A World Outside Of Kent

It seems unreal that exactly one week ago at this time, I was hastily stuffing the last few "necessary" odds and ends into my backpack and making my way to the bus stop to meet Leigh Anne and hop a coach to Liverpool.  If you recall, the prior weekend, we befriended Jonny, the street musician ("busker.")  On our first night hanging out with him, he extended the invitation to crash at a place he rents in Liverpool while he plays there.  People are like that here, offering accommodation within minutes of meeting you, which is both strange and wonderful to me as a small-town American.  Anyway, as we had just been pondering visiting the hometown of The Beatles earlier in the day, we jumped on the opportunity immediately - knowing we had a week-long break from school coming up.

Over the next few days, we made a very simple outline of how our journey outside Canterbury would go.  It went something like this:

1. Purchase affordable tickets from Canterbury to Liverpool, from Liverpool to London, and from London back to Canterbury.
2. Travel to Liverpool.  Stay three days at Jonny's and hope for the best.
3. Book a cheap hostel in London.  Stay three days and hope for the best.
4. Return to Canterbury alive and, preferably, not broke.

As a person who is obsessed with planning almost every activity down to its tiniest detail, this was quite a leap for me.  I am used to making plans to make plans, scribbling out lists, altering lists so that they are more sensible than the first, and researching copious amounts before I feel comfortable enough to make anything official.  Needless to say, this was a nice change.

With the only weight on my shoulders being that of a ridiculously obnoxious military bag and purse (at least I know how to pack for next time), we made our way onto a coach bound for London's Victoria Coach Station.  The coach tickets were much, much cheaper than train tickets, and we thought that a little extra travel time would not be a huge deal.  The two-hour ride there was a breeze.  Leigh Anne and I watched a movie and were giddy with excitement.  I kept thinking about how odd it was that this would be my second time in London (the first being landing in Heathrow in September) without being able to see it, as we were leaving straight to Liverpool after we arrived.

We waited around a bit at the station and boarded the next coach to Liverpool which, little did we know, would consume over six hours of our lives.  I can thankfully say that my motion sickness has, for the most part, been under control while I've been here.  The occasional bus ride makes me feel a bit nauseous, but they're typically short enough that I can deal.  Not this time.  We were stuck in London traffic for nearly two hours.  It was sweltering hot, sleep was impossible with all of the jolting about, and we were running about an hour and a half late.  I could not get over the fact that I was able to fly from Chicago to London in the same amount of time it took us to get from Canterbury to Liverpool!  And I'm not done complaining yet.  When we arrived in Liverpool, it was nearly midnight, pouring rain, and we had no idea how to get from the coach station to Church Street where Jonny was wrapping up for the night.  We asked countless people and got different directions every time.  When we finally found him, we could do nothing but half laugh, half cry for the next five minutes.  We helped him count his change and loaded into his car, where I happily sat in the backseat under a pile of bags and music equipment, with soaking wet flats and a great appreciation for simple car rides.

We had to quietly unload the car and make our way inside his place since it was so late.  The room Jonny rents is in a lady's home, which is cozy, but small... and the only thing separating his room from hers is a wall.  So, we tiptoed up the stairs, changed into dry clothes, and whispered our goodnights.

The next morning, we woke up and were in town by nine-thirty.  After getting Jonny and his equipment to a place just steps away from where he was the night before, Leigh Anne and I decided to explore the city.  We were a bit concerned at first because we were on the main streets and Liverpool was beginning to look like any other large city, with big, modern buildings and chain restaurants and cafes.  Fortunately, we spotted the Albert Dock, which is like an entirely different place altogether.  We admired the views and simplicity of it all before heading toward a few museums.

Our first stop was a house, preserved in the 1940s war-era style.  Each room had a little plaque that asked what you would do in a certain situation brought on by the war - "How many people would you share your house with?" "If your husband were forced to leave, how would you support your family and who would take care of the kids?"  We felt like trespassers since we were the only two in the building and it truly felt like we were in someone's home peering at their belongings, but it was nice to not be bumping into anyone or waiting to see the exhibits.

