Halloween in London

Liz Larson is really, really into Halloween and planned a great Halloween Party. Harding ordered sandwiches and the students planned the other foods. There were pumpkin cupcakes, blood punch, and everything else you could think of. Halloween games, and The Nightmare before Christmas topped off the evening. Everyone was supposed to come in costume and most did. Keri came as a cat and Ian was a skeleton. Ian won the costume contest. Of course, I think he got the "ten year old cute kid vote" but we will take it. Patricia Cox and Jacqueline Dillion were there in costume as well.

Earlier in the day, Ian and I went to a wonderful bakery nearby to get a jack-o-lantern cake we had seen in the window. Unfortunately, they had to be ordered several days in advance so we walked away with a marzipan pumpkin and pug. I'm going to try to get a pumpkin cake for Thanksgiving but we shall see,

Canterbury and Dover

We headed to Canterbury Cathedral today. Canterbury is one of my favorite small villages and I Knew the students would love it. I tried to arrange the schedule so that we would have a little longer there before we moved on to Dover, but many students wanted to spend longer in Dover. We voted and Dover won so there was little time to explore in Canterbury. We had a great tour. The tour guides are volunteers and ours really loved the place and made that obvious in his tour. He took us to some places I had never seen before including the Chapter House and the ruins of the Abbey. The photo is of a chapel in the Cathedral. It is a very impressive place and really a must for visitors to England. We went to the crypt below Debenham's Department Store (I'm not sure why there would a crypt below a department store but I didn't ask any questions) and had fish and chips.

It was a beautiful day to go on to Dover. We gave the students the option of going to Dover Castle along with the World War II command center caverns underneath, or going down to the town and walking on the beach and exploring the town. It was a split with 12 going to the castle and 12 going to the beach. I think everyone was happy. We saw the castle and command center last visit so we decided to go to the beach. I always think of Matthew Arnold's poem, Dover Beach when I am there. It begins:

The sea is calm to-night.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; -on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!

We could see France 20+ miles across the Channel. The weather was beautiful and several people wanted to wade in the Channel. It was very cold and no one stayed in very long. As the sun set (we moved the clock back Sunday morning) we could see the lights on the French coast. The ferries were heading out and coming in. Tony (our driver) said that Dover was "dying" due to the increased use of the tunnel and train connections between London and Paris. People who used to come down for a ferry ride across to France are no longer coming to Dover. It did seem very depressed but it is such a wonderful spot that I hope it will build back up. As the famous song says, "There'll be blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover, tomorrow, just you wait and see."

Here's to a Calm Day!

Today was a calm, uneventful day. It was a pleasant way to spend a Monday. I was in charge of Chapel and had worked on "Be Thou My Vision" as my theme. I had a vocal Gaelic version by Moya Brennen (Enya's sister) and slides of Slane, Tara, Kells and Glendalough as well as the history of the song. Then we were going to sing it (in English). Unfortunately, it took awhile to get the computer to work and no one seemed as in to it as I did. Oh well, another day in London.

When I returned to the flat, we headed out to get tickets at TKTS for Mary Poppins. However, it appears that there is no matinee today, so maybe Thursday. So we walked around Leicester Square, Chinatown, New Oxford Street ending up at Sainsburys on Tottenham Court Road to get groceries. From there back to the flat. From a major tourist attraction standpoint, today was a washout. But as far as a calm, easy day is concerned, it was a blessing.

"October Plenty"

Today is Sunday and it started out a little rough. The students still didn't have water early this morning, so we decided to have a devotional here in our flat instead of going to Wembley this morning. We thought that it would be hard to get ready if everyone was using our showers and we decided not to try. The water actually came back on right as our devotional started up so things are back to normal. We crammed all 24 students, four faculty and Ian into our tiny living area. Keri got pillows off the beds for people to sit on and it actually worked out. The songs were great and I think the students really appreciated it. I did miss the people at Wembley however. They certainly have welcomed us into their midst.

