Windsor: Audio-guided wandering, Imperialism, Loud Tourist-ism and a Long walk

The Round Tower

Rolling out of bed at 7 on a Saturday morning to make an 8:30 coach from Sussex House is becoming somewhat of a habit lately. That however, has not made it any more enjoyable. The promise of the trip itself, Windsor this past week, does. Windsor was amazing. Also, cold like most of my life here. We started off the day with the changing of the guard ceremony complete drums and flutes this time and the well-known hats. It was much more impressive than the changing out of some guard-like people event in London and thanks to some crafty manouvering there was a better view as well.

Then, we were set loose to explore Windsor Castle. After a briefly embarrassing moment in which my new boots with a few metal studs set off the metal detector, we were in and ready to audio-guide our way through the Castle. And of course as a group of American tourists proceeded to talk really loudly (even more so with the head phones on), take silly photos and generally make fools of ourselves, leading to the the shared observation.

Me with my ever so stylish audio-guide headphones. Hey, at least they keep your ears warm!

I just like this because it had a crown

There is simply too much there to fully describe. St George's chapel, the chapel of the Order of the Garter is:
-quite old
-very gorgeous
-really Gothic
-has lots of Order of the Garter stuff (plaques for each member, flags, etc)
-the internment site of many famous people (including Henry VIII and wife Jane Seymour in the Quire)
-pretty awesome
-does not allow pictures (however, I fortunately toured Windsor with some sneaky deviants who did take pictures. So I may have to steal these off facebook and post some later)

St George's chapel is the one on the right

Next up: The State Apartments. There is a lot of cover here too but one of the highlights especially for our little touring group from Sussex was the large collection of jeweled weapons, crowns and other items, including a crystal tiger's head, that had been "acquired" (to use the term from the audio guide) from conquered bits of the British Empire.

Some what awkward photo-with-guard. Why are we spaced so weird?
Left to Right: Jean-Philippe, Brandon, David, Rose, me

Having seen all of Windsor that was open (Queen Mary's Doll House was not) and having taken the required photo-with-guard we headed out to look for food and for some reason a sweet shop. Fish, chips, mushy peas and a bar of chocolate (with chili!) later we engaged in some more free-form wandering down to the river. But first, a note on mushy peas: I don't get the appeal. It looks like slightly questionable very green baby food, and the very greenness is the only going for this dish. Moving on, the Thames. There were lots of swans that looked hungry and ready to attack.

With some time left before we had to head back to the bus or face being left behind and making our way back to campus by train, we decided to go to The Long Walk (as I believe it was labeled on someone's map but not mine) leading up through a park-like area in front of the castle. And so with false confidence in our map reading skills and forgetting we actually had a small map with us we proceeded to take a long walk through the town to find the long walk. Turns out we walked the entire length of the long walk on a parallel street and nearly ended up halfway to lego land (yes, Legoland. Other highlights around Windsor include the famous boys school, Eton and Legoland.) before turning back and eventually cutting across the come upon the long walk. It was actually quite pretty and had a nice view of the castle.


Well worth it. Long walk accomplished, it was time for a quick coffee (often required given that we got up by 8:30 on a Saturday and it is soo cold) and then back to the bus. Altogether a successful and tourist-y day at the Castle.

My life in England: I am confused, but zen or, possibly slightly crazy.
Also, Rose likes doors. I thought of someone who also likes doors.

Furthermore, I am trying really hard not to wear the same hat and coat in every pic from England.

Oxford: rain and guided wandering in Potter-land

In Tom Quad of Christ Church

View of Christ Church Great Hall

Saturday, so what else but more random wandering around a new city. But this time, there was guided wandering. After and 2ish hour drive, the two coach loads from Sussex arrived in Oxford and were split into 4 tour groups. Luckily I was in one of the smaller groups because our guide could only cope vocally with 25 (guides seem to take their work very seriously here). So we were off on our two hour guided wander through the colleges of Oxford, and particularly Christ Church, where the former Lewis Carroll mania has been ousted by Harry Potter.

Gates at Christ Church. The hat is for Cardinal Wolsey

Besides being the largest of the many colleges in Oxford, founded by Cardinal Wolsey, re-founded by Henry VIII, and having some lovely architecture, Christ Church is home to the Harry Potter Great Hall and stairs. Unfortunately it was closed during our walking tour but we were able to get back into the college with our brochures later that afternoon. It was very crowded.

In font of the high table

At Christ Church we also saw the Cathedral, one of the oldest buildings in Oxford and one of the smallest Anglican Cathedrals in England. It is also home to a fair amount of 12th century stained glass and a very cool vaulted ceiling.

very rare and old Becket Window

Henry VIII ordered that Cathedrals should get rid of any such windows commemorating Thomas Becket. However this 12th century windows was one of the few to survived because of Henry VIII's role with Christ Church and because the face of Becket was removed.

