Laundry Day

Well I essentially took yesterday off completely. I did my laundry, but that’s about it.

I have been, over the past few days, very tired. While I am aware that I have essentially been on the go for three weeks, counting Lilies and then the first part of this trip, I felt I was more tired than I should be. Yesterday, I think I realized why. I have not had a caffeinated beverage in a week. I don’t drink coffee often. I like iced tea, but that’s not really what they serve here, and none of my usual diet sodas are readily available here.

Given how much I drink caffeine, it’s probably not a bad idea to wean myself off of it here and go back to water. This is especially true since I’ve already gone a week without.

Today, my plans are pretty basic. I’m going to catch the bus up to the big shopping area in downtown Hayes and stroll around. There are several interesting restaurants I noted as I rode the bus through there.

Tonight, I suspect Ian, Eddie, and I will hit a pub and then tomorrow we’ll go to Exeter to a Vikings event. I don’t know where I’ll go then. I’d like to go to Salisbury for a few days, but the B&B that Kate and Eric suggested is pretty full and the only rooms they have are £58 a night. I’d like to spend a couple of days there, but I don’t think at that price. I’m thinking maybe I’ll look into going to Portsmouth. We’ll see.

At “Home”

Well, I’m back in Hillingdon at Eddie and Mia’s place. I didn’t do anything today but travel back from York for the simple reason that my bag had gotten too heavy with clothes, computer, stuff, and, oh yeah, books that I frankly didn’t want to carry it any more than I had to.

There’s lots I missed in York, like the stuff under the Minster that Larmer suggested in a previous reply. I couldn’t get to email yesterday, so I missed it. It seems to me that I’ll have to come back to York again, maybe when I get back from Macedonia. It is a great place.

Not surprisingly, I also made friends with the very nice landlord couple at the Botham Tavern, Martin and Janice. It’s a neat tavern which has taken over the butcher shop to the west and the baker to the east. Martin happens to have some postcards showing the evolution of the building over the last 150 years.

Anyway, I think I’m going to take tomorrow essentially off and do laundry. Friday and Saturday, I’m probably joining Eddie and Mia in going to a Vikings event in Exeter. Sunday, I’ll probably leave Exeter for Salisbury and look around Salisbury on Monday. My flight leaves on Wednesday, so I’m planning on getting everything organized Tuesday.

Time is disappearing as there’s so much more to do and see. I’m glad I didn’t make many firm decisions of what I had to see and do, else I’m sure I would be disappointed. As it is, I’m already hoping for more opportunities in the future.

I am officially exhausted. I just got back from visiting the Castle Museum, the Jorvik Viking exhibit, and the Yorkshire Museum. I also noted on my return that my sandals are about to just as officially die. There’s a hole in the left one and the seams that I was worried about when I left the states have worsened. Nevertheless, I still hope to eke them out through the trip.

The Castle Museum is an interesting look into primarily nineteenth-century England. Despite the period not being as interesting to me as others, I rather enjoyed the exhibits and displays. They did a very good job of putting the items in a period atmosphere, including having people in period garb discussing some of the professions.

I then headed back to the Yorkshire Museum but stopped at the Jorvik exhibit. This is archaeoDisney. In all actuality the archaeological stuff was excellent and intriguing, but they play some silly games with their visitors about time travel capsules and what not and then put you on what is essentially a Disney ride. They did have some excellent exhibits at the end you could walk through, including some re-enactors, and I took some cool pictures of stuff, but the whole thing could have been better without the Disneyish aspects. The store was, however, very cool, and I bought more books.

I will point out to all of you who are enjoying this blog, you could reward me by buying me the Damascus Viking sword they had there. It was only 375 pounds and it is stunning. Not quite as stunning as the Calontir sword of state made by Angus John, but stunning nonetheless.

Then I went to the Yorkshire Museum. Of all the museums I’ve seen on the trip, including the British Museum, this one was the most fun. They are currently doing an exhibit on Constantine the Great, meaning there’s lots of Roman and Romano-British artifacts. More importantly, they have a really large Anglo-Saxon and Viking age exhibit including the Coppergate Helmet. I had not realized from the pictures I had seen of it how beautiful that helm really is. The engraving on the crest and nasal was stunning. But there’s lots more there. Yes, Maerwynn, I even took pictures of textile stuff, jewelry, and other non-sword items.

Anyway, this museum is worth another trip, though I’m not likely to do it this time. And as for pictures, I have about 80 more to upload when I get the chance.

Now, however, there’s a bit of a nap in my future, then dinner, then a pub. Oh, it’s a hard life.

