First Tutorial

England isn't all fun and adventures. Today was my first tutorial. The actual session was fun- there's pictures of our room, which was in Jesus College above Cornmarket Street and apparently dates back to the early 1600s. A few other pics of the past two days, Gloucester Green Market, the Morrocan Street market, a fajita lunch the house and I had today, etc. The actual class was great, I enjoyed learning and arguing. Then I got my paper back and had done horribly! Hopefully I'll do better on the next one...

Away

Today marks two weeks in England, and tomorrow is actually a milestone in itself- it will be the longest I've ever been out of the country at one time. Making this even more exciting is the fact that I won't be back in the States until December 16, which is more than 3 months from now. I do not feel homesick at all, although I do miss my girlfriend Rachel a great deal. Luckily I will see her soon. I do miss my parents and family a bit I suppose, but am having so much fun here that it's hard to tell. No pics for today, mostly did school work (Titus and Othello)- also went to the Gloucester Green market which they have every Wednesday but bought nothing (today was actually my first day abroad that I didn't spend a thing), and walked through a Morrocan Street market that was here for the day.

Medieval England

Today was thrilling. It took four hours to get there by bus and rail, but at last I arrived in the beautiful and magical city of Glastonbury! Glastonbury is a medieval town, a pilgrimage site, and the likely location of King Arthur's Camelot. I have been to Stonehenge, which some people call magical- it's a dead pile of rocks. Glastonbury felt alive to me. Driving through Somerset (middle of nowhere- just sheep) you suddenly see the tor rise up in the distance- my heart skipped a beat. After lunch in Glastonbury, I went on a two mile hike through fields of cows, sheep, and horses (they are literally right there with you) to the summit of Glastonbury Tor. It's a hard climb up- and the weather suddenly got sunny, colder, and incredibly windy. There was heart carved into the hill next to it. The view is amazing, and you stand at the ruins of St George's Tower. I walked down the Tor, and went to the Chalice Spring. This is the supposed spot where Joseph of Aramathea buried the Holy Grail, causing an iron-rich spring to magically sprout. It was beautiful, and very peaceful. I did drink from the spring. Then I went to Glastonbury Abbey and the tomb of King Arthur and Guenevere. The ruins of the Abbey are magnificent- you walk through them and can touch them (nothing like the cold distance of Stonehenge), and the grass and orchards and sun all have a living feel to them- it's really hard to put in words. The entire town is a bit hippie-ish, with pagan and magical stuff everywhere in the shops- but the real sites do feel different somehow... If nothing else, they feel real, beautiful, and accessible . I left Glastonbury far too soon, trying to get back to Wells, which I wanted to also see. I got to Wells at 5:15, so the bishop palace was closed, as was much of the cathedral. I did go in the cathedral and heard the beginning of the evensong service, but did not attend. Picture taking is actually not allowed inside the Cathedral, so don't tell anyone if you look at this blog... Dinner on the fast-moving bumpy train made me sick going home, but it was still a wonderful, medieval-feeling day.

Crumpets

Don't normally post in the morning, but before I go off on another adventure, just wanted to say how good crumpets are- never had em before. My normal breakfast here (I don't eat cereal) has been half a bagel and fruit. Then I bought crumpets. Today I had one crumpet with nutella and one with apple jelly that Jacob (Rachel's husband) brought us from Germany- both were fantastic!

Oxford Opens Doors

Oxford Opens Doors is a citywide program where a number of colleges and other attractions open to the public for free. Christchurch and the Bodelian- the two things I wanted to see the most were still closed. I did go to Carfax Tower, Saxon Tower, Exeter College, Jesus College, the Old Bodelian (including the Divinity School), All Souls College (amazing!), St Edmund Hall (College), Magdalen College (enormous deer parks), and New College (the one I'll be attending).

Ddiwrnod i mewn Caerdydd (A Day in Cardiff)

For about ten years, I've had a huge fascination with Welsh culture, history, and mythology. The Mabinogion is my favorite group of myths. Today I spent an incredible day in the capital of Cymru (Wales) - Caerdydd (Cardiff)! The city is remarkably dualistic: very, very old, and yet newer than anywhere I've been yet in the UK. It is in fact two cities: Cardiff and Cardiff bay, and each has a distinct feel. I got to walk on location where many Doctor Who episodes were filmed (you may notice the diner from "the Impossible Astronaut" or the plaze (Roald Dahl Plas) where the Doctor and Martha had their last goodbye... The castle (Castell Caerdydd) is the BEST castle I've ever been to or seen in my life- and that's in any country! It blew me away- and was stunning. The actual city center was also interesting- formed along "arcades" that flow through the rest of the buildings. Overall an amazing place, and hard to fit into a single day!! I also took more pictures today than I've ever taken in a single day...

First Pub Meal

Tonight I had my first dinner at a pub. I had a pot pie: chicken in cider- which was delicious, and had it with a pint of Strongbow. I went to the meal with the other members of my house, but came home alone to rest up for Wales tomorrow. What better pub to go to than the famous Eagle and Child- the pub where JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis met to drink and discuss book ideas in the writers' group the "inklings"! It was great!