09/26/2012
Due to bad internet connection for a few weeks, frustrations with the Webbly iPod app, and Snapfish issues, I apologize for the 3 week gap in blog posts. Luckily Weebly has updated the app with an added feature I needed during the frustrations, so all should be good going forward. I was going to give you a 3 for 1 special; however, I can tell you are getting antsy for a post, so here is part 1 of the last 3 weeks.
09/09/2012
Last Christmas I received a set of bracelets that have little charms on it. One of the charms is a wee bee. As I was on the train from Manchester to Oxford I was fiddling with that wee bee and noticed that there was a small crystal set for its head and wondered why I had not noticed this little jewel since I received the bracelets but was delighted in this surprising find. To my surprise, my next week in England would be just as delightful.
Oxford is a wonderful university city and is very accessable by foot and does offer a hop-on-hop-off bus if one would rather ride. The vibe in Oxford is very inviting and encourages curiosity. Oxford University is actually made up of 39 colleges, each with their own special flare and feel. I joined one of the free tours and learned about the history of the city and where the more notable colleges could be found. After the tour, I took to exploring some of the colleges myself. Some of the colleges are not open to the public, others charge a small fee to see their quads, gardens and chapels, and others are available for free; though many requested a fee, I was lucky enough to see many of the ones I went to for no cost by just asking the stewards for a look. For any Harry Potter fan, there are quite a few locations around Oxford that were used for on location filming.
From Oxford I took a day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. My error was to do both of these in one day as each really required a day on their own. Stratford-upon-Avon is rich in the history of Shakespeare. If not traveling by car, which I was not, I would recommend the hop-on-hop-off bus just for the transportation to Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's Farm, both must see locations in the area.
Warwick Castle, though a bit commercialized, has some great exhibitions. The town itself has some wonderful things to experience as well.
After my stay in Oxford I traveled through Bath to Exeter. I had never heard of Exeter before I picked it as my destination and I found it to be full of surprises and was glad I stayed there instead of Bath. There are many free tours of the city and the evening of my arrival I joined the ghost tour. The tour guide was one of the best storytellers I have met so far along my travels and there was more than once I felt goosebumps rise on my arms as he weaved his tales. The last stop on our ghost tour brought us to a pub in which we made our way to the basement to hear a ghostly tale and to view a skeleton (behind glass) that was found during some excavations there. Who would have guessed that a skeleton was in the basement of a pub?! The next morningI opted for the self guided walking tours of the town walls and medieval past in which I found catacombs at the cemetary and Exeter's Underground. The Underground is the medieval waterways and was a very interesting tour - not sure it is worth the normal entry fee but I was there duirng a Heritage Weekend, so the admission was fee. There is also a self guided Woollen Trail, which I did not have time to do before I left Exeter.
Due to bad internet connection for a few weeks, frustrations with the Webbly iPod app, and Snapfish issues, I apologize for the 3 week gap in blog posts. Luckily Weebly has updated the app with an added feature I needed during the frustrations, so all should be good going forward. I was going to give you a 3 for 1 special; however, I can tell you are getting antsy for a post, so here is part 1 of the last 3 weeks.
09/09/2012
Last Christmas I received a set of bracelets that have little charms on it. One of the charms is a wee bee. As I was on the train from Manchester to Oxford I was fiddling with that wee bee and noticed that there was a small crystal set for its head and wondered why I had not noticed this little jewel since I received the bracelets but was delighted in this surprising find. To my surprise, my next week in England would be just as delightful.
Oxford is a wonderful university city and is very accessable by foot and does offer a hop-on-hop-off bus if one would rather ride. The vibe in Oxford is very inviting and encourages curiosity. Oxford University is actually made up of 39 colleges, each with their own special flare and feel. I joined one of the free tours and learned about the history of the city and where the more notable colleges could be found. After the tour, I took to exploring some of the colleges myself. Some of the colleges are not open to the public, others charge a small fee to see their quads, gardens and chapels, and others are available for free; though many requested a fee, I was lucky enough to see many of the ones I went to for no cost by just asking the stewards for a look. For any Harry Potter fan, there are quite a few locations around Oxford that were used for on location filming.
From Oxford I took a day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. My error was to do both of these in one day as each really required a day on their own. Stratford-upon-Avon is rich in the history of Shakespeare. If not traveling by car, which I was not, I would recommend the hop-on-hop-off bus just for the transportation to Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's Farm, both must see locations in the area.
Warwick Castle, though a bit commercialized, has some great exhibitions. The town itself has some wonderful things to experience as well.
After my stay in Oxford I traveled through Bath to Exeter. I had never heard of Exeter before I picked it as my destination and I found it to be full of surprises and was glad I stayed there instead of Bath. There are many free tours of the city and the evening of my arrival I joined the ghost tour. The tour guide was one of the best storytellers I have met so far along my travels and there was more than once I felt goosebumps rise on my arms as he weaved his tales. The last stop on our ghost tour brought us to a pub in which we made our way to the basement to hear a ghostly tale and to view a skeleton (behind glass) that was found during some excavations there. Who would have guessed that a skeleton was in the basement of a pub?! The next morningI opted for the self guided walking tours of the town walls and medieval past in which I found catacombs at the cemetary and Exeter's Underground. The Underground is the medieval waterways and was a very interesting tour - not sure it is worth the normal entry fee but I was there duirng a Heritage Weekend, so the admission was fee. There is also a self guided Woollen Trail, which I did not have time to do before I left Exeter.