Random Thoughts

I’m posting this on 26 June, but I wrote it on 23 June but didn’t have a chance to put it on the web until now.

Well, here I am in Brandon, a really cool little town outside of Lakenheath Air Force Base. I’ve already been to site and helped set up some but came back into town to get internet access which is in a local pub. Unfortunately, Dirik and Solange are expecting to find me in this other pub. I snuck out and checked my email for one beer’s worth of time, but am typing this entry in Editpad and will cut and paste later ont.

This entry will thus probably get posted two days hence and will be late, but I thought I’d type it up anyway.

The trip up was smooth. I had my BritRailPass validated and from that point I just rode the train from London King’s Cross Station to Cambridge to Thetford. I took a cab from Thetford to site but it was way early and hardly anyone is there so I came back to check my email and to get some food/beer for the evening. I’ve made arrangements for Dirik or Solange to know to meet me here. Hopefully this works before I get really hammered :). They have John Smith’s Ale here, and they have it very cold and it tastes delicious.

I’ve seen some interesting sites so far today. The train ride went through some nice countryside, but as Eddie said it’s much like Missouri. I had disagreed because the area around London and the A21 to Hastings was split up into smaller units by hedges. The area we went through today has much larger fields and is thus more like home. One difference is that some farmers put a buffer between the train and their field of some brilliantly red flowers. We stopped at Ely and as the train left there I managed to get a picture of Ely Cathedral. I’ll be interested to see how it comes out given the train was going in the 80mph range.

I can really tell that the money spent on the BritRailPass will be well spent. It really is nice to be able to float around the country with little care. I’ve got 14 days worth left. I’ll use some going to Leeds, York, and then wherever.

Met some real tried and true soaked in ale Englishmen today while roaming in Brandon. They were hilarious, though the bar owner was worried that they would offend me and so tried to get them to shut up. I’m suspecting getting them to shut up is a bit of a challenge ;). They didn’t bother me and they also pointed out that there’s a British ale festival in London during the time I’m in London in August. Hmmm 🙂

I’m taking extra time with this post because I’m sort of killing time, but I wish I were this detailed more often. There’s lots I’m not remembering to mention, like the Chicken Vindaloo Frozen Pizza we found. It was quite good. I will say, now that the USA is out of the World Cup (way to not take advantage of your talent), I’m rooting for England. It’s a blast to think about and watch soccer/football here where it’s embedded in the cobblestones.

I have to take this moment to mention that the loo at this pub has a Union Jack toilet seat. I’m not sure any comment I might make can improve that sentence any :).

You know, I sit and I am constantly reminded of a wonderful quote. I think it’s Oscar Wilde that said England and America are two countries divided by a common language. There’s a lot of truth in how difficult it is to communicate here. How many Englishmen are thinking: what an idiot (less than the number of Americans who think that only because I know more Americans ;).

By the way, I don’t know what it is about me, but no matter where I go I am the one that people ask for directions. My second time on the London Underground, I was asked directions. Yes, I did know the answer, but why ask the American?

Starre Inn

I’m at Starre Inn in York right this second. I’m one my third pint so life is good 🙂

My decision for where to go next this afternoon was made by British Rail. There was little going south from Leeds so I came up to York. I’ll be staying at St. Mary’s guesthouse for the next two nights, so I have all of tomorrow to wander around York.

York is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been in. The walk from the train station to the B&B was over the Ouse, which is very pretty. The City Walls are impressive and magnificent. The area I am in right now is a collection of shops and pubs and is really cool.

It’s really hard to truly explain it’s beauty. I’ll have some pictures, but they’ll be limited too. You’ll just have to come here.

Where I’m at is an 18th century pub built around earlier buildings called Starre Inn. It’s a really neat pub with dark colors, stained glass, and, of course, good ales.

Earlier today I went to the Leeds Royal Armory Museum. This really is spectacular but I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I know why Larmer and I have different opinions. I was looking for earlier period weapons and armor and there wasn’t much. The Tournament section has a ton of fantastic 14th or later century stuff, which was beautiful. Larmer, who does an excellent job of recreating a later period was undoubtedly in heaven when he was there.

What I found more interesting were the non-European armor exhibits. The Japanese, Mongol, Indian, Islamic, and Turkish exhibits are fantastic.

Now, I might not have been able to see everything because they have a goodly chunk of the museum closed for construction, but I had hoped for more of my type of stuff. I did by another book on Viking Age weapons and armor. I also bought a gift for Phil and Tiffany, two fellow students at Mizzou. I bought them munitions for them to continue their war :).

So tomorrow is the real exploration of Eboracum. I’m excited. I also have been given the bus route out to Stamford Bridge. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m hoping to bring more water back for my cunning plans involving the fyrd at Pennsic.

