Seaside Nightmares

Hey all,

Alright, that title may be a bit too harsh, but we visited Lyme Regis today in unideal weather. Granted, the wind and rain are part of the English coastal experience, so it was a day to remember!





Lyme Regis is significant with Jane Austen as a portion of the novel "Persuasion" is set there. At one point, we ventured out onto the "Cob" a wall set to protect the beach from wind and water. It was pretty intense! Here are some pics.





I don't know if the pictures do the weather any justice, but it was cold and windy! Glad to say I've done it though. That's all for this post. Hopefully, I'll have plenty more to post soon!

Chris

The Burgh

Today I explored the city of Edinburgh. "Burgh" simply means town. This is appropriate enough as the city of Edinburgh (at least where all the major attractions are) is approximately only about a square mile. Thus, it was a big walking day.

St. Giles Cathedral is in the heart of the city in the middle of what they call the Royal Mile. It's a stretch of road with Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace on either end.


Though smaller than other churches I've visited while in the UK, this was one of the more beautiful.



Next stop was Edinburgh Castle which is situated on the top of a cliff in the middle of the city.



This castle is more of a compound. It contains many buildings that each served its own purpose. Being on top of the cliff, it had a good position for defense. Lots of cannons!



At the bottom of the Royal Mile lies Holyrood Palace, where the Queen stays when in Scotland. Also, back in the day, Mary Queen of Scots lived here (before Elizabeth 1 threw her in jail!)



I couldn't take pictures inside, so I'll just have to leave you a general front shot. One of the best things about the palace is that it was next to the ruins of an old Abbey.


All in all, Edinburgh was great, but I am exhausted. Later this week I'll be venturing off to Lyme and other assorted areas. I'll just leave you with a shot from the Palace gardens. Cheers!

Chris

Highlander

Hey all,

I finally took my day trip up to the Scottish Higlands. It's honestly some of the most striking landscapes I have ever seen. The mountains were many and huge. Their tops touch the clouds...



Honestly, I think the pictures speak for themselves. I took a nice day trip out of Edinburgh and drove for a few hours up north. We stopped occasionally for pictures.



Me in front of Three Sister's Mountains. It was windy! (thanks hair)



It was raining a bit that day, so the water would trickle down the mountains in waterfalls of sorts.



Our final destination was Loch Ness. No, I didn't get to see Nessie, but the lake was pretty epic.



Tomorrow, I will be exploring the city of Edinburgh. So more pictures to come! Cheers.

Chris

Update

Hey all,

I am currently on a train to Edinburgh, Scotland! I apologize for the lack of post in the last couple of days. I have been to London a good amount of times, but I used a friends camera (it is more light weight than my gigantic boulder that I own). I will hopefully have those pictures from that camera after this weekend and I'll have them up. As for now, I'll be in Scotland for the next few days. I should have plenty of pictures from there as well!

Being on this planet for 21 years has been an invigorating experience. I am grateful for all those around me. Their help has been immense in my growth. If you are reading this blog, you are most likely one of those people. So I say to you: Thanks!

Much much much love,
Chris

London Calling Again

So, I went into London again and went to this building immediately.



The Tate Modern is a new addition London and was created within the past ten years. It used to be an old power station and famous architects Herzog and deMueron (the firm that designed the Beijing Olympic stadium aka the birdsnest) did renovations.


Inside is a GIANT room called the turbine hall. Now it acts as a lobby to the museum. I was unfortunately not allowed to take photos inside but...


Ha! I couldn't help but sneak this one. This is a famous Liechtenstein that I was very excited to see in person.

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Afterwards I dropped by Buckinham Palace again. There was less people there so I was able to take a better picture through the gate. Note the guards. Across from the Palace is St. James park.


This acts as a "bridge" of sorts between the Palace and the Houses of Parliment. At the end of the park is the Churchill War Museum, a museum of Churchill's leadership during WWII and the actual bunker in which he and his cabinet ruled. In 1940, the threat of a German attack on the British Islands were great. The German "luftwaffe" began bombing London repeatedly. This killed thousands. Because of the constant barrage of bombs, Churchill and his War Cabinet had to find shelter in a bunker.

This is Churchill's office and bedroom. They have made it look exactly as it would of in 1945. Churchill only slept here three times however, as he wanted to be viewed as a confident leader. Therefore, he slept on the surface most nights.

I'll be in London MANY times this week. I'll be sure to have more pictures. Cheers!

Chris

Seaside Memories

Today consisted of a trip to the seaside and a pilgramige to the home of a literary master. We traveled about 2 hours south to the town of Seaford, there we had a picnic on the VERY rocky beach. Thankfully, the weather was terrific.



With the idea that "you only live once" firmly in my mind, I took a refreshing dip in the frigid waters of the England Channel with a few other adventurous souls. I didn't have my camera for obvious reasons, but I'm sure there is photo documentation somewhere. I did not stay in for too long for two reasons 1) it was damn cold and 2) I wanted to do something....


A huge cliff in the distance. I immediately wanted to climb to the top of it. So I set off.


It was very windy and there were no rails. I actually very much appreciated this.


Finally, I reached the top. I began to contemplate about life, the universe, and everything. ahhhhhhh

So goes my trip to the coast.

Right after, we ventured to Monk's House, a 18th century cottage owned by Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard Woolf. It was FANTASTIC and I can easily see how someone can right such beautiful things in this context.




Unfortunately, with WWII looming, Virginia committed suicide nearby in a river. In the garden behind the house lies a tree where her ashes are buried.

This upcoming week, I'll be headed to London. You'll get more from there!

Chris

The Aliens Have Landed

Hey all,

Yesterday was another eventful trip to the England countryside. Let's just jump right in it.


First we stopped by Jane Austen's "cottage." Though I am not in the Jane Austen class, it was nice to see the dwelling of a great literary figure.
Down the road from Jane's home, was another estate called the Great Chatwick Estate. The house and grounds were nice, but the most notable things were the sheep! I am so used to cows, seeing a large herd of sheep is a nice change. They are sort of cute too.


We then went off to Stourhead Gardens which were, as you can see, remarkable. I appreciate the limit of the urban areas in England. The amount of vast and beautiful parks is great and the countless walks one could do is fantastic!


Then last but not least, Stonehenge. I have always thought of Stonehenge as being in the middle of nowhere but this was actually next to a busy highway! You could only walk around it, but it was cool seeing the iconic ruins.

Anyway, that's another day here in England! I am just showing you the highlights - I don't think pictures of classes and homework would be as intriguing. I will update after this weekend and hopefully have many more great photos!

Cheers!