned that Harris tweed, the CLOTH, is made - woven - in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. (With enough money) you can have garments made-to-order by them. But they also sell the cloth to others, such as tailors in China.

Clifford's Tower (above) is the remains of York Castle, originally built by William the Conqueror. This was the site of a violent incident in 1190, when the Jewish community was assailed by a mob. Taking refuge in the castle, the Jews committed suicide and set fire to the castle, rather than fall to the mob. In 1290, Jews were expelled from England by royal edict, which was not overturned until 1656.
I learned that spiral staircases were built to rise in a clockwise manner. This gives (right-handed) defenders the advantage: as one backs up the stairs, his right hand is free for swordplay. You lefties will just have to design your own castles, or make sure you are the aggressors, going up the stairs.

It was possible to walk around the top of the castle walls, allowing one to look down on the interior (left) and out for spectacular views of the town (right). York Minster is in the background.

There were no handrails or other protection beyond common sense, so we got a kick out of this sign.

We planned to walk the walls of the city on our last morning.

Unfortunately, the walls were locked due to icing on the pavement. But I did get a photo of Mickelgate Bar, where heads of traitors were once displayed.

A friend in Ulverston told me, "York is an amusement park," meaning too touristy. Walking The Shambles, a narrow meandering street full of tourist traps, we saw what she meant: half-timbered buildings overhanging the cobbled winding street.

York is very quaint. A Disney version of old England. But we liked it, and were rewarded with a beautiful sunset.

Returning to Ulverston, we stopped at Ainsty Farm Shoppe for lunch. Butcher, baker, deli, fruiterer, preserves. Lots of yummy things. (We saw a truck with"fruiterer" in the slogan. Who knew!)

Woodpigeons in a berry tree

This is the area of high moors, so eloquently described by the Bronte sisters. It's a high plateau with rolling hills, meandering rivers, cliffs, and fog. I didn't get a good photo of it, but the hills and fog created several layers of blues.

Old Sarum Castle

2010-01-17T19:24:00.019Z

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Another day in England, cold and rainy. Another pile of rocks. The remains of Old Sarum Castle are just outside Salisbury. It has a long history as a fort. The pile we saw dates from around William the Conqueror. Eleanor of Aquitaine was kept prisoner here by her husband, Henry II. Here's a bit of political hanky-panky: from the 14th to 19th century with no residents, two members were elected to the House of Commons. Old Sarum was finally disenfranchised in 1832. So sad.

The filler for the walls is flint and cement, with quarried sandstone for the face stones. (Now I know that the gravel in our garden is flint.)

The castle had latrines. When the king left town, someone was lowered down... down... down to clean up the mess. This lends depth to the meaning of sanitation worker (pun intended).

We could walk around the outer walls, finding long views across Salisbury Plain.

Outside the castle were remains of earlier Salisbury cathedrals (yes, plural).

We never did get to Salisbury, but we could see the "new" cathedral in the distance.

Stonehenge

2010-01-17T12:37:00.009Z

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Stonehenge was our destination on a rainy day in December. We were in the area, and didn't need to be home till evening, so why not? Well, actually, it was more than raining; it was a driving rain with gale-force winds over Salisbury Plain.

(We couldn't avoid the rain spots on the lens.)
The Plain itself was interesting - gently rolling hills, wide open fields for miles, few trees, long views.
The concertina wire (we saw 25 years ago) was gone, but perhaps it returns on Midsummer's Eve, when the Druids descend upon the site. The stones are roped off so you can't get near them, but there is a good path encircling the site. Handsets issued with entrance provide commentary. We learned that the stones are notched in a sort of mortise-and-tenon manner. The upright stones have a pointy piece (shown on the tall center stone below) which fits into holes on the underside of the crosspieces.

It was interesting, even in a downpour.

London at Christmastime

2009-12-31T16:46:00.066Z

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We wanted to see London decorated for Christmas. At a friend's suggestion, we drove to the area, and stayed in Bracknell, just west of the ring road (beltway). Each day we took the train into the city. Our passes included the Underground. (Underground magnets were harder to find than expected. But we persevered. And found "Mind the Gap" [watch your step] magnets also.)
The journey into the city was a bit TOO interesting. Several footballers were drinking on the Saturday morning train. Greeting the day while suffering from celebrations of the prior evening. One of these delightful young men was desperate for a toilet, So he stepped off the train at the first stop, to pee off the platform. But, fearing the train would leave, he jumped back on, unrelieved. While the train paused at the station, he relieved himself FROM the train ONTO the platform. More footballers on the way home, with one man hauled off the train, just before a fight erupted.
Track repairs were underway on Sunday morning, so we were bused between stations. Seemed like it would be interesting, but... the bus detour included six stations. And none of the roads followed the direct route of the train. The ride seemed to take FORever. We did go through Ascot, where the races are held. (Think of My Fair Lady.) Sadly, my chapeau was at home. And we did chat with a lovely student from Ghana.

We took two walking tours. The first (in a cold drizzle) took us all over London by foot and by boat. Our guide was a lot of fun, and so were the crew members on the boat. They provided their own commentary, full of observations about their daily rides. The glass gym with its exhibitionists. No billboards/advertising on the Thames. The idea that WHARF is an acronym for "WareHouse At RiverFront." (Hal researched this - apparently it's a myth propagated by riverboat tour guides.)