After that, we went to the Tate Museum, full of modern art.  We started out pondering not the art, but other onlookers who were standing in awe of the works, or having intellectual conversations interpreting a particular piece.  In an attempt to fit in, we strolled up to a few sculptures and the like, tilted our heads to the side, and pointing every so often to an area of the artwork, failed miserably to come up with our own interpretations.  It was on the upper floors that we began to appreciate the masterpieces a little more.  Leigh Anne enjoyed getting to dance to a Paul Simon remix on a disco floor in the middle of a room full of mostly naked statues, and I was taken with the art-inspired-by-poetry exhibit.

We left feeling content with the idea that we may have been somewhat enlightened and strolled along the docks, stopping now and then to read the menus posted in cafe windows and trying to discern whether or not we were hungry, but when we stumbled upon the Beatles Museum, decided food could wait.

The museum was full of all kinds of Beatles history, some of which is well-known and some that even a fanatic might not know.  Kudos to John Minton and his Social History of Rock and Roll course at IPFW, which I took this summer, for covering so many of the facts I came across in the museum in-depth!  I am always enthralled by original newspaper articles, actual handwritten lyrics and notes scribbled on napkins and hotel notepaper, first guitars and clothing belonging to the world's most famous musicians.  It always makes them seem more like real people and not just a voice on a record.

After the Beatles experience, we stopped at a tiny cafe along the dock and had a bite to eat before heading back into town.  We said hello to Jonny in between a few songs and he asked us if we'd made our way to the Cavern, which is a bar where The Beatles got their start.  He pointed us in the right direction and when we stepped into Cavern Quarter, Liverpool came to life.  Along the music-filled street, there was pub after pub and lots of homage to the Fab Four.  We popped into the Cavern for a moment, but it was packed from wall to wall, so we made our way back out onto the street and took it in for awhile before heading back to the main part of town.  We met up with Jonny and walked with him to get his dinner.

On our way back to Church Street, he ran into his friend Jack, an actor, and insisted that he show us the way to MelloMello, a laid-back pub and music venue that Jack and a few of his friends started up a few years ago.  We hung out for a bit there, and discussed philosophy, psychology, and the paranormal over strawberry beer.

With a an hour or two left before it was time to head home, we were back and forth between pubs and watching Jonny.  We had purchased blankets earlier in the day, knowing it would be cold if we decided to sit and listen to him.  Taking them out and using them resulted in about twenty people asking us if we were homeless, if we had a warm place to sleep that night, and if we needed money.  I now wish I had played this up because I may be a few pounds richer, but oh well.  It is quite ridiculous how people dress here.  Most of them who came up to us were girls in skimpy, sleeveless dresses and heels who were shivering to death, or men in sweatshirts whose breath you could still see in the chilly night air.  I asked a few if they weren't cold themselves and this typically resulted in a scratch of the head and an utter of agreement before they walked away.

Day three in Liverpool is quite likely one of the most memorable I'll have while in England.  We started off with a hot brunch which was the best meal I've had since I've been here.  After that, we set out on a quest to find the Eleanor Rigby statue, which we found with the help of a local couple who walked us there.  The woman gave me a bit of history on how things were when the Beatles were still around town and they gave us a bit of advice on the nightlife.

We then decided we wanted to head to the outskirts of town to visit the places that inspired so many Beatles songs - Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, and Eleanor Rigby's gravestone - among others.  We thought going off of a map ourselves would save money over doing one of the bus-led tours, but could not find transportation to save our lives.  Finally, we decided a taxi would be worth it, and hopped in one with the cheeriest driver, Paul.  We felt lucky to have found him, since he was a local he gave us lots of history on the area unrelated to The Beatles as well.  We were able to visit Penny Lane (where I left a piece of myself forever - I lost a button to my boot there) as well as the barber shop mentioned in the song, Strawberry Fields, John Lennon's childhood home, and Eleanor Rigby's grave.  Paul mentioned that a lot of people are disappointed that the landmarks are so ordinary, but I believe their simplicity is what makes them so wonderful.

We were dropped off at the Liverpool Cathedral, where we attempted to find the gardens that Jonny told us were absolutely beautiful, but unfortunately had no luck.  I am always in awe of the greatness of cathedrals and churches in England.  It's sometimes difficult to remember that a structure so perfect and huge and astonishing was built by someone like you.

