My video of Eden Project! This is my first time uploading video, so excuse me if there are some problems. Eden Project is a garden in a quarry, so I wanted to take a video to get a sense of the size of the thing.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Avebury: The Stonehenge No One's Heard Of
On Wednesday morning Uncle Gordon, Aunt Jessica and I got up to go to Lloyd and Michelle's. On our way we stopped in Avebury, which is a prehistoric stone circle, similar to Stonehenge. The circle is huge, and the main road cuts right through the middle, so all the shots I have are about a quarter of the circle. We had lunch at The Red Lion (ham, egg, chips, and peas) and then walked around on the hills.
Our next stop was Silbury Hill, the largest manmade hill in England. No one knows why it was made, but it's a huge mound made of dirt and clay. They've tried to excavate it several times but haven't found anything extraordinary, except for the building process.
Our last prehistoric stop was to the Long Barrow burial mound, from about 4000 BC. We walked up a long hill, with the wind blowing and rain sprinkling--very dramatic. The mound itself is kinda creepy. We didn't stay long (but it was cool to see).
We stopped by Lloyd and Michelle's new house, but it was raining so we didn't get out of the car and I didn't take pictures. It's a really nice house in a really nice village, with lots of green around.
We got to their house in Eastleigh later in the day and went out for a delicious Indian feast! Our entire table was lined with dishes, it was almost as amazing as the sushi boat. We tried a bunch of new things and took some stuff home.
So far my stay in England has been really nice--relaxing, with plenty to do and plenty of good company.
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| The rocks were pretty huge! Here's a bit of size comparison :) |
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| Rock circle. More regular, carved stones mark the place of missing stones, that were probably taken and used in building before the site was protected. |
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| The Red Lion, the pub where we had lunch |
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| Avebury |
Our next stop was Silbury Hill, the largest manmade hill in England. No one knows why it was made, but it's a huge mound made of dirt and clay. They've tried to excavate it several times but haven't found anything extraordinary, except for the building process.
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| Silbury Hill |
Entrance
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| The mound itself is pretty long. |
We stopped by Lloyd and Michelle's new house, but it was raining so we didn't get out of the car and I didn't take pictures. It's a really nice house in a really nice village, with lots of green around.
We got to their house in Eastleigh later in the day and went out for a delicious Indian feast! Our entire table was lined with dishes, it was almost as amazing as the sushi boat. We tried a bunch of new things and took some stuff home.
So far my stay in England has been really nice--relaxing, with plenty to do and plenty of good company.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Becoming a History Buff
My Copenhagen History professor Carsten has given us an assignment to work on over our break. Bleh. It's about the history of the evolution of one of the cities we visit on our travels. I decided to do Exeter because there are a lot of old maps online, and because I knew Aunt Jessica would be able help me figure some stuff out. So Tuesday we headed out to Exeter!
I had no idea Exeter was such an old and well-preserved town! I really picked a good one. I was worried about having to spend hours figuring out where the city walls were (Carsten's favorite part), but we headed to the visitor information center and --voila!-- a pamphlet entitled "City Walls of Exeter." We picked up some other pamphlets, mapped out our route over coffee and hot chocolate, and headed out to see the city.
I couldn't believe how much of the wall was intact! This class has really made an impact on me. Before, I wouldn't think twice about a city's walls still being there. But seeing how old they are, and seeing how much cities can change and be demolished and rebuilt over the years, it really is pretty amazing that they're still there. Copenhagen's have been completely leveled, except for one nondescript tower base, which doesn't even have a label to tell people what it is. So here are some photos of Exeter's wall:
Apart from wall-chasing, we walked around and saw some other historic and pretty sites in the city. I was taking lots of photos for my project, but people were giving me weird looks because I was taking pictures of things like normal shops and streets. Oh well. I'll put up some of the more interesting pictures I took, but there are (or will be) some on Facebook as well.
So that's our adventure in Exeter. Should make for a good project, I think--the brochures I picked up have half my work done for me!
[Still promising the video of Eden Project, hopefully internet is better at my next hotel. I am loving Spain!]
I had no idea Exeter was such an old and well-preserved town! I really picked a good one. I was worried about having to spend hours figuring out where the city walls were (Carsten's favorite part), but we headed to the visitor information center and --voila!-- a pamphlet entitled "City Walls of Exeter." We picked up some other pamphlets, mapped out our route over coffee and hot chocolate, and headed out to see the city.
I couldn't believe how much of the wall was intact! This class has really made an impact on me. Before, I wouldn't think twice about a city's walls still being there. But seeing how old they are, and seeing how much cities can change and be demolished and rebuilt over the years, it really is pretty amazing that they're still there. Copenhagen's have been completely leveled, except for one nondescript tower base, which doesn't even have a label to tell people what it is. So here are some photos of Exeter's wall:
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| One of the towers of the wall, which protected the city |
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| The walls have been incorporated into pretty gardens ... |
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| ... like this one! |
Apart from wall-chasing, we walked around and saw some other historic and pretty sites in the city. I was taking lots of photos for my project, but people were giving me weird looks because I was taking pictures of things like normal shops and streets. Oh well. I'll put up some of the more interesting pictures I took, but there are (or will be) some on Facebook as well.