Wandering through the central area of Oxford, there was interesting architecture and colleges everywhere.

The Radcliffe Camera, now the Reading room for the Bodleian Library

the Bodleian Library, the main Library at Oxford. It is also a deposit Library which means it has a copy of all published books (possibly just those in the UK).

The Divinity School and perhaphs more importantly the infirmary in Harry Potter.

Near the end of the tour, it started drizzeling on us a bit so three of us (Kelly, Rose and I) ducked into a very nice but unpub -like pub for lunch and warmth. Then we were off to wander a bit more, this time unguided and ultimitly meet up with Rose's friend from home who is studying abraod at Oxford. After peeking our her window for faboulous Oxford views, being regaled with stories of academica at Oxford, consuming her cookies and tea and generally making a nuisance of ourselves it was time to call it a sucessfull and Potter-ful Day.

The very Crowded Harry Potter stairs!

London!

Despite the 8:30 departure time, the day trip to London was great. After a delay taking off we were on our way and the slightly annoying guide, Glenda was regaling us with stories of the traffic, bus prices, and the very dull account of her broken arm for the whole hour trip there. But once the actual tour was under way its was great. After driving past all the big sites, we got let off at Covent Garden and had the afternoon to wander. I'm quickly becoming adapt at wandering around British cities. after wandering over to Tralfager square, four international students from Sussex set off to wander over to Buckingham Palace. We arrived just in time to see the very informal changing of some people in small gray hats. Not the full ceremony, which only happenes everyother day, but they were gaurding and they did get changed out. I'm counting it.


guards? They did have bayonets.
At Buckingham Palace with a fellow Occidental student. and look! I do wear the hat, mom.

After this? more wandering of course. In our wanderings we encountered numerous monuments and had occasional "OMG I'm in London" moments. The four of us wandered through Hyde Park, which unlike the one I'm familiar with did not have any ice-cream cones on giant forks, and through the National Gallery. Although the day was way too short to see much, it was a good intro to London. So all have have to say is London, I'll be back. There's the British Museum, the Tower, Parliament, Wesminster Abbey, St Paul's Catherdal, and of course, I still have to get the stereotypical phone booth picture.

see facebook for more pics.

going into the Forbidden Forest

really just the boundary walk around the campus but it was so foggy, the forest area was definitely forbidden forest-esque.

the remains of the old astronomy tower I think. Although, how old can it be? Sussex was founded in the 1960s.

at the library

seagulls are everywhere!

Coach Tour and Royal Pavillion

For the weekend orientation events it was back to Brighton again with a guided coach tour and tour of the Royal Pavilion. The coach tour was my first look at the south downs (chalky hills) near campus. Its surprisingly green for the middle of winter. For a long time nothing was grown here and it was given over to sheep grazing but then during the war people were urged to farm in this area (so I'm told).
okay, okay the picture is through the bus window clearly. But I was doing my best from the aisle seat of the bus. We also went through Rottingdean where Kipling lived for a while. Rottingdean is also known for its windmill and the church of St Margaret, a replica of which has been constructed in Glendale, CA.

Other highlights of the coach tour included Brighton Marina and the clubs underneath the walkway by the beach in spaces originally designed to store fishing gear.


The royal Pavilion was built as a seaside retreat by George Prince of Wales, who was later the Prince Regent and King George IV on the site of a farmhouse. It was designed in part of John Nash in an Oriental Fantasy style.


Although the interior design went through several phases, the Pavilion is known for its chinoiserie interiors. no pictures inside but I found a couple online.


And finally, I have proof that I actually am in England.

The Arrival day 2: Sussex Uni

Moving in in the rain is not the most fun experience of my life. So wet! So cold! So much paperwork grocery shopping and international student event-attending! But after a mildly hilarious struggle trying to get the duvet cover on my new, purchased from the school, very plain bedding and lugging the catering pack up the hill to my residence hall in the rain, I am somewhat settled in, considerably drier and content for now. On a side note, my bedding pack contains a fitted sheet that covers the mattress, pillow and case, and duvet and cover. somehow I feel like you would expect more bedding somewhere so cold, but the British do not use an overabundance of sheets. Here is a lovely picture of where I am living (taken in summer, clearly).


pics of the room



It's pretty plain and there's a slight lack of storage space but I'm secretly hoping no one else moves in and I can take over both tiny sets of draws and wardrobes.

The Arrival: day 1

I arrived in Brighton around 9 am after an 8 and 1/2 hour flight, short train ride, and brief taxi ride to find that I could not check into the B&B until 2pm. Bags left safely at the B&B, I wandered the streets of Brighton in search of food and the all-important caffeine. Which I found at a lovely place I will doubtless never be able to locate again. The result of these hours of aimless wandering?: Lovely pictures (the sea, the royal pavilion, the pier, and regency square, where I stayed)and a greater understanding that English streets are not particularly straight or grid-like. Also, Brighton in January is cold. and may be windy.