On our way back to the center of town from the cathedral, we ended up passing by Chinatown but weren't quite sure we wanted to visit, so we kept walking and stopped at a few stores before getting a bit of alcohol to start our pub-crawl night out with.  We stopped back at Jonny's place and all took a bit of a break before running to the train station.  We started the night off by meeting up with his musician friend, Jez, and heading to a pub where The Beatles would go to hang out after their shows in Liverpool.  After that, we went to a place called The Grapes, where there was live jazz music and a neat outdoor sitting area.

 If you'll notice, I'm a little less descriptive in this section and after this pub, I can tell you we went somewhere else, a club-type deal, but I was that person who fell asleep instantly and missed the whole thing.  We ended the night with a series of events that I won't publish here because it wouldn't make my momma proud, but can say that I almost devoured a delicious-looking cheese pizza that Jonny bought for us, however things went terribly awry and in the end, we took a taxi home and got the best kind of sleep.

The next morning, after taking a few aspirin and packing our things, we went to breakfast at a cafe in a cinema with Jonny and Jez, and tried our best to stay alert while they talked politics, then said our goodbyes to Jonny as he took off for Leeds.  We hung around town for a bit before heading to the coach station, ready for London.  A huge thanks goes out to Jonny for inviting us and having us stay!

The coach ride was not nearly as bad on the way back into London, probably because I found myself actually getting a bit of sleep here and there on the way.  We arrived around 10:30 p.m. and took a taxi to our hostel, which was situated right across from Hyde Park, in between a pizza parlor and a currency exchange.  When we got to our room, after battling three flights of stairs and a musty old smell, we were greeted by six Spaniards and two empty beds.  The room was probably four army crawls wide, and the beds all butted up against each other so that when someone rolled over and caused their bed to shake, it rattled the bunk bed next to it as well.  But sleep happily came after awhile.

The next morning we woke up early, got ready, and went to eat the breakfast provided by the hostel.  I am now a firm believer that if you are starving, the most bland, horrible food can taste delicious.  They had plain cornflakes and thin toast with tasteless butter and orange juice that could have passed as orange water.  But we scarfed down what our stomachs could handle.  With absolutely no idea of what we were going to do that first day, we caught a bus and got off at Buckingham Palace Road.  We gawked at the fancy, gate-protected palace for a few moments and couldn't believe it when a guard brushed up past us on his way through the gates.  There was a bit of commotion - police telling people to back away for a moment to let a car pass through - but we don't think it was anything too important.

We then proceeded to make a big loop around that part of town.  We were able to witness the changing of the calvary, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, and eventually, cross a bridge that gave us a breathtaking view of the London Eye and Big Ben.  I wish I could describe to you how magnificent this was to see, but I simply cannot find the words.  We passed a sign later in our journey that described going through an exhibit was "like falling into a fairytale" and I think this is the best possible way to sum up my first day in London.

We passed over Westminster Bridge and finally attempted The Underground.  The idea of the underground subway terrified me at first - being so fast-paced and massive, not to mention my fear of escalators.  But after a few trips, I began to fall in love with its convenience and the feeling of beginning to master it (although we did get mixed up a few times!)

We stopped to purchase discounted play tickets to "Dreamboats and Petticoats" for later in the evening, and sat down for the best 'hot chocolate' I've ever ordered.  It was actually just melted chocolate and gave us the energy we needed to proceed onto the British Library - but not before we stopped at the one and only Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross (only a few weeks until the new Harry Potter, by the way!)

The British Library was full exhibits and galleries open to the public, but access to rooms with reading materials required a "Reader Pass" which I was unable to get since I wasn't doing any real research at the time.  We spent ages in one of the galleries, however, full of original documents.  Among them were the first copies of works like Jane Eyre and Beowulf, the Magna Carta and so on.  They also had an exhibit solely for Alice in Wonderland which made my day!  They had the original copy, handwritten by Lewis Carroll, and all sorts of subsequent interpretations published over the years.

After the library, we went back to the hostel to change into some warmer clothes and left for dinner and a musical.  We grabbed some takeaway Chinese food and after finishing, settled into our seats at The Playhouse, where I was excited to see that George Bernard Shaw had presented some of his plays.  The musical was set in the 1950s and was full of that era's rock and roll and what I found to be extraordinary lighting and acting.  I have never seen a play or musical on stage before - aside from the occasional local one - so I was impressed.  Might I mention we were the only two under the age of 60 there?

