I am convinced. I absolutely, positively, 100% chose the winning place to study abroad. It has been almost too beautiful and perfect in Canterbury lately to put into words! Of course, we've been quite lucky to have had three weeks of clear skies, sunshine, and warm weather, but this week, with temperatures on the rise (sometimes to the point of being hot) we got a little taste of summertime. I've been able to spend a better part of my afternoons lying out, soaking up the rays with a good book, strolling the streets that grow more and more crowded with visitors by the day, and appreciating all of my favorite aspects the British culture that I know I'll miss the moment I get home, which, might I mention, is in a short fifty days. How did that happen?! Of course, I've loved every moment here up to this point and am so thankful for all I have been able to see and experience, but when you realize you're short on time, it's only natural to up the ante, fill each day to its brim, and recognize the importance of making sure no opportunity is shrugged off. So, even on the days I don't leave town, I make sure to visit it, or spend time doing something "personally fulfilling" while on campus - such as taking the time to read and write - because who knows what life will be like once I enter the real world back home! I may not get the chance, for awhile anyway, to just be as I am right now.
I can't get enough of the absurd amount of flowers and blooms that have overtaken the city! I can attest to the claim that Kent is in fact "The Garden of England." Every few steps there is a different color, a different variety, a different scent. I especially enjoy certain areas around the River Stour, namely near Westgate (pictured above), which I fortunately pass by every time I visit town, whether walking or taking the bus! This week, I spent a lot of time walking into town, not necessarily looking for anything in particular, but simply enjoying being in the midst of the lively streets. There are street musicians, literally, on every street corner in the main part of town. One song fades into another. There are ice cream stands dotted throughout the city centre, never without a customer. Tourists flock to just outside of the cathedral gate and make me feel better about my own obsession with getting pictures of it from every angle when they pull out their hefty cameras and tell their children or significant others where to stand and how to pose. But my favorite bit as of late? The Wednesday and weekend markets!
Not that I ever buy anything, but I could spend hours just looking through the selections. Just about anything you'd need can be found at the market (although some of what you need, you probably wouldn't want to get there) but I mostly enjoy the fabrics, jewelry, fresh produce, and yes, the ridiculous amount of Royal Wedding "collectables" that have overtaken a better part of the market in the last couple of weeks. Who wouldn't want to cuddle up in a blanket with Will and Kate's smiling faces printed on the outside, while sipping tea from a mug complete with the royals' engagement shot and wedding date?
On Friday, I met up with Leigh Anne for a study break, as she sadly has seven exams to prepare for and a huge paper to write while on vacation! Needless to say, the freedom one experiences when stepping away from the books caused our visit to town for scones and tea to turn into a two day long let's-avoid-schoolwork-altogether adventure. Because it was so unbelievably hot on Friday, we were sweating, panting, and longing for a cold drink rather than hot tea by the time we got into town. So, we instead decided on a little takeaway shop for cold water and a snack. It was there that I experienced the best piece of banana cake my taste buds will ever know! From there, we visited a few shops, our favorite being a thrifty place, three stories high, full of adorable dresses, shoes, and decorations. We were a little bummed that the stores began turning off their lights and closing their doors just before five o'clock, and decided to walk back to campus. However, a little cafe that we'd been meaning to try caught our attention, and we stopped in for an early dinner. This was quite possibly one of our best decisions yet.
For those of you who know me, anything even mildly reminiscent of the 1960s is an instant winner in my book. Any restaurant offering a vegetarian selection moves towards the top of my list. And any mention of The Dude makes me very happy indeed. So, when we walked in and saw the walls plastered with quirky, hippie-style knick-knacks, found an abundance of vegetarian options to choose from, and saw that one of those options was named after The Big Lebowski, I dubbed this my favorite cafe in the world.
We sat in a little garden outside and spent a couple of hours over delicious food, great conversation, and white wine. The setting sun seemed to stand still, in just the right place, for longer than it should have, which only added to our falling in love with the place.
The next morning, we met up for a morning walk out in the countryside. There is a little path just off of campus that leads through a hilly area, dotted here and there with little English cottages and dense forest, fields full of flowers, stunning views of the town, and plenty of cobwebs and bugs! We walked for a couple of miles, ending at a massive, gorgeous "cottage" (really a mansion of sorts) and headed back to our own tiny rooms with shared kitchens. Sigh!