We started in the Tower of London area near a statue of Emperor Trajan (photos on left) who ruled Londinium in the 1st century. I really liked the detail in this statue. Portions of the 2000 year-old city wall (photos on right) are found throughout the City of London. At night, pigeons nest in the holes and pockets of the wall. Seemed kind of creepy. Like other walls throughout England, outer walls were stripped of the quarried stone over time for other building projects.

The Tower of London will have to wait for another time. But we did walk around it whilst (like that English term?) waiting for our tours.

It just seemed wrong for a skating rink to be on the grounds where kings and queens were beheaded; but, then, beheading sites are all over England, so why not a skating rink here?

Traitor's Gate, beneath the Tower, and a small window

Tower Bridge

The second tour covered Jack the Ripper's haunts and killing fields...at night. Our guide, Don Rumbelow (photo on left), is an expert on this subject, having researched and written books on this grim topic. He reveled in showing us the exact spots where Jack's 4 victims' throats were "slashed to the spine." Hal bought the latest book, with grisly photos. We have not dared to look at them yet. Luckily the photos are grouped together, rather than sprinkled throughout the book, for unsuspecting kiddies' nightmares. (And no, I will not post those gross photos.)

Most of London burned in the 1600s, and the Germans bombed much of the old city during World War II, but these unprepossessing buildings (at right) date from the 1600s.

Leiscester ("lester") Square is the theatre district. We walked about looking for good deals on tickets.
Avenue Q was available and reasonably priced. So, at 5 pm we went to see this Muppet-style show for "mature audiences." Great seats. It's brilliant, with the puppet operators onstage. Singing, dancing, profanity, and adult themes. Hal calls it "puppet porn." "Several characters are recognizably parodies of classic Sesame Street characters... However, the characters are in their twenties and thirties and face adult problems instead of those faced by children of varying ages, thus making the show more suited for adults who grew up with Sesame Street." (cit. Wikipedia.org) By the way, Avenue Q was developed at the Eugene O'Neil Theater in Waterford, CT.

We wandered around Chinatown after that; Hal thought it looked like a scene from Blade Runner. We had good food there. I couldn't resist taking a photo of the offerings in the window (duck, squid... and other things?)

We walked past Westminster Abbey and Parliament,

where a demonstration for action on climate change (coinciding with the Copenhagen summit) enveloped us. Blue clothing, accessories, umbrellas, face paint. Colorful and loud. All ages.

Farther west, we saw Green Park adjacent to Buckingham Palace which has 775 rooms. Queen Lizzie lives in a suite of just 12 rooms!

West End has the posh shopping district, with lovely decorations hanging over Oxford Street. Outlined by lights, gossamer umbrellas and gift packages were suspended over the street.

Selfridge's is an old department store which still creates amazing window displays for Christmas. But these fairy-tale-themed windows were shocking in their naughtiness.

Little Red Riding Hood nearly in bed with the wolf;

post-coital Cinderella atop a pumpkin;

Santa hauling the coach for Cinderella's step-sisters;

and a wicked queen querying her mirror.

Oh my.

We went inside just for kicks and found very expensive dresses, and rocking horses with eye-popping price tags (1200 GBP or $1923).

The south side of the River Thames has a park; at Christmastime it is set up with little alpine cottages full of stuff that tourists absolutely need to buy, including food. The sidewalk was packed.

The place was alive with "living statues" - people painted to look like statues, and who stand stock still for long periods. It's quite funny when they do move, just about the time you have decided they really are statues. Their skin and clothing are all painted the same color.

I thought I could have my picture taken next to a harmless-looking mime, but he grabbed my hood! You've got to be careful around mimes.

The faceless man (on left) and our favorites: the "reptiles" on bikes. They looked vaguely like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Completely still until someone dropped a coin in their bucket, then they would pedal like crazy.

The London Eye was in this area also. It looks like a gigantic ferris wheel, but much higher: 443 feet ("equivalent to 65 red telephone boxes piled on top of each other" [cit. www.LondonEye.com]) The old Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica pier was 90 feet tall. The Eye goes verrry slowly, in 30-minute rotations. It doesn't stop for loading/unloading passengers, except for passengers with handicaps. Surprisingly, I didn't feel any sense of vertigo. Ther are no swinging chairs, thank heavens.

26 passengers are carried in each pod. Supposedly there is a 25-mile view on a clear day. Hal loved the sign posted inside the doors as we rode a few hundred feet into the sky: "Do not lean against doors."

I really liked the nearby statue of Nelson Mandela.

And now, this post is finally done. Whew!

Ulverston Canal Walk - 1.5 miles each way

2009-12-02T23:11:00.028Z

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3:00 p.m. Walking down to the sea

Canal head
Coots

Teenage swans

Duck-like waterfowl

"This horse will bite."

House reflection

Abandoned building

Lifebuoy

Cattails

One swan a-swimming

Three swans a-swimming with Canada geese

Two moorhens

Abandoned brick building

Red berries

Rotting pilings

No fishing

Mallard

Sluiceway?