Following the devotional, Keri, Ian and I headed out to Southwark for the "October Plenty" celebration. It began at The Globe with a "Corn Queen" and a "Green Man" representing different English traditions. The procession wound through Southwark and ended up at Borough Market for a traditional "morality play" with many of the traditional English characters. There were musicians, actors, dancers, merchants at the stalls and wandering through the crowd, and a traditional English apple tasting table. These are English apples that are not commercially produced but have been saved from dying out. There really were some excellent varieties. Ian even liked some of them. I was really proud of him because he tried them all. I had a fresh picked field mushroom soup with Turkish Delight for dessert. I must admit that I understand why the younger brother sided with the witch in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for one more taste of enchanted Turkish Delight. This may have not been enchanted, but it sure was good. We tried to get the students to go, and one actually made it. A number more tried to find it but received wrong directions somewhere along the way and finally turned around and headed home. It really was a fun afternoon.

Tonight we had class and I had to lecture for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, classes get in the way of all we want to do. Such is life!

Back to Portobello Road and #11

This morning we headed back to Portobello Road. It is always a fun trip on a Saturday, but we really intended to get there early. Unfortunately, it was about 10:00 before we hit the Notting Hill Gate Underground station and I knew the crowds would already be ahead of us. However, it wasn't too bad. We went into many of the shops and checked out most of the street vendors. Of course, Ian headed for the soldier man, only to discover that his mother was manning the stall. Although most of the soldiers were not there, Ian looked at the ones that were and picked out a few. We will either go back so he can get them toward the end, or I will sneak back and get some of them for him at Christmas. Keri found some old Belleek china at a great price but decided that she could do without it. I found a sepia print of London that I will go back and get before we leave. We had a great lunch and bought some excellent British Comice pears that we had read about. I sure wish we had such resources near Searcy.

Following our adventures on Portobello Road, we headed out for another one of our favorite experiences. We rode the Underground to Liverpool Street Station to catch the #11 bus. This bus heads through the heart of London. Of course we headed for the front seats of the top of the double decker bus. It was as good as we remembered as we rode by all the sites from one end of London to the other.

I really should be grading papers. As a matter of fact, if I don't, all my students will revolt. They have no water at the moment as their building is having water problems. So I guess I will sign off and do what I am supposed to be doing. I will close with one last photo. We saw this black cab and I knew Keri had to have her picture taken beside it. I'm sure it will become her ID photo.

Ian's Park

We finally made it back to Coram Fields. It is a wonderful park designed for children near Russell Square. There is a sign by the front gate that states that adults are not welcome in the park unless accompanied by a child. This was one of Ian's favorite places when we were here before but it has taken us almost a month to make it back. Coram Fields is fairly close to our flat. It has all the regular park equipment as well as several sheep, five goats, two chickens, and many rabbits and Guinna pigs. Kids are invited to bring vegetables to feed them and all the animals want to be petted. It really is a haven for children in the middle of chaotic London. Of course we will head back at our first opportunity.

On the way to the Russell Square Underground stop we discovered a wonderful Waitrose grocery store. It is a little further than Sainsbury or Tesco but is a really great store. We will head back as we get ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

The Natural History Museum was our last stop of the day. There is more there than we can see in four or five days so of course we will need to return. We looked at the fossils and saw some like we found at Lyme Regis. We also noticed that most of the fossils on display were also from Lyme Regis. The mammal exhibit was also great. It really is the first time I have seen a blue whale next to an elephant, and about 15 or 20 other animals. I really see why it is the largest mammal.

Afternoon in the Tower

After our negative experience with a group tour at Westminster yesterday, we decided to give the students the money to purchase individual tickets to the Tower. That would allow them to tour at their own pace, and they wouldn't have to listen to "stay together" until they wanted to throw up. I'm afraid that if we hadn't been in Westminster Abbey and was being watched by a number of my students, I would have said something I would now regret (something requiring a least a candle or two). As it was, I just smiled and didn't react.

Anyway, we all saw the Tower on our own. We had a great Yeoman Warder guide that really made it a great tour, even if we had an extremely large group. We also saw the first woman Yeoman Warder. She was walking out of the Tower as we went in or we would have gotten her picture. We ended up spending four or five hours there and still didn't see it all. In the many times that we have been to the Tower, we still haven't seen it all. Ian wants to go back but there is probably not time as we try to squeeze it all in. If we do go back, we will go as soon as they open and see the Tower Opening Ceremony, and then can stay as long as there is something else to see. Who knows, we might make it back.