We left the theatre and found a little hole in the wall pub called the 12 Bar Cafe, which was exactly what we were looking for in terms of authenticity.  It was old, dark, and loud.  We watched a guy play a few folk-inspired songs, then, like the elderly ladies we were surrounded by at the play, decided to call it an early night.  We had to be extremely quiet in the hostel because all of our roommates were sleeping already (which makes me feel a little less bad about going to bed "early.")

Our second day in London started out exactly the same way as the first - with a horribly gross but hunger-satisfying breakfast and no plan of action.  We thought that since we were so close to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, we should take advantage and walk through them first.  We ended up at Kensington Palace, which, even undergoing construction, was marvelous.  We came out of the gardens by Albert Hall and walked our way to Kensington High Street, where there was plenty of shopping to do.  I found it most exciting that there was an Urban Outfitters within my reach... because they don't exist where I'm from, so I'm always browsing online and never buying anything.  I found a pair of shoes on sale, which I purchased so that I could jump up and down and exclaim that I had just purchased a pair of shoes from Urban Outfitters.  Leigh Anne found an amazing orange vintage jacket/cape that truly looks Sgt. Peppers.

From there, we took The Underground to Camden Town, where we had heard there were lots of good markets and places to hang out.  We heard right.  Our first stop was for food at a cafe/bar where I got the best baked potato known to man and Leigh Anne had her first fish and chips in England.

We went through stand after stand at the Camden Market, where I splurged on a vintage, purple, silk dress and wished I was crafty enough to make jewelry and sell it at a market for a living.

The pubs began to call our names and we stopped in at a Cuban one for happy hour, worked our way to one we thought would be nice, but couldn't handle the smell, then were directed to an Irish "underground rock" place, went to a diner that served milkshakes made with bourbon (!) and ended at a place called The World's End.  It was an epic night in Camden Town.

When we arrived back at our hostel, we heard giggling coming from inside of our room and entered, stumbling around in the darkness since we weren't allowed to use lights once people were asleep, and joined in the laughter when loud snoring from two new roommates started up, back and forth.  The snoring was pretty intense and it took awhile to fall asleep.

Our final day in London, we woke up a little later and packed, put our luggage in a luggage room since we had to check out by ten, and basically just hung around town for a few hours.  We did go to the British Museum but were so exhausted that it was difficult to focus on what we were reading, so our stay was short.  We went through a few shops, got our postcards, had an amazing strawberry cake, and walked around a different part of Kensington Gardens, where we found the most beautiful tree in the world, until we had to leave.

The coach back arrived right on time and it was a glorious feeling to be back in my own place, with a real shower and clean bed.  Looking back, there are loads of things we did not do in London, but that's the beauty in studying here instead of visiting... it's so close that we plan to visit again next month!  No need to rush and no need for major planning.  I could not have asked more from this trip - even as I sit here wrapping up this blog, it seems unreal to me that it actually happened.  Those places one hears about in music and in movies, or reads about in books and magazines, or looks at in paintings and in photographs - they exist, and I am fortunate enough to be taking them in... in real life.

I have had so many wonderful experiences, met so many amazing people and learned so much in a month of being here.  My one request is that if an opportunity presents itself to you, one of any sort that may enrich you in some way, take advantage of it.  Don't hesitate.  You may have to alter it a bit to make it work, or save up, or be prepared to pay it off.  It is important to be careful and responsible, yes, but after twenty years of dreaming, I'm finally doing, and I could not be more in love with life than I am at this very moment.

What is it you want to do in your lifetime?  What's stopping you?  No excuses.

Always,
Aly

P.S. - For additional pictures, be sure to look on the left side of the screen under Photo Albums!

Exploring, Street Music, Hot Chocolate, Zero Sleep, Repeat

In order to further procrastinate on schoolwork, I have decided - what better excuse than a lengthy blog update?  I've also made it a goal from now on to start taking note of major events as they happen because there's simply too much to recall when I'm only updating weekly! We'll see how that goes.