Canal gate

Morecambe Bay

The Bay Horse Inn

The Bay Horse window

4:00 p.m. Walking back to Ulverston (notice it has gotten darker)

Cattails

Dickensian Festival in Ulverston

2009-11-29T21:06:00.066Z

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Note: Most costumes (including ours) were "hired."

IMAGES SEEN ON THE STREETS
Elves and reindeer on stilts

Friends in fancy dress

Friends in not-so-fancy dress

David and Pauline Robinson

This is the end of November and people are actually riding the ferris wheel.

Horse and carriage

Steam bus. The real thing.

Rosi and Hal and Stan and Ollie

Owl rescue group

Gentleman friend of mine

Basketmaker

We thought it was a bit chilly, but not so for this bare-shouldered "lady."

Constable clowning for camera

Shop girls

Young buskers

Old-style clothes, new-style communication

Now that's a long dog. Bratwurst

Organgrinder, and her Highness, Queen Victoria (in veil)

Market Street packed with stalls and tourists

Preparing for the procession.

The Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts.

Santa Claus' caravan in background.

Bagpipe band. That's our Barclays Bank behind them.

Queen Victoria judging fancy dress with the mayor and Lord High Sheriff.

Lovely knickers.

Children playing a game with that newfangled electric current. We used to call this game Drunk Test.

Jackie and Janice were two saucy ladies of the evenin' who were ALL OVER Hal. Kim was their cheeky maid: got her from the workhouse, di'n't they. Hal was a target of their affections, but they thought my name was brilliant. Ladies of excellent taste. Next year, I must try the other side...

KINGS HEAD PUB
Warm fire, quiet nights, and friendly barkeep, Thea (at bottom), who knows our names!

FANCY DRESS PARTY

Signs

2009-11-26T12:37:00.024Z

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Let's hope those speed bumps are not...

Exercise your dog by tying him to this swinging door.

Rail crossing at grade

Uncontrolled children may be eaten by moving plants.

Pub signs

2009-11-26T12:14:00.006Z

Roman bath at Ravenglass

2009-11-21T23:23:00.018Z

We found Ravenglass, near the Irish Sea, at low tide.

After sandwiches at a local inn, we walked to the Roman bath, which was, appropriately, flooded with several inches of water. This was the western terminus of Hadrian's Wall.

It appeared that English Heritage (Trust) was installing pavers. Perhaps we'll be able to walk through this small ruin next time. It's out in the open, next to a cart track.

Rosi and her giraffe wellies.

On the way home, we stopped at a beach on the Irish Sea, near the town of Bootle. The sand looked like it went out a long, long way (at low tide).

We found interesting objects.

Ossified worm droppings?

Barnacles

Looks like Santa ate too many biscuits and knocked this chimney off its house.

The road back to Ulverston is long, winding, and narrow. Switchbacks. Inclines up to 17%. And this is a main road! Not for the faint of heart. Hal was quite the intrepid driver.

The hills, clouds, views were amazing.

Millennial rain

2009-11-21T22:41:00.011Z

This week England has been swamped by torrential rains. They're saying it is the worst rain ever recorded. The highest parts of Cumbria in the Lakes District have have been hardest hit in riverside towns. BBC showed before and after aerial photos of Workington and Cockermouth. Before photos showed tidy towns on winding rivers surrounded by green fields. After photos showed brown water surrounding blocks of houses - no fields, no streets. Venice, but not so pretty. The rescue teams have been hauling people out of houses. Some had to break through their roofs and be hauled up by helicopter. Water filled the ground floors. A policeman directing traffic away from a dangerous bridge was swept away when it collapsed. It's expected to take a year before people will be able to live in their houses again. Not on a par with New Orleans after Katrina, but devastating, nonetheless, for the residents.

Locally, in the Furness peninsula, we haven't seen anything like that, but one low section of Ulverston did have water coming in the houses, ruining the ground floors. People cursed as a car drove through the watery street, its wake entering their houses.
This photo was taken on Monday, 3 days after the worst. We saw sheep in a submerged field, gathered atop the only dry spot.

We walked around town Friday - our only full day of sunshine in weeks. Two brooks run through town. Our car is parked near one called The Gill. The water was gushing down it, contained only by the stone walls. It's rather dismaying to realize that the brook goes underneath the town (photo below) , with barely 12 inches between water level and the viaduct ceiling. We found it farther downstream, where it shot out from under a house for about 10 yards before it went under another house. (shiver).

Dragley Beck (south side of town) on Monday, three days after the worst

With the recent downpours, the main road has been impaired by flooding. My bus on Thursday was stuck in a 2-mile backup for half an hour, as each car slowly made its way through a puddle up to the bumper.

I don't do umbrellas. Too clumsy (me, not the "brollie"). I'm usually juggling too many things to be able to successfully maneuver an umbrella also. Walking with another person presents another set of problems: pacing yourselves together, not catching the drip off the umbrella.

The long views I treasure here are not to be found when the clouds are down around our ears. Gray Skies 'R Us.

Baycliff

2009-11-21T21:06:00.027Z

Baycliffe is a cute little village down the Coast Road. It has a terrific butcher/bakeshop.

This is the weathervane atop The Farmshop with buddleia/butterfly bush growing from the building wall.