After we left, we walked along the Thames in front of the Tower. It was misty, with some fog and the lights were coming on. It was a great time to be out. I got a couple of good pictures. Unfortunately, the best has two raindrops on the lens. If it had been only one I could have pretended that it was the moon, but this looks like Saturn. Oh well, I kept it (as I keep all of my photos that should be discarded).

While walking home, we discovered a fish and chips place right near the Tower. They don't use the paper cones any more. Instead they use styrofoam like any place in the States. However, it was very good and cheap (relatively). For £3.99 we received a huge piece of fish and a large amount of chips and a canned drink. That's a lot better than the £13 we paid several days ago. Of course I don't want to think about converting that into $.

Westminster, The Crypt and Covent Garden

Exam time in London.... We must suffer a little to be able to enjoy this experience. At least that's what I told my students as I gave them the Humanities 270 midterm exam this morning. I haven't graded them yet, but I think they all did well. Immediately following, we headed of to see Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately, we obtained group tickets again. I must admit that I knew better but I've never said that I was the brightest bulb on the string. They insisted that we all stay together and made a big deal if they saw us separated. You can imagine trying to keep 15 college students together as we move someplace as diverse at Westminster Abbey. Fortunately, I'm the only one that had to take the flak and the students enjoyed their tour. My recommendation for future groups is to go through with individual tickets. That way each person could enjoy the Abbey at their own pace, and they could also use the free audio guides they offer "nongroup" viewers. In spite of all, Westminster is a GREAT place to visit. I think all the students were fascinated by all the history housed in this place.

Following the visit to Westminster, Keri, Ian and I walked to St. Martin in the Fields near Trafalgar Square to have lunch at Cafe in the Crypt. This is always one of our favorite places to visit. It has just reopened after extensive expansion. The gift shop and brass rubbing center are in temporary quarters at the rear. Of course, it was not as economical as I remembered but nothing is, so I shouldn't be surprised. In my running account of costs, lunch for the three of us cost £25 ($50). It was an enjoyable lunch. I had a Scotch Egg and salad, always a favorite.

Then we headed for Covent Garden. That is certainly an upscale area and always fun to window shop. Actually, there was a Build-a-Bear Workshop there and Ian wanted something for Leo. After all, he had a kilt from Edinburgh and I thought he could use a t-shirt from London. Obviously, Ian and Keri thought differently and Leo ended up with the pictured English Rugby outfit. It could have been worse. They had a Beefeater outfit. If Leo gets many more things, he will need his own suitcase.

Cambridge and Ely

The pace is picking back up as we headed out for our Tuesday tour. We headed to Cambridge first. We had "blue badge" tour guides. They were both very good, but not Suze the Great. One took those interested in science and one took those interested in history for an hour tour of that great town. (As a tourist, I certainly like Cambridge better than Oxford.) After the tour we had a short time to shop and eat lunch. We ate at Michaelhouse, one of our favorite lunch spots. It was a former church that is now used as a community center, cafe. I also saw additional portions of Corpus Christi College where one of my ancestors was a fellow. They hosted me for a private tour last time we were here but I'm still fascinated by the place.

Following the hours in Cambridge, we headed to Ely Cathedral. It really is one of my favorite cathedrals in England. The last time we were here it hadn't been hit by the tourists but unfortunately, that has changed. Now there is an admission charge, but I still think it is one of the best to see. It remains a community church with deep ties to the people of Ely. It has undergone few alterations and certainly no remodeling since it was built. Unfortunately, there was a funeral there today and we were unable to see it all. I think the students really liked it anyway. One of our students spent several years of her childhood there and sang in the choir at Ely. She certainly seemed happy to be "home".

On the way back to London, we stopped by the Madingley American Cemetery near Cambridge. Tony, our Westbus Coach driver, suggested that we stop there and I am sure glad he did. Most of the 3000+ Americans buried there died while in England during World War II training at the airbases or preparing for the Normandy invasion. There is also a wall with the names of all air men whose bodies were never recovered, including Glen Miller who disappeared in the Pacific. We have been discussing war and politics as a part of our Humanities class and several of the students have friends in Iraq so they were really thinking about the cost of war. It certainly was a moving experience for many of them.