From Exeter I stayed the next night in New Quay (pronounced Key). New Quay was not really my type of place. Imagine New Orleans and Key West put together and you have New Quay - quite fitting merger of names ;). The hostel I stayed in was part of the bar below it and did not host a common room (that was the bar) nor a kitchen (that was the bar) as most hostels do. The night scene on the street was full of people partying to the max and many of them in various costumes (rabbit, cowboy, hula girl, etc.). I was glad that New Quay was just a stop over for me as I was ready to head out to Penzance early the next morning, unfortunately for me and 2 other girls, the first bus left without us! In our defense, the bus was not at the proper bus stand and it had the incorrect route number listed - apparently the lady at the counter thought we should have just known that was our bus. Since we had an hour and a half to wait for the next bus service, we went together to enjoy a full breakfast.
The bus ride to St. Ives was beautiful. Cornwall has rolling hills, woods with hiking trails, and a never ending coastline, which is a trail as well. As the area is long but not wide, you can quickly see all three within 30 minutes. Though I was traveling by bus, I think to really enjoy all Cornwall has to offer, a car would be best.
St. Ives was a bus stop for me, but I took an hour or so to explore the town center and the beach. The town itself is set on a hill overlooking the coast. The hill from and to the bus station was quite steep, but the views from there were great!
Next stop, Penzance! Because I was in the Pirates of Penzance and also worked costuming for the K-State Players production, I just HAD to go to Penzance and I am glad to say I was NOT disappointed! Though it was a bit hard to get to almost the Lands End, it is worth a stop over if you enjoy the feel of a town that is centered around the seafaring life. Now, don't get me wrong, Penzance is a modern as any other place in England, but you can feel the history oozing from its pores and if you look carefully you can find it all from fisherman to sailors to pirates. One of the treasures I found was the Admiral Benbow. This pub is decorated with artifacts from various shipwrecks that were along the Cornish coast and has been in existence since the 1600's. I was lucky enough, if you call it that, to arrive at the same time as a psychic medium and got to tag along as she made contact with various spirits. Unfortunately I was only to be in Penzance for one day as I needed to head to my sailing course in Cowes, so I did not get to see St. Michael's Mount up close (not open on Saturday and that was when I was there). St. Michael's Mount is accessable by foot at low tide and I was looking forward to walking across, but it will have to be another time.
Oxford Photos Here
Stratford-Upon-Avon Photos Here
Exeter Photos Here
Cornwall Photos Here
The bus ride to St. Ives was beautiful. Cornwall has rolling hills, woods with hiking trails, and a never ending coastline, which is a trail as well. As the area is long but not wide, you can quickly see all three within 30 minutes. Though I was traveling by bus, I think to really enjoy all Cornwall has to offer, a car would be best.
St. Ives was a bus stop for me, but I took an hour or so to explore the town center and the beach. The town itself is set on a hill overlooking the coast. The hill from and to the bus station was quite steep, but the views from there were great!
Next stop, Penzance! Because I was in the Pirates of Penzance and also worked costuming for the K-State Players production, I just HAD to go to Penzance and I am glad to say I was NOT disappointed! Though it was a bit hard to get to almost the Lands End, it is worth a stop over if you enjoy the feel of a town that is centered around the seafaring life. Now, don't get me wrong, Penzance is a modern as any other place in England, but you can feel the history oozing from its pores and if you look carefully you can find it all from fisherman to sailors to pirates. One of the treasures I found was the Admiral Benbow. This pub is decorated with artifacts from various shipwrecks that were along the Cornish coast and has been in existence since the 1600's. I was lucky enough, if you call it that, to arrive at the same time as a psychic medium and got to tag along as she made contact with various spirits. Unfortunately I was only to be in Penzance for one day as I needed to head to my sailing course in Cowes, so I did not get to see St. Michael's Mount up close (not open on Saturday and that was when I was there). St. Michael's Mount is accessable by foot at low tide and I was looking forward to walking across, but it will have to be another time.
Oxford Photos Here
Stratford-Upon-Avon Photos Here
Exeter Photos Here
Cornwall Photos Here
This past week I had very spotty internet connectedness and though at times not having internet connection was a pain, it was also nice not to have access and contact with everyone this past week. Yes, the net allows me to keep in touch with my friends and family, but I find that there are times I enjoy not being followed so closely. I know it was my idea to keep this blog to keep everyone posted, but it is not always an easy task to keep up and each week seems to come upon me quicker and quicker. Perhaps not having internet and then having issues with Weebly and Snapfish have given me a bit of time for a needed break in sharing my travels and thoughts with everyone.
I have really been on the go this week and am anxious about my sailing course this coming week, I hope I am up to the task of being a crew member.
I have really been on the go this week and am anxious about my sailing course this coming week, I hope I am up to the task of being a crew member.
RSS Feed