Well, here I am in Leeds. I’m at a Comfort Inn. I know, I know, but it is right next to the train station in a building which has been a hotel a long time and well, it’s right next to the Leeds CAMRA pub for 2005.

What is CAMRA you ask? Well, it’s the CAMpaign for Real Ales. This is a political party I can support. Anyway, I had a Norman’s Conquest Ale (not great), a Cromwell Bitter (tasty), a Hungry Nettle Ale (good), and a different bitter I don’t remember to close the night because I had four pints in two hours :).

Anyway, tomorrow, I’m off to the RAM and then I’m not sure. York calls, but I’m told it’s swamped this time of year and I’m not sure I don’t want to go to Salisbury now.

We’ll see. The train provides a lot of flexibility.

For now, though, Cheers mates.

War of the Roses

Well, I just got back to a computer from being at the War of the Roses in Flintheath. I typed in a different post on my computer that I will cut and paste when I have a chance about my travels and some general thoughts, but here is an event report.

The trip to the event was pretty uneventful. The BritRailPass is very smooth and except for the taxi driver taking me to a strip club down the road from the archery club because that was the only club he knew of in the area, it went fine.

The archery club is right along the descent path for Lakenheath airbase. When I was walking along the driveway up to the event an F-15 was landing and it was only about 50 yards away from me. Beautiful. I was too slow, however, to think to get a picture and never had quite the opportunity to do it later.

Dirik and Solange, two friends of mine from Vatavia, took great care of me. They put up their pavilion, provided bedding and feastgear, and pretty much did everything I could want. Bigtime props to them for their help.

Drachenwald is very small people wise, and the event reflected many differences because of that. There were seven fighters. Poor Dirik was in armor about 45 minutes before everyone else was ready to go. The archery club had these foam target animals and when they did start fighting the scenario was a 30minute res battle to gather the animals up. It was pretty fun to watch but damn I wanted to fight.

Last night was a singing circle. Sir Elfin wanted some Calontir songs, so I made sure he heard a few. Genevieve, who is originally from Ealdormere, said she’d heard Ferd do Roland so I did that one. Her Excellency Dorothea, the current Vicereine for Insula Draconis requested some silliness so I did Swing Low Sweet Chariot with hand gestures. She said that was silly enough :). My big highlight was doing the Wanderer. I have now done the Wanderer on a longboat and in England. I’m enough of a goob to think that’s really cool. I ended up singing my voice raw, it was a blast.

Anyway, my plan now is to head to Leeds to see the RAM tomorrow. Depending on rail lines, though, I may go up to York first and come back. We’ll see, but I’m off on the road again.

PS: Words of advice from Dirik: “A bascinet is not an acceptable Valentine’s Day gift, no matter how good the price at Estrella.”

Pictures

So I’ve uploaded many of the pictures I’ve taken. They’re located here:
http://pics.livejournal.com/rhodri2112/

If you can’t remember the link, you can find the link in my userinfo page.

Today, I’m off to Brandon, Suffolk to go the event in Flintheath this weekend. Crashing arrangements provided by Calontiri Dirik and Solange. We’re everywhere ;).

Anyway, I’m excited about the train ride through the countryside.

I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do after that. I’m contemplating going up to Leeds to see the Royal Armory. If I’m there, I’m really close to York so I’ll probably go there to see some museums and, of course, Stamford Bridge.

Anyway, I may post again today but probably won’t tomorrow.

A Geeky Tourist

So after the British Museum I started roaming generally southward. I was headed for Trafalgar Square to pay my respects to Nelson, but did not necessarily hurry. The area around there is a very vibrant place, lots of neat shops, theatres, and people. It was quite enjoyable.

And it is good that it was enjoyable for Nelson’s Column was hidden by scaffolding with an advertisement on it. I’m guessing it’s under renovation and I’m hoping that I can see it when I come back. Despite my disappointment in not seeing the Column, it was still a fascinating place. Lots of people roaming around. I was by far not the only tourist. Interestingly, the first monument I saw there was a monument to England from the Commonwealth of Virginia given in 1921. Very interesting that there’s a statue of Washington in Trafalgar Square. Also, I did not stay for the Bollywood concert but they were setting up the stage for that.

Next to Trafalgar Square is St. Martin’s-on-the-Field Church which is really interesting. It has a pretty cool gift shop but what it specializes in is having brass plates to do rubbings. Lots of different plates, including Robert the Bruce, Richard I, and The Black Prince. It’s well worth the peak after seeing Trafalgar square.

Made it back home through the metro and I’m beat.