Couple of Slower Days

We are trying to slow down and catch up after our nonstop activity over the last several weeks. Sunday we headed to Wembley for Church and then lunch at Finchley Park (cheese pizza, Caesar salad and sandwich with drinks $60). Classes last night included Bible and Humanities. This morning we tried to catch up on paperwork. Ian did school work and I graded papers. Keri tried to straighten up her insurance. It seems strange not racing to see or do something.

I have new photos posted on my Flickr Page.

Ireland

Keri, Ian and I took a quick trip back to Ireland. We had a four day free travel period and had not really had time to plan, so at the last minute, we headed back to Ireland. Keri wanted to go to the Belleek factory in Northern Ireland because they are celebrating 150 years and are producing a special backstamp during 2007. So after landing in Dublin, we headed north. I must admit that Ireland (including both Republic and Northern portions) is one of my favorite places on earth.

We enjoyed touring the factory again and I expected them to recognize us when we entered. Ian tried his hand at glazing a small spill and I was ready this time after I missed the Waterford photo. We spent a good portion of Thursday there. The longer we spent there, the happier I was because I wasn't having to drive. Yes, we rented a car again.

From there we headed back south. We had several places on our list but the fun of traveling in Ireland is just waiting to discover what appears around the next turn. We spent Thursday night in Virginia (yes Santa, there is a Virginia). Halloween is a big holiday in Ireland and every shop was decorated and it was fun to just walk along the street. Friday we explored Kells and discovered another round tower and four ancient Celtic crosses before heading toward the Hill of Tara. We found a B&B in Slane, dumped our bags and headed on to Tara. It really was a beautiful (and mystical) place. From Tara you can see into 16 counties of Ireland. The visitor center closes the end of September so we were on our own but we had a grand time, don't you know. We headed back to Slane as it was getting dark and drove to the Hill of Slane in the dark. This is the site where St. Patrick built a fire to celebrate Easter when he first arrived in Ireland in violation of the laws of Tara. The resulting conflict led to the conversion of Ireland.

Saturday morning we headed to the World Heritage Center in the Valley of the Boyne to see the neolithic burial site, Newgrange. It was amazing. It indicates that neolithic people were not as primitive as we were taught in school. The graves and burial sites in Ireland predate the Pyramids of Egypt. From there we raced for the airport. We could find no gas stations, so once again we had to return a car and pay airport gas charges. Nothing is easy to find when you are away from your familiar surroundings.

We arrived home last night in time to see South Africa defeat England in World Cup Rugby. The street were silent afterwards. I remember four years ago when England won and there was celebrating all night.

Stonehenge and Bath

Stonehenge was impressive as it always is. I had warned all the students that it seems much smaller than one would expect because we always see it on the telly (how's that for "Brit Speak") or pictures without people around. Once you adjust to that fact, it is wonderful to see. Of course, a major highway runs right beside Stonehenge so it is always surprising to see cars racing by as you stand there looking. It was rainy and Jacqueline said that was better because it is somehow strange to see it in the bright sunlight. We have yet to go to Avesbury, the town within a smaller stone circle.

Bath was also wonderful, but would have been better in the sunlight. Several of my pictures have rain spots right in the middle. Ian and I toured the Roman baths and I always recommend that everyone do that. It is one of the best Roman restoration I've seen. Ian really liked it again and he even tasted the water this time. It was minerally but not full of sulfur. Afterwards, we walked through the wonders of Bath. The last bridge in the United Kingdom with shops built out over the water is here in Bath. I have always missed that before but we explored it this time. There were river boats on the canal and we've always wanted to rent one of those as well. Maybe someday.

Imperial War Museum

A.J., the grandson of Patricia Cox is visiting for awhile and Ian is so glad to have another child to interact with. Patricia was taking A.J. to the Imperial War Museum and asked if we would like to go (of course we said yes). This museum really is one of my favorite because they address each topic so well. There was a "blitz experience" where you go into a shelter during a "blitz" and listen to all the talk and interaction that would have taken place there during the blitz in 1940. Of course you also hear the bombs falling closer and closer and suddenly the shelter starts to shake. Then you exit and see what a street would have looked like and hear the "warden" describe what has happened. It was a very dramatic experience. There are also lots of artifacts that represent that period of time. Then I went to the "trench experience" and walked through a World War I trench on the battlefield in France. Also a great experience. There is a Holocaust exhibit on the upper two floors but we decided to come back when we were without children. They advised against anyone under 16 seeing the exhibit.