The vegetation is an eyeopener for Americans from the Northeast. The butterfly bush often grows like a weed, getting as big as a shrub.

Fuschia (seen here) grows year round, still blooming in November.

Hydrangea comes in surprising colors, such as this RED one.

A view of Morecambe Bay.

Guy Fawkes Day

2009-11-21T20:52:00.002Z

Guy Fawkes was an early terrorist who tried to bomb Parliament in 1605 in hopes of restoring England to Roman Catholicism. He was caught on November 5, and ever after, Brits celebrate his demise with a bonfire. They no longer seem to burn the "guy" effigy, but have added fireworks.

We went to the nearby village of Haverthwaite on a rainy fifth of November, paid 3 pounds to the local firebugs/firefighters, and watched the pile of rubbish go up in flames.

I was delighted to find a plethora (always looking for an opportunity to use the word) of wellie styles on fellow muckers. Unfortunately the camera was at home.

The fireworks were much longer than we expected. And close. Maybe 150 yards away.

We squished back to the car, quite happy that we didn't park on the field.

Hoad Hill

2009-11-17T16:58:00.025Z

On Sunday we walked up "the Hoad," meaning Hoad Hill. At 436 feet above sea level it may not be a mountain, but Ulverston is at 36 feet, so it makes for a good hike from town.
The weather was forecast to be horrible (which is why we went to Carlisle on Saturday instead of Sunday). Of course, it was a beautiful sunny Sunday. I dressed in layers, the warm kind my mother would have advised rather than the stylish kind of my daughter. Long johns, turtleneck, heavy sweater, jacket, and cap. I got to wear my giraffe wellies. What a sight, I'm sure.
The (other) sights along the way were amazing. Our house in Connecticut had such short sight lines; it is wonderful to be able to see for miles here.

The walled path leading up the hill.

The clouds and sky offer such lovely shades of blues and grays. (The lonely walker is Hal because Rosi is dawdling with that darned camera!)

The sheep are marked (in spray paint?), like branding I suppose. This flock has yellow bums.
I wonder how the paint affects the wool value at shearing time. The ram, shown here, was up to no good, "bothering" the ewes.

Hikers beware of deadly BULLS.

Recently a "news reader" was gored by his bull and had to give up his program for a few days. So, beware. It's no joke.

Here's another caution to add to the list: pesky moving plants.

I will concede it's POSSIBLE that the "plant" MIGHT refer to construction equipment for work on the monument at the top of the hill. Currently surrounded by scaffolding (see below), this monument to Sir John Barrow is scheduled for unveiling in the upcoming year.

Barrow was a local boy who became a brilliant civil servant. He promoted British exploration of West Africa and the North Polar Region with attempts to find a north‑west passage from east to west through the Canadian Arctic.
(cite: http://www.sirjohnbarrowmonument.co.uk/sir_john_barrow.htm)
Think of Point Barrow, Alaska.

We returned to sea level by a different path:

a rockier and steeper one. Oh joy.

Parish Church

2009-11-16T22:07:00.011Z

On Sunday, Nov. 8, we decided to got to church, now that our clothes have arrived, and Hal has a tie, while I have somthing ot her than my bluejeans to wear. All of the churches seem to start at 10:30 am. Bells were ringing before we left the house (why does this not surprise you?) so we went to the closest church - Parish Church (Church of England). It's a lovely church with stained glass windows and old woodwork.

It's a "low church" - informal. In fact, one side of the nave was set up with cafe-style tables and chairs. Young children seemed comfortable playing quietly there until called down to Sunday school.

Below, the bell tower and entrance to bell tower.

After the service, we were pleased that several people introduced themselves and "chatted us up." We were invited to bell ringer rehearsal on Monday evening. There are 6 bells, each mounted upside-down on a wheel. The ringer pulls the rope, and the wheel rotates 340 degrees, ringing the bell. Next time the rope is pulled, the wheel rotates in the opposite direction.

It sounds interesting. They ring from 10 am (or when they have at least 4 ringers) until 10:27. However, we want to try a Qigong class on Monday night.

Hadrian's Wall

2009-11-16T16:00:00.038Z

We continued our travels through Lanercost and Banks to Hadrian's Wall.

First was Banks east turret.
Notice the horizontal straightness of the of the walls - and the vertical sides.

The walls were built in 2nd century AD, but have been scavenged for farmers' walls and buildings.

You're looking at "ordinary" walls quarried and laid by ordinary soldiers 2000 years ago!

Driving on, we came to Birdoswald Fort.

The walls here are even on one side, and ragged on the other. Scavenged on one side only?

Left, a kissing gate.

The 19th century owner of this site conducted archeological digs performed here. He so loved the Roman ruins that he gave his son the name of Oswald. Oswald, in turn, sold everything. Perhaps it was revenge for the name.

Site of the granaries.

Granaries from other side.

Sheep in field behind granaries.

Turret on side of fort.

Carlisle Castle

2009-11-16T10:03:00.056Z

Saturday, Nov 7 was chosen for our first real outing because Sunday's forecast was awful. The night before was cold, with sleet and chunks of ice on the pavers. So, how was Saturday's weather? Cold and rainy, and sunny. Both, yes. It was laughable that we needed the wipers and visor at the same time. We had a complete rainbow right in front of us. One end landed in a roadside field! No pot at the end of it though. Going north, the clouds were low, hiding the hilltops.