In my last post, I mentioned the idea that we might return to Whitstable on a sunny day for a different experience and better pictures.  Well, the next morning a bright, blue and sunny sky taunted me as soon as I hopped out of bed... fortunately, Leigh Anne's housemates and a few of their friends had already planned at trip to Whitstable for the day and we decided to join.  Half of them walked there and the others planned to take a bus later.  We joined the bus group and, since it was a Sunday and buses begin running to and from the city to the University later than usual, decided it would be quicker to walk into town and catch a bus than waiting around on one here.  After thirty minutes of fast-paced walking and a near sprint at the end that left us panting and sweaty, we ended up waiting on a bus that not only left Canterbury twenty minutes later than scheduled, but also made a stop at the University before heading off to Whitsable! Our luck with public transportation the past few weeks has been off and on... ultimately there's a lot of wasted running which either results in us sitting and waiting on the bus anyway, or being left behind in diesel fumes because we're just not fast enough.  Scheduled times, for all things, are such a tease in this country!

But so it goes... we spent a bit more time walking along the seaside Sunday than we did Saturday, after chatting for a bit at an outdoor cafe, and were lucky to have went on that particular day, as there was an open-air market with all sorts of fun things to look at.  I adore all of the vintage items one can find here and would love to start collecting something from each place I go... ideas?  Postcards are too easy, and bracelets too expensive!  In all it was a lovely and relaxing Sunday.

Mondays have become my designated day for errand running since I have no class and the stores are much emptier and less hectic.  I've been waking up much earlier than I'd like to and decided to take advantage of my spare time before getting groceries last Monday by making a stop at the Dane John garden grounds, the Canterbury Castle, and the cathedral since it was absolutely gorgeous outside and I've yet to share any of that with you.

The rest of the week consisted of school.  I've been doing fairly well keeping up with my readings, but need to start thinking about my papers that constitute half of my final grade and are due throughout November.  Each department is quite strict with their guidelines for papers and to simply turn in a paper is perhaps the most difficult part!  Most lecturers ask that you submit one electronic copy via e-mail, then two hard copies, which you have to take to the department's specific office at a specific day and time, where you complete a submission form and get a receipt of submission!  So tedious.

I went to my Reading and Writing Poetry class on Wednesday in quite a nervous state - it was a workshop day where we pass out copies of our work to the rest of the class and after you read your poem aloud, the rest of the class gets to critique it while you sit there and take notes... but my piece got a few laughs and an overall good review, which was such a relief, especially since I feel like I'm among professionals here :)

I made my way to my library a few times this week... I have a method now of finding books I want, since I still have no idea how they're ordered on the shelves.  I search the titles online and write down the codes, then wander about until I find the right section.  This doesn't always work, but I usually stumble upon something I like anyway.  My first trip, looking for Simone de Beauvoir, led me to William Blake and Sylvia Plath, which I thought would last me the week, but after finishing two days later I went back and came home with Pablo Neruda and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  I love having time to read!

Craving our American food fix, Leigh Anne and I hopped a bus to town on Friday afternoon and went to a Kebab place, which was the absolute most awkward restaurant experience of my entire life.  This worker would NOT stop staring and even when he finally disappeared, we glanced out of the window and there he was, cigarette in hand, looking at us.  At one point, he was gawking, chin-in-hand behind the counter and I couldn't help laughing out loud. We have probably accumulated a hundred stories that involve Europe's strangest men and our unfortunate ability to catch the attention of all of them instead of the pleasant kind that make for a dreamy, storybook kind of study abroad adventure.

We got out of dodge and walked slowly, taking in the bustling city, stopping in at an antique sale and looking in bakery windows, wishing calories didn't exist.  My ears picked up on the sounds of an acoustic guitar and melodic singing in the distance and I insisted that we had to find its source before we left town... thank goodness we did!  In his bright red pants and hobo gloves, Jonny Walker won us over.  We kept staying for "just one more song" and eventually decided we would stay until he left.  In order to do this, we had to consume outrageous amounts of hot chocolate (this was seriously our diet Friday-Sunday) and keep moving around... it was unbelievably chilly!