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| Part of the wall and towers made into a garden |
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| Royal Albert Memorial Museum, which is under renovation but pretty anyway |
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| Exeter's Guild Hall--from 80 AD! |
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| Area of old shops near the cathedral |
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| Exeter Cathedral. I went in on another trip, but the outside always strikes me as beautiful. |
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| Part of a bombed-out building from WWII |
So that's our adventure in Exeter. Should make for a good project, I think--the brochures I picked up have half my work done for me!
[Still promising the video of Eden Project, hopefully internet is better at my next hotel. I am loving Spain!]
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Garden of Eden--in Cornwall.
[Side note: I am in Spain! We're starting in Madrid and I'll be traveling throughout the country. Bear with me while I catch you up on the adventures I've already had.]
Our second day we spent at the Eden Project in Cornwall. It's a really cool concept that focuses on sustainability and public education. It's a huge garden and a series of large domes that contain jungle and mediterranean plants--and it's all in what used to be a quarry! Eden Trust just started planting and constructing in this barren quarry and turned it into something really beautiful! You begin at the top of the quarry, and then walk down through a series of paths, to the main domes with the Jungle biome and the Mediterranean biome. The walk down is filled with cool sculptures and patterns and colors of flowers and plants. The biomes themselves are really amazing. Plants from all over the world, and the jungle biome looks really convincing. Both of them explain what the plants are and explain important issues, like deforestation, biodiversity, cash crops, etc. They had some exhibits about what people's homes and gardens from that area would look like. They also had sustainability-related art, like sculpture and poetry.
The jungle was a mess of all kinds of plants--trees, shrubs, some flowers. The Mediterranean biome had a lot of trees and shrubs, but also lots of fruit trees--oranges, grapefruit, etc. They had an exhibit on Spanish huertas, or kitchen gardens. There was a huge Moorish influence, and they brought a lot of different herbs and fruits that really influenced Spanish cooking. Makes me excited to see Spain for myself!
Plus, a video of the pit-turned-garden, but not tonight because my Internet is picky. But soon!
Our second day we spent at the Eden Project in Cornwall. It's a really cool concept that focuses on sustainability and public education. It's a huge garden and a series of large domes that contain jungle and mediterranean plants--and it's all in what used to be a quarry! Eden Trust just started planting and constructing in this barren quarry and turned it into something really beautiful! You begin at the top of the quarry, and then walk down through a series of paths, to the main domes with the Jungle biome and the Mediterranean biome. The walk down is filled with cool sculptures and patterns and colors of flowers and plants. The biomes themselves are really amazing. Plants from all over the world, and the jungle biome looks really convincing. Both of them explain what the plants are and explain important issues, like deforestation, biodiversity, cash crops, etc. They had some exhibits about what people's homes and gardens from that area would look like. They also had sustainability-related art, like sculpture and poetry.
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| View up the quarry from the base by the biomes |
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| The biomes |
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| Part of an exhibit of Malaysian home |
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| Sculpture made from charred wood. Most of the sculptures were to re-use materials. |
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| Try to get a sense of the maze of plants in the jungle. |
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| Crazy flower! |
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| Another crazy (and fuzzy) flower! |
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| One of the main attractions of the Mediterranean biome was the masses of tulips. |
Plus, a video of the pit-turned-garden, but not tonight because my Internet is picky. But soon!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Churches and Abbeys and Shopping, Oh My!
Being with family in England has been really nice. The weather was beautiful and sunny, but not too warm. It's nice to have good meals and be able to hang out and watch TV. But I have been doing more than that!
My first full day Aunt Jessica and I went to Totnes and Buckfast Abbey. Totnes was a little town on our way to the Abbey, and we stopped to walk around and check out the old town. The church was so old! From like 1450, it's amazing. They were having a big service after we ducked in to check it out, and we met the mayor later as we were walking up the street. The town had lots of little shops, but a lot of them were closed because it was Sunday.
The abbey was really something to see. A small group of monks wanted to build an abbey on the site of the ruins of a previous abbey, and they built it without funds or organization. Between fundraising and donations they were able to finish it. It's really pretty inside, and around the abbey itself are shops, a cafe, and a monastic shop that sells goods made by monks and nuns all over the world. They have everything from white to chocolate to soaps and shampoos.
My first full day Aunt Jessica and I went to Totnes and Buckfast Abbey. Totnes was a little town on our way to the Abbey, and we stopped to walk around and check out the old town. The church was so old! From like 1450, it's amazing. They were having a big service after we ducked in to check it out, and we met the mayor later as we were walking up the street. The town had lots of little shops, but a lot of them were closed because it was Sunday.