There are lunchwagons along roadsides here. And windsocks - haven't figured that out yet, but I imagine the winds can be viscious. Speed cameras are frequent. Surveillance cameras are everywhere - in shops, on the street, as well as highway. Remember how they were able to trace the London bombers so quickly? This is how they did it.

At one point, we saw sheep grazing in the median strip. In another field, the sheep were all running toward the barn. Seemed odd, until I saw the sheepdog working them. It was a lovely sight.

Carlisle Castle was impressive. Solid stone walls several feet thick. Mary Queen of Scots came here seeking refuge, and was imprisoned. www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.13665

Below and right, main gate.

Below, tapestry in great hall.

Cooking hearth.

Right, steps leading down
to circular staircase and dungeon.

Below, graffiti - prisoners' carvings in walls.

Above, powder keg.

Rosi and Hal walk the ramparts, with Hal at his post. Right, exiting the castle.

After Carlisle Castle, we headed east to Brampton for lunch at a tearoom. Delicious fruit pie.
Below, Main Street and the Information Center.

Then on to Hadrian's Wall.

Market Days

2009-11-08T22:05:00.007Z

On Wednesdays, some shops are closed. Many more close on Wed. afternoons. Business hours are lax at times. This drives some Americans mad. It reminds me of home when I was little - all the shops closed on Wed. afternoons. Now, only doctors and dentists close on Wednesdays.

Thursday and Saturday are market days in Ulverston. On those days, no through traffic is allowed on the cobbled Market Street. I got a late start - 11:30 - on Thursday. So I walked quickly downtown, and bought 2 small meat pies and 2 quiche at the bakery, then gingerbread and "fairy cakes" from a baker on the street. By 12 noon, I was putting things away in my refrigerator, ready for my lunch date. Can you shop like that?

The gingerbread is dark, and strong, but moist. Hal and I are totally hooked on it now. Fairy cakes are mentioned often in the Richard Jury mysteries by Martha Grimes. Despised Aunt Aggie is always scarfing down Melvin's fairy cakes. Now I can tell you: they are cupcakes with extra thick frosting. It looks like they scoop a bit of cake from the middle, fill it with icing, and the decorate the top with the cake bits. I just realized the toppers look vaguely like fairy wings. The vanilla cakes were good, but chocolate was dry.

Kitchen Appliance Quiz

2009-11-08T21:09:00.008Z

See if you can identify the kitchen appliances in the following 5 photos. Don't peek at the answers after the first 5 photos.
A. Washer
B. Dryer
C. Refrigerator
D. Freezer
E. Dishwasher
F. Furnace (boiler)
G. Range and Hob

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
***** DO NOT PEEK *****
******* DO NOT PEEK *******
********* DO NOT PEEK *********
*********** DO NOT PEEK ***********
************* DO NOT PEEK *************
*************** DO NOT PEEK ***************
***************** DO NOT PEEK *****************
******************* DO NOT PEEK *******************
********************* DO NOT PEEK *********************
*********************** DO NOT PEEK *******************
G - Range and Hob, and broom closet
A and B - Washer and Dryer
E - Dishwasher
F - Furnace (boiler)
C and D - Refrigerator and Freezer
(#3 was the Sink - hope you got that one!)

Yew Tree Barn and Hat Trick Cafe

2009-11-08T21:00:00.005Z

Pat took me to a crowded shop and cafe in Low Newton last week. The Yew Tree Barn has a gift shop with very funny greeting cards (I spent way too much money there) as well as renovation items (recovered from old barns and houses). The Hat Trick Cafe had delicious milky fish chowder, similar to New England clam chowder. Highly recommended. Everything from scratch. And the hat decor is fun.

Small World

2009-11-08T20:46:00.003Z

Several years ago, our church in Niantic had an exchange pastor from England. Turns out he was from Ulverston. So I sent a note off to him. Rev. David and Pauline Robinson rang us up and invited us over - they live about 2 blocks from us. We went over after supper one evening "for a cuppa." They were quite fun, wanted information on the folks back in America, and have many interests. Ulverston is their retirement home. They knew about our house in Bugle Court and gave us some history on it. We enjoyed them and look forward to seeing more of them.

Another "trailing spouse," Pat, is from Rhode Island. She worked for the Catholic Diocese there, and was active in the RI Council of Churches. There she knew a Methodist minister, named Bob Moore. He is a former pastor for Niantic Community Church. So many small world coincidences.

Halloween

2009-11-08T20:29:00.003Z

On Halloween it seemed there were quite a few people on the street, mostly young adults. We tried the Old Friends pub, closest to us. It's very small. Three or four families with children in costume were in the lounge (couches and chairs). Several couples were out back in the garden, even though it was not warm.

Apparently the night heated up after we geezers went home. Lots more people were in the downtown streets. And "revelry."

Subscribing?

2009-11-08T20:28:00.001Z

I don't know if the subscribe thing works. If anyone has any luck with it, please let me know.