We became quite fond of the Cafe Rouge, a little place just next to the area he was playing... it was perfect since it offers outdoor seating.  After wrapping up his Friday night, we helped him count his change and pack up, then went out for a drink there.  His music and humor are wonderful qualities, but the fact that he looks like Bob Dylan makes it even better.  He told us he'd be in town until Sunday and so, of course, we spent hours over the next two days parked under the tree where he played and hanging around after he was done.  Anyone who knows me knows that if there's music that I enjoy being played somewhere, I'll happily stay in that very place until it's gone.  It just doesn't get old!  Besides, being able to hang around someone who makes their living doing what they love and hear all about it in between sets is probably one of the most inspirational things that could happen while I'm here.

We were also lucky enough to be in town while the Canterbury Festival began... we saw lots of dancing and other musical acts, as well as the parade!

Last night was my first decent night of sleep in ages... the weekend had us up and going (searching for genuine pubs late at night, house parties with instrumental Beatles music in the background, unexpected conversations about life's most pressing issues, burning Jonny Walker CDs for some extra money) until 4 a.m. on average.  It's pretty wondrous what snoozing can do and I need more of it in my life!

Today, it's back to reality... while I was in town to run errands, I half expected to hear the folky music echoing in the streets and pass through crowds of out-of-towners, but it was rather desolate and quiet, save the crunching of leaves by people on their way to work and occasional gusts of wind.  I suppose I need the chill time this week though, to get things done.  I'd like to get ahead since next week is a break from school and Canterbury... we're heading to Liverpool and LONDON!

 I hope all of you are making beautiful memories and being inspired as well.

Until next time,
Aly

Socials, Studies, Seasides, and Sickness

Hello there!  Not to worry, I have not forgotten about my blog, but decided perhaps I should let the week's events build up so that I had enough to write about.  As school gets more underway, I'm afraid the weeks may get a bit less exciting in terms of travel... but certainly not experiences!  I've continued to pick up on all kinds of English slang - and even bought an "American to English, English to American" dictionary the other day in town, which has kept me a little more in-the-know.

My week started off well, as always, since I have Mondays free!  I spent the day getting caught up on my readings for classes and preparing seminar questions.  There's really no getting around speaking up in class here, each week the professor assigns a seminar topic that you've got to be ready to discuss for that portion of the module.  The seminars are broken up into smaller groups, so it's quite obvious if you haven't put in your two cents!  I worked my way through political definitions and theories first, then delved into some required poetry reading as a reward!

Later, I went to the Feminist Society meeting, where we discussed feminist role models.  The discussion was all over the place - from mother figures to inventors.  I was also introduced to the "Moomins" and Beth Ditto... both of which I think I could have done without!  Afterward, I went to meet up with Leigh Anne and a few of her swim team members for a social at a pub in town.  On my way back to my flat, I was directed to take a different path than usual and traffic was being sent down a back road. When Leigh Anne and I got on the bus to town, she told me that the commotion was due to a guy who was stuck under a bus!  This came right after I'd received an e-mail alert about the American tourists in Europe travel advisory.  Mom, what did you let me get myself into?!

We safely made it to the pub, where we felt entirely dressed-down American... the English seem to dress to impress on the daily, even if it's a run to the grocery store!  So, when I was invited to come along to their social on Wednesday night, I made a mental note to say no to my jeans.

Tuesday was filled with lectures and seminars... and a much needed nap.  It felt like Christmas for a three-year-old when I received a package from home... mom had sent me a box full of American candy, which I've been devouring all week!  Aside from that, it was a bit rainy, and to be honest, that's about all I remember!

Wednesday night was the swim team's social.  We started out at Woody's Bar, and the plan was to pub crawl our way to the Venue (a dance club on campus.)  We ended up making a big leap from Woody's to the Venue, skipping the pubs in between, because our first stop was too enjoyable to leave.  Armed with a pitcher's worth of cider black, I played my first drinking game in England:  The Game of 21.  Basically, a person begins counting, and can count up to 3, then they choose either right or left and the person next to them continues counting consecutively up to 21... whoever is stuck saying "twenty one" has to drink.  However, all kinds of rules are thrown in to make it utterly ridiculous and impossible to avoid drinking... many of the rules are the same as in the states - thumb master, no asking questions, etc.  but there's also no pointing allowed, no calling people by their real names (thus, nicknames are given and Leigh Anne and I became "Thelma & Louise" for the evening), and my favorite (which I luckily avoided) the throwing of a coin into someone's cup so that they have to down their entire drink in order to "save the [drowning] Queen!"