While finishing up at the Imperial War Museum, I received a call from one of the students wondering why I wasn't back at the computer lab to give them an exam. I now have a notebook to write everything down in so I don't have any more brain clouds. We rushed back and caught up with paperwork so that I could get my grades in today. It is only the beginning of our third week of classes so we had to give credit for a lot of the participation aspects of the HUE experience. Our mid-terms are in two more weeks.

Tomorrow we are off to Stonehenge and Bath.

Ceremony of the Keys

It was an unbelievably busy day and I hadn't recovered from digging for fossils. Church, followed by shopping for groceries at ASDA (WalMart's British operation), a class in Humanities, dinner with Jeff Hopper, a frantic search for a cab, and a wonderful late night ceremony 700 years old. We wrote for tickets in June and received an invitation just before we left. There were approximately 25 people taken into the Tower of London at 10:00 to witness the ceremony. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos during the ceremony. A Yeoman Warder explained the process and then left us to watch. Ian was captivated and of course we also enjoyed it. When it was over we were escorted back out through narrow doorways and into late night London. We walked to a underground station only to discover that it was "closed for the weekend". We then caught a bus but didn't know where to get off. There were several more false starts before we found an open underground station but we finally made it home. It was worth it but we are tired puppies.

If anyone wants to see photo updates check out my Flickr site.

Fossil Hunting at Lyme Regis

We have returned to London after a day of fossil hunting at Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast. It is called the Jurassic Coast and Keri was convinced that we could find fossils. She was correct (is she ever wrong?). The driving to get there from Poole was not traumatic and we arrived just as the tide was heading out. It just worked perfectly. We spent four hours looking but really started finding fossils after several hours. Ian found the first on, a huge Titanites giganteus (I had to look it up) which was too big for us to carry. We couldn't even lift it, let alone get it in our luggage at the end. We found many smaller ones we could keep so now we have a box of rocks to bring home. It really was a fun day.

We made it back to Heathrow to return the car without any additional trauma. We drove right by Stonehenge but didn't stop because we are going back there Tuesday. We stuck to the main roads and avoided the small towns without good direction markers and survived without losing any more years. We arrived back at our flat exhausted and ready for bed.

Dorset Coast and Brownsea Island

As I mentioned on Wednesday, we headed to the Dorset Coast for several days. Patricia Cox and Jacqueline Dillion had classes after Chapel and there were no classes on Friday and Saturday so we headed out on an adventure.

We took the Underground out to Heathrow Airport where we picked up a rental car. I didn't want to drive in central London. Little did I know that it would be a mistake to drive anywhere. We finally made it to Poole and found a Bed and Breakfast. We decided to stay two night so we could park the car in the drive and ride the bus. I aged 20 years getting here (and you all know that I no longer can spare that many years).

This morning we caught the ferry across to Brownsea Island, right in the middle of the world's second largest protected harbor. We were headed for the site of the creation of the international Scouting movement by Lord Baden Powell in 1907. This entire year (2007) was the centenary and they have had celebrations all year. Ian brought his Cub Scout uniform for this and for the big Live 07 Scout celebration in London on November 24. We were lucky enough to acquire tickets. We had a wonderful time exploring the island (a National Trust nature preserve) and picking up some wonderful Scouting patches at the Trading Post. We also saw pheasants, wild peacocks, 19 or 20 extremely rare red squirrels and a true robin. It really was a wonderful day and well worth the trip.

I did want to include a photo of our lunch. We had two sausage rolls, tea, a Sprite and a Diet Coke. A very modest meal but it cost us £8.50 ($17). These costs are not unusual which shows why we must be so careful with funds. (For those wondering why there are only two sausage rolls, Ian couldn't make up his mind and we went back for another after he tasted ours. The end result was £10.50 ($21).