Subscribe option

2009-11-01T20:10:00.005Z

Some readers have asked how they will know when there is a new posting. I'm hoping this option will do the trick. Click on "Subscribe To - Posts" and you'll get a list of methods. I personally chose "Bloglines." It will ask more questions - and you have to sign up. I also signed up for "Comments." Google is probably a good option too. We'll see if this works.

Oct 31 - Signs of the Times

2009-10-31T21:25:00.001Z

Oct 30 - Art shots

2009-10-31T20:00:00.000Z

Oct 28 - Wandering about town

2009-10-30T20:49:00.000Z

Ulverston has these wonderful little shops, especially jumble shops. Second-hand shops. There are at least 6 charity shops (profits go to specific charities, I think).
Indexing humor alert: Browsing the yellow pages for Furniture - Second-hand, I found this entry: Further education - See Colleges and Further Education, Schools and Colleges - Private, Sixth Form Colleges, Universities. It doesn't sound like something Americans would look up.
Here's another: Castles - See Historic Buildings, Tourist Attractions.

Tea shops will be my downfall.

Gillams' served me lunch the other day. Lancashire cheese and to-mah-to on panini, toasted, with a pot of house tea (pot of tea, pot of hot water, cream, sugar). Very good. The boxes and tins for sale on the wall were colorful.

In the bathroom, I found this gem of a toilet paper holder. Hal said, "It's a good thing you took the camera in the bathroom with you." Oh, that British humor has already gotten to him.

In one of the alleys is this interesting mural. Looks like Laurel and Hardy are in there, as well as the many festivals of this town.

Barclays Bank, in the center of town, has a few odd architectural features. Dutch influence? The tower dome is probably copper.

The old livestock auction house had this blue door, tower and rose window. Color and form.

The newer auction house is at the edge of town, rather than in a residential area. I haven't seen the action there yet. Smelled it though.

The Methodist Church had some lovely windows.

And turrets.

Stained glass on the front face; clear glass on the sides.

This red clay ornament decorated the peak of one wing.

Oct 26 - Cumbria Way

2009-10-27T18:47:00.000Z

We have walked on the Cumbria Way. Not far, about 4 miles, but we have started. It looks (on the map) like we climbed 110 feet in elevation.

Hal next to sign on Cumbria Way.

Along the way, we learned some lessons:

1) Comfortable shoes may be important, but so are slogging boots.

2) Always bring raingear.

3) Walking sticks are helpful.

4) Watch where you step (which interferes with the breathtaking views).

5) Carry a bottle of water.

In this view, the passage into the field is between the big rock on left corner and the smaller rocks to its right. It involves s-q-u-e-e-z-i-n-g through.

It was all lovely, with amazing views. Cowpoop was not so lovely (see #4).

Hal on a wooden stile.

Rosi on a wooden stile.

The fields are all very green. I wonder what a dry spell is like here. The bracken (ferns) has turned rusty gold.

The trail went right through this farmyard, but a detour sign directed us around the back of the barn (on right), due to "water in yard." Behind the barn was not exactly dry...

The cows gave us the once over, and went about their business.

And then we didn't know where to go, but finally stumbled on the trail. Trail was quite squishy in parts (see #1). This is not a park-like trail with paving or crushed stone. It's just a path that people frequently walk on. But so do sheep and cows.

We encountered some unknown prickly bushes with yellow flowers. And an odd conifer.

Here's a stone stile. The stones were wide slabs, about 5 feet wide, laid crossways into the wall, so we stepped on both ends of the same rock slabs as we climbed up, and then down.

The sheep didn't object to our intrusion.

Below, lovely patchwork fields.

Parts of the path were pretty steep, and the variety of gates and stiles (to cross fences) was interesting.

The clouds looked ominous, but the afternoon light shining off them was beautiful.

I thought we walked for 3 or 4 hours, but it was only an hour and a half.

Looking across the valley to the next hilltop, we could see windswept trees. Hal mused about the 4 crater-like areas on a hillside - possibly bomb craters, from war practice? Germans bombed around here a lot, but didn't hit the shipyard (cit. Hal Robb). The 2nd photo is a closeup of the craters and windswept trees.

On the way back into town, we passed an alpaca farm, advertising alpaca manure for sale. 2 (British) pounds. (I don't know what volume of manure that bought.) Many white pacas, with 2 blacks, and 1 pretty brown one.

This stonewall was interesting with its decorative border along the top.

The walk was educational. We are learning the limits of not having all our belongings here. Our shipment still has not arrived. It was picked up in East Lyme on Sep 29. We are now expecting it to arrive next Tues, Nov 3. I'd really like my wellies (muck boots), long underwear, and sweaters. I seem to be cold all the time.

Back in town, we diverted to walk past Rev. David Robinson's house. He was our exchange pastor at Niantic Community Church one summer several years back. I think I will send a note of introduction to him and his wife, before I call or show up on their doorstep.

Oct 26 - Life in the Slow Lane

2009-10-27T10:02:00.000Z

We're living in a lovely semi-detached (duplex) house in the middle of Ulverston. It is so close to everything. Shopping, pubs, doctors, walking paths, country. Still pinching ourselves that we're here. Hal has been here the whole month of October, but I just arrived over the weekend. Life seems slower here. Nice. We're good with slower.