The abbey was really something to see. A small group of monks wanted to build an abbey on the site of the ruins of a previous abbey, and they built it without funds or organization. Between fundraising and donations they were able to finish it. It's really pretty inside, and around the abbey itself are shops, a cafe, and a monastic shop that sells goods made by monks and nuns all over the world. They have everything from white to chocolate to soaps and shampoos.
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| View of the abbey |
Thursday, April 14, 2011
La Joie de Vivre
So my last two posts were about the activities Alex and I did in Paris ... but one of our favorite things was the food. We made it a point to try things throughout the day, instead of eating huge lunches and dinners.
First up--the bakeries. Were wonderful. Each time we walked into a new one, it made me happy all over again. Bakeries usually sell bread and enticing pastries and desserts. Our first night there, we bought a bunch of different kinds of bread, among other things, for our picnic at the Eiffel Tower.
Next--cheese shops. I'm not one for cheese usually, but the French reputedly like the pungent cheeses. So when in Rome ... we tried some brie at our picnic too, and it was delicious! Funny story--one of the shops we went into, the shopkeeper didn't speak English, and we obviously didn't speak any French. So I asked, on a whim, "Hablas espanol?" "Si!" was her answer, and I ordered our cheese in broken Spanish. I was very proud that I was able to do that, although I forgot simple words like "knife" in Spanish. Either way, I was glad I was finally able to use it! And in France, no less.
Last, but definitely not least, was the sushi we treated ourselves to on our last night. It was an all-you-can-eat endless stream of sushi, and we got it on a sushi boat! It was heavenly.
First up--the bakeries. Were wonderful. Each time we walked into a new one, it made me happy all over again. Bakeries usually sell bread and enticing pastries and desserts. Our first night there, we bought a bunch of different kinds of bread, among other things, for our picnic at the Eiffel Tower.
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| Pastries on top, desserts in the case. Bread was probably to the left behind the counter. |
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| One of the many delicious desserts we sampled. This one was white chocolate and chocolate mousse. |
Next--cheese shops. I'm not one for cheese usually, but the French reputedly like the pungent cheeses. So when in Rome ... we tried some brie at our picnic too, and it was delicious! Funny story--one of the shops we went into, the shopkeeper didn't speak English, and we obviously didn't speak any French. So I asked, on a whim, "Hablas espanol?" "Si!" was her answer, and I ordered our cheese in broken Spanish. I was very proud that I was able to do that, although I forgot simple words like "knife" in Spanish. Either way, I was glad I was finally able to use it! And in France, no less.
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| SO MUCH cheese. |
Last, but definitely not least, was the sushi we treated ourselves to on our last night. It was an all-you-can-eat endless stream of sushi, and we got it on a sushi boat! It was heavenly.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
2 Americans in Paris [Paris part 2]
Second day in Paris, we had to check everything else off our to-do list! We started in Monmartre, which was a little more difficult to find than we thought, but eventually we found our way to Sacre Cour, a beautiful church on top of a large hill.
We couldn't take pictures inside the church, but it was really beautiful!
Lots of little chapels on the sides like in the National Basilica.
We then had lunch in the more touristy part of Monmartre, next to Sacre Cour.
After Sacre Cour and Monmartre, we headed back down to the Seine area, where we got some dessert (more on that later) and sat by the water enjoying the view.
In the late afternoon, we headed over to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. We went up in the Arc to enjoy the view. I took a video and am hoping to upload it later. It's really beautiful, with a 360 view of the city. Lots of steps though, not for the faint of heart!
After the Arc and walking down the Champs Elysees we headed for one of our favorite dinners--sushi! More on that in the next post.
Will have more on England (where I am now) after I catch up. School projects have had me playing catch-up for a while! Short story: having a great time, great to be with family.
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| Hill we climbed to get to Sacre Cour |
We couldn't take pictures inside the church, but it was really beautiful!
Lots of little chapels on the sides like in the National Basilica.
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| View at the bottom of the hill in front of the church |
We then had lunch in the more touristy part of Monmartre, next to Sacre Cour.
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| Artists' square in Monmartre. If I were rich (and had room in my suitcase) I would have bought some pieces, they were really beautiful! |
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| View from the top of the hill, outside the church |
After Sacre Cour and Monmartre, we headed back down to the Seine area, where we got some dessert (more on that later) and sat by the water enjoying the view.
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| On sunny days the river is pretty crowded with Parisians enjoying a bottle of wine and talking with friends |
In the late afternoon, we headed over to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees. We went up in the Arc to enjoy the view. I took a video and am hoping to upload it later. It's really beautiful, with a 360 view of the city. Lots of steps though, not for the faint of heart!
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| Arc lit up at night |
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| Alex and I at the top of the Arc, with the Eiffel Tower in the background |
After the Arc and walking down the Champs Elysees we headed for one of our favorite dinners--sushi! More on that in the next post.
Will have more on England (where I am now) after I catch up. School projects have had me playing catch-up for a while! Short story: having a great time, great to be with family.
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