Tomorrow morning, we head down the coast and look for fossils. We are on the Jurassic Coast of England and everyone finds fossils along the shore. We shall see, but we are certainly going to try. This was one of Ian's projects for his school work and Keri is certainly into making the most of it. Tomorrow night we head back into London. I'll have to "take to the bed" for a week to get over my experience driving here.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

One of our guys is Canadian and he wanted to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. So we scheduled an open house and he enlisted several girls to help him cook and he planed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with turkey (legs since he couldn't find a whole turkey), sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables followed by apple pie and ice cream. It was great. I'm sure it was a lot of work but he did such a good job. I reimbursed him for the cost out of the group money which I'm sure helped him out, but he sure didn't expect it. To seat everyone, their flat had to borrow tables and chairs from several other flats, and there was a collection of dishes and silver ware to feed everyone. It was a very nice evening!

Ian spent most of the day on his school work. We took one quick break and went to the Baden Powell House, the Scouting activity center here in central London. They had a little museum all about Lord Baden Powell, the creator of the Scouting movement. It started here in England 100 years ago this year. Tomorrow we are heading down to Brownsea Island, where he had his first camp out in 1907. We missed all the big events, but it will be fun to take our little Cub Scout to where it all began. We are also going to hunt for fossils on the coast. They call it the Jurassic Coast so Keri hopes to find something. I hope they will be successful. I will get pictures and keep you all posted. However, it may not be for several days.

We have just discovered that Robbie and Mona are not going to be able to come visit us in London. We are so disappointed! Robbie has an art show in Little Rock on December 8 and has to spend every minute painting. We certainly understand. We are going to visit them in December before they head back to the States so will will at least get some time with them. That will have to do.

Sleep, Churchill, and the Bird and Baby

After another trying night with no sleep, we headed out on our first Tuesday day trip. It seems that the students in the flat above ours want to party all night and try to attend classes during the day. Most nights I have managed to go to sleep in spite of the noise but not last night. I might also add that Ian has heard an entirely different vocabulary than he is used to. I just hope he doesn't ask someone back in Searcy what some of those words mean. I've already had to explain about "strip poker". Anyway, when the alarm went off, we staggered up and prepared to head to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Fortunately, we had a tour guide there who gave an excellent tour. I told her afterwards that it was the best tour of Blenheim that we have had and I so appreciate her attitude as she escorted a group of American college students and a 10 year old through. Ian was fascinated by the collection of lead soldiers which Churchill also admired as a child.

From Blenheim, we headed to Oxford. Of course, since I was giving the tour, it poured down rain. It has gotten to be a joke that I will try to escort the students through these towns in the pouring rain. We saw the usual Oxford sites, but I tried to include all the C. S. Lewis sites I could come up with. I especially enjoyed finding The Eagle and Child ( locally known as "the Bird and Baby" which I have always missed before. This is the pub where Lewis, Tolkien, and others formed The Inklings and discussed their works. The Lord of the Rings as well as The Chronicles of Narnia were partially developed and discussed here. It is on the main road into Oxford and we have driven by it every time but I never noticed it before.

I plan to get to bed early tonight with a big dose of Simply Sleep so that I can survive tomorrow without falling asleep as I'm talking. If they wake me up in spite of the drugs, I will go upstairs in my drug induced state and see if I can get some quite. Of course, they will probable beat me up and roll me down all 99 flights of stairs.

From above...

We tried to simplify our schedule today. Since I had no classes, we spent the morning completing lessons (both Ian and I) as we tried to catch up. I still have lots to do and didn't get as much done as I would have hoped. Ian got a lot of his school work done, but also has a ways to go to catch up. We will just have to keep with it.

This afternoon, the group went to the London Eye. I asked in advance if anyone did not want to go and got no responses. However, when the capsule started up, at least one had second thoughts. Of course, Keri was very sympathetic and we all survived. It really was a majestic view. I think that all the students really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow, we head for Oxford.

Only in London!

Last night we decided to go walking along the Thames. I wanted to try to get some night shots of London. The only thing missing was the fog. It seemed safe enough since there were many people out walking and we got some wonderful shots of the London Eye, Parliament Building and Star Wars Storm Troopers guarding the London Eye. (Actually, there is a Star Wars exhibit at the County Museum right next to the London Eye. It's a little eerie to see a group of storm troopers standing along the walkway.) I think we will head back when the fog is out.