(Photo of the front garden)

It's Monday. Hal took today off in order to get some things done. Dropped our applications off with a doctors' office. I don't know if that is routine - applying for patienthood. Then we bought a car. Blue 2005 VW Passat. It should be ready on Thursday after work. Set up the car and renters' insurance too.

(Photo of VW Passat)

We just ate lunch at a tiny deli down the street from us. The food was good. I liked the bottles on the shelves. (Photo of deli)

Jack The Dog is reported to be adjusting. He's living with Hal's brother, Allan, and wife, Michele, in Manchester, CT. After the second night, through bribery I think, he goes up and down the stairs fine. And slept through night 4.

Sep 18 - Wrapup to househunting trip

2009-10-27T00:04:00.000Z

It occurred to me this morning as we were packing up, that since we dropped off the rental car at the Hertz return and stepped into the elevator and into "terminal world," we will be in a kind of hyperbaric chamber from Thursday evening (Manchester, UK) to Friday afternoon (Providence, RI) - about 24 hours real time. We had breakfast buffet at the Radisson. I tried black pudding (dry, unknown origins - what was in it?) and smoked salmon (not bad). To our dismay, the full buffet for 2 was 35 pounds!!! (Multiply that by 1.6 to get dollar equivalency). Security asked us "Who packed your bags, and when?" "Have they been in your possession...?" Several times in different ways, in various spots. People were not removing their shoes for security, as we have become accustomed to doing.

People in England love to complain about politics - same as us. The education system was discussed. I'm sure it will take us a long time to understand it. After 11 years of school (sophomore year?) students with decent grades go on to the Sixth Form for 2 more years of school. Many kids are done with their schooling after soph year and go to work, if they can find it. In the Abbey House Hotel, the wait staff was very young - about 16. Prince Charles (with all his privilege in education) got in hot water for saying there was nothing wrong with people finding their station early in life.

We noticed differences in British and US life. The Brits (where we were) are not obsessive about sterility and germs. Sugar in many places is served in a sugar bowl (sometimes lumps - white, brown together). Butter (very yellow and tasty) in slices on a plate. These can be left over from the previous occupants of the table, and are subject to crumbs and used tea spoons (double dipping). Less waste. Lots of tea. In Ulverston, they recycle "tins" and glass, but not cardboard, yet. McDonalds, BurgerKing, KFC, Subway, and Pizza Hut are common. Service can drive you mad if you're not flexible. It helped that we had no deadlines this week. I think we'll do fine. I'm sure life is quite different in London, but this seems like it will fit us well.

Sep 16 - Walking about town

2009-10-26T23:36:00.000Z

Photo of the Rose and Crown pub - back room where we ate lunch. One or two blocks from the house.

This afternoon, we took a walk on a public footpath probably a tenth of a mile from the house we're renting. Met a friendly woman with 2 dogs, playing ball by a stream. It was a nice little loop, maybe 2 miles long.

Photo of the start of the Cumbria Way in Ulverston, a long national footpath.

Photo of our front gate.

Below, Hal stands in the alley in front of our place. Our gate is in the wall to the left.

The front door of the Abbey House Hotel

Abbey House Hotel roof and chimneys

Hal sitting in front of Abbey House Hotel

Weather here has been excellent. Sunny and crisp today. According to weather.com, Feb. temps average 35 to 44 Fahrenheit. July averages 55 to 66 F. The Abbey House Hotel (3 photos here) where we are staying (big stone fortress) is home for this week only. I suppose we may stay here when we come back if we can't move into the house right away. Correction: we are driving an Audi A3 not an A4.

I didn't buy wellies yet. Scouting them out. How wild can I go in this conservative place. Looks like I can get zany with my boots. Buy the sock-like liners at LL Bean, and the boots at J. Crew (in US) or Tesco's here. black-and-white animal print maybe. You're right, giraffes are not b&w. It was a zebra print, with pink highlights.

Hal has done a great job with driving. He says it's white-knuckle driving. He just loves it when a lorry (truck) comes around the bend on a one-lane road. The road signs are very different from signs in the states. After 1 year residency, we won't be able to use our CT drivers' licenses. We need to prepare for the "theory test" (what people take to get their learner's permits, which allows them place huge - 8 inch maybe - capital Ls on their boot (trunk)). (We already have valid licenses, so we don't have to go thru the "L" thing, but we have to take all the tests.) After theory test comes the computer simulation test, and finally the practice test. Most people don't pass the first time. Hmmm. A challenge. They use the hand brake at every stop, and there are a zillion round-abouts. Hal says it's like information overload: intersection, cars all coming from the right, but in 2 lanes, cars beside you, plus beautiful scenery, and then you have decisions to make - do I get in the inside or outside lane of the circle, once I squeeze in, between zooming cars, and plan ahead for where to get out of the circle (think clock face - 9 oclock etc). Look right first, drive on the left. Keep the driver next to oncoming traffic. Hard to judge the space on the passenger side. Whew!!!

We did a drive-by on a new house that isn't selling, so it's ready to let (rent). Just another boring house in the burbs. This evening we had dinner with Hal's soon-to-be boss. Got the low-down from him and the wife on living in England. Nice people. Great dogs, too. It was a unique experience to walk several blocks through town at 9:30 pm to go back to our car.