After Woody's, we made our way to the Venue, which is not typically my kind of place.  However, with the right kind of people, I think fun can be had anywhere.  Believe it or not, I was dancing - to the best of my ability - and having a blast.  I've decided to have a photo album for each month when it comes to happenings in Canterbury.  You can see my October album by clicking here.

Thursday, after my lecture, I stopped in town to get a few groceries - I still find it so strange to be going every few days instead of every few weeks.  Anyway, what is most important about this day is:  I purchased my first copy of The Guardian - one of Britain's national daily newspapers!  Yes, I'm a nerd.  But I needed some decent reading material and because it was National Poetry Day, there were a few special articles about poets, namely Sylvia Plath and her husband Ted Hughes.

Falling asleep Thursday night, I sniffled my first dreaded sniffle and woke up yesterday morning with a full-on runny nose and sore throat.  I've been told I've caught the inevitable "Freshers Flu."  Yay, me.  I still made a point to run into town, where they have a market on High Street every Wednesday and Friday, in an attempt to find a decently priced watch and some boots.  I got the boots, and find it somewhat comical that I have to ask for a size 3 here.  Actually, a 2.5 would have fit better, but they were out of those, and these boots couldn't be passed up.

The day was one of the most gorgeous I've seen here... blue, sunny skies and warm.  Sadly, once I got back, I slept... a lot.  I went through nearly all of my travel-sized tissue packs and have, over the last two days, consumed massive amounts of tea and hot cocoa!

Before realizing the weather forecast had lied (it was supposed to be equally amazing outside today), Catherine, her friend Edward, Leigh Anne and myself made plans to visit Whitstable today - a seaside town just outside of Canterbury.  We still managed to visit, though, and I'm so glad we did.  I definitely want to make a trip back when it's sunny for better pictures!  Like in Dover, the seaside was much different than what I've seen before.  In Dover, the waves crashed into cliffs.  In Whitstable, they crash into a rocky, seashell mix.  And in Margate, where we plan to travel next, they crash into sand.  So strange how different the nature is just miles apart here!

 We walked along the seaside, where there were little seafood stands, fish and chips places, and boats.  I was surprised at the amount of sailboats on the water and dogs without leashes on the beach.  Edward slurped down a slimy oyster and Catherine nibbled on some little shellfish things that we all agreed looked like baby aliens. We made our way into town, where we passed by the windows of quaint, vintage shops and stopped to get some chips (remember, these are french fries) which were the best I've had while here!  We ate them while sitting on a wall looking out into the sea and talked a bit before heading back to school.  See more of Whitstable by clicking here.

So, that's my Monday through Saturday wrapped up in a blog.   I cannot believe tomorrow will begin my fourth week of being here!  While I miss my family and friends in America wholeheartedly, every single day... England already feels like home.

I hope this finds everyone well and happy...

Love,
Aly

Where Have You Been, October?

Family & Friends,

I am so happy to report that the romance of Autumn is in the English air!  I anticipate the beauty this change of season brings with it more than any other -- the deep and vibrant colors, the way the bits of nature fall away and dance in the wind.  Now if only it could stay this way forever.  Alas, I am glad that it came at all... I was quite concerned when I heard reports of bonfire-flannel weather and picturesque changes outdoors in the states that perhaps this part of Europe would jump straight into winter.  I must admit, the weather is just as up and down here as it is in Indiana... when they report rain, it's sunny, and vice versa.  Today, however, the gloomy skies did not stop a group of us university students from enjoying our journey to the town of Dover!

After a restless night of sleep - the flatmates were in and out until about five this morning - I made it up in time to leave campus at 9:30 with a group of other students on the bus to Canterbury.  From there, we caught the next bus to Dover, a port town that we'll likely travel to again soon, in order to get to France!  The only thing separating the two is the English Channel... and it's a rather quick and affordable journey.