Today we headed to the Wembley Church of Christ. I must say that I have seldom attended a congregation as welcoming as this one. I have certainly never attended such an international congregation before. On November 11, they are having an International Sunday and potluck. Everyone is supposed to wear their native dress and bring a dish representing native foods. It should be interesting. Fortunately, I will get to attend before heading to Boston for my meeting the next day.

After Church we headed back to Great Russell Street to change before heading to the Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival and St. Martins in the Fields. St. Martins has been undergoing restoration and will not be finished until Spring 2008. However, the Crypt and the sanctuary opened October 1 so we at least get to participate in activities inside while we are here. The Pearly Festival included a nice service of Thanksgiving and there were many of the Kings and Queens present. Of course, I got Ian to pose with a couple. There is supposed to be a big Pearly Thanksgiving Festival at St. Pauls Church in Covent Gardens. We will probably take that one in as well.

For those who have asked, we are indeed having classes. That, after all, is why we have come. I just don't mention those because they are not as fun as the adventures. I teach from 16:00-19:00 (4:00-7:00) on Sundays and from 8:00-11:30 on Wednesdays. Patricia Cox and Jacqueline Dillion have classes that go from 8:00-12:30 on Mondays and Thursdays. On Tuesdays we travel away from London by coach (they don't like you to call them buses) to some distant location. Friday and Saturday are usually free days to explore London or some out lying places of interest. We really have packed every second of the week so that we see everything we can.

Portobello Road Market

Today was our first trip to the Portobello Road Market and as we exited the underground, the entire Central Line also got off. It was so crowded. We spent some time at the top in the antique market, but it was too crowded to get much of a photograph. Keri found a couple of pieces of Belleek but they were very expensive, even before considering the exchange rate. As we worked our way down, the crowd lessened and it was a little easier to keep up with each other. Ian found his "soldier" man in the same spot we remembered and spent a good deal of time looking. We will go back many times in the next two months before he decides exactly what he wants.

Portobello Road is always a good place to eat lunch and today was no exception. Keri and I found bratwurst and Ian found a Nutella Crepe. Probably not very healthy, but relatively inexpensive and you should have seen his eyes light up. I say relatively inexpensive because the bratwurst approximately $6 each (considering the exchange) and the crepe cost $7. I decided several days ago that I couldn't think about it to much or I would go crazy. I guess we will just need to live on bread and water for several months after our return to try to deal with our depleted funds.

We just climbed on a bus that we thought was going our way to return to Great Russell Road and prepared to get off the minute it headed the wrong way and it delivered us right back here. I can imagine no other city, even in the States where I would be willing to do that.

I have heard from many of the 2003 HUE group that are following our current adventures. We have a wonderful group and I am loving every minute of it. That said, we also miss being here with you. As Adam said, the flights are low and I will add that we have an extra bed so think about coming to visit us. Everything seems to be the same except the exchange rate so you would feel right at home. Suze asked about many of you individually, even asking about some of you by name. We are only going to be able to use her once because of the exchange rate, but we will figure some way to see her again before we leave.

Snakes and Chickens

There were no classes today so we headed for the zoo. I must admit that the Zoological Society of London is the best zoo we have ever seen. There are many animals that would be extinct if not for the London Zoo. Ian loves it and we spent the entire day and didn't see it all. Of course we had to go to the Burmese Python that Harry Potter talked to at the zoo. There is now a sign up at the entrance to the Reptile House to that effect.

There were many wonderful exhibits and demonstrations. Check out our other pictures on our Flickr page. We stayed until we were afraid they were going to throw us out. We then rushed home because we had invited all the students without plans for tonight to come to our flat and see Chicken Run.

We borrowed the projector and projected Chicken Run on the wall. We had six or seven students, Patricia Cox and the three of us and it packed the place. Keri found some Doritos and dip and we bought some drinks and we made a night of it. We all had a good time. Patricia brought her Music Appreciation speakers which we hooked up to the computer and it made a really good system to view the movie. We will certainly need to do it again sometime soon.

Another Adventure

I did not have class today, so as soon as Chapel was over, we headed out again. It seems like such a shame to be here and sit in the flat so we are trying to take advantage of every minute. We headed for Twinings Tea to see the shop that have used for over 300 years. We even bought several teas to try while we are here. From there we went to St. Clement Danes Church, the Royal Air Force Church heavily damaged during the Blitz. Then to the Middle Temple Church (of DaVinci Code fame) but there was a wedding so we looked at all the women in their hats and men in top hats and tails. From there to Ye Ole Curiosity Shop mentioned by Dickens.