I laid out for awhile before going back to her place so that we could walk into town with Clem, before leaving her to visit an outdoor vintage thrift market, and kept on to the bus station, where we boarded a bus to Margate for an Easter Beer Festival. Although it's not too far from Canterbury, neither of us had been there before and weren't sure what to expect. My jaw dropped when we got into the town and it looked as if we were in a different country altogether. A sandy beach on the seaside was packed full of sunbathers, kites, picnic baskets, and bicycles. I will, without a doubt, return for a day at the beach before I leave! We had to pass the beach by though, to get to where we were going, which was an old, lovely theatre in Margate's Winter Gardens.
We started off by sampling some local ciders, which were either delightful or disgusting, but thankfully the volunteers allowed us to sample whatever we wanted before filling up our glasses completely. Both of us were starving and followed the arrow of a giant sign that read "Food This Way," and instead ended up on an outdoor balcony that unauthorized personnel weren't technically supposed to be on, but considering the door was open and the view was a must-see, we disregarded the sign.
We finally did find the food, which was all local as well, and decided while we were eating that the only logical way to get our money's worth out of the festival since there wasn't much time left, would be to get as many little samples as possible by pretending not to like even the ones we did. This worked quite well, and after another cider, I ended with a white wine that I wish I could stock up on for home! We laughed our way back to the bus stop, and discovered that we had about an hour to waste, so hearing music close by, we stopped in a pub and belted out Alice Cooper's "School's Out" with the singer over cider-blacks before going back to the bus stop, where we began both the best and worst bus ride in the history of bus rides back to Canterbury. We were in great spirits, and tried not to let the motion sickness put a damper on things. I'd say we had more fun than not.
We made it back to Canterbury, and dreaded the long trek back home knowing that we were far too late to catch a bus to campus, so we made a pit stop to get food and sit for a moment before huffing and puffing our way up the hill to our beds!
This morning, I woke excited to attend an Easter service at the Canterbury Cathedral, especially since the Sung Eucharist was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, Rowen Williams (who will be marrying Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday.) Although I am personally still on a long and unknown path and do not identify myself with any particular religion, I thoroughly enjoy services, of all faiths, especially because Christian or Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist, the messages aren't all that different in the end - to love the world and believe in something bigger than ourselves is always moving to hear. In any case, the Archbishop of Canterbury has always been the leader of the Church of England, heads the Anglican Communion, and the British have always tended to turn to him in matters of the church (does St. Augustine ring a bell?) So, to spend Easter morning in one of the world's most important cathedrals, with one of the most respected religious leaders was once-in-a-lifetime.
The sermon was very well done, with a focus on the importance of happiness in a world of turmoil. Happiness not as a result of material gain, but personal fulfillment. He mentioned how it is often people we don't expect to feel joyous - nurses with hospice patients, aid workers in third world countries - who feel most happy, with happiness being "an overwhelming sense of being where you should be, being in tune with something or someone, being rooted in the moment in a way that doesn’t at all blur your honesty about what’s there in front of your eyes but gives you what you need to sit in the presence of horror and grief, and live." He noted that the kind of happiness that surprises us and sneaks up on us is the lasting and most important - like the surprise that came with Jesus' resurrection. The service was quite memorable, especially having been in the historic cathedral, the choir echoing throughout its ancient arched ceilings that remember voices from centuries upon centuries ago, the organ's vibrations beneath my feet, and the lighthearted references to modern-day pop culture to get the message across, in such a medieval place of worship. I think the sermon is worth a read if you're interested, click here.
So, that's Easter weekend, as the British do! I sit here now, feeling a bit exhausted, but excited for the next few weeks. On Friday, I'll be attending the Royal Wedding. Next Monday, I'll be on my way to Italy. As if that's not surreal enough, I'll be en route to Spain shortly thereafter! I will do my best to share my last few amazing weeks and experiences with you the best that I can.
I hope that wherever you are, and that whatever you're experiencing, it is in some way fulfilling you, setting you up for your own happiness.
Until next time,
Aly
No comments:
Post a Comment