I must digress, though, because our purpose of today's trip was to explore the white cliffs.  I've been so fortunate to have already witnessed the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico several times in my twenty-two years, but have looked forward to visiting the seaside in Europe because of the entirely different landscape.

The bus ride there went quickly, many of us were obsessed with the green, rolling hills dotted with English sheep.  I specify them as English sheep because when I really thought about it, I live in a place where sheep, cows, horses, and an abundant amount of other farm animals are within walking distance to take pictures of in any possible direction I choose to go, but considering the fact that they are English sheep in the English countryside made us feel a little less ridiculous when snapping photo after photo of them.

When we arrived in Dover, the first thing we saw was the beautiful castle sitting on top of the hillside which overlooks the English Channel.  Because we're now living the lives of truly struggling college students, which always seems fun in books and movies, we're getting smarter about saving our money, and skipped out on the twelve pound charge to see the castle, but if, say, we were to have taken a hot air balloon or an airplane overhead and snapped a shot, this is what it would have looked like:

After getting our own boring photographs of the castle, we proceeded to walk down a long, winding road (there was no footpath for a very, very long time) where cars were speeding past at incredible speeds.  It seemed quite dangerous, namely because I continue to forget that English folk drive on the opposite side of the road and dodged out of the way when I didn't have to and forgot to when I should have.  I was positive that by the end of the day my foot was going to be run over - or worse!  I was lucky, though, and survive to exaggerate the tale.

On the way, we saw more rolling hills, with more sheep, lots of forest, lots of signs, and even more forest. 

I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever see the water or the cliffs!  Finally, we rounded a corner and there it was.  It was, without question, the most different view I've had of such a large amount of water.  The skies were cloudy and a thick fog hung above channel so that the ships in the distance looked ghostly and wonderful... I only wish I had been able to capture it.  The sky and water tended, in certain places, to blend together.  We continued on and began to see the rocky layers bit by bit until we came upon a big cliff that hung over the water, like something out of an English movie or book (we kept comparing it to how we pictured certain scenes in old British literature.)  It was breathtaking and I hope to visit many more seaside towns here... these are the kinds of places I have longed to see!

A part of the group continued the "trail" along the cliff in search of a beach at the end, while a few of us decided that waddling cautiously through and around mud puddles could only be entertaining for so long.  It was at this point we decided to head back to town on foot, not having any clue how to get there, which was a journey in itself!  I've certainly gotten my fill of walking while in England, but today was another story!  I have to occasionally check and be sure my legs are still attached.  They are.

It was on the walk into town that I noticed the beginnings of Fall, and couldn't resist capturing each bit of it I saw, though this caused me to pause every few seconds and lag a bit behind...

Once we made it into town, it began to sprinkle a bit, and we decided it was time to seek shelter... and food!  We noticed a good portion of the signs in town were in French, and then it dawned on us that it was because we were less than 25 miles from France!  So, I find it fitting that we chose a little cafe with a covered outdoor seating area called "C'est la Vie."  I ordered a panini with a side of chips (french fries) because, as ashamed as I am of it, I have been craving fatty, fried, greasy, American food.  It has been rather difficult to find this sort of grub because everything here tends to be baked and made a bit healthier than it would be in the states.  I think this is wonderful, of course, until I feel the urge to break the newly-healthy way of life.  (Which is exactly what Leigh Anne and I were on a mission to do Thursday night, but in short, ended up getting spaghetti with mint and salmon?  Not even close!)

We began the short walk to the bus station after lunch and were immediately thrown into fits of confusion and laughter as a random street parade caused all of the traffic to pull over and people to watch and wave for less than a minute.  We have no idea why it occurred, but were glad to have been there while it happened.

Upon our return to campus, we debated whether or not to partake in a pub crawl this evening... (the English equivalent to bar hopping, I suppose.)  However, we were thoroughly exhausted and I instead warmed up with a bit of hot chocolate and an episode of Dexter before deciding that I should probably blog about my first big, spontaneous adventure and read a bit of poetry for class this week (it is "homework" like this that reminds me why I love my major!)

You can see the entire trip to Dover photo album by clicking here.

And I almost forgot, I have a general Canterbury album as well! Just click here.

I hope everyone is having a spectacular start to their October... why not do something to make the first weekend memorable?

xo,
Aly