We can never come to London without spending time at Hamleys Toy Store. We say it is for Ian, but you can see from the picture that Keri has a pretty good time there as well. It really is a wonderful toy store with the stairway decorated with scenes from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. There are also demonstrations on each floor of all the fun toys. Well worth a visit.

Our last stop of the day was Thorntons. Absolutely the best chocolate shop in the entire world. This was our first visit as we have tried not to go every single day. However, after eating some of my favorites, I may have to go every day. We shall see.

Needless to say that my feet are so very, very tired. I bought a new pair of shoes after we arrived. I tried them on and decided that they fit well and would be comfortable. Was I ever wrong?!!!! I think I am crippled for life!

Photos

I am posting some of our photos on my Flickr page. If you are interested, you can see a few them there.

Ian's Day

After class today (this was my teaching day), we headed out on an adventure. Ian wanted to go to the "lead" soldier stores we remembered from our last visit and it took us awhile to find them. They were as wonderful as we remembered. Ian is planning to spend the money he has so carefully saved on soldiers for his collection. He is being very wise and looking at everything before he decides exactly what he will buy. We discovered that there will be the world's largest toy soldier show here in London on December 1. We will need to figure some way to go before we head off to Florence.

After the soldier stores we saw some of our favorite places. Of course the food court at Fortnum and Masons is a must. We like it even better then the one at Harrods, but we will go there as well. We also went to Hatchard's Book Sellers. It has lots of signed, first editions and everything else. It also is a must-see. They had a book that I intend to go back and purchase later. They have several signings as our semester continues.

The students have already taken in several premiers at Leicester Square. I will find out tomorrow what stars they have seen. They have also seen several shows here in the West End and have lists as long as my arm of shows yet to see. It is so costly here that I don't know how they do it.

To end our outing, we spent time by the Canadian Monument in Green Park. Ian played with the pigeons while we rested and Keri and I just laughed. I thought I would post my primitive attempt to video it with my camera. Have a laugh yourself!

Afternoon at The Globe

This afternoon we were "groundlings" at The Globe to see The Merchant of Venice. Unfortunately, it sprinkled on us from time to time but we really enjoyed the play. Their interpretation made it very pleasant to watch. Once again, I decided that I am too old to stand the entire play so next time I will plan on sitting. Of course, everyone needs the experience of being a "groundling" at The Globe. I think all the students really enjoyed it.

Afterwards, we walked to Wagamamas, a Japanese noodle bar. The ten or twelve of us enjoyed our meals very much (not to mention the chance to sit down). We enjoyed it the last time we were in London, but I must admit that it was much cheaper four years ago.

It's nice to have our Oyster Cards (the tube and bus pass) so that we can go wherever and whenever we want. It allows countless adventures. I must wait until after my class tomorrow. Responsibilities sure get in the way!

£ at Last

We have resolved the money crisis. It took some time this morning to find a bank that accepted "Plus" cards. "Cirrus" seems to be the universal standard but Simmon's has stopped using it with their new cards. I think that older cards can still use those ATMs but new cards cannot and only have "Plus" on the back. There seem to be three banks in the UK that accept "Plus" (HSBC, Lloyds, and Barclays) but not all of their ATMs are equipped to take "Plus" cards. I found one that was and it gave me money. All the people in line thought I had become a "nutter" when I did a little dance with money in my hand.

We go to see "The Merchant of Venice" at The Globe this afternoon. It is very cloudy and we groundlings may have a wet production.

The Banking Saga Continues

It seems that my bank (Simmons First) has recently moved from the universally accepted ATM networks of Cirrus and Dash to one that no banks in Europe accept (or have ever heard of). We are hoping to meet with a banking official tomorrow to see if we can get a cash advance on the card. I will keep all posted before we have to start begging on the street.

We explored the neighbourhood this evening after class. Ian wanted to see the mummies at the British Museum. When it came time to go home we wanted to make sure we had done everything we had wanted to do before we climbed the miles back up to our flat. It's hard getting old.