Sep 15 - England house found!

2009-10-26T23:11:00.000Z

We were driven around today by the relocation agent, Steve Miller, from Manchester. He was a hoot. Dry British humor. He arranged tours of 3 houses.

The 1st house was in the middle of Ulverston (that very cute market town with Laurel and Hardy). Literally in the middle of Ulverston. My country relatives will think we're nuts when you come to visit. It is a semi-detached hous

e (aka duplex) tucked between the backs of houses on 2 streets. You walk up an alley behind a carpet shop, through a gate into a pebble-lined garden. No grass. But nice flowering plants and benches. Into the 1st floor with a cloakroom (aka very small half-bath). Lounge (living room) is on the right, with a gas fireplace. Kitchen is in the back, with table for 4-6 people on the side of kitchen. It has a nearly full-size refrigerator and dishwasher. Washing machine is combined with dryer (literally one unit). There is a clothesline out back. On the 2nd floor are 2 bedrooms with queen beds, wardrobes, and a full bath. 3rd floor has 1 bedroom with queen bed and full shower bathroom. It's in immaculate (unlike anything we have ever lived in).

(Top photo: Hal peeking out the back door by the wheelie bins. 2nd photo: front patio. 3rd photo: looking down the "ginnel" toward the street. 4th photo: our front gate. 5th photo: front door.)

Jack the Dog will have to learn to be a city dog. There are so many public walking paths that we'll have a good time exercising. He'll have to learn to walk on a leash, though. The towns here are so contained - not so much suburban sprawl as we are used to at home. We can walk to the end of our street and go into a pub or bakeshop. Go the other way 2 blocks and you walk through sheep or cow fields on public footpaths. Amazing. This house is in the middle of a warren of tiny winding streets and alleyways. Like something out of Dickens. We're going to have to meet visitors somewhere public, like the train station, and escort them to the house.

The side roads are so small that most of the time we have driven by before we realized we missed the road we wanted. And they are so narrow that it's funny. Literally one-car wide with a speed limit of 60 mph!!! Winding, with hedgerows just beyond the mirrors, limiting visibility of oncoming traffic - sometimes trucks, or tractors. Surprising amount of farm equipment. There are lots of working farms.

The other 2 places we viewed were out in the country. Converted stone barns with old beams overhead. One had an AGA cooker (kitchen range) that people say is fantastic to cook on. The views overlooking hilly farmland were breathtaking. But we decided that my sanity would be more (yes, even more) in jeopardy so far out in no-where-land.

I got a look at Wellies (rubber barn boots) at Tesco's (like Walmart). They had 3 designs. Blue flowers; black and white giraffe print with pink trim; and pink/white polka dots! Nothing boring. Only ten pounds.

The weather has been gorgeous. Today was sunny and crisp. Lovely fall day.

Hal got his Garmin GPS. Studying the manual now.

Sep 14 - first 3 days of househunting

2009-10-26T22:43:00.000Z

Countryside north of Ulverston

Hal and Laurel and Hardy

Hal on Market Street near Veterans' Memorial

Abbey House rear garden

Hal driving Audi A3

Sep 13 - Househunting Day 1

2009-10-26T19:48:00.000Z

We are having an adventure. Weather was so bad in Philadelphia that all flights were messed up. Travel agent called when we were almost at Bradley - flights to Phil were delayed or canceled. So we drove to Providence, where we managed to catch the "3:30" that left at 6:15! Packed plane - earlier ones were canceled. Plane to UK was fine - just cramped. Hal was really cramped. We sailed through customs and immigration with a twenty-something woman tagging along. Her sister was supposed to present a paper in Lancaster on Sunday, so our friend had come to help with the baby. Unfortunately, the sister was stuck in D.C.! Plane canceled. The sister was hoping to make it on Sunday before her presentation time. Hal showed us how to collect our luggage and find the train - a very long hike to another terminal. We didn't get a contact for the woman, so we hope she made out ok.

Saturday, we arrived by train in Barrow about 1 pm, took a cab to Hertz - which closed at noon. Cab to our room in a lovely mansion. Abbey House at Furness Abbey. After a long international call, arrangements were made for us to pick up a Hertz car at Manchester airport (two and a half hours away). Another train and long walk to international terminal. Hertz desk closed. Information desk. Long walk back past train station to another terminal. Finally found Hertz desk, AND they have our reservation. Hurray!!! Picked up the car about 8 pm. Long drive to Barrow. I was falling asleep. Fortunately I was not driving. Hal was wound up when we got home, so he had an ale in the hotel bar. But I fell asleep immediately, and slept from 11 pm to 8:30 am. Good breakfast. We've been driving around today to see different areas. It is so pretty here. Green grassy hills. Cows, sheep. Seashore with immense mud or sand flats. Teeny winding roads. Lovely houses. LOTS of places are closed on Sunday.

We bought a pay-as-you-go phone at Tesco's (like Walmart). Picking up a GPS tomorrow. We've had tasty sandwiches and soup. Yes, I am finally psyched. But it's also dawning on me that this will be "home" for two years! eek! (a little bit).